# Really annoying kids whilst out cycling today



## johnnyb47 (19 Aug 2018)

Hi and hope your all well. 
Today the weather's been kind and thought I'd take my new bike out for a tour around the countryside. On my 45 mile ride I managed to take in 4/5 villages and with every one I got some sort of abuse from teenage kids hanging around the street corners.Obviously I'm a 50 year old guy who probably doesn't look to great on a road bike, and honesty it's usually water off a ducks back when I hear some of the sarcastic comments that come my way. I'm old enough and to thick skinned to let such things wind my up. For some reason today though it really started to p me off though. The first two abuses I got I just let it go over my head and completely ignored them but when the third village came by, I was again verbally abused by a group of youths. I was by now feeling knackered and my temper was on a short fuse. I just let it go over my head once again and put it behind me. The 4th and final village I past through I was actually starting to feel a little apprehensive so to if I would get through it with out any agro. Sadly I was wrong on that idea. A group of 15/16 year lads where sure enough hanging around the shop on there mountain bike's ,when one big spotty lanky Herbert shouted "get proper bike you effing w####r. People in the street looked upon the group in disgust at his foul mouthed abuse. I really came close to stopping and give him what for as my temper was now at boiling point. Thankfully for my sake I just carried on and ignored him. If would of stopped I think I would of ended up doing something I would regretted. I have spoken to many other cyclists in my area and they have all been the subject to the same abuse.It seems like there's a bit of a craze in my area at the moment where youngsters ( not all of course) think it's "big" to hang around the shops etc on there BSO and give abuse to passing cyclists. In one particular village a local 10 mile tt passes through on a Friday evening and the youngsters will congregate as the cyclists pass through just to throw abuse. 
One of these days I can see one of these cyclists losing there temper with them big time which would not be good all round for anybody. I really hope this silly phase passes by and that it's just the fact it's just something that's happening whilst the school summer holidays are happening at the moment. Another craze that these kids seem to be doing at the moment is riding there bikes really dangerously towards moving cars pulling wheelie,s and then just missing them at the last minute causing the driver to take evasive action. There playing " chicken" with cars and pedestrians and one day someone is really going to get hurt. Hopefully the police will start to clamp down on this antisocial behaviour soon before it all ends in tears. 
Anyway sorry for my rant but I just felt like getting it my chest. 
All the very best,
Johnny.


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## johnnyb47 (19 Aug 2018)

The thing is nowadays you've got to be so careful is to what you say or do. If I behaved like that when I was a youngster I would of ended up having a clip behind the ear by the person I gave " cheek "to" and by my parents if they ever found out. Times have changed nowadays though and you really have to be careful as to what you can say or do.


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## twentysix by twentyfive (19 Aug 2018)

johnnyb47 said:


> Hopefully the police will start to clamp down on this antisocial behaviour soon



Keep reporting every incident


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## simonali (19 Aug 2018)

[QUOTE 5355070, member: 9609"]oh well - they will be all off back to school the morrow, not sooner enough really.[/QUOTE]

In the middle of the summer holidays?


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## matiz (19 Aug 2018)

The latest craze down here has been gangs of youths riding there bikes into the shops and stores riding around causing chaos then pedaling off just before the cops arrive.


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## Slick (19 Aug 2018)

I know it must be annoying but I can honestly say that its never happened to me so I'm unsure how I would react if it did. I can think of a couple of motorists recently, one a young female driver and one a middle-aged passenger. The female was really annoyed i took primary in a lane on a bridge so gave me the coffe bean signal and the guy was devastated that I got to the bike box in front of him just as the lights changed and when his mate overtook me he leaned out the window to tell me what he thought about me and I could only burst out laughing as it really was pathetic. Even more pathetic when I passed him again at the next junction and his face was like a burst tomato as he tried to look everywhere but at me. 

Moral is, who really gives a feck, life's too short and there's far too many things to enjoy without letting anyone regardless of age or anything else spoil it.


