Gangs of youths on national cycle route.....

[Ivor Tingting]

we have a few 'gangs' beating up cyclists and joggers on the Guided busway / cycle path in Cambridge:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/attack-cycle-path-cambridge-police-14136717

there has been a few reports of this happening on the same section of cycle path

This happened about 18 months ago.

[GranvilleThomas]

Cyclist filmed in terrifying 'zombie-killer' knife attack on motorist in broad daylight in South London:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/s ... 52896.html

[Sweep]

Talking to a pal today. He told me that yesterday he was cycling the Fallowfield loop with his wife. They have recently acquired two new electric bikes. He was in front a her by a couple of hundred yards. heard her scream. Looking back he sees her on the floor with one youth getting on her bike while another youth sat astride his bike watching. he raced back in time to drag the thief off the bike and belt him one. The other thug rode off. His wife was ok but shaken and nursing a heavily bruised shoulder where she had been dragged off the bike. They rode away leaving the thief on the floor. Police were informed but their reaction was, "well it's the school holidays".
He didn't bother chatting with the youths.

There's a thread on the cyclechat forum about trouble on the Fallowfield Loop.

[Sweep]

Way back in the mists if time when Kung Fu was all the rage I attended a few classes with my young son. I enjoyed it and thought it would help him out if he was ever bullied. One night they brought this guy in for an exhibition fight thing. He was a black belt karate and high up in the Kung Fu system. He chose me, [the big guy] to demonstrate his moves against. He started fighting me and was I was blocking, but of course he was very good, very strong and he was hitting and hurting me. Suddenly I lost my temper and lashed out with a fist. I floored him. That was the last time I attended the class. They banned me. Me, the total beginner took him by surprise. By the way it was out of character. I'm not aggressive or a fighter. Pain and instinct took over I guess.
Martial arts if fine surrounded by mats and an opponent using moves you are trained to deal with. Out of the blue stuff? I'm not so sure. Up against some raving nutter with no fear it's a different story.

Thanks for giving me a laugh in what I accept is serious thread bigjim.

You must have embarrassed your son?

In amongst the humour you do of course make a serious point.

On headphones - yes I think it inadvisable to wear them in public, or at least in certain types of area.

Do they cut folk off from being aware of their surroundings? Very often very definitely if the lack of response to my repeated bell dinging and polite "excuse me"s on shared use paths is anything to go by.

[GranvilleThomas]

Police hunt cyclist who crashed into pedestrians and then attacked them, leaving man unconscious and breaking woman's nose

The cyclist crashed into pedestrians on the pavement, before launching a vicious attack

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/p ... 48121.html

[reohn2]

I feel sure someone can come up with a link to a pedestrian attacking a cyclist,and even more sure that someone can come up with story a of a motorist attacking a cyclist.
They're the overt signs of a sick society

[GranvilleThomas]

I feel sure someone can come up with a link to a pedestrian attacking a cyclist,and even more sure that someone can come up with story a of a motorist attacking a cyclist.
They're the overt signs of a sick society

Well yes I agree with you entirely 100 percent, but surely you can see the point I am trying to make and that is that demonising and stereotyping groups of people is pointless and wrong and doesn't get us any further forward?

There is good and bad, in all types of people, whatever their background and whatever their age.

I was born and grew up on a Council estate in one of the most deprived areas in Europe, and i can assure you, that:

NOT ALL BLACK PEOPLE CARRY KNIVES

NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS

NOT ALL GANGS OF YOUTH ON THE CYCLE TRACK WANT TO DO YOU ANY HARM

Believe me it is true, it really is, honest to God, hand on heart, I swear on my life, may God make me marry Boris Johnson if I am l am lying (OK I wouldn't go that far).

Obviously, as you have stated, someone can most likely come up with a link to a motorist attacking a cyclist, but it doesn't mean that all motorists want to do you any harm does it?

[reohn2]

I feel sure someone can come up with a link to a pedestrian attacking a cyclist,and even more sure that someone can come up with story a of a motorist attacking a cyclist.
They're the overt signs of a sick society

Well yes I agree with you entirely 100 percent, but surely you can see the point I am trying to make and that is that demonising and stereotyping groups of people is pointless and wrong and doesn't get us any further forward?

There is good and bad, in all types of people, whatever their background and whatever their age.

I was born and grew up on a Council estate in one of the most deprived areas in Europe, and i can assure you, that:

NOT ALL BLACK PEOPLE CARRY KNIVES

NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS

NOT ALL GANGS OF YOUTH ON THE CYCLE TRACK WANT TO DO YOU ANY HARM

Believe me it is true, it really is, honest to God, hand on heart, I swear on my life, may God make me marry Boris Johnson if I am l am lying (OK I wouldn't go that far).

Obviously, as you have stated, someone can most likely come up with a link to a motorist attacking a cyclist, but it doesn't mean that all motorists want to do you any harm does it?

We're in agreement
FWIW,for my part,two up two down,no bathroom,toilet down the yard,four of us in the same bedroom,pit village,blah,blah,blah,joinery part apprenticeship,followed by 16years in the pit,facework,tunnelling(the hardest work in my life),exams colliery Deputy,redundancy.Started my own business,ran it for 30years
Married for 44 years,three daughters eight grandchildren,three great grandchldren
I know what life is about,nuff said

[MOARspeed]

Just wanted to add to this, there's been a lot of trouble in the past week now with gangs of youths causing trouble and using the footpaths and cycle routes to travel between streets and evade capture. I've just seen locally recorded CCTV video from the last few days of a group of 4 lads smashing up cars with those little mini scooter things, they did at least 3 cars in one street, threatened a woman who tried to stop them and then ducked onto the nearby cycle route.

