Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Had only covered a paltry 38 miles this afternoon but a good ride, still with only 1/2 mile to go before reaching my front door, I am riding along about 24-25 mph in a 30 mph and from close behind me I hear this car horn being bown repeatedly - an old git in a crappy old silver Ford Fiesta S881 ..... with missus beside him. So I ease off and look around proper again as I had already spied him. But now he is only 3 foot from my rear wheel, closing on me and not having moved out ! I am riding about 2 foot out in the smooth track left by the near side wheels of vehicles. I am wearing my bright yellow long sleeve jersey. It is about 3:15pm, still bright and not getting dark. His car is positioned as if I wasn't there and he is ready to just drive over me. There is still lots of oncoming traffic so he cannot pass as the road is not that wide. Just being patient and waiting a few moments, he'll be able to pass further up.
Anyway so slowing slightly to about 18 mph and turning around again I gesticulated my right arm upwards as if to say what and also shouted "What!" at him. Horn is still blowing and the engine note starts to rise and the fecker is actually trying to pass over me with oncoming traffic!!!!
So I shout "Oi!" and raise my arm as his nearside bumper is nearly touching my rear stays. I shout a few rude words and raise my arm to whack his car. He swerves out causing on coming traffic to sound their car horns full on, put headlights on and slow right down and drive on the verge and into driveways to avoid him. As he goes by I see his passenger who must have been his missus who was pig ugly as well sat there implaccably. The driver was about 55 years old, white, fat, well most of them are now, balding but with some silver hair. He was manically grinning at me and shaking his fist as he tried to pass. Once he was past I shouted a few more words at him. He flashed his brake lights and an arm came out of the driver's window giving me the finger.
Right! I gave chase as knew he would likely be caught in traffic in town. I sprinted quickly up to about 29-30mph just hoping I wouldn't lose sight of him and no-one pulled out on me. I was just able to keep sight of him in the distance as the road bent round to the right. Fortunately he was held up by a car sticking to the speed limit. Then the car he was following came to a stop. Brilliant! Old git Fiesta man must have been looking in his mirrors and kacking himself that I might catch up with him, so he shot around the car in front of him despite oncoming traffic. Not all lost as I knew he was still likely to be held up once in town proper. Was gaining on him quickly as he was held up as cars were dithering around and he had to stop behind the one in front of him that had stopped due to a line of parked cars on the nearside. No room to pass if there is oncoming traffic which has right of way, but a bike can get through.... Excellent, I would have the fecker! I'm about 100m behind and he's still stuck behind the car which has now moved further on but is now trying to park on the roadside. 50m, 25m left, nearly up to him, braking, only a matter of a couple of meters, and ready to draw along side and ask him why the feck he tried to run me down? Gotchya........ but nooooooo!!! He has floored it around the car in front trying to reverse into parking a space, just missing the front offside corner, driving on the pavement on the other side of the road , forcing oncoming traffic to emergency stop to avoid being in collision with his car!!! I've still got some momentum so continue after him to see where he goes to see if he is going to stop in town or he is local. I'm now about 75-100m behind by now. Up ahead he again swerves dangerously around another car in front that's trying to park, then speeds off wheel in excess of the 30mph speed limit, round a few bends with old houses right on the edge of the road with blind driveway entrances/exits, out of town, into the distance and I have lost him. I still continue along the road just in case he stops to turn around or goes into any of the side roads, before we are in the sticks again. Nope, he doesn't stop or turn around. Unfortunately I can only remember the first part of the registration despite reciting it over and over as I was following him .
If I see him again I'll get a pic and report him. I find generally that fate is quite good in this respect. He'll pop up again sometime ...... it's not that big a place.
WTF did he think he was doing!!!!! More aggression and harassment of cyclists. He could have killed me had he actually made contact with me or my bike making me lose balance, I would have fallen right under his car wheels as he was so close he would not have been able to avoid running over me !!!! I would at least be very seriously injured or at worst dead . The bike would have been totalled. I only just cleaned and re-lubed it last sunday as it was a bit mucky!
Time to buy proper helmet and rear mounted cams I think .
