Cyclist 'critical' after attack

[Jake]

Bloody hell!

A cyclist has been left in a critical condition after being attacked by four youths while he was out riding.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/8208814.stm

 

[stoptherock]

Just saw this:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...clist+fights+for+life+after+attack/article.do

 

[Jake]

madness! feral kids

 

[silverbow]

Very sad. I hope the cyclist recovers.

There are some very strange people out there. Did anyone see the Crimewatch solved program lastnight? The item on the shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jonesshows some people just don't care.

 

[Jake]

i missed that. What is up wiht some people?! I could have a major rant about it all.

I wonder what happened, if he had a nice bike, or they tried to take his laptop bag? They may catch them, but if they do, what will they get?

 

[Jake]

shut up! what is it with people on here. What is wrong with suggesting what may have happened? What difference does it make mate?

 

[Garz]

Handbags!

Let's not fall out, merely discuss!

 

[Yorkshireman]

shut up! what is it with people on here. What is wrong with suggesting what may have happened? What difference does it make mate?

Nothing wrong with most people on here (though one or two seem to post a fair bit of 'Doom & Gloom' stuff)

 

[joolsybools]

Scumbags. No matter whether its a cyclist or not, 1 versus many is hardly a fair 'fight'.

 

[ianrauk]

youths were in their late teens or early 20s

Adults in my book

 

[Jake]

fair enough, he could have been a drug dealer, pedo' of chinese ganglord. Then again he could have been a fellow comuter, and this is a cylcing forum, without debate, there is no fourm. Ideas and debate are good.

 

[Crankarm]

More evidence of broken Britain .

I saw Crimewatch solved last night. Only 2 of the three crimes were "fully" resolved. The Russian b1tch who knocked down and killed the cyclist in London then escaping to Russia is now back in Russia due to the bloody incompetence of yet another judge allowing her to go back briefly on the understanding she returned immediately afterwards. Please! Who would be persuaded by a crock of sh1t excuse as that. Only a judge it appears! As if she ever had any intention of returning to the UK. None what so ever. The judge should be sent to Siberia. Total incompetence. It makes one realise that in a lot of cases it is not the police being tardy or indifferent that results in perpetrators escaping justice but the CPS and legal system that are not up to the job in this case a judge who didn't have a bloody clue.

The other featured crimes were truly shocking. The Chinese murderer and the killing of Rhys Evans. These people should NEVER be allowed out. In fact execute them. Shaun Mercer executed young Rhys. The mother of Shaun Mercer should have got 10 years not 3 years for perverting the course of justice as should each of Mercer's accomplices in the cover up.

I would have thought the murderers Sonnex and Farmer would feature but on reflection maybe those cases are too horrific for TV.

Back to the OP. Shocking. How can youths be over 18 years old?? Surely they are then adults? I think the guy was targetted because he was a cyclist as on a bike one is quite vulnerable especially if you encounter a group of malevolent scrotes. It is fairly easy to get pulled off. At 9:30pm it would have been quite dark so not easy to distinguish people in the shadows.

 

[HobbesChoice]

There's part of my commute which goes through a small tunnel that only has trees surrounding it. Thinking about a winter commute has made me see the areas that will at least feel quite threatening in the dark and this particular area would make a cyclist a very easy target! Stories like this emphasise how vulnerable cyclists can be just going about their daily leisure ride or commute!

Poor guy. It's not just the pain of the beating, although that's obviously terrible, but there's the fear he must have felt as the youths appeared.

They're all cowards - the lot of them. What logic dictates that a 4:1 fight could actually signify any social standing???

 

[Blackandblue]

As I read the first few posts and the two news reports, I was going to post that, in my view, I didn't see why it was relevant to describe the victim as a cyclist. It was a person that was attacked. Would it have made any difference if he was walking along that stretch instead of cycling - would the "youths" (and I agree with the comments that people in their 20s are not youths) have not attacked a pedestrian?

As I read on I felt that it is probably relevant to highlight the fact that the victim was on a bicycle. People may feel that they are less vulnerable on a cycle - perhaps they think they can effect a quick get away by cycling away from their attackers and outpacing them? Perhaps with this thought in mind they are more prepared to venture down paths/alleys/streets that they woudn't walk down at 9.30 at night?

And of course, the bike may have been the veyr motive for the attack - either in order to steal it or simply to do over a cyclist. I know I have been threatened in the past merely for being on a bike.

A depressing story whichever way you look at it.

 

[lazyfatgit]

As I posted over in P+L, there's no evidence here to say the fact he was on a bike is relevant to the assault. It's speculation.

I'd much rather be able to make a quick getaway on a bike than have to run. As a big feartie, if there was a gang of neds I wouldn't walk through, I'm also unlikely to try and cycle through them.