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## PeteXXX (19 Aug 2018)

Sad you had such a lousy load of louts to ruin your ride! 

I had pretty much the opposite this evening. Popping out for a leg stretcher on my CX, I was heading through a local estate not known for its beauty (!!), two lads of about 12 or 13 hung over their garden fence and shouted ‘Oi! Nice bike Mr!’ actually meaning it. 
‘Thanks, it is’ said I, and got a thumbs up in reply. 
They aren’t all bad, you know.


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## mcshroom (19 Aug 2018)

simonali said:


> In the middle of the summer holidays?


Scotland are weird and have earlier holidays than the rest of the UK


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## Slick (19 Aug 2018)

Quite right too,


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## Mrs M (19 Aug 2018)

johnnyb47 said:


> Hi and hope your all well.
> Today the weather's been kind and thought I'd take my new bike out for a tour around the countryside. On my 45 mile ride I managed to take in 4/5 villages and with every one I got some sort of abuse from teenage kids hanging around the street corners.Obviously I'm a 50 year old guy who probably doesn't look to great on a road bike, and honesty it's usually water off a ducks back when I hear some of the sarcastic comments that come my way. I'm old enough and to thick skinned to let such things wind my up. For some reason today though it really started to p me off though. The first two abuses I got I just let it go over my head and completely ignored them but when the third village came by, I was again verbally abused by a group of youths. I was by now feeling knackered and my temper was on a short fuse. I just let it go over my head once again and put it behind me. The 4th and final village I past through I was actually starting to feel a little apprehensive so to if I would get through it with out any agro. Sadly I was wrong on that idea. A group of 15/16 year lads where sure enough hanging around the shop on there mountain bike's ,when one big spotty lanky Herbert shouted "get proper bike you effing w####r. People in the street looked upon the group in disgust at his foul mouthed abuse. I really came close to stopping and give him what for as my temper was now at boiling point. Thankfully for my sake I just carried on and ignored him. If would of stopped I think I would of ended up doing something I would regretted. I have spoken to many other cyclists in my area and they have all been the subject to the same abuse.It seems like there's a bit of a craze in my area at the moment where youngsters ( not all of course) think it's "big" to hang around the shops etc on there BSO and give abuse to passing cyclists. In one particular village a local 10 mile tt passes through on a Friday evening and the youngsters will congregate as the cyclists pass through just to throw abuse.
> One of these days I can see one of these cyclists losing there temper with them big time which would not be good all round for anybody. I really hope this silly phase passes by and that it's just the fact it's just something that's happening whilst the school summer holidays are happening at the moment. Another craze that these kids seem to be doing at the moment is riding there bikes really dangerously towards moving cars pulling wheelie,s and then just missing them at the last minute causing the driver to take evasive action. There playing " chicken" with cars and pedestrians and one day someone is really going to get hurt. Hopefully the police will start to clamp down on this antisocial behaviour soon before it all ends in tears.
> Anyway sorry for my rant but I just felt like getting it my chest.
> ...


Never mind them, people in the street were as disgusted as you. 
Wee fools on their nasty BSO’s, feel sorry for them in a way.
There was a chicken incident up here a while back now, won’t be doing it again as lost his life under a van!
Don’t give them the attention they want. Just ignore and enjoy riding your bike


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## Mrs M (19 Aug 2018)

PeteXXX said:


> Sad you had such a lousy load of louts to ruin your ride!
> 
> I had pretty much the opposite this evening. Popping out for a leg stretcher on my CX, I was heading through a local estate not known for its beauty (!!), two lads of about 12 or 13 hung over their garden fence and shouted ‘Oi! Nice bike Mr!’ actually meaning it.
> ‘Thanks, it is’ said I, and got a thumbs up in reply.
> They aren’t all bad, you know.



I’ve had a wee gang of kids running ahead of me along the pavement, then stopping, giving a wave and thumbs up and saying “cool bike” (my roadie) 
Also passed the community centre on my Pashley as a wee toot was coming out with her mum, she just said “look mum, cool”, (made my day).


