Nasty bit of abuse

[Slasher]

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about! I made the mistake of stopping to remonstrate, so there was lots of shouting and testosterone. Anyway he drove off burning rubber and I got shakily back on the bike. When I got home, my wife, who'd been cycling a head of me by a few hundred metres, told me that she'd had an earful of abuse from the same idiot. Sensibily she'd ridden on. My impression was that he was a cyclist hating nut (we've all experienced those haven't we?) who feels that he has a legitimate reason to harass his prey.

[De Sisti]

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about!

Errr, what was he doing driving about during a lockdown then? He had a good reason to be out in his car?

[reohn2]

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about!

Errr, what was he doing driving about during a lockdown then? He had a good reason to be out in his car?

You don't understand,he's allowed to do what he wants,it's the 'others'(more so those with the temerity to ride bicycles) that are at fault

[Slasher]

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about!

Errr, what was he doing driving about during a lockdown then? He had a good reason to be out in his car?

Exactly. No supermarkets nearby, a rural area. He had a local accent so he could have been going to/coming back from town. He was pretty enraged too - my first impression was "vigilante"

[Cunobelin]

Report him for being out and breaching social distancing when he drew alongside.

[Slasher]

Report him for being out and breaching social distancing when he drew alongside.

I have submitted the incident online to the police. There were other cyclists out yesterday too so if there was more trouble at least my report might possibly help support others...

[philvantwo]

You're better off these days taking no notice and just carry on. Years ago I used to go out I the winter, 3 nights a week up the Bristol road into Birmingham and then back along the hagley road to Halesowen.
One night I was waiting behind a car at traffic lights, the lights changed and the car in front of me sounded his horn at the car in front of him as it wasn't moving off. A big black chap got out, went up to the drivers door, smashed the window, shouted "don't f**k with the jellyman" and stabbed him in the neck. Murdered him. I've never forgotten it.
So just ride on and forget it.

[Slasher]

You're better off these days taking no notice and just carry on. Years ago I used to go out I the winter, 3 nights a week up the Bristol road into Birmingham and then back along the hagley road to Halesowen.
One night I was waiting behind a car at traffic lights, the lights changed and the car in front of me sounded his horn at the car in front of him as it wasn't moving off. A big black chap got out, went up to the drivers door, smashed the window, shouted "don't f**k with the jellyman" and stabbed him in the neck. Murdered him. I've never forgotten it.
So just ride on and forget it.

Wise words

[De Sisti]

You're better off these days taking no notice and just carry on. Years ago I used to go out I the winter, 3 nights a week up the Bristol road into Birmingham and then back along the hagley road to Halesowen.
One night I was waiting behind a car at traffic lights, the lights changed and the car in front of me sounded his horn at the car in front of him as it wasn't moving off. A big black chap got out, went up to the drivers door, smashed the window, shouted "don't f**k with the jellyman" and stabbed him in the neck. Murdered him. I've never forgotten it.
So just ride on and forget it.

Unconcious bias here? What has the colour of the person got to do with the incident? You didn't mention
the colour of the person who was stabbed.

[cycle tramp]

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about! I made the mistake of stopping to remonstrate, so there was lots of shouting and testosterone. Anyway he drove off burning rubber and I got shakily back on the bike. When I got home, my wife, who'd been cycling a head of me by a few hundred metres, told me that she'd had an earful of abuse from the same idiot. Sensibily she'd ridden on. PMy impression was that he was a cyclist hating nut (we've all experienced those haven't we?) who feels that he has a legitimate reason to harass his prey.

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to report it. If you're cycling by yourself then I think your wife took the best course of action*, although in a group and under normal circumstances, it's also great if one of the group films the person ranting....

(*I also admire your wife's sense of self control... if that had been me the temptation to do something to exacerbate the situation have been too much)

[mercalia]

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about! I made the mistake of stopping to remonstrate, so there was lots of shouting and testosterone. Anyway he drove off burning rubber and I got shakily back on the bike. When I got home, my wife, who'd been cycling a head of me by a few hundred metres, told me that she'd had an earful of abuse from the same idiot. Sensibily she'd ridden on. My impression was that he was a cyclist hating nut (we've all experienced those haven't we?) who feels that he has a legitimate reason to harass his prey.

ah you need a disenfectant aerosol to spray the guy with.

They dont need an excuse. Has happened to me in normal times, usually a car full of young yobbos, throw some rubbish out of the car window in my path

[Manc33]

He was out and about.

[hondated]

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about! I made the mistake of stopping to remonstrate, so there was lots of shouting and testosterone. Anyway he drove off burning rubber and I got shakily back on the bike. When I got home, my wife, who'd been cycling a head of me by a few hundred metres, told me that she'd had an earful of abuse from the same idiot. Sensibily she'd ridden on. My impression was that he was a cyclist hating nut (we've all experienced those haven't we?) who feels that he has a legitimate reason to harass his prey.

Bet you weren't riding a well lit up bike at 11.30pm when I met a similar idiot. Thankfully that well known phrase by me was uttered <FFE> and he did

[ndmbike]

On Sunday I was passed closely by a big car as I was indicating and trying to turn right.
So I waved my hand (not fist, nor finger nor V fingers) at the car.
He took the right turn and pulled up at the next junction, only 50 m away, waiting for me then gave me enough abuse for me to feel scared enough to get my phone.
Fortunately he didn't follow me when I took the next turn.
It has left me feeling very upset and depressed.
I've decided that I shall not be waving at drivers who pass close as it isn't really worth the risk of injury.
There seem to be some very angry people out there at the moment.
Also I seem to be getting more close passes at speed - even though the roads are much quieter.
Ho Hum...

[Slasher]

I can understand that people are frightened. There is a lack of clarity cycling for exercise under lockdown and there is anecdotal evidence that non cyclists are angry about cyclists who they perceive to be taking the micturate. I've been shocked to read some of the attitudes to cyclists from otherwise respectable professionals on a different forum that I take part in. It's all a bit unsettling.

I'm keeping away from the brilliant shared path which links my village to town because I expect that the usual occasional bit of anti cyclist stuff that I experience there is likely to be worse now. Having said that, I expect that if using the path as a pedestrian, I'd be uncomfortable to be passed close by a sweating and panting cyclist on a narrow path. I've made the decision to avoid it completely for these reasons. Given that I used the path mostly for shopping by bike, this is not a major problem since we are shopping by car as infrequently as possible now.

We have helmet cams which we bought a few years ago and haven't really used much, and I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to start using them again?