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That's incredibly sad. Coots are monogomous as well, so somewhere out there is a widow or widower coot :(
Canal towpaths are certainly NOT the place to be racing around. I hope that person feels really ashamed.
Doctor_Cake-
I agree that canal paths aren't good places to race - it's also a bit pointless as you get to progress quite quickly anyway, without the stopping and starting involved in lights and junctions.
I've not been able to corroborate your comment about monogamy, as the only breeding behaviour mentioned is that they regularly brutalise the smallest young until they stop begging for food and die.
General_Strike
Not sure if this is a calling out-worthy offence, but certainly notable.
Was riding North up the canal from Limehouse when a guy passed me at speed, while I was overtaking another, slower canal user. I wasn't especially cut-up, but it was close enough to be an eyebrow-raiser, and the guy's speed was definitely in 'where's the fire' territory. Anyway, a little ahead he then swerved left to avoid a pedestrian, and that's when it happened. In the failing light it looked like someone had thrown a bag under his wheel - sort of semi-floppy like it was full of water. Then I saw the feet as it rolled to a stop - and the head bouncing merrily along on an entirely different trajectory. Dude had hit a coot so hard it had spontaneously ISISed. The rider stopped and went back, and to be fair looked pretty ashamed. Not sure what his reason for going back was, exactly.
Anyway, his riding wasn't identifiable as critically reckless or furious, but clearly in the low light and with a partially obscured view of the towpath ahead, tragedy struck. So be careful, unless you really hate coots.