[pete75]

Talking to a pal today. He told me that yesterday he was cycling the Fallowfield loop with his wife. They have recently acquired two new electric bikes. He was in front a her by a couple of hundred yards. heard her scream. Looking back he sees her on the floor with one youth getting on her bike while another youth sat astride his bike watching. he raced back in time to drag the thief off the bike and belt him one. The other thug rode off. His wife was ok but shaken and nursing a heavily bruised shoulder where she had been dragged off the bike. They rode away leaving the thief on the floor. Police were informed but their reaction was, "well it's the school holidays".
He didn't bother chatting with the youths.

There's a thread on the cyclechat forum about trouble on the Fallowfield Loop.

Fallowfield - isn't that somewhere near Coronation Street?

[661-Pete]

Cyclist filmed in terrifying 'zombie-killer' knife attack on motorist in broad daylight in South London:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/s ... 52896.html

That is indeed horrific: here is the video of the incident: WARNING: you may find distressing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_422lCfkhw

But as others have said, this is very much the exception to the rule - and the ITV reporter hints that the assailant and his victim may have been known to each other. Carrying a knife like that immediately makes the wielder a criminal, even if he doesn't brandish it. Yes we all hear that knife crime is surging, but I like to think that most youths we encounter - unruly or otherwise - do not carry knives.

Mind you, my Swiss Army still rests in my pocket most of the time. Very useful for picking flints out of my tyres, before the fairies arrive!

It's also worth adding that the fact that the attacker was on a bike, is purely incidental. He could just as easily have been on foot or in another vehicle.

[Cugel]

I feel sure someone can come up with a link to a pedestrian attacking a cyclist,and even more sure that someone can come up with story a of a motorist attacking a cyclist.
They're the overt signs of a sick society

Well yes I agree with you entirely 100 percent, but surely you can see the point I am trying to make and that is that demonising and stereotyping groups of people is pointless and wrong and doesn't get us any further forward?

There is good and bad, in all types of people, whatever their background and whatever their age.

I was born and grew up on a Council estate in one of the most deprived areas in Europe, and i can assure you, that:

NOT ALL BLACK PEOPLE CARRY KNIVES

NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS

NOT ALL GANGS OF YOUTH ON THE CYCLE TRACK WANT TO DO YOU ANY HARM

Believe me it is true, it really is, honest to God, hand on heart, I swear on my life, may God make me marry Boris Johnson if I am l am lying (OK I wouldn't go that far).

Obviously, as you have stated, someone can most likely come up with a link to a motorist attacking a cyclist, but it doesn't mean that all motorists want to do you any harm does it?

We're in agreement
FWIW,for my part,two up two down,no bathroom,toilet down the yard,four of us in the same bedroom,pit village,blah,blah,blah,joinery part apprenticeship,followed by 16years in the pit,facework,tunnelling(the hardest work in my life),exams colliery Deputy,redundancy.Started my own business,ran it for 30years
Married for 44 years,three daughters eight grandchildren,three great grandchldren
I know what life is about,nuff said

Ooooh! Is it time for Yorkshire Boasting? One of my favourite opportunities for a long, exaggerated monologue constructed to shock the grand bairns with tales of yesteryear and it's dire doings, cruel conditions and gangs of roaming hardlads intent on pulping softlads like little me. It's a wonder any of us survived to tell the tale!

But this to the side.

Did you know that, on another thread, there is talk of cyclists running over kittens!? What is the world coming to? Cyclists should be running over Tories, not kittens.

Cugel

[reohn2]

Err,Lancashire if you don't mind
Tories would make too much of a mess of my tyres

[Cugel]

Err,Lancashire if you don't mind
Tories would make too much of a mess of my tyres

Is there Lancashire boasting? I thought Lankies only did Lancashire Moaning.

But what can those living in the disputed borderlands around Barnoldswicky do? Are they Yorky or Lanky? No one really knows. I have heard them both boasting of the dire conditions of their yoof but also moaning about it, which spoils the whole effect really.

Geordies do Geordie Laughing, as in "find everything a joke, often of the bad but hilarious kind". This is useful for times of Bad Events & Awful Occurrences, such as the BoJo Klown gaining power and appointing his cabinet of gharks & hoos.

Cugel

[reohn2]

Err,Lancashire if you don't mind
Tories would make too much of a mess of my tyres

Is there Lancashire boasting? I thought Lankies only did Lancashire Moaning.

But what can those living in the disputed borderlands around Barnoldswicky do? Are they Yorky or Lanky? No one really knows. I have heard them both boasting of the dire conditions of their yoof but also moaning about it, which spoils the whole effect really.

Geordies do Geordie Laughing, as in "find everything a joke, often of the bad but hilarious kind". This is useful for times of Bad Events & Awful Occurrences, such as the BoJo Klown gaining power and appointing his cabinet of gharks & hoos.

Cugel

Lancashire Wigginers do moaning and laughing in equal measure and also fart quite a bit too