Hi all. I thought I'd share a weird incident that just happened to me on a ride around town. Kinda summed up quite a bad week of commuting.
I was heading into Shirley Soton from the direction of the station. There is a crossroad junction where you need to take the RH lane to go straight on. Nothing behind so I join the queue, bus ahead and another pulls up behind, there's another cyclist ahead.
Light goes green and the queue sets off slowed by the cyclist in front. Anyhoo on approach to the next crossroads I nearly catch the cyclist ahead. He's riding in the door zone but I'm further out. I don't overtake him and we get to the crossroad queue a few seconds later. I stop in normal position in the queue.
A guy on a moped with L plates pulls up behind, opens his helmet and starts swearing at me! Things come out his mouth between F words such as
"you should be in the other lane" (only one lane at this junction!)
" you should ride on the pavement"
"do you want to die? Don't you have children to go home to?"
He had a strong accent possibly Eastern European.
I am shocked and don't know what to say but I do remember saying read the highway code and it's illegal to ride on the footway. I also wave my hand to dismiss the "do you want to die" comment.
To avoid any confrontation I let him go ahead when the lights go green and I match his pace until he pulls off left. (quick ring-a-ding on my bell!)
Weird huh?
I was heading into Shirley Soton from the direction of the station. There is a crossroad junction where you need to take the RH lane to go straight on. Nothing behind so I join the queue, bus ahead and another pulls up behind, there's another cyclist ahead.
Light goes green and the queue sets off slowed by the cyclist in front. Anyhoo on approach to the next crossroads I nearly catch the cyclist ahead. He's riding in the door zone but I'm further out. I don't overtake him and we get to the crossroad queue a few seconds later. I stop in normal position in the queue.
A guy on a moped with L plates pulls up behind, opens his helmet and starts swearing at me! Things come out his mouth between F words such as
"you should be in the other lane" (only one lane at this junction!)
" you should ride on the pavement"
"do you want to die? Don't you have children to go home to?"
He had a strong accent possibly Eastern European.
I am shocked and don't know what to say but I do remember saying read the highway code and it's illegal to ride on the footway. I also wave my hand to dismiss the "do you want to die" comment.
To avoid any confrontation I let him go ahead when the lights go green and I match his pace until he pulls off left. (quick ring-a-ding on my bell!)
Weird huh?
. Let me rephrase that was he a US citizen? 
