I was threatened and racially abused. Nice (!)
Discussion
I'd typed out a long entry on this, but I've cut most of it out as it's pretty long - It's therapy I guess. So here's the short version:
It was a family bike ride - girlfriend with 3 year old on a bikeseat, 7 year old daughter, father and mother in law and I was bringing up the rear to keep an eye out. We'd been out to a couple of parks in S
horpe and were heading back through an estate near Kingsway
We'd passed a car (facing the other direction) and I heard shouting and arguing as someone got in to it and it sped off, noisily - I'd made a mental note of this.
There were 2 cars parked on either side of the road, slightly on the curb - My mother in law and girlfriend just passed the parked cars and the car I'd seen before sped through, at speed, noisily and very close to them. At this, I raised my arm as if to say WTF - the gesture was in no way threatening.
At this, the driver stopped, reversed and got out of the car - He proceeded to tell my family that he would "fking kill us for being in the way" followed by other similar threatening abuse. At this, he returned to the car, started his engine and went to set off.
My father in law said, out loud in a non threatening manner "what have we done wrong, we're just cycling".
The car stopped moving and with a lot of engine noise, reversed back towards my father in law aggressively and the driver got out again. At this, he stated "if I ever see you here again, I'll fking kill you all" along with other threats of violence towards us all.
He returned to his car, wound down his window and added "and you too, you fking " - an insult clearly aimed at me - Thankfully my daughter didn't hear that as she was in tears at this point.
He drove off with a lot of engine noise and wheel spin.
My seven year old daughter was distraught at this and she did not know what she had done wrong to deserve this and kept asking what she had done as she'd been listening, mostly to me, about what to do on the road or path. She did not, and still does not, understand why someone would want to kill her family - the in laws were also upset and frightened.
I have since reported this to the police with the details of the incident, the registration (I noted his full number), make and model of the car and his general description - I have an appointment to give a full statement to them later on this week. It's just a shame they couldn't have got to him earlier as my father in law thought he was intoxicated in some way.
It truly pisses me off that people think it's acceptable to threaten a family of cyclists who were ensuring they were cycling carefully and properly - And that hurling racist abuse is the right thing to do. It's this that pisses me off the most - I was on the receiving end of racial abuse for the whole time I was at school which started at the age of 7 (my daughter's age) until I left secondary school at 16 and I hoped that she'd never have to hear it - but it's clear that at some point, I will have to teach her how to deal with it.
Sorry for what turned out to be a long story.
It was a family bike ride - girlfriend with 3 year old on a bikeseat, 7 year old daughter, father and mother in law and I was bringing up the rear to keep an eye out. We'd been out to a couple of parks in S
horpe and were heading back through an estate near KingswayWe'd passed a car (facing the other direction) and I heard shouting and arguing as someone got in to it and it sped off, noisily - I'd made a mental note of this.
There were 2 cars parked on either side of the road, slightly on the curb - My mother in law and girlfriend just passed the parked cars and the car I'd seen before sped through, at speed, noisily and very close to them. At this, I raised my arm as if to say WTF - the gesture was in no way threatening.
At this, the driver stopped, reversed and got out of the car - He proceeded to tell my family that he would "f
king kill us for being in the way" followed by other similar threatening abuse. At this, he returned to the car, started his engine and went to set off.My father in law said, out loud in a non threatening manner "what have we done wrong, we're just cycling".
The car stopped moving and with a lot of engine noise, reversed back towards my father in law aggressively and the driver got out again. At this, he stated "if I ever see you here again, I'll f
king kill you all" along with other threats of violence towards us all.He returned to his car, wound down his window and added "and you too, you f
king " - an insult clearly aimed at me - Thankfully my daughter didn't hear that as she was in tears at this point.He drove off with a lot of engine noise and wheel spin.
My seven year old daughter was distraught at this and she did not know what she had done wrong to deserve this and kept asking what she had done as she'd been listening, mostly to me, about what to do on the road or path. She did not, and still does not, understand why someone would want to kill her family - the in laws were also upset and frightened.
I have since reported this to the police with the details of the incident, the registration (I noted his full number), make and model of the car and his general description - I have an appointment to give a full statement to them later on this week. It's just a shame they couldn't have got to him earlier as my father in law thought he was intoxicated in some way.
It truly pisses me off that people think it's acceptable to threaten a family of cyclists who were ensuring they were cycling carefully and properly - And that hurling racist abuse is the right thing to do. It's this that pisses me off the most - I was on the receiving end of racial abuse for the whole time I was at school which started at the age of 7 (my daughter's age) until I left secondary school at 16 and I hoped that she'd never have to hear it - but it's clear that at some point, I will have to teach her how to deal with it.
Sorry for what turned out to be a long story.
http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/18-scariest-videos-...
Seems Cyclists are often a target..seen as the lowest form of road users in some peoples opinion.
Nutters are everywhere.
Seems Cyclists are often a target..seen as the lowest form of road users in some peoples opinion.
Nutters are everywhere.
I'm really sorry for you and your family mate - Scunny is a horrible place to have to go for a bike ride...
