Cyclist Abuse

appolo · Post by **appolo** » 10 Dec 2007, 10:12am

Gambatte, good points thanks. I'll bear them in mind for the next time,because there will be one.

fatboy · Post by **fatboy** » 10 Dec 2007, 10:31am

My biggest issue with this sort of thing is that it can make you jump out of your skin. A couple of weeks back I'd been out riding with friends but I'd peeled off earlier and was having a lovely ride back in the dark. Noticed a car coming up on me in my mirror but wasn't expecting then to shout at me. Results massive adredaline hit, bike wobble, red mist etc. Didn't do anything other than shout back but this to me was really dangerous.

Wish I could have done something practical to make them think twice about doing it again. No use me trying to remember the number plate (struggle to remember mine and I've had the car over two years!).

James1822 · Post by **James1822** » 10 Dec 2007, 4:39pm

Getting a reg no and a description is impossible when riding in the dark.

You can usually tell if there will be some 'surprise abuse' coming by the manner in which the car is driven. You can then make sure you make no acknowledgement of their behaviour whatsoever. Even when they drive up normally I find I have a way of not being surprised by their sudden burst of abuse. Years of experience.

gambatte · Post by **gambatte** » 10 Dec 2007, 4:54pm

James1822 wrote:Getting a reg no and a description is impossible when riding in the dark.

Not always, I'd got some of the reg of my 'egg thrower'. Daft sod decided to drive past again and gloat. Didn't realise I was on the phone to a 999 operator and could then read it nice and slowly....

Got told later they'd got some one for this and other similar offences. He was pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

SeanieG · Post by **SeanieG** » 13 Dec 2007, 4:05pm

Had an interesting interaction with a silver VW Passatt recently; queue at lights ahead of roundabout, up the inside of the middle lane to go straight over, lights go green, we both pull away only he swerves across to the left and hits my bars with his wing mirror. Caught him at the next lights and challenged him to be told "What do you expect? You can't just come up the inside". I just couldn't think of a response to that logic, apart from the highly sophisticated one of calling him a prat, and then we both went our merry ways.

Auchmill · Post by **Auchmill** » 13 Dec 2007, 4:25pm

Some unions, esp public sector, keep a log of incidents where members have been abused, assaulted etc. Maybe we should have log where we could report incidents like the above? We would need to supply our real names and as much detail as possible, including vehicle reg no if we can get it. Such a log could be used by the CTC to lobby government.

psvrichard · Post by **psvrichard** » 21 Dec 2007, 1:28pm

If you want to experience full cyclist abuse try riding a Brompton in an area where they are not common. (ie outside London) Better still ride past a school at hometime. Some comments are predictable "I like your bike" but the lower end of the scale amounts to a base level of insult. I just give a cheery wave and carry on with my journey which usually serves to confuse the perpretators and then irritate them even more!!

James1822 · Post by **James1822** » 21 Dec 2007, 4:36pm

My latest incident occured today. Riding along a road when a sandwich hit me from behind completely without warning. The car then got held up at a level crossing so I took a photo and reported it to the police. When they overtook again the passenger leaned out of the window to shout verbal abuse. Both driver and passenger were about 17 years old. I doubt anything will be done by the police, and am considering registering on one of those online logs of bad drivers.

I can confirm that any form of folding bike is fair game as far as people outside of London are concerned. I used to ride one and some yobbos drove alongside me and said 'Can you get out of the road now mate, you tw-t'. If anyone's in any doubt that the word 'mate' is only ever used in the context of abuse this should dispell that notion.

Speaking of public sector workers (or workers who deal with the public), there is a new campaign to prevent attacks on rail staff being publicised in Victoria station with posters of staff with black eyes etc. It just seems that some people decide to attack the kind of people who are vulnerable and incapable of fighting back. Hence their prediliction for the drive-by abuse (physical and verbal) of cyclists.

Ben Lovejoy · Post by **Ben Lovejoy** » 21 Dec 2007, 8:01pm

I was never surprised by the occasional piss-taking I got from teenagers riding my Brompton. Much as I loved it, and would buy another one in a heartbeat if I was ever again had to return to commuting (god forbid!), even I had to admit that you look utterly ridiculous riding one.

What did surprise me was the many apparently-genuine 'Nice bike, Mister' comments I got from younger kids. I never did work out what it was about it, but young kids just seem to really like them.

Ben

rower40 · Post by **rower40** » 22 Dec 2007, 2:10pm

If I've time, then when I get verbal from a group of youths when I'm on my Brompton, I stop, ask them if they've seen one like it before, then demonstrate the fold and unfold.

They are then speechless. Partly that someone has taken the time to talk to them as real people. But I do use this strategy with caution - if there's booze visible, or a big group, then I keep going.

Tom Richardson · Post by **Tom Richardson** » 22 Dec 2007, 2:14pm

A woman recently came trotting up to me squeaking with enthusiasm at the sight of me folding up my Brompton because she had never seen the likes of such a thing before, in........Brompton!

Lawrie9 · Post by **Lawrie9** » 22 Dec 2007, 3:26pm

Give em the ol one fingered highway salute.

Ben Lovejoy · Post by **Ben Lovejoy** » 22 Dec 2007, 4:00pm

Lawrie9 wrote:Give em the ol one fingered highway salute.

Only if what you want are more anti-cyclist people on the road.

Give 'em a cheery wave instead.

Ben

Mrs Tortoise · Post by **Mrs Tortoise** » 30 Dec 2007, 10:57am

When I marshalled on the TdF, I took my folder (a Falcon) to Charlton Athletic ground, which was where we assembled for deployment. When I collected it, some kids walking by, were curious and I showed them how it folded. Mind you they were also amused by the temporary no parking sign, that I liberated and which now adorns my kitchen. :wink:

pete75 · Post by **pete75** » 1 Jan 2008, 4:30pm

Ben Lovejoy wrote:
Lawrie9 wrote:Give em the ol one fingered highway salute.

Only if what you want are more anti-cyclist people on the road.

Give 'em a cheery wave instead.

Ben

Yes... I know from experience a friendly smile and a wave can also make people feel guilty about their impatience, rudeness etc...

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Cyclist Abuse

Cyclist abuse