Attacked

Blimey Mike - a Smart Car?? Pick on something your own size like a Lambo ;o)

I (in retrospect foolishly) did the wanker gesture after two cars overtook/undertook me at the same time as I was about to turn right. Anyway, turning the corner, one of the cars had stopped and, as I cut through Burgess Park, the passenger shouted 'prick' at me out the window. Then, as I sped along the cycle path I could see the car driving really slowly along the side of the park checking me out. This was starting to get a bit out of hand.

At the end of the park I had two exit options: one joins the road, one crosses the road to continue along the cycle path. I did the latter and thought that would be the end of it but a couple of minutes later the two blokes burst out onto the path with fists flailing! I managed to veer out of their reach (a few seconds earlier and it would've been curtains) and then pegged it as they raced after me. I have never ridden so hard in my life! I left 'em behind and gestured back in a wtf kind of way, then they ran back to their car to resume the chase. They got stuck in a bit of traffic in Peckham but came after me again a few minutes later. I ended up doing a brisk u-ey, cutting across a traffic island, down a side street, along a path and then hiding behind a wall for 10 minutes praying that they hadn't seen me.

This happened on Thursday and I'm still a bit shaken by it. (Don't give me any of that you-poncey-wimp-this-is-london shit, please.) I live round there and cycle that way all the time. They live round there too; they clearly know the streets well. I am occasionally a bit of a prick but try to ride safely and conscientiously. What kind of lunatics react like that!

It's 'JEEEZ' for me from now on.

i think you did the best you could, which is get as fucking far from people like that as possible.

i wouldn't worry that you were being targeted personally, i'm sure they were just looking for something/one to do. (if you were personally targeted, there's no point thinking about that either as you won't leave the house).

I'd just try to forget about it and if you see them about make sure you get their plates in case anything happens in the future.

sounds scary though, don't know what i'd do.

I mean, some of the kids did have turbans.

That was Tynan.

This morning I was caught in a queue of traffic behind a bus.

I started to overtake and just as I was passing one of the cars in the queue it suddenly pulled out. The driver had not looked in his mirrors or indicated. Suddenly I found myself being forced into the path of an oncoming bus.

I missed the bus and carried on, the car then came up really close behind me and started beeping, I made the "wanker" gesture at the driver and he drove past.

At the next set of lights as I was filtering through the traffic I saw a car door open, it was the same driver (luckily I was filtering down the other side of his car). He then came running at me swinging his arms and shouting abuse. I managed to dodge him and get past.

Suffice to say have been feeling a little rattled since then. I just loved his attitude, he had failed to run me into the path of a bus so then sought to have another go at me at the first opportunity.

I will now return to bike radar or C+.

you should have d-locked him :{)

d-locks are fucking shite in a fight - put one of these on your bag if you need a weapon - make sure it is the right size or you will break your hand.

show them [idiot drivers] in the most aggressive/maniac manner your personality can maintain:

1. your chain if it is around your waist
   
2. d-lock
   
3. kick of right or left mirror
   
4. long nails
   
   

...feel free add to the list

I don't own d-lock so have no opinion on this...

usually around my waist:

or

I didn't think of a blazen display of aggression. I'll tool up from now on

(Thanks for the kind words, snoops)

d-locks are fucking shite in a fight - put one of these on your bag if you need a weapon - make sure it is the right size or you will break your hand.

dear mr buddha, could you please elaborate on size/use etc

like brass knuckles? Whow ...

Stephen, that sounds scary ... I live just off Queens Road, and I got a slightly dodgy feeling recently, when I ended up going through the park and then towards Peckham Pulse, being sorta blocked off by some chavs that stared at my bike like they were considering taking it from me.

Nothing happened and I got past them alright, but I'll take the streets from now on, thank you very much.

It does feel a bit iffy on that path sometimes. I'm going to take my chances though, and keep off the roads as much as possible for a few weeks - I don't want to bump into those maniacs again.

