Is it harassment by cyclist ???

[M london]

Good people
During these indoor times, I was teaching my four year girls to ride a bicycle on the road. Now i live on a very quite road with maybe one car in 15 minutes. At all times I would walk behind her and with a good visibility of both ends of the road, will move to the side on slightest hint of a car entering the road.

Now on three occasions now a cyclist who is coming down the hill (on end of our road) at a speed definitely more than 30 mph. As always I would move out of the way for any vehicle, however this person would start screaming and swearing that we should get out of the road, even though when we are very watchful and by the kurb.
On first occasion i didint know what happened and I shouted that person to stop and talk, but i think they didnt want to give away the momentum of downhill. On next occasions i dealt with them in the same coin i.e exchanged pleasantries and asked them to stop and talk. Their swearing and shouting has really scared my little girl.
Now i want to ask you learned people, firstly am i wrong?? If yes, i will not take my girl to the road if not what can I do about this.
I am sure a lot of parents out their and they would understand the rage it can bring if you see your little one scared by someone
so so so sorry for the detailed account

 

[raleighnut]

Good people
During these indoor times, I was teaching my four year girls to ride a bicycle on the road. Now i live on a very quite road with maybe one car in 15 minutes. At all times I would walk behind her and with a good visibility of both ends of the road, will move to the side on slightest hint of a car entering the road.

Now on three occasions now a cyclist who is coming down the hill (on end of our road) at a speed definitely more than 30 mph. As always I would move out of the way for any vehicle, however this person would start screaming and swearing that we should get out of the road, even though when we are very watchful and by the kurb.
On first occasion i didint know what happened and I shouted that person to stop and talk, but i think they didnt want to give away the momentum of downhill. On next occasions i dealt with them in the same coin i.e exchanged pleasantries and asked them to stop and talk. Their swearing and shouting has really scared my little girl.
Now i want to ask you learned people, firstly am i wrong?? If yes, i will not take my girl to the road if not what can I do about this.
I am sure a lot of parents out their and they would understand the rage it can bring if you see your little one scared by someone
so so so sorry for the detailed account

There are idiots who use many vehicles, I would suggest that this was someone new to riding a bike who would normally be in a car shouting at Cyclists to 'Get Off The Road' who is carrying on that behaviour. The majority of regular Cyclists who saw someone teaching a young child would react by slowing down and thinking "Ah Bless" if they saw you.
Hope your little girl is OK and as for that pillock well you get them in all walks of life but I would describe him as a 'bloke on a bike' not as a Cyclist.

 

[I like Skol]

Same here, there are idiots in all walks of life, this one just happens to be on a bike.
Ignore them and carry on as you are. I hope your daughter is getting the hang if it and manages to enjoy her cycling without being scared of the unpleasant loser. Once she masters riding a bike she will gain freedom that many people never experience

 

[Fab Foodie]

Good people
During these indoor times, I was teaching my four year girls to ride a bicycle on the road. Now i live on a very quite road with maybe one car in 15 minutes. At all times I would walk behind her and with a good visibility of both ends of the road, will move to the side on slightest hint of a car entering the road.

Now on three occasions now a cyclist who is coming down the hill (on end of our road) at a speed definitely more than 30 mph. As always I would move out of the way for any vehicle, however this person would start screaming and swearing that we should get out of the road, even though when we are very watchful and by the kurb.
On first occasion i didint know what happened and I shouted that person to stop and talk, but i think they didnt want to give away the momentum of downhill. On next occasions i dealt with them in the same coin i.e exchanged pleasantries and asked them to stop and talk. Their swearing and shouting has really scared my little girl.
Now i want to ask you learned people, firstly am i wrong?? If yes, i will not take my girl to the road if not what can I do about this.
I am sure a lot of parents out their and they would understand the rage it can bring if you see your little one scared by someone
so so so sorry for the detailed account

You are NOT wrong. In fact you're far more right that the idiot coming downhill.
Can you get a photo and report the incidents to the Police? Dates/times etc. This guy clearly needs a talking too and if he's on a regular ride our friends in Blue 'may' be able to do something.

