What a morning🙄
Basically, my first incident of any kind cycling in Denmark for 15 years. This is the report I have sent to the police and also to the local papers, in case it is one of their employees. I am not expecting any action but wanted it recording because I am sure to run into this guy again.
My police report:
I wish to report the following incident which occurred at 6am on Monday 3rd February 2020 on Genner Bygade, Genner.
At the above time and date I was cycling from the direction of Sønderballevej into Genner. As I approached the junction of the 170, Hoptrup to Aabenraa road, I could see headlights of a car parked on my side of the road just past Kirkevænget. The car then reversed into a driveway but the lights were still on. I positioned my bicycle to the centre of the road in case the car came out of the driveway. A couple of metres before I got to the driveway the car came out at speed, intending to turn right in the direction I was travelling. The car crossed completely over to the opposite side of the road. This caused me to swerve almost onto the opposite grass verge to get round the car. I literally had millimetres to spare. Had I not taken my original position, the car would have collided with me.
As I swerved passed the car I could see the interior light was on and the car was being driven by a middle eastern man with a beard and dark beanie hat. I was now in front of the car and I waved to let him know I was there and he had just missed me. This was not a giving him the finger gesture as I had full riding mitts on and so he could not see my hands. What happened next was terrifying. The man had wound down his window and was screaming at the top of his voice, he appeared to be very angry. I have a rear view mirror on my bike and could see that he was right on my back tyre, he was flashing the lights, sounding the horn and screaming at me. The road surface was wet and had I slipped or slowed down, I am sure this man would have run his car right over me.
He followed me like this past the school until we reached Nørreskovvej where he turned off. I am quite sure that he was delivering newspapers. I am a very experienced ultra distance rider and have ridden all over the world. But in 50 years of riding I have never had an incident as terrifying as this. This man is a danger to anyone on the road. It was only my experience of cycling that stopped him driving into me as he came out of the drive way.
There is no doubt he would have seen me if he had looked before leaving the driveway. I have a very bright Exposure main light and a helmet light. I wear a glow in the dark rain jacket and a viz vest with extra reflective material and reflective ankle cuffs. On the rear of the bike I have four red lights and more reflective material. I cannot make myself any more visible in the dark. This man just did not look and then took offense that he could have killed me.
I have ridden this road from Sønder Vilstrup to Aabenraa almost every day for the past 15 year, to and from work. It has been a joy to ride it. But this incident has really frightened me and I am not sure I will continue to commute by bicycle..
I am an ex police officer from England and am aware that without a car number, make or colour, I cannot expect much action to be taken on your part. But I wanted a note of it made some where in case other instances occur in Genner. I am quite certain that he will be delivering newspapers in Genner though.
I would be obliged if someone could reply to this e mail with an incident number to which I can refer if this incident goes further. If I end up laying in the road on Genner Bygade, it will give the police somewhere to start.
Hey, I know there's nothing particularly nice about things like black ice, but I could really use a big bucket of snow to stick my head in. I'm at home, in a house where the airconditioning and insulation are both inadequate, and it's still in the mid 30s inside, and it's almost 8:30pm.
