Yet another cyclist violently assaulted by motorist/s.



U

[email protected]

Guest
Dartford and Gravesend News.
19/12/06

Man knocked unconscious during attack

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an attack on a cyclist.

The man was cycling home along Valley Drive, Gravesend, near the
junction with St Aidan's Way, when a car containing three men mounted
the kerb and pulled up in front of him.

One of the men got out the car and attacked the cyclist, possibly with
a wheel brace, and knocked him unconscious.

The victim was left with a broken collarbone and head injuries after
the attack in the early hours of December 3.

Police are appealing for a man who helped the victim before he was
taken to hospital and anyone else with information to come forward.

Witnesses should call 01474 565075.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/d...3.0.man_knocked_unconscious_during_attack.php
 
[email protected] wrote on 19/12/2006 18:55 +0100:
> Dartford and Gravesend News. 19/12/06
>
> Man knocked unconscious during attack
>
> POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an attack on a cyclist.
>
> The man was cycling home along Valley Drive, Gravesend, near the
> junction with St Aidan's Way, when a car containing three men mounted
> the kerb and pulled up in front of him.
>
> One of the men got out the car and attacked the cyclist, possibly
> with a wheel brace, and knocked him unconscious.
>
> The victim was left with a broken collarbone and head injuries after
> the attack in the early hours of December 3.
>
> Police are appealing for a man who helped the victim before he was
> taken to hospital and anyone else with information to come forward.
>
> Witnesses should call 01474 565075.
>
> http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/d...3.0.man_knocked_unconscious_during_attack.php
>
>

Sounds to me like a grievance between them and he just happened to be on
a bike when they caught up with him, rather than a random act of
violence against cyclists. ICBW.


--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
 

> Sounds to me like a grievance between them and he just happened to be on
> a bike when they caught up with him, rather than a random act of violence
> against cyclists. ICBW.
>
Sound to me very much like the attacks on gays, asylum seekers, gang
members, drug dealers and ne'er do wells. The presence of a bike is
incedental.
 
Tony Raven wrote:

> Sounds to me like a grievance between them and he just happened to be on
> a bike when they caught up with him, rather than a random act of
> violence against cyclists. ICBW.

I'm betting that this 'grievance' was the cyclist shouting an objection
after the driver of the car cut him up, and by so doing failed to apply
'Clarkson's maxim' of 'If we cut you up, shut up.'
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Tony Raven wrote:
>
>> Sounds to me like a grievance between them and he just happened to
>> be on a bike when they caught up with him, rather than a random act
>> of violence against cyclists. ICBW.
>
> I'm betting that this 'grievance' was the cyclist shouting an
> objection after the driver of the car cut him up, and by so doing
> failed to apply 'Clarkson's maxim' of 'If we cut you up, shut up.'

That's just it - you don't know who you are dealing with (and that includes
all vehicle users) out there.
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Tony Raven wrote:
>
>> Sounds to me like a grievance between them and he just happened to
>> be on a bike when they caught up with him, rather than a random act
>> of violence against cyclists. ICBW.
>
> I'm betting that this 'grievance' was the cyclist shouting an
> objection after the driver of the car cut him up, and by so doing
> failed to apply 'Clarkson's maxim' of 'If we cut you up, shut up.'

on the basis of waht evidence?

pk
 
p.k. wrote:

> on the basis of waht evidence?

Well we are all guessing here but what is more likely - random attack
on passing cyclist or road rage after an incident between the car and
the cyclist? My money is on the attack being after some sort of
incident between the two parties shortly before.
Shout anythng you want at a driver and most times any reaction will
be verbal at most. There are though a lot of nutters out there and if
you are unlucky enough to confront one of them then either have an
escape route ready or be pretty sure you can cope with any physical
threat the driver and his passengers might offer. And you won't know
you are shouting at a nutter until things escalate.
Iain
 
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> p.k. wrote:
>
> > on the basis of waht evidence?
>
> Well we are all guessing here but what is more likely - random attack
> on passing cyclist or road rage after an incident between the car and
> the cyclist? My money is on the attack being after some sort of
> incident between the two parties shortly before.
> Shout anythng you want at a driver and most times any reaction will
> be verbal at most. There are though a lot of nutters out there and if
> you are unlucky enough to confront one of them then either have an
> escape route ready or be pretty sure you can cope with any physical
> threat the driver and his passengers might offer. And you won't know
> you are shouting at a nutter until things escalate.
> Iain
>
Rather looks as if you are the only one doing the guessing here.

