Was it the weather?

[Boris Bajic]

It was very, very windy in several directions at once. I had a 30-to-35-mile circular ride to various meetings and almost took the car because of the gusts. But... this is the thing:

Whether or not it was the weather, I had an uncommon number of slammingly close passes by van and artic on my ride. I am pretty casual about close shaves, but some of these were barmy.

Then... 10 miles from home I was hit by the egg from the middle of a scotch egg. It was thrown by the passenger in a fairly upmarket, late-plate car. He yelled something, but it was in the vowel-mashing argot of the Marches and shouted at speed, so I missed the sense of it. It was probably not a compliment on my cadence.

I know it was an egg because I stopped to find it in the verge, where I saw it fall. It hit me while the car was still behind me, so it was unexpected. I memorised the plate and then enjoyed the ride home.

Later in the evening I mentioned it to my wife as we drove past the spot and she was OUTRAGED. She said I really ought to have reported, it as someone who does that might later do something else and what if I'd swerved and etc etc...

She is right about most things (probably all things) but I saw more comedy in the egg-missile-shouty-boy thing than outrage. It was only the look on her (normally calm) face that made me wonder whether there was a case for reporting it.

I didn't and won't. Is that a reasonable response?

 

[fossyant]

Oh, just report them. Fly on the wall driver getting a 'visit'. Might be a full can of coke next time.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Report the moron..you have his plate etc...
Plod will do what they can and hopefully a 'word in his shell' (It's a cracking yoke) will help

 

[Pat "5mph"]

The egg throwing was out of order.
If you can be bothered, report. True, as Fossy said, could be something lethal next time they decide to bombard a cyclist.

 

[sabian92]

When will these bloody motorists learn...

If they want to help fuel us for the commute, throwing is not the right way to dish out a picnic!

All seriousness, your wife is right. God only knows what else they might throw at somebody. Scotch egg today, tomorrow could be a rock.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

http://www.operationcrackdown.org/

This is sussex polices' operation crackdown. Im sure other countys' have similar policies.

Don't be afraid to report these idiots. The police rely on the victim to report it so that they can deal with this rubbish.

 

[Sara_H]

I agree with Mrs B. Report it.

As for the weather, I was out with the little un yesterday and received lots of drive by verbal abuse. The day before I was out with OH and little un and between us we accumulated 4 left hooks. Today out with little un I got one slow down with close pass and glare drive by.

What on earth is going on? Is it just that I've been off the bike for a few months and had forgotten how obnoxious the british driving public are?

 

[Brandane]

Reporting it can't do any harm. The result of the Police visiting the registered keeper of the car will only have a positive effect if the egg launcher is the type of person who gives a sh*t about being visited by the Police.These types of people usually don't GAF though.
If he/she knows the system then they will keep their mouth shut as it is your uncorroborated word against theirs, so no charges will be forthcoming. If this had happened in Scotland, there is the likelihood of an assault charge, evidence allowing. Evidence = a witness in addition to the victim (possibly the driver in this case), or a confession from the suspect.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I agree with Mrs B. Report it.

As for the weather, I was out with the little un yesterday and received lots of drive by verbal abuse. The day before I was out with OH and little un and between us we accumulated 4 left hooks. Today out with little un I got one slow down with close pass and glare drive by.

What on earth is going on? Is it just that I've been off the bike for a few months and had forgotten how obnoxious the british driving public are?

Sorry to hear this..especially as 'little un' was there.

Sadly the reality is that drivers are getting more and more aggressive, they have lost respect for human life, even their own sometimes. In the uk people are rushing around in some kind of stressed out haze and don't GAF about anyone except themselves.

It wasn't always like this. There has been a collapse in moral values in the UK that to my mind stinks...and it is manifesting itself
in many ways, abusing cyclists being one of them.

Sadly I now feel the need to ride with a hedcam. It doesn't prevent (well it might if they see it in time I guess) but it gives me recourse to law if these idiots endanger my life.

 

[Sara_H]

Sorry to hear this..especially as 'little un' was there.

Sadly the reality is that drivers are getting more and more aggressive,

Do you think they are? I definitely think I get more close passes these days. Sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. I started a thread a while back about cycling past my own son's school at dropping off time on my way home from a night shift. It had me in tears one day, the number of dangerous passes in the space of a couple of minutes.

TBF, the standard of driving seems to be better when I'm out with my son, but these last few days it was remarkably poorer!

 

[Brandane]

Sadly the reality is that drivers are getting more and more aggressive, they have lost respect for human life, even their own sometimes. In the uk people are rushing around in some kind of stressed out haze and don't GAF about anyone except themselves.

Sadly, it is far from limited to drivers though, it is more of a general attitude these days. Far too many selfish, nasty, aggressive people with no thought for anyone other than themselves. It becomes self generating as well; when I see someone behaving like that, I tend to reward them with a taste of their own medicine. For example BMW drivers - they never show anyone any courtesy IME, so whenever I get the chance to return the favour I take it. They can wait for someone else to let them turn right, or pull into a queue of traffic .

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Do you think they are? I definitely think I get more close passes these days. Sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. I started a thread a while back about cycling past my own son's school at dropping off time on my way home from a night shift. It had me in tears one day, the number of dangerous passes in the space of a couple of minutes.

TBF, the standard of driving seems to be better when I'm out with my son, but these last few days it was remarkably poorer!

it is worse for sure..especially in the towns. It isn't just poor driving skills, it's a pent up anger within people waiting for a target...to these people cyclists are an easy target as we can't catch the cowards up when they run...

and yes I agree with what Brandane said too....it is not just drivers...it's everywhere .

It takes a special person not to 'pass on' the 'anger' ...(a la the BMW driver example above) ...but us cyclists are special so I try to rise above it...



...except when it comes to white van man

 

[Boris Bajic]

Thanks for the responses. I didn't report it, but almost did.

I stopped to find the object because it felt quite hard. When it turned out to be a shelled boiled egg, I started to see the silly side of it.

But how odd that I'm not the only one who experienced windy-day barminess from so many motorists.

 

[400bhp]

Sorry to hear this..especially as 'little un' was there.

Sadly the reality is that drivers are getting more and more aggressive,.....
Sadly I now feel the need to ride with a hedcam.

I don't believe drivers are getting more and more aggressive.

It's a perception thing and has led to you buying one of those.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It takes a special person not to 'pass on' the 'anger' ...(a la the BMW driver example above) ...but us cyclists are special so I try to rise above it...



...except when it comes to white van man

And taxi driver, don't forget