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## Salty seadog (19 Aug 2018)

Mrs M said:


> I’ve had a wee gang of kids running ahead of me along the pavement, then stopping, giving a wave and thumbs up and saying “cool bike” (my roadie)
> Also passed the community centre on my Pashley as a wee toot was coming out with her mum, she just said “look mum, cool”, (made my day).



It is a nice Pashley though. Not seen a pic in a while. Love those rear lights.


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## Johnno260 (19 Aug 2018)

Wait until they start throwing things at you, that’s a barrel of laughs..


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## Mrs M (19 Aug 2018)

Salty seadog said:


> It is a nice Pashley though. Not seen a pic in a while. Love those rear lights.


Thanks,  ahem, rear light now sadly


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## mgs315 (19 Aug 2018)

Ah sod em. I had a few kids give me crap a few weeks back cycling through town, when the road opened up a bit I just got on the drops and stuck it at FTP, simple enough to drop them.


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## Pat "5mph" (19 Aug 2018)

@johnnyb47 have a like, not for the harassment, but for the cool way you handled it.
Just bored youths, I guess.


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## SkipdiverJohn (19 Aug 2018)

Pat "5mph" said:


> @johnnyb47 Just bored youths, I guess.



Not bored youths. Just obnoxious little bastards who need to be on the receiving end of some good old-fashioned discipline. We've all been young, and we've all been bored, but I'd have had my arse kicked all the way down the street if I'd behaved like these chavs do. Abusing people randomly or mouthing off at a Copper etc - just wasn't tolerated, no matter what.


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## Crackle (19 Aug 2018)

Ffs.


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## Pat "5mph" (19 Aug 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Not bored youths. Just obnoxious little bastards who need to be on the receiving end of some good old-fashioned discipline. We've all been young, and we've all been bored, but I'd have had my arse kicked all the way down the street if I'd behaved like these chavs do. Abusing people randomly or mouthing off at a Copper etc - just wasn't tolerated, no matter what.


Well, same here, but times have changed, no use living in the past.
Probably when we were young there were not enough bike gears invented for @johnnyb47 to ride 50 miles in hilly Wales, so he wouldn't have gotten the abuse anyway


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## johnnyb47 (19 Aug 2018)

I'm usually quite a placid guy and maybe today I must of got out the wrong side of bed :-).Apart from the obnoxious kids I did have a great ride out. Tomorrow's another day were another tail will be told no doubt. As childish as it seems I get the impression these youngsters are just targeting road bike users. They look at it ,as they don't fit into there little cliche of what they ride and then in turn throw insulting remarks at them. It's all very childish and now feel somewhat embarrassed even admitting about getting rattled by it all. :-).


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## Slick (19 Aug 2018)

johnnyb47 said:


> I'm usually quite a placid guy and maybe today I must of got out the wrong side of bed :-).Apart from the obnoxious kids I did have a great ride out. Tomorrow's another day were another tail will be told no doubt. As childish as it seems I get the impression these youngsters are just targeting road bike users. They look at it ,as they don't fit into there little cliche of what they ride and then in turn throw insulting remarks at them. It's all very childish and now feel somewhat embarrassed even admitting about getting rattled by it all. :-).


Don't worry about it, we all get caught up at some time or another.


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## bladesman73 (19 Aug 2018)

Christ where do you live? Sounds like a craphole


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## Milzy (19 Aug 2018)

Can’t you plan different routes, and different times? Ignore the underclass scrotes.


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## johnnyb47 (19 Aug 2018)

Milzy said:


> Can’t you plan different routes, and different times? Ignore the underclass scrotes.


Your absolutely right. There's always plenty of different routes to take. Whilst the school holidays are on going I shall avoid the places were kids congregate (especially when I'm in a grumpy mood) It has to be said though it's only a small minority of kids who behave like this.I know I could stop it with one encounter with them but I would also fall foul of the law. It's just best to let it go over my head and continue to enjoy doing what I like doing best.