Colin N.
 
[email protected] wrote on 19/12/2006 20:57 +0100:
>
> Well we are all guessing here but what is more likely - random attack
> on passing cyclist or road rage after an incident between the car and
> the cyclist?

Neither. Someone looking to get even with a particular person and
finding him on his bike.


--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
 
[email protected] wrote:

> Dartford and Gravesend News.
> 19/12/06
>
> Man knocked unconscious during attack
>
> POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an attack on a cyclist.
>

Well, I would have expected no better from most of those who have
commented on this story, but here are a few reasons I thought it was
worth posting:

1) Someone just might have been able to help the inquiry.

2) Whatever precipitated this attack the level of violence is pretty
horrific and I am saddened to see what looks much like 'victim blaming'
being the first response of many.

3) Such incidents appear to be getting ever more common and I have
little doubt that a cyclist who, for example, fails to 'shut up when
cut up' is much more likely to be the victim of further aggression and
even extreme violence than a motorist who shouts, waves their hands or
flashes their lights at another driver who cuts them up. I feel this
may well be related to the low status of cyclists in British society,
the influence of the lightly- veiled incitements to violence against
cyclists one frequently sees in the right-wing press or the common
beliefs that motorists are all but above the law and cyclists have no
right to be on the road in the first place.

4) I also note that stories such as these never seem to lead to
hysterical headlines about 'manic motorists' in the way almost any
aggressive behaviour on the part of a cyclist leads to hysterical 'The
Menace of the Lycra Lout' headlines in the right-wing press. It seems
(apparently in common with some posters on here) that many right-wing
writers believe that cyclists bring whatever bad things that happen to
them down on their own heads (especially if they are failing to wear a
polystyrene hat on that head) whilst motorists cannot be held
responsible for their actions, with even overt violence being due to
some unavoidable malady caused by the frustrations of driving which
they like to call 'road rage'.

Still, if people like to believe that nothing bad will ever happen to
them if they/ read 'Cyclecraft'/ wear a polystyrene hat/ 'shut up when
cut up' that's their outlook, though I doubt one can really see much at
all when ones head is buried in the sand.
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Dartford and Gravesend News.
> 19/12/06
>
> Man knocked unconscious during attack
>
> POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an attack on a cyclist.
>
> The man was cycling home along Valley Drive, Gravesend, near the
> junction with St Aidan's Way, when a car containing three men mounted
> the kerb and pulled up in front of him.
>
> One of the men got out the car and attacked the cyclist, possibly with
> a wheel brace, and knocked him unconscious.

So NOT /motorists/ or even a /motorist/. He was attacked by a
pedestrian, possibly with a wheel brace. So if anything, a
wheel-bracist. How he arrived at the scene is not relevant.
Shoplifters aren't shoplifting bus passengers, even if they /had/
travelled on a bus on the day.

This is the type of bigoted spin on a story that gives a bad name to
cyclists in general. Why do you do it? Are you not a cyclist yourself?

--
Matt B
 
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:

> 1) Someone just might have been able to help the inquiry.

How many people do you think reads this newsgroup? What percentage of them
do you think live or travel through the area of the incident? It's a very
long shot that someone could be helpful in the enquiry.
>
> 2) Whatever precipitated this attack the level of violence is pretty
> horrific and I am saddened to see what looks much like 'victim blaming'
> being the first response of many.

Just as the odds are against a witness being found in this newsgroup, the
odds against a car drawing up in front of a cyclist, disgorging someone with
a wheelbrace who then batters the cyclist with it being a totally unprovoked
attack are very long indeed.
>
> 3) Such incidents appear to be getting ever more common and I have
> little doubt that a cyclist who, for example, fails to 'shut up when
> cut up' is much more likely to be the victim of further aggression and
> even extreme violence than a motorist who shouts, waves their hands or
> flashes their lights at another driver who cuts them up. I feel this
> may well be related to the low status of cyclists in British society,
> the influence of the lightly- veiled incitements to violence against
> cyclists one frequently sees in the right-wing press or the common
> beliefs that motorists are all but above the law and cyclists have no
> right to be on the road in the first place.

