Sad, sad day

[Boycie]

Well, tonight, I have made a decision. one which saddens me no end, and about which i don't feel good.

For the past few months, I have been commuting to work, a round trip of about 46, 47 miles. I have been using my trike, and today was the first time on the new Bacchetta Giro. Great bike. What wasn't so great was the 'gentleman' in his van who I nearly ended up in a fight with. He came up behind me in a town I travel through, revving his engine, almost colliding with my rear wheel, and generally driving like a complete a^%s. As I turned off into a side street, he blasted his horn at me. The aggression was palpable. I am afraid I waved my hand at him in annoyance and frustration that once again, I was the subject of aggression for no other reason than I was riding a bike. His reaction was interesting. He came after me at speed. I felt the best thing to was stop, as I was seriously concerned he would try to have me off. I got off the bike, and as I did so, I could hear him screaming, yes, screaming loudly, saying "come on then, you %^£""

He then screeched to a halt next to me, and wound down his window, and proceeded to deliver some pretty impressive verbal abuse at me. I asked him "what's the problem fella?" He felt that i had given him the 'finger'. He was seriously angry, and when I denied it, and told him that I had waved at him in annoyance, he became apoplectic!!! Seriously out of control. Funnily enough, he didn't choose t get out of the van. I honestly think he did not expect me to actually stop and front him out. After 30 seconds of listen to his invective, I decided to walk away, as that was the only thing that would stop the incident.

thankfully he then drove off. I wasn't too worried about my personal safety in the event that he did actually try to have a go physically. I am a police officer, used to such stupidity, and I was ready to fold him up and nick him.

That is not the point though. The last ride I did to work a few weeks ago, i nearly got wiped out by a driver who got it all wrong. That is not an exaggeration, either, I honestly thought I was going to die on that occasion, as the guy ended up losing control of his car right behind me, narrowly avoiding colliding with me.

On both journeys, in addition to these incidents, I have been cut up, sworn at, beeped at, and generally treated like crap. My point is, I am not prepared to continue to put my personal safety at risk at the hands of what is a growing minority of drivers hellbent on getting home from work as quickly as possible, and giving no thought to whether their actions are going to to hurt someone far more vulnerable.

Yes, I could have clocked the guy's index number, yes I could have reported him for something, but the grief is not worth it, especially as I had done a days work, and just wanted to ride home in the sunshine, enjoying the the experience and the new bike.

I know that I shouldn't let this sort of thing get to me, given my job, I of all people know what the world is REALLY like, and I generally hold a good sense of perspective. However, I no longer get the enjoyment out of commuting. So I shall stick to leisure cycling, where I can stand a better chance of staying out of the way of these bloody moronic oxygen thieves.

Thanks for listening!!! i feel a bit better now.

[[XAP]Bob]

That is sad, if understandable.
Are you still a copper? Nicking him on the spot (even if only to waste his time) could have been interesting...

[Ash28]

A very sad and moving post. I don't know what to say. I can only offer commiserations and wish you better luck with your leisure cycling. Keep on pedaling.

[byegad]

Until someone starts nicking these people in some numbers it will go on. AND some incidents will end in death.

[mill4six]

It must depend where you live/ride, such incidents are pretty rare around these parts. I get the low level stuff beeping and so on but touch wood it doesn't seem to escalate beyond that. In fact, since I've left my comfort zone on the towpath and ventured out onto the lanes with my new road bike I've been pleasantly surprised. With experience it's sometimes possible to not be there when someone does something daft because you saw it coming. However I'm wary of big main roads in the rush hour, I can hold my own in an urban environment because I'm at least as fast as the traffic but even in the depths of winter I'll use the mucky towpath in preference to the A-road. I doubt there's anything worse than hearing screeching tyres behind you
My riding style is fairly assertive but I'm happy to compromise and move over to allow a pass now and then, I've also begun thanking people a lot more if I've held them up. They seem to appreciate it and I don't want to make enemies on my regular route. It sounds as though you have things much worse than I do!

[EdinburghFixed]

Although I quite understand your reasoning, I think it's profoundly sad that so many people are the subject of these assaults but can't get anything done about it, that when it happens to someone who *can* do something about it, they don't either.