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## fossyant (19 Aug 2018)

Its summer holidays and the little darlings don't know how to use their time. I posted here a few weeks back thar I'd been screamed at into my ear and punched on the helmet by some teens. I carried on, but did ask if they had anything better to do.


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## derrick (19 Aug 2018)

twentysix by twentyfive said:


> Keep reporting every incident


What police would that be?There all to busy with paperwork. When was the last time you saw a copper on the streets.


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## adamhearn (19 Aug 2018)

Police wouldn't do anything, parents do nothing and disciplining of children doesn't exist (isn't allowed) any more so things will only get worse.

I'm surprised you went through several separate villages and had he same issue in each. How shoot is that! I personally wouldn't change routes.


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## Johnno260 (20 Aug 2018)

It’s not worth confronting them, this day and age you’re either get in trouble yourself or worse. 

I confronted some oiks who threw something from a car at me, it escalated but they left when they saw I wasn’t backing down, but it was entirely dumb on my part there were three of them, and you never know if one has a knife.


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## User16625 (20 Aug 2018)

johnnyb47 said:


> Hopefully the police will start to clamp down on this antisocial behaviour soon before it all ends in tears.
> Anyway sorry for my rant but I just felt like getting it my chest.
> All the very best,
> Johnny.



What do police actually do? I wouldn't count on them for sod all. Even speeding penalties are automated these days. I think the most likely thing that'll sort out the scummy youths is a nuclear war.

I was once pushed off my bike by some scummy youth. I was gonna knock his block off when 2 other nutters prevented me. Is it a sign of the times that it never once occurred to me to report it to the police. Just didn't give that option any more thought than the obscure moons of Neptune.


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## Shortandcrisp (20 Aug 2018)

I’m glad I live in rural North Norfolk. No kids here, just luvvies looking for their holiday homes,


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## MarkF (20 Aug 2018)

matiz said:


> The latest craze down here has been gangs of youths riding there bikes into the shops and stores riding around causing chaos then pedaling off just before the cops arrive.


 Wished I'd thought of that when I was younger.


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## Gary E (20 Aug 2018)

I think the main driver behind this behaviour is peer pressure and, when they're not in a pack, they're unlikely to say boo to a goose.
I had an incident a couple of years ago with a 'pack' of louts. The gobby one became very subdued when I followed him home and spoke to his parents.


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## Johnno260 (20 Aug 2018)

Gary E said:


> I think the main driver behind this behaviour is peer pressure and, when they're not in a pack, they're unlikely to say boo to a goose.
> I had an incident a couple of years ago with a 'pack' of louts. The gobby one became very subdued when I followed him home and spoke to his parents.



True the troublesome ones are worse when in a pack.

My wife had an incident in a carpark when a group of louts where leaning against the back of her car, she got in, turned on the engine and waited but they didn't move, she opened the window and politely asked them to move, and she got a load of verbal back.

She called me and I hopped in the car with my two brothers, when my car pulled into the car park and all three of us got out and approached them they pretty much broke the 100m sprint record, then told us from 100m way what part of the female anatomy we were.. lol brave kids.

In general kids aren't all bad, but the bad apples behaviour is worse than ever in my opinion.


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## Tin Pot (20 Aug 2018)

bladesman73 said:


> Christ where do you live? Sounds like a craphole



That made me chuckle - but it will be location/route related. I’ve not had any abuse from the streets, as far back as I can remember. Cars a different thing obvs.

I guess I’m privileged in where I can choose to live now, there’s no way I’d be cycling as I do now if I still lived in Deptford, London. At least, not for long. My mother still lives there, two men hospitalised her for my old mtb rust bucket a few years back.

Can the OP change routes?

Or move home?

The other thing is time of day - you’ll never see louts on the corner between 05:00-07:00


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## Oldfentiger (20 Aug 2018)

I've noticed over the last week or so, groups of kids/youths apparently playing chicken with the traffic. I was driving through the centre of Burnley last Friday evening when I had several kids ride straight at me, a couple of them doing wheelies. Forced me to stop to avoid a collision.
I've googled and found out that it is a current craze on social media, called "Swerve the Car".
Stop the planet, I want to get off.