Seriously though, as far as the first part is concerned, the guy is just a moron. It wouldn't have mattered what colour (you're a black guy IIRC?) anyone was - he's just a dick, living a sad dickish life and feels like the big man getting all gobby at a family. Just pity the fellow and be happy that you, your family and mates, and most other people aren't like that.
The racism bit - pretty much the same as above - I bet he wouldn't have had the guts to say it one on one to your face rather than the safety of his car driving away - scumbag coward. Sadly racism and prejudice will always be around but thankfully it does seem to happen less and less. My wife is Indian and gets the odd bit but it rarely affects her - she's always the better person - apart from once when we were out and some bloke, who was admittedly a dick to everyone of our friends I found out later, was particularly spiteful in his comments to her - she burst out crying when we got home. When I found out why, I got back in my car, and while not particularly proud of my actions, went back slapped the bloke a bit and humiliated him as he'd humiliated others - sadly, it's sometimes the only 'language' they'll understand - just bullies that think no one will fight back.
I didn't have the option of the Police - I hope for you they sort this tt out.
Seriously though, as far as the first part is concerned, the guy is just a moron. It wouldn't have mattered what colour (you're a black guy IIRC?) anyone was - he's just a dick, living a sad dickish life and feels like the big man getting all gobby at a family. Just pity the fellow and be happy that you, your family and mates, and most other people aren't like that.
The racism bit - pretty much the same as above - I bet he wouldn't have had the guts to say it one on one to your face rather than the safety of his car driving away - scumbag coward. Sadly racism and prejudice will always be around but thankfully it does seem to happen less and less. My wife is Indian and gets the odd bit but it rarely affects her - she's always the better person - apart from once when we were out and some bloke, who was admittedly a dick to everyone of our friends I found out later, was particularly spiteful in his comments to her - she burst out crying when we got home. When I found out why, I got back in my car, and while not particularly proud of my actions, went back slapped the bloke a bit and humiliated him as he'd humiliated others - sadly, it's sometimes the only 'language' they'll understand - just bullies that think no one will fight back.
I didn't have the option of the Police - I hope for you they sort this t
t out.
Given that it was a family ride out, we'd been extra careful - even to the point of walking across a inner dual carriageway instead of attempting to ride over it. A car had stopped for all 6 of us and let us over (there were bumps on the path and dropped curb at that point, but no marked crossing).
This was the only time in about 5 miles that we'd had any trouble and even then, I still don't think there was any provocation at all - We'd probably impeded his journey for about 15 seconds, if that, but he was clearly spoiling for a fight and I think if I'd said anything "wrong" there may have been one and anything like that is wrong, never mind in front of my kids.
That said, I hope he finds himself, upside down in his car, in a ditch, on fire.
This was the only time in about 5 miles that we'd had any trouble and even then, I still don't think there was any provocation at all - We'd probably impeded his journey for about 15 seconds, if that, but he was clearly spoiling for a fight and I think if I'd said anything "wrong" there may have been one and anything like that is wrong, never mind in front of my kids.
That said, I hope he finds himself, upside down in his car, in a ditch, on fire.
james_tigerwoods said:
Given that it was a family ride out, we'd been extra careful - even to the point of walking across a inner dual carriageway instead of attempting to ride over it. A car had stopped for all 6 of us and let us over (there were bumps on the path and dropped curb at that point, but no marked crossing).
This was the only time in about 5 miles that we'd had any trouble and even then, I still don't think there was any provocation at all - We'd probably impeded his journey for about 15 seconds, if that, but he was clearly spoiling for a fight and I think if I'd said anything "wrong" there may have been one and anything like that is wrong, never mind in front of my kids.
That said, I hope he finds himself, upside down in his car, in a ditch, on fire, unable to get out.
Fixed that for you This was the only time in about 5 miles that we'd had any trouble and even then, I still don't think there was any provocation at all - We'd probably impeded his journey for about 15 seconds, if that, but he was clearly spoiling for a fight and I think if I'd said anything "wrong" there may have been one and anything like that is wrong, never mind in front of my kids.
That said, I hope he finds himself, upside down in his car, in a ditch, on fire, unable to get out.
What a b
dAs bad as it sounds, the fact that he racially abused me might mean that this will get a resolution and I think it'd be recorded as a hate crime.
I want to be able to tell my daughter, when she asks, that the "bad man" has been dealt with by the police and for it to be true.
Unfortunately, I fear that this may not be the case - Given the number of people in my party and that there was a family on that road, who came out to see if we were ok, I hope that he gets sorted. Except he'll have an alibi.
I'll make my statement and I'll chase it up as much as I can, hopefully to get a proper resolution.....
I want to be able to tell my daughter, when she asks, that the "bad man" has been dealt with by the police and for it to be true.
Unfortunately, I fear that this may not be the case - Given the number of people in my party and that there was a family on that road, who came out to see if we were ok, I hope that he gets sorted. Except he'll have an alibi.
I'll make my statement and I'll chase it up as much as I can, hopefully to get a proper resolution.....
Racial abuse is nasty when it happens. Thankfully it happens less and less in my experience. Like you I grew up with years of it. It's something that I hope my children never have to experience. However, I am a realist and have warned them about it.
I suggest you put it down to experience (a nasty one) and let it go.
pp
I suggest you put it down to experience (a nasty one) and let it go.
pp
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff