Pushed off!

[gambatte]

IMO if you don't report, it didn't happen.
Just because you report something, doesn't mean it will get excessive police time wasted on it. I reckon they've had plenty of practice at prioritising.
However if you do report it, it might show a trend in a particular area. May be that they're just waiting for a break because someone else has been injured.
Maybe they have a problem in an area, they just need the statistics to prove it.
And although I'd hate for one of my kids to be involved in something like this - I'd sure as hell want to know if they were.

 

[arallsopp]

I've had eggs, cones (traffic, not 99's), bottles, palms (hands, not fronds), fists, feet, and plebs thrown at me (the pleb threw himself).

Mostly I duck and cover, or try to turn off and avoid it. Only once has it really got to me, and that saw me calling a group of young teenagers some really inappropriate* things.



(* appropriate would have been any one of the normal set of swears. For some reason, my maddened state saw me settle for 'tubby'.)

 

[MarkF]

Thats a red rag to a bull unfortunately but good come back I hope the cops seen the funny side.

I didn't hang around to see if they saw the funny side. Last autumn, with that incident fresh in my mind, I was again approached by kids as a cycled past them, one kid cockily came to the kerb for his audience, he was definitely going to push me. At the very last second he decided better of it, too late, my hand was already raised and down he went.

What is it with kids & bikes? I am 6' 1" and quite muscled, kids wouldn't normally dare say boo to me, but put me on a bike and I'm instantly a target.

 

[ColinJ]

What is it with kids & bikes? I am 6' 1" and quite muscled, kids wouldn't normally dare say boo to me, but put me on a bike and I'm instantly a target.

I was thinking a similar thing yesterday on a local forum ride. Three boys about 8 or 9 years old were shouting abuse at me, tubbycyclist, Potsy and bromptonfb.

Bromptonfb is a burly 6-footer, 16 stone plus. I'm 6' 1" and nearly 16 stone. Were they bothered? Not a bit of it - they were trying to chuck sticks into our wheels and something they threw hit me on the ankle. One of them lunged at us as if he was going to push one of us over. I dread to think what they will be getting up to when they are big enough to really get stuck in!

 

[Davidc]

If all else fails I aim the bike straight at them, stand up and pedal hard. So far it's worked, but one day I'll probably have to place the front wheel between some yoofs legs*. Being tall and well built helps, although I'm beginning to look too old for it to be as convincing as it used to be

*and if someone decides to prosecute me for GBH it's just too bad!

 

[Mad at urage]

Mad@ourage - I didn't say it was new!

Like other ghastly stuff from the past, like flares, it just reappears from time to time. It's still horrible though.

I didn't say it was acceptable (any more than when I was slapped on the arse by a passing teenager in her father's car ); just responding to the general >shock<>horror<what's_the_matter_with_some_people? tone of the whole thread. People are generally as thick and stupid and nasty as they always were, nothing changes.

What to do about it when it happens? Generally depends on the situation, but some people do need to grow a thicker skin if they are going to survive in this shocking, horrible, stupid world. I guess my message (if I have to have one) is: Don't be phased by it (but do respond appropriately/report it if it will help etc).

 

[Adasta]

However if you do report it, it might show a trend in a particular area. May be that they're just waiting for a break because someone else has been injured.

This is exactly what coppers have told me.

A lot of people are scared of reporting because they think they're wasting police time. If you have any common sense, you'll know when something isn't worthy of police time - the types of incident already mentioned clearly are worth investigating. At the very least, it can help the police build up a timeline of events that could have an effect on another case.

For example:

1. You report a black car (Y reg) for dangerous driving since it's hassling you and trying to overtake you aggressively. Time: 19.45
2. Someone reports a car (Y reg) stolen. Time: 19.25
3. Someone reports that a house on their street has been broken into. Time 19.00

If no-one reports any of these incidents, there is no trail. The more and more reports the police receive, the easier it is to piece together a more secure accusation against the suspected individual(s).

gambatte's example neatly shows how one report can go a long way in helping the police to nab a crim.

 

[Beethoven]

I can't believe people would push someone into a road with traffic on it.

I can believe it. Human stupidity never ceases to amaze me

Matt

 

[BenM]

Had one oik deliberately stand in front of the Orca.... so we had a game of chicken.... my pedals/cranks vs his soft and squshy bits

Needless to say he moved before impact probably due to the causal course correction I made to make sure the pedals were lined up properly.

B.

 

[gambatte]

Had it the opposite way last week. About 20 of us out running at about 7pm, nice and dark, by the edge of a single carriageway, national speedlimit road. The roads a long gradual descent.
At the top we passed a pub and 'picked up' 3 youths on dirt jump type bikes. The usual hooded ninjas. Black clothes, no lights.
Over the 1st few hundred yards they were trying to bunny hop the rear wheels sideways into the front runners. Oh how we laughed when one of them came off and how I resisted the temptation to run on his spokes I don't know... None of us broke stride, but all the time this was happening, one of them would be on the road, riding counter to traffic and pulling stunts. I thought the rear facing manual was particularly suicidal...

 

[yashicamat]

My theory on the differing approach to a cyclist on a bike as opposed to a cyclist standing there is that it is connected to the same behaviour that dogs display. That is, a human on a bike ceases to be instantly recognisable as a human and instead becomes a 'cyclist', but if said bike stops and the human gets off, the human is then recognised. I've noticed this happen several times with road rage incidents when I've stopped and at that point the 'road rager' has driven off abandoning his (why is it always a he?!) verbal assault, likewise the times I've encountered dogs I've tried the approach of stopping and getting off and that (so far - touchwood!) has resulted in a 100% success rate, compared with trying to pedal off when the dog continues to chase / snap at heels etc.

 

[Black Sheep]

The other fashion is for leaning out and screaming loudly in your face. A friend of mine was doing the Night Walk in Brighton and some very drunk girls did this to her - she found it extremely upsetting. What's the matter with some people?

I've been hit over the head while riding through the city centre, I saw it coming and started to make a left turn and increase speed, they hit me and instantly I felt my helmet be looser on my head, it had split right down the back left corner and had a bit of a dent on the top.

I got smacked in the chest whilst riding home through Wolverhampton by a girl! (Probably around 18yo). Her and a male companion were crossing the road ahead of me. Way ahead, I should add! When she saw me coming, she just stopped in the middle of the road! It wasn't a main road. Just an access road to the theatre and a couple of bars. I gave her a wide berth as she was making ridiculous noises and grimmacing at me. Just as I was about to go around her, she reaches out and smacks me in the chest! Thankfully, I didn't come off. Looking back, I wish I'd have called the police. I'm sure that street is heavily CCTV'd, so some action may have come of it.

I just ride at them and start saying things such as ''bugger, the brakes aren't working''

 

[HLaB]

I just ride at them and start saying things such as ''bugger, the brakes aren't working''

LOL my mate uses that when cycling through Dublin City Centre/ Temple Bar 'No Brakes!'