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## nickyboy (20 Aug 2018)

I would have stuck a tenner on "conscription" being suggested by now

What's wrong with you?


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## Rockn Robin (20 Aug 2018)

twentysix by twentyfive said:


> Keep reporting every incident



I hate to say it, but I don't know what good might come out of it. Hopefully it will do some good, but police have tried and tried over and over again to deal with youths that are misbehaving, but to no avail. Sad to say, but it's the times we live in, but I will say this, we were no angels either when I was young.


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## Gary E (20 Aug 2018)

The difference is that these days they're nigh on untouchable. I, as a kid, on the other hand would have been chastised until I could no longer sit down! The words "I'll tell your mum/dad" would have been enough to bring me back in line


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## confusedcyclist (20 Aug 2018)

"Get a proper bike" is hardly the insult of the century? I would have challenged them to a rap battle and skooled them old stylie.


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## Rockn Robin (20 Aug 2018)

johnnyb47 said:


> Hi and hope your all well.
> Today the weather's been kind and thought I'd take my new bike out for a tour around the countryside. On my 45 mile ride I managed to take in 4/5 villages and with every one I got some sort of abuse from teenage kids hanging around the street corners.Obviously I'm a 50 year old guy who probably doesn't look to great on a road bike, and honesty it's usually water off a ducks back when I hear some of the sarcastic comments that come my way. I'm old enough and to thick skinned to let such things wind my up. For some reason today though it really started to p me off though. The first two abuses I got I just let it go over my head and completely ignored them but when the third village came by, I was again verbally abused by a group of youths. I was by now feeling knackered and my temper was on a short fuse. I just let it go over my head once again and put it behind me. The 4th and final village I past through I was actually starting to feel a little apprehensive so to if I would get through it with out any agro. Sadly I was wrong on that idea. A group of 15/16 year lads where sure enough hanging around the shop on there mountain bike's ,when one big spotty lanky Herbert shouted "get proper bike you effing w####r. People in the street looked upon the group in disgust at his foul mouthed abuse. I really came close to stopping and give him what for as my temper was now at boiling point. Thankfully for my sake I just carried on and ignored him. If would of stopped I think I would of ended up doing something I would regretted. I have spoken to many other cyclists in my area and they have all been the subject to the same abuse.It seems like there's a bit of a craze in my area at the moment where youngsters ( not all of course) think it's "big" to hang around the shops etc on there BSO and give abuse to passing cyclists. In one particular village a local 10 mile tt passes through on a Friday evening and the youngsters will congregate as the cyclists pass through just to throw abuse.
> One of these days I can see one of these cyclists losing there temper with them big time which would not be good all round for anybody. I really hope this silly phase passes by and that it's just the fact it's just something that's happening whilst the school summer holidays are happening at the moment. Another craze that these kids seem to be doing at the moment is riding there bikes really dangerously towards moving cars pulling wheelie,s and then just missing them at the last minute causing the driver to take evasive action. There playing " chicken" with cars and pedestrians and one day someone is really going to get hurt. Hopefully the police will start to clamp down on this antisocial behaviour soon before it all ends in tears.
> Anyway sorry for my rant but I just felt like getting it my chest.
> ...



Sad, isn't it Johnny. It reminds me of a time when I was in Jakarta, Indonesia. I was walking home to my hotel after visiting a planetarium. While walking along the sidewalk, I noticed a group of teenagers up ahead. I thought of what kind of abuse I was in for when I came up to them, but they turned to me and opened up a path. It was like the parting of the Red Sea. And whilst walking by them, I recall one boy say, "hello sir, how are you," as some of the others would simply say, "hello sir." All in their attempt to speak the little English they knew. To be honest, I had an idea that they would be like that because kids, on the whole, in much of Asia, and I traveled a lot there, are more respectful to their elders. It's how they are brought up. But because of bad experiences in my area with kids, I couldn't help envision some form of verbal nonsense from them. Much of our youth today, especially on my side of the pond, are not brought up in a way to show respect to others. It's a changing world we live in, I'm afraid.