Is this a hint that you think that the cyclist might have precipitated the
act?

> 4) I also note that stories such as these never seem to lead to
> hysterical headlines about 'manic motorists' in the way almost any
> aggressive behaviour on the part of a cyclist leads to hysterical 'The
> Menace of the Lycra Lout' headlines in the right-wing press. It seems
> (apparently in common with some posters on here) that many right-wing
> writers believe that cyclists bring whatever bad things that happen to
> them down on their own heads (especially if they are failing to wear a
> polystyrene hat on that head) whilst motorists cannot be held
> responsible for their actions, with even overt violence being due to
> some unavoidable malady caused by the frustrations of driving which
> they like to call 'road rage'.

A set of opinions unsupported by facts......

> Still, if people like to believe that nothing bad will ever happen to
> them if they/ read 'Cyclecraft'/ wear a polystyrene hat/ 'shut up when
> cut up' that's their outlook, though I doubt one can really see much at
> all when ones head is buried in the sand.
>
sigh.........
 
spindrift wrote:
> 05 December 2006 09:48
> 1310 hours 20/02/06
> ...2006%5CFebruary%5C20%5C4.htm
> ...2001/4/18/
> ...2006/06/27/ceabb8f4-eba0-474d-91d1-338b6303a7fd.lpf
> ...2002/10/04/index.shtml
> ...2002/11/5/
> ...2002/4/5/
> ...2001/7/31/
> ...2001/7/30/
> February 5, 2003

You could only find 1 incident in the last 6 months then? And only
about 10 in the last 5 years - that's an average of 2 per year.

BTW, you missed one:

Buzzard continues cyclist attacks...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3828903.stm

--
Matt B
 
vernon wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message

> > 4) I also note that stories such as these never seem to lead to
> > hysterical headlines about 'manic motorists' in the way almost any
> > aggressive behaviour on the part of a cyclist leads to hysterical 'The
> > Menace of the Lycra Lout' headlines in the right-wing press. It seems
> > (apparently in common with some posters on here) that many right-wing
> > writers believe that cyclists bring whatever bad things that happen to
> > them down on their own heads (especially if they are failing to wear a
> > polystyrene hat on that head) whilst motorists cannot be held
> > responsible for their actions, with even overt violence being due to
> > some unavoidable malady caused by the frustrations of driving which
> > they like to call 'road rage'.
>
> A set of opinions unsupported by facts......
>

I feel I can support everything I say with plenty of 'facts'. To give
one illustration look at the way The Daily Mail reported on the death
of Ted Rhodes, an ex 'Z-cars' screenwriter. According to evidence
given at the inquest Rhodes was a racist, a drunkard and a
cyclist-hater. On seeing a black cyclist ride the wrong way down a
one-way street Rhodes subjected the cyclist to a barrage of racist
abuse. The cyclist stopped, said 'Don't say that to me' and punched him
once, and although this caused him to fall down (and he had already
been drinking heavily by this point) no damage was evident. Two day's
later Rhodes was found dead with serious injuries, including a ruptured
speen, which the coroner concluded were caused by him falling down
stairs some time later whilst heavily drunk. The coroner also said that
no link could be drawn between the punch he had received and his death.
Despite this the Mail/Mail on Sunday wheel out Rhode's death every few
months as being the UK's first example of 'Cycle-rage murder'.

Compare this to the reporting (or rather non-reporting) of the death of
62 year old cyclist Alan Scott who was attacked by '4x4' driver Andrew
Hart for nothing more than holding up Hart on a country lane for 30 m.
As the cyclist stood at the side of the road with one foot on the verge
Andrew Hart stopped his 4x4, went back to the cyclist, assaulting him,
breaking his shoulder and pushing him to the ground. Another driver who
witnessed the attack said that the cyclist was 'slightly built' and had
done nothing to provoke the attack. The broken shoulder sustained in
the attack resulted in the creation of a blood clot which caused Alan
Scott to die a few days later. Andrew Hart was charged and found guilty
of manslaughter but incredibly Judge Cottle gave Hart only a 9 month
suspended sentence. What's more one would think that Hart had proved
himself unfit to hold a driving licence by responding in such manner to
being 'delayed' by a cyclist for a few seconds. However Hart received
no driving ban or other penalty. Of course this lead to no outraged
headlines in the Dail Mail either...
 
