Someone actually drove into me on purpose tonight

[dodd82]

I'm so angry, and confused about this.

Cycling home on a 40mph road, bit of a country lane type road but not too busy that there aren't any opportunities to pass.

Cycling along, am over to the left hand side and there's been absolutely no confrontation, no recent junction - nothing that could have antagonised anyone, and suddenly an old car comes alongside me, slows down and drives into me, pulling against my right handlebar with it's wing mirror.

It knocked me and I wobbled a bit, but was okay. It was such a bad light that it was impossible too make out the registration plate as it drove away.

I wasn't really shaken, just angry, but the more I think about it the more I cannot fathom why someone would do that on such a dangerous road. If I'd gone over and my light had broken, I could have been hit by a car or lorry easily.

There's nothing I can do about it but I just had to write this down - can't tell the wife as she'll just worry in future (only recently started commuting on the bike).

I can't believe there are people in this world that would do something like that.

Funny thing is, I have bought a camera - only a cheap one, but stil - and because I've been let down on a memory card delivery, I haven't been able to put it on.

 

[dodd82]

to* make out...

 

[Easytigers]

Hope you're ok mate. Things like that can really shake you up. Just remember that for every idiot, there are 1000s of decent people out there. Hopefully someone will catch him before he kills someone, as he'll likely do the same to someone else!

 

[Drago]

Jeez, glad you're ok. Prime opportunity to give the chump an SPD speed stripe.

 

[doctornige]

Something happened to me today too. I was climbing Carlisle Road in Buxton. It's an epically wide suburban road. I had to take the centre of the lane because of wet leaves plastered to the road on the left which was making the rear tyre slip. I get a beep from behind from a Mitsubishi L200 pickup. I look round, steady my line and keep going. He passed and then cut in hard, braking as he did so, before accelerating off.

What a knob. I was not endangering him, yet he saw fit to do the exactly that to me. With a pickup truck. He clearly had no appreciation that I could not take the extreme left line.

I muttered 'close pass' and let him beetle off. I could have got the plate, but what's the bloody point?

 

[dodd82]

Thanks guys, and sorry to hear of your incident, doctornige.

Part of the things that stays with me when this happens is that I'll never get an answer to why it happened, and the driver will never have to face action for what he did.

I'd love to sit down with him or her and ask them if they realise the seriousness and stupidity of what they did - though perhaps they're just too thick to understand.

Russ - you're right, there are so many people that are considerate; it's just hard to focus on them after this.

I really don't know what to do or say right now.

 

[growingvegetables]

I can't believe there are people in this world that would do something like that.

Hmm - there aren't many, but they do exist. Bad luck meeting one of the few .... especially when you've only recently started commuting. No consolation, but I'd been commuting over ten years before somebody actually swiped with their wing mirror.

 

[PedalCat]

I wasn't really shaken, just angry, but the more I think about it the more I cannot fathom why someone would do that.

It's just a bit of pop psychology, but maybe it was caused by the frustration that results from very low intelligence combined with deep unhappiness.

 

[BentMikey]

It happens, it's sh1t, and you have lots of sympathy from me. It's the main reason I carry cameras. I couldn't bear the idea of the person getting away with something like they did to you.

I had one, there's a shocking BMW incident on my channel. That one was a 40mph BMW trying to knock me off when I was doing around 20mph.

 

[skudupnorth]

I had a guy clip me with his mirror a few years back,sadly for him the traffic jam he got stuck in was the worst thing that could happen to him because his mirror was definatly at a strange angle by the time i had finished with it ! Some people may not like that approuch but this tit had endangered me and i made sure he thought about his actions and what could happen to him and his wonderful tin box !

 

[MontyVeda]

if only one had to prove they're not a d!ckhead as part of their driving test!

edit
Crikey ... WTF... was he just disgruntled that you were using the road and not the gutter? Whoever that BMW Bad Accident happened too.

 

[bicyclos]

You get all walks of life on the road in charge of motor vehicles. Thank goodness the great majority of drivers are ok. And yes there are people that do the most stupid and dangerous actions while driving a tin box. The main thing is that you are in one piece and only shaken (anger). Welcome to the world of commuting....... its not all bad though !! Ive had my fair share of incidents and fracas in the last 12yrs but cycling has been a big part of my life from a child and I am too stubborn in a good way to give up cycling easily never.

It is rubbish when you have a bad day but there is one good thing about CC is that you can at least let off steam and get feeback.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Cycling along, am over to the left hand side and there's been absolutely no confrontation, no recent junction - nothing that could have antagonised anyone, and suddenly an old car comes alongside me, slows down and drives into me, pulling against my right handlebar with it's wing mirror...I can't believe there are people in this world that would do something like that.

Oh yeah. These people exist. You can cycle as defensively as you like, take primary, use all type of lights, etc., etc. but some feckin idiots still like to push cyclists around on the road. They are few and far between but they are out there. Glad you are OK and I hope the next time is a long, long way off. You are still better cycling than sitting in a tin box. I actually think the pricks are jealous most of the time.

 

[400bhp]

Oh yeah. These people exist. You can cycle as defensively as you like, take primary, use all type of lights, etc., etc. but some feckin idiots still like to push cyclists around on the road. They are few and far between but they are out there. Glad you are OK and I hope the next time is a long, long way off. You are still better cycling than sitting in a tin box. I actually think the pricks are jealous most of the time.

Absolutely.

Nobbers exist in life - stick them behind a wheel and they are still nobbers.

 

[nathanicola]

You just have to try and forget about it and move on or you can spend all your time feeling angry, a couple sundays ago the wife and i had 3 situations on one cycle ride. I swear if the last one had stopped my fist would have gone through his window and i would have dragged him out and i hate feeling like that, just spoiled the day. we wern't even being arogant, we were keeping in as far as we could.
Also last year the wife rang me in tears as a wing mirror had hit her thigh at such speed it smashed off throwing her off her bike and they didn't even stop, leaving her on the side of the road, she had purple bruising down her bum cheek and thigh for weeks. Just unbelivable sometimes.