Tom Crispin wrote:
> On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:50:27 GMT, ®i©ardo <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Tom Crispin wrote:
>>> On Sun, 7 Oct 2007 18:51:07 +0100, %steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth)
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Tom Crispin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> It is quite fair to compare the risk of being killed by a cyclist with
>>>>> the risk of being killed by a motorist, if only to alleviate the
>>>>> perception of danger from cyclists.
>>>> Not really, not when such a comparison is used to evade the truth that
>>>> pavement cyclists are not just an inconvenience but a real danger to
>>>> pedestrians.
>>> But the point is that drivers are far more of a danger to pedestrians.
>>> The fear pedestrains have of cyclists is mostly a perceived danger.
>> No, it's a very real danger. If they don't ride into you they're just as
>> likely to assault you.
>
> I see. You've had some bad experiences, have you? Care to elaborate
> your tales of woe with cyclists?
>
> I've been hit by a motor vehicle four times, twice as a pedestrian and
> twice as a cyclist.
>
> 1. As a young child, perhaps aged 7, I was hit by a motorist while I
> was playing chicken. I then ran away to avoid getting into trouble
> for playing a stupid game.
So that was the motorist's fault?
>
> 2. A motorist deliberately rammed me on Gloucester Road, London,
> while I was running after his friend who had just tried to use a
> stolen credit card in the shop where I was manager.
If he'd been on a bloody bike he's have done the same. It was nothing to
do with him being a "motorist". Get real.
>
> 3. A morotist turned right across my lane into a side road as I was
> cycling normally ahead.
>
> 4. A van driver turned sharply right into me and my bike to reach a
> parking bay on the opposite side of the road just after I had
> overtaken him on the outside in a line of slow moving traffic.
>
> I have never been hit by a cyclist, or indeed asaulted by one.
Difficult to comment on 3 and 4, not having been there!
Let me give just one example of one of the more obnoxious incidents. My
wife used to be a puppy walker for Guide Dogs for the Blind and we took
this particular puppy to a nearby location which was partially
pedestrianised. It still retained pavements, and the road was for the
use of buses and emergency vehicles only, which were only allowed to
travel in one direction.
Whilst walking along with the puppy in the opposite direction to the
flow of any traffic a pair of cyclists, in the "gear" and with helmets
on, decided it would be a good idea to ride up behind us at speed and
see how much noise they could make with their brakes in order to try and
intimidate us into getting out of their way, stopping inches from us and
the dog. When they did this for the fourth or fifth time, by which time
the dog was terrified and my wife was getting very upset, I suggested
that perhaps if they got off their cycles and walked them around us they
could do themselves, and us, a big favour. What a torrent of abuse came
forth from this pair of animals.
I suppose that their intimidation tactics had never been questioned
before. It is rarely I can be bothered to get angry in that, as a
licensee I used to have to deal with aggressive tossers all too
frequently, so I issued a challenge to the pair of them. After some
initial bluster they realized that I did have the potential to be
quietly violent so they beat a hasty retreat, still screaming
obscenities and threats.
Obviously not representative of the cycling majority, but it does leave
a lasting impression. A couple of people in the small crowd that had
gathered said that they frequently had to take their lives in their
hands because of incidents like that.
--
Moving things in still pictures!