Matt B wrote:

>
> You could only find 1 incident in the last 6 months then? And only
> about 10 in the last 5 years - that's an average of 2 per year.
>
> BTW, you missed one:
>
> Buzzard continues cyclist attacks...
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3828903.stm
>

I have seen dozens of such reports spindrift hasn't mentioned. A few
notable ones:

http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/display.var.809712.0.terror_in_the_cycle_lane.php

Wednesday 28th June 2006

Terror in the cycle lane

A pensioner broke his collarbone and suffered severe internal bleeding
after becoming the latest victim of a spate of sick attacks on
cyclists.

Bonar Law, a 68-year-old retired teacher from Watlington, was pushed
off his bike by a passing motorist. Thames Valley Police are linking
the assault on Mr Law, which happened on the B4009 just outside Princes
Risborough last week, to two similar attacks in south Oxfordshire.

Mr Law, a keen cyclist, was travelling home when someone passing very
close in a small white van leaned out of the window and pushed him off.

He said: "I could hear the car but I didn't take much notice of that,
and wham, I just hit the ground and I didn't know what had happened."

He believes it was a deliberate attack because the van had already
driven close to him once before, then pulled into a drive ahead and
waited for him to get ahead before making a second pass.

Mr Law said: "How can it be anything else if somebody leans out of the
car window and pushes you off the road?

"It was not a collision with the car, I was well into the side of the
road. They were driving just sufficiently close in order to push me
off."

Mr Law suffered a broken collarbone which doctors have said they cannot
reset.

He added: "It has made me feel very unsafe. I would like to see these
people brought to justice and, as a person who has suffered this, I
would like the punishment to fit the crime.

"The pain, the trauma, the shock, the inconvenience, the loss of time
and the incapacity as a result of it, and the fact that I am probably
not going to be quite the same again for the remainder of my life. To
them it is like watching Buster Keaton on a silent movie. They do it
for laughs."

Mr Law warned other cyclists to be on their guard and keep an eye out
for the people who assaulted him. He added: "I was out there enjoying
myself, really going for it. You don't think about things like that. I
am not going to let it get me down."

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "It would certainly seem to
be very similar to the recent incidents that we have been investigating
involving somebody in a white van pushing people off cycles.

"We are still investigating and we are very keen to hear from anybody
who saw a white van in the area. We are also appealing to anybody who
may have been subject to similar assaults as we are trying to build up
as much information as possible."
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Matt B wrote:
>
> >
> > You could only find 1 incident in the last 6 months then? And only
> > about 10 in the last 5 years - that's an average of 2 per year.
> >
> > BTW, you missed one:
> >
> > Buzzard continues cyclist attacks...
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3828903.stm
> >
>
> I have seen dozens of such reports spindrift hasn't mentioned. A few
> notable ones:
>

Series of assaults - Vale
24 June 2006

Police are appealing for witnesses after four incidents of assault
which they believe may be linked.

On Saturday 17 June at around 4.40pm, on the A4130 near Didcot, a
46-year-old man was pushed off his bicycle by a passenger in a 4x4
vehicle which was dark in colour. A passing motorist stopped to help
but did not leave details. Police would like this man to get in touch
as he could be a key witness.

On Tuesday 20 June at 2.50pm, on the A4130 at Gangsdown Hill near
Wallingford, a 36-year-old man who was cycling, saw a small white W-reg
van with ladders on roof drive up to him. The passenger lent out and
pushed him. The passenger is a white man 20-25-years-old with dark
sideburns and he was wearing a baseball cap.

At around 3pm on the same day a 63-year-old man was pushed off his
bicycle on Peppard Road in Nettlebed by a passenger in a white car or
van.

All three received cuts and bruises and damage to their bicycles.

On a fourth occasion at around 5pm on 20 June a 26-year-old man was
cycling along Milton Road in Drayton. Two men in an Isuzu Trooper 4x4
drove past and as they did the passenger lent out and pushed him into a
ditch. The vehicle was a light two-tone colour and possibly H reg.