[Boycie]

That is sad, if understandable.
Are you still a copper? Nicking him on the spot (even if only to waste his time) could have been interesting...

Yes, I am still a copper. In a way, I wish I had nicked him. It would have been soooo easy, as he gave me every reason to, TBH. That said, I would have been tied up for hours sorting it out, after a long day already. The problem is that because of the sheer amount of aggressive choppers about these days, I could be spending more time nicking people off duty than on, I think!

The other thing is that nowadays, you end up bringing someone in under these circumstances, they make a fecking complaint, then that's a whole world of more serious crap, even if you haven't done owt wrong. You know how it works, I think!!!

Anyway, thats not really the issue. I no longer seen the point in putting myself through the strain of battling with these gonks when the activity I am involved in is supposed to be for pleasure. I refuse to spend all my time literally looking over my shoulder (well in the mirror, actually, have you actually ridden a recumbent bike, its twitchy and looking over one's shoulder is a wobbly weavy challenge for me at the moment ) and trying to spot whether i am about to be taken out than I do looking frontwards and enjoying the ride. AFter all, we ride to enjoy it, do we not?

I am too old to be rolling about on the floor with these peabrained clowns, these days

[Boycie]

Although I quite understand your reasoning, I think it's profoundly sad that so many people are the subject of these assaults but can't get anything done about it, that when it happens to someone who *can* do something about it, they don't either.

You are quite right of course, and that adds to my genuuine sense of sadness and frustration. However, see my reply to (XAP) Bob. The days of coppers being given any modicum of respect whatsoever are long gone, and it says more about our society than anything in my view. If I seem bitter, perhaps I am, but believe me, there is a reality here that some quarters either refuse, or conveniently ignore.

Right, i think I had better shut up in case the rubber heel squad come a'knocking!!! Some of you will know exactly what that means, sorry

Phil

[eileithyia]

so sorry that another motorist has 'won' and that you suffered at this incident. if a copper is helpless in these situations then what hope for the rest of us.
at least you may have insight and sympathy for our cause when incidents tween motorist and cyclist arise.

[Boycie]

so sorry that another motorist has 'won' and that you suffered at this incident. if a copper is helpless in these situations then what hope for the rest of us.
at least you may have insight and sympathy for our cause when incidents tween motorist and cyclist arise.

Oh believe me i have a great deal of insight into the cause of cyclists generally. It's not so much that fact that I didn't lock the guy up, that is a side issue. In all seriousness, I know beyond doubt, that the guy did not expect for a minute that I was going to actually front him out. As I write some of this rubbish , and I get it off my chest a bit more, it actually becomes quite amusing. He actually was never going to actually get out of his van, because he knew he was gonna lose. Don't ask me how I know, call it professional judgement!! I certainly don't think he has 'won'.

The point is, I suppose, that there seems to be this ever-rising tide of pillocks, particularly in cars, who refuse to take any responsibility for their actions, and think that might is right. The sooner we get the message across to people that a driving licence is NOT a right; its a privilege, and start taking said licences away from people properly, the better. Until then, the only thing that can in all reality be removed from the equation is me. I.e. if I am not actually there on the commute, then I am not at risk of being wiped put by one of these scum. And I use that word in a considered fashion.

At least if I confine my riding to anything other than commuting, then I feel I have a little more control, (even if it might only be illusory!)

[EdinburghFixed]

Although I quite understand your reasoning, I think it's profoundly sad that so many people are the subject of these assaults but can't get anything done about it, that when it happens to someone who *can* do something about it, they don't either.

You are quite right of course, and that adds to my genuuine sense of sadness and frustration. However, see my reply to (XAP) Bob. The days of coppers being given any modicum of respect whatsoever are long gone, and it says more about our society than anything in my view. If I seem bitter, perhaps I am, but believe me, there is a reality here that some quarters either refuse, or conveniently ignore.

Yep, I can well imagine the (professional) pain you might have to go through to follow it up. I guess that was what I was referring to, not so much the fact that you don't *want* to sort it out, but that you're in a position where it genuinely isn't possible / worth it.