James, I am really sorry to hear of this. In all honesty I think you did the right thing doing nothing- how would your friends and loved ones feel having to vidsit you in hospital?
Its all well and good giving it the HtFu talk but there are so many sick people around you have to ask yourself is it worth it? As has been mentioned (albeit in jokey terms) I've had a metal bar pulled on me by someone stinking of booze, I've had 15 stone thug who throwing punches in the direction of my head calling a black cunt or black bastard on a Millwall match day (with load of fans around); ok, they all came off worse but if I had taken hits in either situations would it be such a joke? If these peeps had decided to take me out with their vehicles would it be such a laugh?
I've had a few other close shaves, TBH it all leaves me feeling weary, shaky and looking over my shoulder- I'm vunerable enough on two wheels. I know I've been really quick and hot headed in numerous past threads to give it the Rambo from behind my keyboard but if you can please please leave it; you're not a nonce, don't dabble with nonces.

I've had a metal bar pulled on me by someone stinking of booze.

That was me.

If you weren't so quick to judge you would have seen that It wasn't a metal bar, it was a CurlyWurly™

One time late at night a car full of yoofs passed me and a friend on the New North Road, shouting abuse at us because they apparently considered it wrong for cyclists to be inconveniencing them in any way by daring to use the road. I gestured at them and told them to fuck off, or something along those lines. They then went mental, shouting abuse at us and slowing down to come alongside me and attempt to attack me with something which I didn't realise at the time but my friend later informed me was a baseball bat. At one stage I was cycling along as fast as I could just in front of them, a situation that I realised couldn't last, so as they came alongside I slammed my brakes on letting them go past me and then turned off down a side street that was blocked to cars but had a cycle lane for bikes to pass through. At this point they stopped the car and the bloke with the baseball bat came running out after me and my friend cycled off in completely the opposite direction to get away from the danger. As you can imagine it's a piece of piss to get away from someone on foot down some residential side streets when you're on a bike, so after being sure I was safe I phoned my friend and we met back up again and carried on.

It was very scary though, and I was pretty shocked that people could get so worked up over something so minor that they'd decide they wanted to physically attack me. It certainly made me a lot more careful about dealings with drivers late at night.

It was very scary though, and I was pretty shocked that people could get so worked up over something so minor that they'd decide they wanted to physically attack me. It certainly made me a lot more careful about dealings with drivers late at night.

Did you get the officers badge number ?

Seriously, I doubt they got worked up by anything, sounds like they were out looking to kick something off.

There are a lot of angry people out there. I just ring my bell and look a bit peeved, I think these angry people find it harder to get so angry at a ring ring vicar's wife type bell.

Good thing for us we can get away easily most of the time from cars/pedestrians.

Don't antagonise drivers, guys. It's just not worth it.

You're the ones using the superior mode of transport here. You're probably a lot less stressed and out of your depth than those guys. They've probably had a much shittier day than you even if you've had a shitty day. Pity them. Make their day a little brighter by showing them respect and consideration.

Unfortunately many people are pretty pretty pumped up when on their bikes. I am one of them sometimes, unfortunately, and then the two fingers come easy. The exercise aspect brings out the anger management issues I guess. Other people call that stressed.

Edit: I am not entirely sure why, but even though it was only a couple of days ago I seem to be much calmer since I switched from freewheel to fixed. Well, I don't go that fast anyway, but also the whole "legs do the braking" thing seem to encourage avoiding to go right into some situations and slow approaches instead ...

