Cycling dangers in Australia

[James Shugg]

Victoria, Australia
By Geraldine Mitchell
October 27, 2004

A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.

He was taken to the Latrobe Regional Hospital with serious head
injuries and later flown to the Alfred where he was in a critical but
stable condition last night.

Police said the man fell off his bike while crossing Tom's Bridge
north of Morwell about 9am.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11196718%5E26462,00.html

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

James Shugg wrote:

> Victoria, Australia
> By Geraldine Mitchell
> October 27, 2004
>
> A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
> for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.
>
> He was taken to the Latrobe Regional Hospital with serious head
> injuries and later flown to the Alfred where he was in a critical but
> stable condition last night.
>
> Police said the man fell off his bike while crossing Tom's Bridge
> north of Morwell about 9am.
>
> http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11196718%5E26462,00.html

But did the man also have his lycra shorts melted onto him by the tarmac?

 

[Dave Larrington]

James Shugg wrote:

> A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
> for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.

[snip]

They /must/ be making it up. He was surely wearing a martlehat, what with
this being in Oz an' all. Filthy lying journalist scum ;-)

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

 

[Colin Blackburn]

On 26 Oct 2004 10:13:03 -0700, James Shugg <[email protected]> wrote:

> Victoria, Australia
> By Geraldine Mitchell
> October 27, 2004
>
> A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
> for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.

That penny farthing bloke said he'd been attacked by magpies too. Are the
magpies in Australia hard then? Or, do they just not like cycles?

Colin

 

[Trevor Barton]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:06:54 +0100, Colin Blackburn wrote:
> On 26 Oct 2004 10:13:03 -0700, James Shugg <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Victoria, Australia
>> By Geraldine Mitchell
>> October 27, 2004
>>
>> A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
>> for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.
>
> That penny farthing bloke said he'd been attacked by magpies too. Are the
> magpies in Australia hard then? Or, do they just not like cycles?

They're effing hard. They're so hard that they're armour plated. Me and
my sister used to live in fear of the magpie in the paddock across the
road that we used to play in as kids. It was OK unless you went near
the fence to see that horses. It wasn't even fazed by 10yo kids with
big sticks trying to get it. Did my sister a big gash on the noggin,
which explains a lot subsequently. Never got me, though, so naa naa de
na na.

--
Trevor Barton

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

Trevor Barton wrote:

> On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:06:54 +0100, Colin Blackburn wrote:
>
>>On 26 Oct 2004 10:13:03 -0700, James Shugg <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Victoria, Australia
>>>By Geraldine Mitchell
>>>October 27, 2004
>>>
>>>A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
>>>for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.
>>
>>That penny farthing bloke said he'd been attacked by magpies too. Are the
>>magpies in Australia hard then? Or, do they just not like cycles?
>
>
> They're effing hard. They're so hard that they're armour plated. Me and
> my sister used to live in fear of the magpie in the paddock across the
> road that we used to play in as kids. It was OK unless you went near
> the fence to see that horses. It wasn't even fazed by 10yo kids with
> big sticks trying to get it. Did my sister a big gash on the noggin,
> which explains a lot subsequently. Never got me, though, so naa naa de
> na na.
>
A well-'ard rook once attacked my old house, pulled the cowling off a
ventilator and threw it off the roof so it bounced off the conservatory.

On the bright side, when I climbed up there to replace it (with
superglue this time) there was an amazing view from the ridge.

 

[kingsley]

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 10:13:03 -0700, James Shugg wrote:

> A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
> for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.
> http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11196718%5E26462,00.html

But the injuries are from the crash, not the Maggie.

It's quite common to be attacked this time of year.

Normally the magpies just swoop, sometimes hitting your
helmet. My f'inlaw lost a bit of blood from his
earlobe the other day, or so he says, I didn't witness
the attack. The consensus on news:aus.bicycle is
that actually losing any sort of blood in an attack is
quite rare... it scares the bejeesus out of you when it
happens though.

It's just one of the joys of spring. Luckily they're very
territorial, so after the first few days you know where
the little buggers are nesting.

-kt

 

[Trevor Barton]

On 26 Oct 2004 10:13:03 -0700, James Shugg wrote:
> Victoria, Australia
> By Geraldine Mitchell
> October 27, 2004
>
> A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
> for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.
>
> He was taken to the Latrobe Regional Hospital with serious head
> injuries and later flown to the Alfred where he was in a critical but
> stable condition last night.
>
> Police said the man fell off his bike while crossing Tom's Bridge
> north of Morwell about 9am.
>
> http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11196718%5E26462,00.html

And another antipodean one, in NZ, this time:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/0,2106,3079349a6002,00.html

--
Trevor Barton

 

[Ruth & Dave]

I have been hit several times south east of Auckland NZ at this time of
year- Usually from behind and pecked once through the slots in my helmet.
These Magpies are Aussies not the English version and I believe are a
bigger and real smart.
They can hit quite hard. I have tried to shoot it and made it duck!! a
couple of times but it recognises me now.
As I sat in wait one time, another cyclist came along. I shouted out to
watch for the Magpie he mumbled something and carried on looking straight
ahead-- whack- swerve- I heard-loud shouting- **** f--k you bstd -- he was
grumpy-- did not quite fall off though!
I will make a catapult next- my airpistol is slow and bulky.
regards Dave Reffin

"Trevor Barton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 26 Oct 2004 10:13:03 -0700, James Shugg wrote:
> > Victoria, Australia
> > By Geraldine Mitchell
> > October 27, 2004
> >
> > A MAN who crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him was fighting
> > for his life in a Gippsland hospital yesterday.
> >
> > He was taken to the Latrobe Regional Hospital with serious head
> > injuries and later flown to the Alfred where he was in a critical but
> > stable condition last night.
> >
> > Police said the man fell off his bike while crossing Tom's Bridge
> > north of Morwell about 9am.
> >
> >
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11196718%5E26462,00.html
>
> And another antipodean one, in NZ, this time:
>
> http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/0,2106,3079349a6002,00.html
>
> --
> Trevor Barton