For what it's worth I think there would be huge mileage in having plain clothes specially-trained traffic police to do urban beats by bicycle. With video rolling you would pick up so many offences you wouldn't know what to do with them all (yet another problem!) and a few sharp exemplary punishments for cutting across or pulling out dangerously in front of a cyclist might save many serious accidents from happening altogether through better awareness. Fat chance though, antisocial driving is just about bottom of the pile for everybody else...

[enigmatic]

I sympathise with you and congratulate you on your self-control. Fortunately I no longer live in a city (or even a big town) and can also avoid rush hour traffic, but I still get hassle from inconsiderate motorists who just don't seem to recognise our rights to any road space which slows them down for a second, or don't think ahead enough to realise that even if they do overtake us they'll then have to slam their brakes on to avoid the next traffic obstacle. FWIW I don't think that anything you could have done would have changed the driver's attitude; some time ago my son & I were overtaken by an idiot who slammed his brakes on, leapt out of the car and accused us of riding two abreast when we should be riding in single file. No amount of telling him that we had singled out, even when we were not obliged to, cut any ice, it only made him more aggressive. Drivers these days do not have the benefit of learning roadcraft by first using a pushbike or motorcycle, most of them don't even get to walk to school these days. Maybe some sort of two-wheeled training should be a pre-cursor to a car driving course? Yes sometimes I do react and wave a hand or shout when things get too close for comfort, but most of the time I try to ride defensively and think "well, it's your heart attack, not mine". Safe riding, everyone.

[De Railleur]

I'm very sorry to hear what you have been through. You have my sympathies. I'm also very sorry if the experience puts you off cycling. I've had the odd hand/finger waving match with a selection of impatient and, dare I say it, inconsiderate drivers. I found that I'm more patient with the drivers nowadays - a sign of getting old perhaps? I've not been (very) close to fisticuffs or worse (being mowed down) yet so perhaps I speak from inexperience, but I have vowed that I will not let myself be bullied off the roads. Cyclists have every bit as much right to use the Queen's highway as any white van man or vectra rep. Though I have promised my dearest that I'll not risk my life to prove a point.

I hope you'll carry on riding.

[horizon]

boycie: I do sympathise because what you describe happens....but......

....do take stock of how you are feeling as well - these people turn up on cue whenever we are feeling a bit stressed, a bit run down, a bit wound up. My daily commute doesn't feel like yours even though the behaviour is there all right. Maybe treat it like rain - it's there, now lets enjoy the trip. (I say this as cyclist to cyclist and not in front of said drivers.)

[thirdcrank]

... Yes, I am still a copper. In a way, I wish I had nicked him. It would have been soooo easy, as he gave me every reason to, ...

IMO, Without some sort of independent corroboration, something that would never be likely to go anywhere and often has the chance of going septic. It's one thing intervening to prevent a crime or arrest a serious offender, but apart from that an off-duty police officer is probably in an even worse position than a member of the public. (Just as a small example to everybody of how things can go wrong, I was once travelling home from work at 10pm on the bus in the days when we had to travel in uniform. A little old man got on blotto and began abusing the conductor - that dates it. I had to put him off the bus at the next stop but he began abusing the queue. I ended up off the bus, queue all on the bus which went and he wouldn't go home. I was going to walk him to a phone box and he began screaming about police brutality. I stopped a passing car, gave the driver a tanner for the phone just down the road and told him to explain I needed transport for a drunk. He rang 999 and gave the impression I was being assaulted. In no time at all the cavalry arrived. My prisoner announced to the sergeant that he was pleased they had arrived to save him from me. Court next day, pleaded guilty with a lot of abuse about me and on the way to the Clek's office to pay the fine he was lucky not to get a sample of what he had been falsely alleging. And if anybody doubts that I didn't want to arrest him, I was on a quick changeover, back at 0545 the following morning )

I've had any number of these bullying incidents when cycling and generally done nothing. The case in the link below was pretty extreme and I'm sure there's nothing like that here, but it's what everybody in the legal chain has concerns about:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/0 ... an-politce