The cyclist was helped by police and an ambulance was called. He was
badly bruised and shaken by the incident.

Insp Nick Cain said: "These are all very similar assaults and could
be linked. I appeal to those who are doing it to consider how dangerous
it is and also to consider that you will face arrest for assault.

"If anyone saw these or similar incidents then please contact me."

Contact Insp Cain via 0856 8 505 505. If you do not wish to speak to
police or give your name call the Crimestoppers Charity on 0800 555 111.
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Matt B wrote:
>
> >
> > You could only find 1 incident in the last 6 months then? And only
> > about 10 in the last 5 years - that's an average of 2 per year.
> >
> > BTW, you missed one:
> >
> > Buzzard continues cyclist attacks...
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3828903.stm
> >
>
> I have seen dozens of such reports spindrift hasn't mentioned. A few
> notable ones:
>

Hull Daily Mail
05 November 2005

CYCLIST'S CHEEKBONE 'SMASHED TO PIECES'

Hull: A cyclist who was attacked in a road rage incident had his
cheekbone smashed. Motorist Patrick McGarry, 40, of Lowdale Close, west
Hull, followed the cyclist and punched him after an altercation at a
roundabout. McGarry
pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding.

Hull Crown Court heard the cyclist had shouted at the defendant after
he turned left without indicating at the Spring Bank West and Calvert
Lane roundabout in west Hull at 6pm on April 21. The cyclist thought
McGarry was going straight instead of turning and the two vehicles
nearly collided. The cyclist tapped McGarry's bonnet and shouted at
him. The court heard McGarry followed him and the pair had a
confrontation. He claimed the cyclist had sworn at him. McGarry punched
the man several times and once extremely hard in the face. Onlookers
heard a cracking sound and doctors said the cyclist's right cheekbone
was smashed to pieces.

Judge Tom Cracknell said: "Your behaviour was quite appalling. You know
the only thing to do is ignore road rage or get in a dreadful
situation. Your behaviour was wholly out of character." McGarry was
sentenced to a community order of 200 hours.
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Matt B wrote:
>
> >
> > You could only find 1 incident in the last 6 months then? And only
> > about 10 in the last 5 years - that's an average of 2 per year.
> >
> > BTW, you missed one:
> >
> > Buzzard continues cyclist attacks...
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3828903.stm
> >
>
> I have seen dozens of such reports spindrift hasn't mentioned. A few
> notable ones:
>

East London Advertiser
18 January 2006

Cyclist stabbed in road rage attack

A HERO councillor helped save the life of cyclist stabbed in a road
rage attack.Tower Hamlets councillor Ray Gipson was yards from his home
in Hewison Street, Bow, when he saw an elderly neighbour tending to a
man lying on the pavement on Tuesday evening. He dropped his Tesco
shopping bags and ran to help.

The 42-year-old victim was drifting dangerously into unconsciousness
while blood poured from a gaping knife wound under his armpit. Cllr
Gipson pushed down hard on the injury and stemmed the bloodflow. "He
tried telling me what happened, but it wasn't making sense," the
65-year-old Lib Dem councillor said. "I just wanted to keep him
awake."

Witnesses said the victim, a dad-of-two, had been cycling home to a
nearby house when he got into a row with a motorist about being cut up.
The car's passenger, large black man, got out and the argument became
more heated. The passenger then pulled out a knife, stabbed him and ran
off. The car driver, a white woman, screeched off, hit a parked car and
turned left into Tredegar Road and is believed to have picked up the
attacker.

Meanwhile, the victim staggered up the road and begged a neighbour to
call for an ambulance saying "I've been stabbed".
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Matt B wrote:
>
> >
> > You could only find 1 incident in the last 6 months then? And only
> > about 10 in the last 5 years - that's an average of 2 per year.
> >
> > BTW, you missed one:
> >
> > Buzzard continues cyclist attacks...
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3828903.stm
> >
>
> I have seen dozens of such reports spindrift hasn't mentioned. A few
> notable ones:
>

This one came to mind as it is another serious attack where a
'wheelbrace' was used as a weapon.

http://www.thebikezone.org.uk/downloads/SheffieldStar270406.gif
 
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