Shot at!

[Adasta]

there have been cases of people dying from air pellets. i heard of one girl who go shot in the ribs and the pellet nicked an artery. dead in minutes.

It's the Ashley Cole effect...

 

[Ibbots]

It certainly is. I wonder whether it's better to take primary or secondary position when being shot at?

I am not sure but think I'll take the full tuck/cowering option tomorrow.

 

[SlowerThanASluggishSloth]

.
I hope you will be able to encourage the police to take this very seriously. You are not the only cyclist to use this route (e.g. skudupnorth) and if the perpertrator reckons they can get away with it, they'll have another go, perhaps with more serious consequences.

Oh, and maybe tomorrow, ditch the hi-vis

 

[JonnyBlade]

How incredibly lucky are you! I really do think the police will follow this up, there are far too many fruit cakes out on the street. You never know, it might not be the first time and might help them further their enquiries.

 

[som3blok3]

Jeezz, that's sh!t. Scary stuff!!!! Glad you're ok though.

I think that deserves third position, commando roll off the bike, slide the PPK from your sock and shoot back, Bond styleee.

Jokes aside, hope the little sh!ts get caught (they've gotta be kids) and a heavy book thrown at them. When I was a kid I was shooting tin cans out of my bedroom window with a 'Gat Gun' but the damm cork would always go the wrong way. Got shot in the leg with an airgun pellet when I was 14, and 20 years later I've still got the scar.

Heads are somewhat more sensitive than legs though.

 

[gaz]

[attachment=2567:PelletHole.jpg]
My poor helmet!

your helmet saved your life. had to say it

 

[Bollo]

+Sheet! Glad you're ok MGC. Even I'd be surprised if plod don't take this one very seriously. Still, at least the bike didn't get hit

 

[Jezston]

Something like this is proper serious - I I'd expect they'd at the very least be doing a door to door in the vicinity asking who has air rifles. If someone's parent knows their kid has one and they may be shooting passers by with it I expect they'll be taking pretty serious action themselves!

 

[Adasta]

If someone's parent knows their kid has one and they may be shooting passers by with it I expect they'll be taking pretty serious action themselves!

I wouldn't count on it. Children are now little more than an extension of their parents' defective egos. Chastising a child for bad behaviour is akin to the parent admitting failure to raise him/her correctly. A lot of parents would do nothing at all.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Quick update. The police didn't manage to call me last night, but they called this morning, and I will be meeting an officer tomorrow and showing them where the incident happened. They do seem to be taking it seriously. I'll post any further progress here if people are interested.

 

[Ibbots]

think I caught sight of you this morning turning off into Salford Cresc station (I wasn't the chap hassling your back wheel just as you made the turn, the one behind him /stalkerblog), surprised you to see you in normal bike gear instead of full urban camo lycra - though there's room for a bullet proof vest under that jacket. Good to see you carrying on as I'm sure such an incident would put many of us off for a while.

Please post an update on response from the police in due course.

 

[Bman]

Something like this is proper serious - I I'd expect they'd at the very least be doing a door to door in the vicinity asking who has air rifles. If someone's parent knows their kid has one and they may be shooting passers by with it I expect they'll be taking pretty serious action themselves!

The police should already know this. Just as when you buy a TV, the licensing authority are informed, when you buy an airgun, the police are informed.

 

[BSRU]

The police should already know this. Just as when you buy a TV, the licensing authority are informed, when you buy an airgun, the police are informed.

Assuming they give their real address, last year I had a letter from TV licensing about a newly purchased TV that had been bought by the previous owner of our house, they moved out ten years ago.

 

[Keith Oates]

Scary stuff that MGC, glad you're OK but i hope the police find out who fired the gun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bollo]

The police should already know this. Just as when you buy a TV, the licensing authority are informed, when you buy an airgun, the police are informed.

Fraid not. You can buy an airrifle under a specified maximum power (12ft lbs from memory) without any form of licence. You have to prove you're 18 if you're buying from a registered supplier though. There are plenty of rules about where you can fire it, and 'at cyclists' is certainly not legal.