Pedestrians 'shaping up' to hit me

Recently i’ve had a string of arsehole pedestrians stepping up to my bike and faking as if they are going to walk into me / hit me when i’m minding my own business riding along the road

usually Lads or drunks. all smarmy pricks.

what’s the procedure for dealing with this ??

I’m obviously not going to go back and try to take on the lad who grabbed my arm riding in hyde park when he’s with 6 other lad mates, but when it’s just the one guy … ??

Keep your distance and get on with your life.

aye. fair enough

Peace out.

We had a bunch of f-wits try to go us on a night ride a couple of weeks ago here in Brissie. We were turning with a green arrow and these boys were crossing against a red man. We were in the right but these boys just wanted to fight. They started to yell at us as we weaved through them, then a couple started to try to chase us :roll: we just laughed at them and kept riding.

These kinds of morons tend to be the ones who do the worst kind of shit to you when they are driving as well (throwing bottles, yelling, spitting, etc.). No amount of fighting back is ever going to spontaneously educate them beyond a 5th grade level. Some of them just want attention, and not giving them that will go some way to disarming them.

Kick their fucking head in?

I have this all the time (and my girlfriend thinks I attract trouble, somehow dudes always want to fight me, even if I’ve done nothing), but lately I have had kids in school uniforms at the bus stop yelling at me or spitting at me when I’m riding to work. But it’s always as I’m shooting past, not when I’m stopped at the lights. Also, the other night riding home from the pub I had some dude try and clothes line me. Fucking drunk jerks. They won’t think it’s funny when I snap one day, turn back and want to fight them… Krypto Mini Evo, here I come. :evil:

But seriously, it’s like a car full of dudes driving past and calling you a faggot… just a bit sketchier.

If any of them connect - move past, cool down, call the cops and report the assault.

If not - install a Zound airhorn, and save it for that special occasion where they step up and pretend to take a swipe at you, for the benefit of their ego and repressed man-love for their mates. 115dB of behaviour modification. But who knows, something like this might just fire 'em up - much like spraying someone on PCP with pepper spray. HULK SMASH

Do they do it for kicks? Have they done it before? Will they do it again? Would a visit from the cops, or a blast with an airhorn, change their behaviour, or encourage it? Are you going to complain about the dark, or light a candle? A fist candle?

A mate got jumped in the park near here, wasn’t starting anyone, just trying to get home from the pub. The guys that did it had form and need to find something else to get their kicks from. Sounds like the peds near you are getting a bit feral. I sympathise with your reluctance to brain the next idiot to try it*, but why wait for the VB in the face like that guy copped near Geelong?

  • According to How To Be A Man, (an early clip effort from John Birmingham, before he started writing agit-prop for the Murdoch press), one of the biggest problems people have when they’re learning to fight (boxing) is overcoming the natural reluctance to inflict pain on someone. These guys don’t seem to have that problem - and it’s nice of them to offer you a chance to overcome that reluctance … that being said, beware prefabricated rage. “A guy on the internet said it was okay to liberate his teeth with my D-lock, officer.”

Instead of ‘manning up’, how about a squirt with your bidon? you might need a bottle without the cap on for maximum soaking. A walk home with a wet crotch might be just the humiliation your would-be attacker was looking for - what a sicko :wink:

I’d echo the idea of keeping you head down and staying out of their way. If they are ladding out then its best to stay out of reach. I think its similar to peds with coffee madly texting their friends, you look to avoid them/anticipate their moves and stay out of a collision. A little more ‘exciting’ but abstinence is the best policy, or its at least better than one of them catching you and rearranging your bike around you.

As for when its someone identifiable (be it school kids, someone in a uniform, etc) - fire up the phone and make a complaint in your best voice. script your speech if necessary… be polite and firm. You’d be surpised how quickly up the chain complaints about things like that move. I’m not saying its the best move in all circumstances, but it can be very effective if done well.

complaining about dickhead school kids is always worthwhile. If you let the school know where the incident happened, a rough desctription of the kids etc they can usually pin it down as to who it was. “usual suspects” etc. some kids threw an orange at my mum out of a school bus once, she got the kid suspended.

but yeh, stay out of arms reach, keep rolling and its easier to stay safe. if theyre in a stopped car, stay beside the car. saw a guy abusing a cab driver today on george st, he stayed beside the car on the passenger side, there was nothing the cabbie could do but yell at him. (no idea who was in the wrong there btw…)

Don’t bring yourself down to their level. Keep riding - I received some abuse from a few bogans in a car the other night and my revenge was overtaking them with a grin on my face as they were stalled in traffic…nothing needed to be said.

I’ve been waterbombed, water pistolled, told to get a car on several occasions and intimidated from behind from some stupid bitch… ive always found waiting for the car to stop at a set of lights and a quick touch up with the bike lock(nice heavy chain or big u-lock works best) usually settles the dispute

Chill out people don’t blame school kids for shit? we just got in trouble at school(for riding) and its not fun. threaten to ban us riding and thats not cool.

If piece of shit school kids can think they can spit on me or yell abuse at me when I’m rdiding to work minding my own business, I don’t give a shit about what happens to them at school.

I’m almost 30, I don’t need to be harrased by junior jerks acting stupid in front of their equally stupid friends.

I hate lads

don’t we all, especially the wanna be lads. they just shit me.

Dobbing on school kids works.
I got an after school detention for holding up a ‘honk if you’re horny’ sign when catching the bus to school one day.

And in regards to what to do with the public. Say nothing and keep riding if you don’t want to/ can’t fight if things get ugly.
If you’re willing to damage a persons car after some verbal abuse and horn honking, don’t whinge when the person gets out and knocks you out.

dont ever stop to fight. you never know if they are alone, and often if they’re dickheads, and even if you do hold an advantage in a one-on-one fight, they’re unlikely to either a) play fair or b) not get their mates to help… Keep your distance, call the police if anything actually happens…(or the school for schoolkids)

Can I quote Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys in Bodhisattva Vow?

If Others Disrespect Me Or Give Me Flack
I’ll Stop And Think Before I React
Knowing That They’re Going Through Insecure Stages
I’ll Take The Opportunity To Exercise Patience
I’ll See It As A Chance To Help The Other Person
Nip It In The Bud Before It Can Worsen

great. now i want to fight the beastie boys.