Threat of violence this a.m. - not sure how to react

[EthelF]

Hello,
On this morning's nursery run a cheerful soul threatened to teach me a lesson with a badeball bat. Now I am not sure how seriously to take this or how to react.

As I approached my son's nursery with on Beechcroft Rd SW17 (traffic calmed road with humps, parked cars reduce it to single track frequently, 2 schools along the road) the car behind the one behind me started sounding his horn aggressively and revving his engine - he clearly took umbrage at my slow speed and the car behind's refusal to overtake in the face of oncoming traffic. So as I pulled in to the nursery I gesticulated for him to calm down (in hindsight a mistake). The next thing I know he has stopped outside the nursery (blocking the road; oh the irony...) wanting to know why I had called him a w*nker! He then said that were it not for the child he'd get his baseball bat out to teach me a lesson. Ominously he added that he knows where to find me. Then he drove off.

I am not sure how seriously to take him. The problem is that there is no alternative route to the nursery. I need to use the same road at the same time every day. And the bike/Chariot trailer combination is VERY distinctive.
I captured most of the incident on my bar mounted video camera, but due to the range and angle the microphone did not pick up his threats, nor is the number plate visible. So not much point going to the police. Question is, do I ditch the bike for the next few days until he has (hopefully) calmed down? Or is he likely to be all bluster? I am seriously considering getting another camera to mount on the trailer facing backwards anyway.

Meanwhile, if you see an oik in a hoodie driving a silver Skoda Fabia in sw London, be on your guard!

Sorry, rambling a bit now.

DJ

Sent from Android using Tapatalk

 

[Cubist]

Scum like him are full of wind and piss 99 times out of 100. If you abandon your bike and trailer for the next few days you will simply add to the mindset that if a cyclist hinders your progress you can threaten them with violence and it works!

The chances of your sharing the same roadspace in the near future are negligible in any case. . You will spend too much time today brooding and fretting over it, yet his walnut-sized intellect will not allow the incident to remain at the forefront of his primordial brain much beyond the next pressing need, such as foraging.

Don't let him get to you. If he was brave enough to attack people with bats in broad daylight on the school run, he'd have done it already.

 

[Dan_h]

This is always a difficult one. I have only had this sort of thing happen once before and that was a few years ago. I carried on using the same route but did not see the driver again for a while. One day he did whiz past, but made no sign that he recognised me or even cared. I guess people do say things in a badly thought out moment of anger.

I am not sure about going to the police. There are a couple of police officers on here who may be able to shed some light on the best way to approach that.

I would say that if it is a busy stretch of road then in my opinion he would be unlikely to do anything other than shout, someone getting out to wave a baseball bat around is going to be a little conspicuous!

 

[400bhp]

Scum like him are full of wind and piss 99 times out of 100. If you abandon your bike and trailer for the next few days you will simply add to the mindset that if a cyclist hinders your progress you can threaten them with violence and it works!

The chances of your sharing the same roadspace in the near future are negligible in any case. . You will spend too much time today brooding and fretting over it, yet his walnut-sized intellect will not allow the incident to remain at the forefront of his primordial brain much beyond the next pressing need, such as foraging.

Don't let him get to you. If he was brave enough to attack people with bats in broad daylight on the school run, he'd have done it already.

+1

The "I would have" threat of violence is laughable.

 

[Jezston]

Did you get any of his reg? Any other witnesses like parents etc?

Worth talking to the people who run the nursery - they may have a stronger voice in disencouraging people being threatening and violent in front of children. Being an agressive numpty is one thing, threatening someone with violence who is taking their children to nursery in front of everyone is the kind of thing that gets in the local news.

 

[Hip Priest]

It's easy for me to say, but I think he was probably just trying to scare you. I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to assault someone with a baseball bat in public over nothing. People like that probably have several road rage incidents each day. I doubt he'd even remember you.

 

[BSRU]

The not very nice people I know do not threaten to do something they just do it. In general people who threaten are normally just bullies who think they can scare people into submission.

I understand the hand gesture problem, it's far too easy for a driver with a limited view to misinterpret a hand gesture. When I had my "misinterpreted hand gesture" incident I just carried on riding the same roads as normal.

 

[BentMikey]

Personally, I'd carry on cycling, and I might get to school a little earlier and keep an eye out for him. I'd want to get the number plate and report him to the police, though perhaps that approach is a little more risky and assertive than you might like.

Cubist has the right of it for you, I think.

 

[upsidedown]

With a bit of luck he might spend the day reflecting on his appalling behaviour and be too embarassed to use the same route tomorrow.

 

[EthelF]

Thanks for all the positive replies, I am not too worried about the baseball bat threat itself, more concerned about a possible later punishment pass/sideswipe. I'll keep my eyes peeled for him anyway and note down the plate for future reference if I do see him again.

There was one mother who witnessed the threats he made but not the situation beforehand. Not sure how much of it she actually heard though, as I said he stayed in his car outside the gate the better part of 10 metres away.

DJ

 

[Cubist]

With a bit of luck he might spend the day reflecting on his appalling behaviour and be too embarassed to use the same route tomorrow.

You're a glass half full kid of guy aren't you! A genuine "well done" for wishing something positive as an outcome for the driver.





If your post was pure dripping irony, then you are the sensei of deadpan!

 

[Origamist]

DJ, I live just around the corner from the nursey and know Beechcroft Rd well. Usually drivers are OK along there, but you do get the odd imapatient idiot. Try not to let it get you down.

I know it's easy for people to on the internet to tell you not to worry and keep cycling, but I understand your concerns about reprisals as it's likely the same driver uses the road regularly. However, I think any form of "afters" is extremely unlikely.

As he threatened you, I'd be minded to report him to the Nightingale Safer Neighbourhoods team: http://content.met.police.uk/Team/Wandsworth/Nightingale as a visit from the local police sounds like it is in order.

If you wanted to get a rear facing cam for your own peace of mind, I'd go for it. Also is there anyone else who can ride with you for a few days? Can you vary your route a bit or change your journey times slightly (although I appreciate this is difficult given the location etc).

 

[upsidedown]

You're a glass half full kid of guy aren't you! A genuine "well done" for wishing something positive as an outcome for the driver.

Yes i am i suppose. I had somebody who i saw regularly at the station confront me for blocking his way at the lights. He was in my face and shouting in front of hundreds of other commuters. I dreaded going the next day in case he started again. I've never seen him since.

 

[EthelF]

@ Origamist
Alas the nursery doesn't open till 8, exactly when this happened. I may be tempted to get there early for a while, I am sure I can entertain a 2 year old with some fallen leaves for 15 minutes or so!
I've done this run for a year now so I am used to the odd impatient driver along there, but this guy was the worst even before the threats. And of course most drivers are absolutely fine along there, and give me extra considerstion due to the trailer. Typical for the odd antisocial nutter to spoil my day!
Thanks for the link, if I manage to get the number plate I will definitely take matters further. But hopefully I will never see him again!

DJ

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The revving and horning are simply an attempt to bully you. As is the threatening. All part of the same mindset. If you change your behaviour as a result then the bully has got the outcome they were after; he has literally scared you off the road. Carry on what you are doing and if you get a repeat performance have a pen and paper to hand, make a note of the reg and report it to the police.