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## Threevok (20 Aug 2018)

Someone keeps calling "Wiggins" every time he see's me

I tried to school him last week when I replied "It's Geraint now, try to keep up"

I think it was lost on him though


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## confusedcyclist (20 Aug 2018)

johnnyb47 said:


> There playing " chicken" with cars and pedestrians and one day someone is really going to get hurt. Hopefully the police will start to clamp down on this antisocial behaviour soon before it all ends in tears.



I had some pleb on a BSO do this to me whilst commuting last year. I didn't stop. Instead I called his bluff, accelerated and shunted his front wheel off to the left as he tried to move to the right, lets say he took a tumble and his bike may or may not be been a write off. It wasn't very mature of me. But oh so satisfying.


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## Threevok (20 Aug 2018)

User13710 said:


> You knocked a kid down with your car, and that is funny? This place is really going to the dogs lately.



commuting in a car ????


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## Crackle (20 Aug 2018)

confusedcyclist said:


> I had some pleb on a BSO do this to me whilst commuting last year. I didn't stop. Instead I called his bluff, accelerated and shunted his front wheel off to the left as he tried to move to the right, lets say he took a tumble and his bike may or may not be been a write off. It wasn't very mature of me. But oh so satisfying.
> 
> 
> View attachment 425913


Nice. I hope Karma is real.


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## confusedcyclist (20 Aug 2018)

User13710 said:


> You knocked a kid down with your car, and that is funny? This place is really going to the dogs lately.


Err, wait. When did I say I was in my car? I guess I could have been clearer.

There I was, minding my own business on my commuter bike and some retard starts a wheelie 5 meters in front of me, deliberately, with a smirk on his face. On a collision course with me. He wanted to play chicken, and it's my fault he ended up on the deck?


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## confusedcyclist (20 Aug 2018)

User13710 said:


> Well, it was an exchange about kids playing chicken with cars, wasn't it. And yes, it was your fault, you are supposed to be the grown-up in situations like that.


Yes I did miss that important detail. But I'm not sure where the rule is that I'm supposed to be responsible for someone else's idiotic decisions. I will clarify that I didn't deliberately shunt him to the left, but just that I called his chicken and his lack of control and evasion resulted in him clattering to the ground. Nor was this a 8 year old kid, more like a 17/18 y/o. Old enough to know better, and certainly old enough to warrant this life lesson. I would never imply that anyone should engage in a game of chicken in their car vs an 8 year old on a bike.


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## Salty seadog (20 Aug 2018)

User13710 said:


> Well, it was an exchange about kids playing chicken with cars, wasn't it. And yes, it was your fault, you are supposed to be the grown-up in situations like that.



Not @confusedcyclist fault. He just didn't back down in the face of idiotic intimidation by someone who needs to be shown up for the mindless moron he was. Maybe he'll think twice next time. How does it go 'all the devil needs is for good men to do nothing'


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## Tin Pot (20 Aug 2018)

Well perhaps there are subtleties at play we’re not aware of but from this distance I don’t think knocking kids off bikes is The Right Thing To Do. As you said yourself, not very mature, so I think you know you weren’t correct.


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## screenman (20 Aug 2018)

Chicken is played a lot in Boston, I have mentioned this a few times on the forum, it has been on the increase for the last 10 years or so, I will vlcertcer see some later this week when I am back in the town.


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## dantheman (20 Aug 2018)

matiz said:


> The latest craze down here has been gangs of youths riding there bikes into the shops and stores riding around causing chaos then pedaling off just before the cops arrive.



Oh man, I'd love to try that.. Tempted to go buy an apollo bike and mask and hoodie so I can blend in more..


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## Tin Pot (21 Aug 2018)

dantheman said:


> Oh man, I'd love to try that.. Tempted to go buy an apollo bike and mask and hoodie so I can blend in more..



