Martyn_n
Active Member
Had a nasty incident cycling home this evening. I was passing a row of virtually stationary traffic on the offside of the cars but on the nearside of the white line. As I approached a BMW he looked in his mirror and kindly moved a little to the kerb for which I gave him a thumbs up as I passed. The next car, a ford focus, looked in his mirror moved a little over, this time towards the white line, I covered the brakes as it looked a little suspicious and as I passed his drivers door he suddenly lurches the car to the right and launches me onto the road in the opposite carriageway. Battered, bruised, shocked and bleeding (but fortunately not under the wheels of oncoming traffic) I am completely gobsmacked at his actions. He even takes the opportunity to ring his mates up whilst I'm still unravelling myself from my bike. (They later turn up, no doubt as witnesses)
The guy in the BMW agreed that the car clearly veered to the right as I passed but unfortunately left the scene before I could get his details. (I took a mental note of his reg but promply forgot it when the adrenaline wore off and the sickness kicked in!)
Anyway, I called the police as I am convinced it was a deliberate act but in the absence of an independant witness I cannot see it progressing. His argument that I simply rode into his mirror and fell off is apparently as plausible as mine. (I have always managed to miss wing mirrors as they don't usually jump out at you like this).
Of course if he is convinced that it was my fault he will be making a claim against me for a new wing mirror (which I'm sure wasn't at all painful) but I have a suspicion he will want to drop it because he knows exactly what he did to me today!
So here I am aching and leaking vital fluids waiting for the wine to take effect and looking forward to the morning when no doubt I'll be stiff as a board (and not in a good morning way!!)
No doubt some of you will blame the cyclist for daring to overtake cars, and I accept that may be your view, but I was doing nothing illegal and was very visible so don't feel that being faster in traffic deserves being assulted in this way.
The guy in the BMW agreed that the car clearly veered to the right as I passed but unfortunately left the scene before I could get his details. (I took a mental note of his reg but promply forgot it when the adrenaline wore off and the sickness kicked in!)
Anyway, I called the police as I am convinced it was a deliberate act but in the absence of an independant witness I cannot see it progressing. His argument that I simply rode into his mirror and fell off is apparently as plausible as mine. (I have always managed to miss wing mirrors as they don't usually jump out at you like this).
Of course if he is convinced that it was my fault he will be making a claim against me for a new wing mirror (which I'm sure wasn't at all painful) but I have a suspicion he will want to drop it because he knows exactly what he did to me today!
So here I am aching and leaking vital fluids waiting for the wine to take effect and looking forward to the morning when no doubt I'll be stiff as a board (and not in a good morning way!!)
No doubt some of you will blame the cyclist for daring to overtake cars, and I accept that may be your view, but I was doing nothing illegal and was very visible so don't feel that being faster in traffic deserves being assulted in this way.
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