 

[Dogtrousers]

am i wrong??

No.

Sorry to hear of your experience.

 

[dodgy]

Lots of new riders, some of them will hang around and improve - hopefully.

 

[fossyant]

Obviously not a 'cyclist' - we'd never react like that to kids on a bike - we all started somewhere. I'm coming across loads of new cyclists whilst out and I always give way and exchange pleasantness.

I assume this is the 'same' idiot.

 

[alicat]

Welcome @M london. I echo what everyone has said. I would just caution that bike brakes are not very powerful and riding down that hill might be the only fun the person on a bike is getting at the moment. Is there anywhere else for your daughter to practise, like the park? Hope you can find a solution that works for you and you and your little girl.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I sympathise, we all learned somehow and my girl only learned fairly recently. She started on a basketball court although she's now on the road and I have to say, drivers and other cyclists are behaving well around her. This guy needs his attitude adjusting, I agree with Raleighnut that this guy probably goes around screaming his entitlement no matter what he's on or in, bike, white van, pub. Most cyclists would slow down and give some encouragement as they passed, a great many did when my daughter was starting out!

 

[Electric_Andy]

No you're not wrong. My biggest peev with that situation would be that he's shouting at, and more importantly swearing in front of your daughter. I'm not going to act the hard man, but I would take this as a serious threat to my child's wellbeing and want to have words if I saw them again. Similar thing happened with my son when he was 4, but with a dog walker. My son was petrified of even going out for a walk for about a year and is still a bit nervous around strange dogs.

 

[monkers]

Usual caveats - ''I am not a lawyer'' etc apply here.

The law does not permit cycling on the pavement by a person of any age. Children must therefore cycle in the road. The age of criminal responsibility begins at age 10. There is no speed limit for riding a bicycle on the road - exceeding the vehicular speed limit on a bike is not an offence. There is an offence of 'furious cycling' but these laws tend to apply to cases where injury or death has resulted from a cycle being ridden in a dangerous manner - prison sentences are available. The expectation is that a child below the age of being competent to ride safely on the road (say 12) is to be supervised by an adult.

There is no legal requirement to have a bell on a bike - the rider may choose to shout a warning. Swearing may be another matter, and there is an element of subjectivity. As far as the law goes, I think that the case is problematic, especially as far as harrassment.

Having said all of that, this person sounds like a real prat. Most reasonable people would have no problem with a 4 year old girl learning to ride her bike on the pavement outside their house - you'd require a humanity by-pass otherwise I will say. Nor should they have a problem with a supervised child learning to ride on a road as quiet as the one you've described.

It sounds to me that you've been entirely reasonable and it may be a mistake to engage with them. Unless things have changed, every area is still covered by a community police officer, if you have one, I think I'd be tempted to ask them to engage this person.

 

[JPBoothy]

Welcome to the forum @M london

Sadly as fellow members and 'proper cyclists' have said already, you will always get an idiot who shouts in public. They probably even brag of how their 'bravery' frightened a child to their fellow idiots later on.. Please let you daughter know that she has done nothing wrong and use the idiot as an example of how not to cycle. When they are young a scare/shout from an adult can be interpreted as them being in the wrong and stick with them for a long time. My 'children' are teenagers now but will still hug the curb when a vehicle passes despite me constantly telling them to be confident and not be intimidated but, I think the honking horns and impatient drivers from when they were learning has stuck with them. Good luck to her and tell her to stick with it

 

[oldwheels]

Welcome @M london. I echo what everyone has said. I would just caution that bike brakes are not very powerful and riding down that hill might be the only fun the person on a bike is getting at the moment. Is there anywhere else for your daughter to practise, like the park? Hope you can find a solution that works for you and you and your little girl.

Do his brakes actually work?

 

[Brads]

Next time leave the kid in the house and blat him off his bike onto his arse and remind him to moderate his language in front of your little girl.

That should fix it.

 

[Milkfloat]

I would exert my right as a pedestrian to cross/walk along the road in front of him and have a frank discussion with the nobber.