The long isles of Homebase might be fun, but our shopping centre would be better. Long smooth walkways, down escalators...


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## Mugshot (21 Aug 2018)

confusedcyclist said:


> some retard starts a wheelie 5 meters in front of me





confusedcyclist said:


> I called his bluff, accelerated and shunted his front wheel off to the left as he tried to move to the right,





confusedcyclist said:


> I will clarify that I didn't deliberately shunt him to the left,


I'm a confused cyclist here. What did you hit his front wheel, that was in the air, with? If you accelerated at him how is the collision not deliberate on your part?


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## confusedcyclist (21 Aug 2018)

I'll give folk the benefit of the doubt, but in my defense there is an awful lot of judgement going here without many established facts.



Mugshot said:


> I'm a confused cyclist here. What did you hit his front wheel, that was in the air, with? If you accelerated at him how is the collision not deliberate on your part?



I may have painted a picture of being an idiot who engages idiots at their own level, but it's not the way I see it. As @Salty seadog says it, I simply didn't back down in the face of a bully.

His front tyre struck my front tyre as he tried to evade at the last moment. The fact that I accelerated (instead of stopping which I imagine he expected) probably surprised the smug git, but it has nothing to do with his lack of control of the situation he had initiated. He lost control the moment he suspended his front wheel in mid air yards from an approaching person. I doubt my well being never entered his head, so why should his enter mine? Nor did I force him to engage in a game of chicken, which ultimately ended up with him hitting the deck. It's true, I could have 'risen above it'. I agree it wasn't very 'mature' but I don't care much for conforming to what warrants as society's standards of 'civilised' behaviour, if that means being 'cowed' by every bully that crosses my path, forget it.

We have a choice in life, we can 'chicken out' and report incidents like this to the authorities (who will do feck all, and the feckless twunt would get away with it) and the idiocy continues unabated OR we can take it upon ourselves to teach the little prick a life lesson.

For the bleeding hearts in the audience, our ragamuffin swiftly got up, dusted himself off before presumably taking his bruises and buckled front wheel home. Hopefully a sharp reminder not to intimidate strangers again. Luckily no one was seriously hurt. When I say I acclerated, I mean from 5mph to 8mph. I was pootling along after crossing a road, probably looking like a soft target, I hardly buzzed him at 30mph.



Salty seadog said:


> Not @confusedcyclist fault. He just didn't back down in the face of idiotic intimidation by someone who needs to be shown up for the mindless moron he was. Maybe he'll think twice next time. How does it go 'all the devil needs is for good men to do nothing'



Much appreciated, the holier than thou crowd can get a bit tiring at times!


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## Mugshot (21 Aug 2018)

confusedcyclist said:


> I may have painted a picture of being an idiot who engages idiots at their own level, but it's not the way I see it. As @Salty seadog says it, I simply didn't back down in the face of a bully.
> 
> His front tyre struck my front tyre as he tried to evade at the last moment. The fact that I accelerated (instead of stopping which I imagine he expected) probably surprised the smug git, but it has nothing to do with his lack of control of the situation he had initiated. He lost control when he suspended his front wheel in mid air. I think my well being never entered his head, so why should his enter mine? Nor did I force him to engage in a game of chicken, which ultimately ended up with him hitting the deck. It's true, I could have 'risen above it'. I agree it wasn't very 'mature' but I don't care much for conforming to societies standards of 'civilised' behaviour, if that means becoming docile and domesticated like a cow or sheep, backing down to every bully that crosses my path, forget it.
> 
> ...


