Cycling UK Forum

I went for a lovely ride last week, 56miles around west Somerset. On a short stretch of B road I was overtaken by a recovery vehicle with 'Keep On Trukin' on the back of the cab. As he passed he tossed something out of the window - a firework - which exploded just feet infront of me. The sound was so loud that I was deafened and thoroughly shocked. I wobbled to a halt and looked around just to confirm that this little surprise was indeed solely for my benefit. The rest of the journey was uneventful enough for me to think a lot about this incident; did he keep a load of explosives in his cab just for us. Had he done it before - it was expertly timed after all and then it struck me - the final scene of the film Easy Rider. So cyclists must represent as much of a threat to neandethal man as 1960's hippies did to redneck americans? But unlike Dennis Hopper I am still able to continue to revel in the freedom and pleasure that cycling offers. Oh and by the way, before you ask, no I didn't report it - what would be the point.

Report it. The point being that the police take misuse of explosives very seriously. Also if this happens again next week to another cyclist only this time resulting in a more serious injury than momentary loss of hearing how would feel then?

WaterLab Rat wrote:Report it. The point being that the police take misuse of explosives very seriously. Also if this happens again next week to another cyclist only this time resulting in a more serious injury than momentary loss of hearing how would feel then?

+1

Glad you're OK and unhurt, albeit you were understandably shocked.

I'd suggest reporting it too.

I wish I'd done this a few weeks ago when a middle-aged fat moron in his car cut across our path and forced Mrs M_W into the grass verge to avoid being hit. He had decided that his journey was far more important than our lives and overtook on the brow of a hill, on a bend in the road. Unfortunately a car decided to pull out of a side road meaning he had to either wipe us out or himself.

I lost my rag and threatened him with violence when he stopped. Far better would have been to ring the Police there and then. As is is he's learnt nothing and for all I know will do the same to some other poor cyclist.

Merry_Wanderer wrote:I lost my rag and threatened him with violence when he stopped. Far better would have been to ring the Police there and then.

I can quite understand your feelings, but - for what purpose? What exactly would you have expected the Old Bill to have done? And by offering the offending driver violence as you say you did, were you not in fact laying yourself open to a charge of common assault?

+1 for reporting it,you could save someone's life.
There can't be that many recovery vehicles in Somerset with "keep on truckin" on the rear window,even if you didn't get the reg no,the colour alone would narrow it down.

Ok - I bow to the consensus - I have reported the incident on-line to the police. It was partly because I had such vague details about the vehicle involved and no witnesses that I hadn't bothered. I will keep you posted on what - if anything happens.

danfoto wrote:

Merry_Wanderer wrote:I lost my rag and threatened him with violence when he stopped. Far better would have been to ring the Police there and then.

I can quite understand your feelings, but - for what purpose? What exactly would you have expected the Old Bill to have done? And by offering the offending driver violence as you say you did, were you not in fact laying yourself open to a charge of common assault?

I've reported a driver in the past when I witnessed a motorcyclist being forced off the road. The Police were (in my opinion)_ very good and rang me later to tell me that they'd visited the driver at home to warn him. This was the point I was making. I blew my chance of doing this in my case by threatening him. Far better to let the Boys in Blue sort it out

I filled out an on line incident report on Avon & Somerset Police web site. Had the police give me a call today. They said, as I expected, without a registration number they would not make any further investigation into the matter.

Revolution wrote:I filled out an on line incident report on Avon & Somerset Police web site. Had the police give me a call today. They said, as I expected, without a registration number they would not make any further investigation into the matter.

Of this incident no, however this is now on file and if/when he does the same to someone else, that will be added. Sooner or later enough to make an indentification will be gathered (and if someone is injured by the idiot, it will be possible to show it was not "an isolated, spur of the moment prank"). Instant gratification you don't have, but you have the thought that you have contributed to the process which might just see this fool stopped.