UK Standards today

Set off on my bicycle this morning to ride the canal towpath as I normally do, I got to a section I had forgotten had been closed due to a major bridge rebuild, so I had to get off and ride along a semi rural lane to rejoin further down. After about half a mile a suddenly felt a thud to the back of my neck and a van brushed my thighs, I managed to stay upright to see the van nearly bury itself in the hedgerow, it then drove off at speed. I was a bit dazed and did not get the registration, but it turned out the passenger had put his arm out and hit me, I found out he had done the same to a cyclist a couple hundred yards behind me. This country is just getting worse with standards so low it’s frightening. Be careful out there

12 years...
BBC News - Woman tracks down her own stolen car before a police investigation
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61592910

Small chance that is their daily work route if it was a van, would you know them on sight

What I do not understand is why people would do that.

It just seems like such a dangerous yet pointless thing to do.
Is it supposed to be funny maybe ?

Sorry that you had that happen to you hilly10.
The more time I spend around other people these days, the less time I want to spend around others.

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Originally Posted by xellos99

Small chance that is their daily work route if it was a van, would you know them on sight

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With the bridge blocked it’s not a through route now so doubt it would be on a work route. The guy on the other bike said they we’re Asian and it was a new Peugeot small van in grey

If they have done it to at least two people, if you both report it maybe the police might look for CCTV, just maybe,

Reported won’t hold my breath

Perhaps one of those wee camera things that fit on top of your helmet...

+ driving standards. Going straight across a roundabout today and was undertaken at speed on the inside lane. Ridiculous driving.
Every part of life now is seen to be lowering standards.

Sorry to hear of the OP's experience - it must have been pretty scary!

However, I'm not sure whether that specific incident is a gauge of today's standards; would that sort of thing not happened 10, 20, 50 years ago? As a joke (albeit not very funny!) someone slapping cyclists/bystanders as they drive past?

I certainly do agree that standards are going downhill, rapidly across the board, from the very top, all the way down. :livid:

Not enough Bobbies on the road to enforce the crap driving. People might as well not have indicators in their cars.

What a toss pot. Glad you're okay

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I knew of someone who did similar many many years ago to a cyclist. The cyclist was able to contact his mates further up and they stopped the car until the cyclist caught up and the driver got punched in the face :courage: a lot of cyclist are fitness fanatics and luckily this one was a hard nut! Thank god!
Roads are so dangerous full stop with out this kind of incident. Glad you’re ok 👍

Truly horrendous episode, which I’m sorry to hear about.
Dare I say it but thankfully it was just that and nothing else.


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Originally Posted by southerner101

I knew of someone who did similar many many years ago to a cyclist. The cyclist was able to contact his mates further up and they stopped the car until the cyclist caught up and the driver got punched in the face :courage: a lot of cyclist are fitness fanatics and luckily this one was a hard nut! Thank god!
Roads are so dangerous full stop with out this kind of incident. Glad you’re ok 

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Ironically I have sold my road bike as it’s just to dangerous at my age 67 now on the roads, I just thought I would stick to my hybrid bike on the towpaths. I have cycled for 55 years and have enjoyed every minute but this is the first time I have ever encountered this type of thing.

Drivers seem to be becoming more aggressive these days, perhaps people in general are.

Drivers certainly seemed to have got more aggressive over the years; for the past 20 odd years, I've lived quite close to a busy traffic light controlled junction. On the "lesser" arm of the junction, the phasing is such that is only ever allows 4-5 cars through and has always been like this.

Over the years it has become noisier and noisier, with more and more drivers honking within a New York second - hardly let the lights go Amber before they're all on their horns. :grumpy:

Unfortunately this has happened to me twice in the last 7yrs.

The first time was at a junction in Islington. I was sitting at the lights on a side street. I felt a smack around the back of my head. I turned around and saw a second person on a bicycle just about to do the same again. The first one had flown past me and smacked me round the head and his mate was trying to copy him. I ducked the swing and chased them across the road using the richest language to challenge them to a fight. Not the greatest idea of course. Especially when I realised there were another six 16-18yr olds in the group following. It was dark so I did not see or realise the full picture until I had chased the first two. They swarmed around me laughing and I managed to take a sharp left. Luckily they did not pursue, extremely luckily.

The second time was early morning on a towpath. Two masked youths on a scooter, the pillion smacked as they went past. Given the scenario and location (Edmonton) I guess they would have been at least armed with knives. Given the previous incident and me nearly becoming a victim of my own pride, I chose to not challenge and pursue. However I saw at the next bend that they had chosen a wide spot to start a 180 to turn a come back for me. The C***s slid on the gravel and landed on their side! I cycled past laughing before they had a chance to get up. I had learned my lesson about foolish pride the first time.

Sadly there are some very unpleasant people out there!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hilly10

Set off on my bicycle this morning to ride the canal towpath as I normally do, I got to a section I had forgotten had been closed due to a major bridge rebuild, so I had to get off and ride along a semi rural lane to rejoin further down. After about half a mile a suddenly felt a thud to the back of my neck and a van brushed my thighs, I managed to stay upright to see the van nearly bury itself in the hedgerow, it then drove off at speed. I was a bit dazed and did not get the registration, but it turned out the passenger had put his arm out and hit me, I found out he had done the same to a cyclist a couple hundred yards behind me. This country is just getting worse with standards so low it’s frightening. Be careful out there

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Apparently this is a bit of a game- pushing off lone cyclists into bushes etc when passing - morons !! some of them tik tok it.

It has happened to a person I know in the cycling club(albeit in another area of the country)

I'm glad you are OK - it is dangerous driving and common assault though and they should be found and banned from driving in my view.

B