One time late at night a car full of yoofs passed me and a friend on the New North Road, shouting abuse at us because they apparently considered it wrong for cyclists to be inconveniencing them in any way by daring to use the road. I gestured at them and told them to fuck off, or something along those lines. They then went mental, shouting abuse at us and slowing down to come alongside me and attempt to attack me with something which I didn't realise at the time but my friend later informed me was a baseball bat. At one stage I was cycling along as fast as I could just in front of them, a situation that I realised couldn't last, so as they came alongside I slammed my brakes on letting them go past me and then turned off down a side street that was blocked to cars but had a cycle lane for bikes to pass through. At this point they stopped the car and the bloke with the baseball bat came running out after me and my friend cycled off in completely the opposite direction to get away from the danger. As you can imagine it's a piece of piss to get away from someone on foot down some residential side streets when you're on a bike, so after being sure I was safe I phoned my friend and we met back up again and carried on.

It was very scary though, and I was pretty shocked that people could get so worked up over something so minor that they'd decide they wanted to physically attack me. It certainly made me a lot more careful about dealings with drivers late at night.

Ah the old, "Hit the brakes and they'll fly right by!" move, eh? Good choice. Someone else has clearly watched Top Gun as much as me.

Did you get the officers badge number ?

Seriously, I doubt they got worked up by anything, sounds like they were out looking to kick something off.

+1

I almost got frogmarched into a subway by four adult men when I was a teenager because I dared to shout something back at them. I should have known that four guys tooling about in a Ford Escort XR3, on May Bank Holiday Monday, and shouting at random people, were clearly pissed and looking for a fight.

As it is, I escaped a beat down (or possibly a raping...?) thanks to some kids on mountain bikes popping wheelies up the disabled ramp and throwing empty McDonalds containers at them, then riding off whooping. Obviously my 14 year old scrawny arse wasn't enough for them and they wanted the chance of a gang rape on some younger kids.

It is a horrible feeling, when a driver is agressive towards me or other cyclists.. and my first reaction can be fuelled with plenty of adrenalin.. maybe fit a ring-ring bell, wear a dogcollar, a weak smile and pity the fool.. or smack them in the face with a length of amoured cable.. ka'pow

No seriously, great advice guys.. these are useful tips for defusing heated encounters, and please don't get amoured cable.. bad suggestion sorry..

Ah the old, "Hit the brakes and they'll fly right by!" move, eh? Good choice. Someone else has clearly watched Top Gun as much as me.

Heh, I was amazed afterwards, both at myself for thinking of doing such a thing while I was cycling home pissed and at the fact that it actually worked!

Someone threw an egg from a window (and missed) at me, little did they realise that we live right on the opposite of the street! so I got off my bike, inspect the egg's splatter to figure out which windows it is, it's the 2nd floor windows that's slighty open but the light are completely off, so aiming at that windows I shouted "STOP THROWING EGG YOU CUNTS!"

they didn't turn the light on for hours, how else they're going to hide??

Don't antagonise drivers, guys. It's just not worth it.

You're the ones using the superior mode of transport here. You're probably a lot less stressed and out of your depth than those guys. They've probably had a much shittier day than you even if you've had a shitty day. Pity them. Make their day a little brighter by showing them respect and consideration.

Fuck that.

Fuck the idea that someone attempts to kill your girlfriend while she is riding her bike and you should "make their day a little brighter".

Fuck the immoral Christian nature of the sentiment, if someone tries to injure, attack or otherwise damage me (or anyone) I think it is my duty to show them that this course of action is unacceptable, wrong in every way possible, I think it is immoral to show them respect or make their day a little brighter - as much as I think it might be a poor choice of response to clap a rapist.

Fuck 'respect' in whatever vague nebulous sense you are using it. (all arguments containing the word 'respect' are - by it's use - meaningless.)

Do not give these cunts the idea that not only is it cool to attack or threaten a cyclist, but that doing so carries no consequences.

Every single driver who endangers my life or someone I know, or someone I love gets to find out how their lack of consideration makes me feel.

Really, this whole "hey guys, just leave it" thing is simply counterproductive, to take the sting out of someone's actions is morally ornamental, it may leave you some some 'zen' sense of calm and pious righteousness but you have passed the problem on to the next cyclist.

Action: threaten someone's life - response: respect = bad.

Action: threaten someone's life - response: broken windscreen = good.