I do carry a camera close at hand but a digital point and shoot which obviously I have to stop and get out. On this occasion there simply wasn't time as I would have lost him. Plus it wouldn't have captured him in the act of trying to knock me down as I generally only use it after the dangerous act if they are still hanging around to record registration number and a pic of the car/driver or if they are nutters and I'm being threatened to avert and attack. Remarkably their attitude changes pronto when they see a camera pointed at them and you ask them to smile and say something for the camera, after you've captured their car registration as well of course.
Anyway so slowing slightly to about 18 mph and turning around again I gesticulated my right arm upwards as if to say what and also shouted "What!" at him. Horn is still blowing and the engine note starts to rise and the fecker is actually trying to pass over me with oncoming traffic!!!!
So I shout "Oi!" and raise my arm as his nearside bumper is nearly touching my rear stays. I shout a few rude words and raise my arm to whack his car. He swerves out causing on coming traffic to sound their car horns full on, put headlights on and slow right down and drive on the verge and into driveways to avoid him. As he goes by I see his passenger who must have been his missus who was pig ugly as well sat there implaccably. The driver was about 55 years old, white, fat, well most of them are now, balding but with some silver hair. He was manically grinning at me and shaking his fist as he tried to pass. Once he was past I shouted a few more words at him. He flashed his brake lights and an arm came out of the driver's window giving me the finger.
Right! I gave chase as knew he would likely be caught in traffic in town. I sprinted quickly up to about 29-30mph just hoping I wouldn't lose sight of him and no-one pulled out on me. I was just able to keep sight of him in the distance as the road bent round to the right. Fortunately he was held up by a car sticking to the speed limit. Then the car he was following came to a stop. Brilliant! Old git Fiesta man must have been looking in his mirrors and kacking himself that I might catch up with him, so he shot around the car in front of him despite oncoming traffic. Not all lost as I knew he was still likely to be held up once in town proper. Was gaining on him quickly as he was held up as cars were dithering around and he had to stop behind the one in front of him that had stopped due to a line of parked cars on the nearside. No room to pass if there is oncoming traffic which has right of way, but a bike can get through.... Excellent, I would have the fecker! I'm about 100m behind and he's still stuck behind the car which has now moved further on but is now trying to park on the roadside. 50m, 25m left, nearly up to him, braking, only a matter of a couple of meters, and ready to draw along side and ask him why the feck he tried to run me down? Gotchya........ but nooooooo!!! He has floored it around the car in front trying to reverse into parking a space, just missing the front offside corner, driving on the pavement on the other side of the road , forcing oncoming traffic to emergency stop to avoid being in collision with his car!!! I've still got some momentum so continue after him to see where he goes to see if he is going to stop in town or he is local. I'm now about 75-100m behind by now. Up ahead he again swerves dangerously around another car in front that's trying to park, then speeds off wheel in excess of the 30mph speed limit, round a few bends with old houses right on the edge of the road with blind driveway entrances/exits, out of town, into the distance and I have lost him. I still continue along the road just in case he stops to turn around or goes into any of the side roads, before we are in the sticks again. Nope, he doesn't stop or turn around. Unfortunately I can only remember the first part of the registration despite reciting it over and over as I was following him .
If I see him again I'll get a pic and report him. I find generally that fate is quite good in this respect. He'll pop up again sometime ...... it's not that big a place.
WTF did he think he was doing!!!!! More aggression and harassment of cyclists. He could have killed me had he actually made contact with me or my bike making me lose balance, I would have fallen right under his car wheels as he was so close he would not have been able to avoid running over me !!!! I would at least be very seriously injured or at worst dead . The bike would have been totalled. I only just cleaned and re-lubed it last sunday as it was a bit mucky!
Time to buy proper helmet and rear mounted cams I think .
I do carry a camera close at hand but a digital point and shoot which obviously I have to stop and get out. On this occasion there simply wasn't time as I would have lost him. Plus it wouldn't have captured him in the act of trying to knock me down as I generally only use it after the dangerous act if they are still hanging around to record registration number and a pic of the car/driver or if they are nutters and I'm being threatened to avert and attack. Remarkably their attitude changes pronto when they see a camera pointed at them and you ask them to smile and say something for the camera, after you've captured their car registration as well of course.