That's lovely. What I am trying to understand is the mechanics of how you hit the front wheel of someone doing a wheelie with your front wheel when, I would assume, you were not also doing a wheelie.
I don't know if you are referring to me as holier than thou or a bleeding heart, you've been pretty scatter gun with the chest beating and gnashing of teeth in your post, so it may surprise you to know that I too do not believe in backing down in the face of bullies. However, in your first post on the subject you, whether intentionally or otherwise, put a different slant on the story. When you say that you "accelerated and shunted" it sounds rather more deliberate than the way you are describing things now, the addition of the information that you were doing a fast walking pace again changes the picture that you initially tried to paint, "lets say he took a tumble" suggests that there is more information that you'd rather not divulge, it doesn't automatically suggest that he swiftly got up and dusted himself down. 
If you have an issue with people taking exception to a post where you appear to delight in knocking someone off their bike, injuring them and writing their bike off then perhaps you should consider the language you are using so you don't give that impression in the first place.


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## confusedcyclist (21 Aug 2018)

Mugshot said:


> That's lovely. What I am trying to understand is the mechanics of how you hit the front wheel of someone doing a wheelie with your front wheel when, I would assume, you were not also doing a wheelie.
> I don't know if you are referring to me as holier than thou or a bleeding heart, you've been pretty scatter gun with the chest beating and gnashing of teeth in your post, so it may surprise you to know that I too do not believe in backing down in the face of bullies. However, in your first post on the subject you, whether intentionally or otherwise, put a different slant on the story. When you say that you "accelerated and shunted" it sounds rather more deliberate than the way you are describing things now, the addition of the information that you were doing a fast walking pace again changes the picture that you initially tried to paint, "lets say he took a tumble" suggests that there is more information that you'd rather not divulge, it doesn't automatically suggest that he swiftly got up and dusted himself down.
> If you have an issue with people taking exception to a post where you appear to delight in knocking someone off their bike, injuring them and writing their bike off then perhaps you should consider the language you are using so you don't give that impression in the first place.



What you say here is fair. His wheel struck mine as it came down and he lost his balance, his bike went left as he went right. Shunted perhaps implies that there was intent to unseat this fellow, but in reality I just proceeded forward. My posts were pretty scatter-ish as people demanded more details and somewhat surprising to me the initial reactions were negative, to my surprise I thought I would just be cheered on for beating the pleb at his own game.... then it became apparent some people had wrongly assumed I'd deliberately knocked down a wee nipper in my car 

And no, I wasn't referring to you personally, just the preceding posts. Some here were just a bit quick to judge. I admit the first post does paint my part of the incident in a bad light, thats more a function of quickly thrashing out a post without thinking through how it might have been perceived.


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## freiston (21 Aug 2018)

screenman said:


> Chicken is played a lot in Boston, I have mentioned this a few times on the forum, it has been on the increase for the last 10 years or so, I will vlcertcer see some later this week when I am back in the town.


Is that Boston, Lincolnshire? My home town.


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## screenman (21 Aug 2018)

freiston said:


> Is that Boston, Lincolnshire? My home town.



Yep.


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## freiston (21 Aug 2018)

screenman said:


> Yep.


It was bad enough growing up there - couldn't stand spending my adult life there as well


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## screenman (21 Aug 2018)

freiston said:


> It was bad enough growing up there - couldn't stand spending my adult life there as well



I only go there for business, I certainly could not live there.


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## mustang1 (22 Aug 2018)

Some kids laughed at me while I was riding my brompton. In fairness they were actually laughing at the bike. I turned around and asked them if they wanted a race up the hill and I totally destroyed them.

Lucky for me they had knobbly tyres otherwise it might have gone the other way.


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## Vantage (22 Aug 2018)

I had one teenage muppit wheelying towards me earlier today. Wondered what he was playing at till I read this thread. 
I did swerve slightly as I worried the wa**er might damage the bike if we 'colided'. 
I honestly can't say I'd have given a flying f**k if he'd injured himself through the stupidity of it.


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## confusedcyclist (22 Aug 2018)

Vantage said:


> I had one teenage muppit wheelying towards me earlier today. Wondered what he was playing at till I read this thread.
> I did swerve slightly as I worried the wa**er might damage the bike if we 'colided'.
> I honestly can't say I'd have given a flying f**k if he'd injured himself through the stupidity of it.


Careful now, 'colided' implies you wanted to hurt him but get away with it


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