By Mike Higgins
Last Friday, cycling home from work at about 8pm, I was yanked from my bike by a couple of kids; nothing too serious, they couldn't have been older than 15. But it wasn't the first time: about a year ago I was riding home from work again, about the same time, when a kid peeled away from a gang of hoodies and tried to kick me off my bike, and nearly succeeded.
I've lived in some places that people might call a bit rough, such as Toxteth in Liverpool and Brixton in London, and never had any trouble at all - so why is it that I'm suddenly such a target for abuse when I get on a bike? Because I wear lights after dark? A yellow jacket?
Has anyone else experienced anything similar?
It could just be that you were on "their block" and they have a negative perceptions of cyclists - and maybe you look enough the part that they pegged you as someone to kick off their block. Your options are to either stay of their block area, or change the way you look so you don't fit the mold of what they expect to dislike. Looking sharp and well-dressed can do wonders in a case like this.
Personally, I've grown up in the rough city of Baltimore, Maryland, and quite simply if you dress or pose in anything that might be interpreted as a clownish manner, it attracks the wrong kind of attitude and attention. Things that set people (and drivers) off include bright colors, blinking lights, shiny plastic hats, and an agressive lean-forward pose. I mean really, people treat you the way you look.
Here is what I do - ride a nice old black 3-speed type bike, the kind with a fully upright seating position. Use wired lighs that stay on solid (no blinking) both front and rear. Wear more formal-looking atire, like you're going to an important function. Don't wear any helmt. A wool or cotton driving cap would be okay. Wear nice leather shoes - not sneakers. Ride at a relaxed casual speed, stop at stop lights & signs, at least long enough to see that the coast is clear and maybe drop a foot, depending on how many cars are around. Also don't make any sudden gestures - keep the hands low and look friendly.
If you want to be treated well, you have to dress the part.
Posted by: Lee | Thursday, 24 April 2008 at 04:13 PM
Yep, had a similar experience a couple of times in Dorset (even the country has their fair share of yobs).
Trying to add logic to the behaviour of young mens in groups is kind of like trying to ride without cranks - it ain't going to happen!! Just accept that a small, stupid, minority exists and the thought of bigging it up in front of your mates is too tempting for some.
No help I know but a problem shared...
Posted by: Gary | Thursday, 24 April 2008 at 04:15 PM
I can't see any justifiable reason why cyclists should have to dress to please others.
I was attacked with paint by a year 7 or 8 school girl, in her uniform, while waiting at a traffic light in front of a police station in a middle class London borough. I've also been verbally abused by a 5 year old hanging out a car window with the parent in the car.
I think it's a societal problem, which can be addressed through cycle training in schools. The answer is to change attitudes; so now I'm the head of another borough's London Cycling Campaign group. The more cyclists we encourage on to the road, the better it will be for everyone.
Posted by: Charles | Thursday, 24 April 2008 at 05:36 PM
You were attacked because these kids hanging around in groups are scum of the earth, who's parents are unavailable to actually parent them. who's social circles thrive on 'manly' aggression. who's schools are unable to teach discipline or more importantly consequence. I'm so sick and tired of being scared and intimidated by youngsters and now I have to worry about them trying to push me off my bike for shits and giggles..... I know that the route cause of this behavior is born out of our modern urban cultural abandonment, but seriously, cant someone please give these kids a bloody good hiding?
Not that it would help, we'll have to punish the parents too, most prob a public whipping of sorts. Man i miss being a liberal, but missbehaved kids is my Iraq war....
Posted by: datsun | Thursday, 24 April 2008 at 07:03 PM
I think it's misguided to suggest that these kids need a good hiding - that only teaches them that violence is acceptable. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these kids have seen too little discipline AND a few too many hidings.
Let's not confuse discipline with hitting our kids - I have seen cases of parents who hit their kids but are sloppy and inconsistent with respect to the way they discipline them. It doesn't help that some of these parents are rarely around.
I know this is a cycling discussion so sorry to go off topic!
Posted by: Mia | Friday, 25 April 2008 at 03:38 AM
I've never been physically attacked, but it's not unusual to be shouted at, verbally abused etc, almost always by children, often very young children (as young as 7 or 8 is not unknown). I think a large part of it is showing off in front of their friends, and the obvious targets for this sort of behaviour are people who are a little unusual (and cycling is still a little out of the ordinary in this country - I bet this sort of thing doesn't happen in Denmark or Holland!). Unfortunately the world is full of ignorant scumbags, and there's not much to be done about it.
Posted by: bertrand russell | Friday, 25 April 2008 at 07:58 AM
Not a nice experience, but I think it's less to do with you being a cyclist and more, as some of the posters have suggested, with a general arseiness in society in general. Though lets not hark back to the 'good old days' - there was plenty of Biblical-level violence in society before television, video games, etc. I'd agree with Lee, first poster - don't stick out in any way, don't wear lycra, don't do anything other than cycle, and be well aware of what's happening around you rather than speeding along at top speed...
Posted by: Hobgoblin | Friday, 25 April 2008 at 09:04 AM
Humm, let me see...
When I've been on my bicycle:-
* I've had lit cigarettes and rubbish thrown at me from a passing car.
* Had a driver try and sprayed me with water from his windscreen washers as he passed me.
* One dark winter evening was chased by a man in a pick-up truck because I complained about his parking. He later overtook me on a country lane, stopped his vehicle, got out and tried to grab me as I cycled past. He tried this three times but I managed to avoid him by merger with the other traffic.
Lost count of the numbers of times I've been verbally abused by motorists for having the audacity of riding a bicycle on the road.
Interestingly, don't recollect ever suffer abuse from someone who wasn't in a motor vehicle.
Posted by: RobH | Friday, 25 April 2008 at 09:40 AM
it's the British anger problem coming out here - the British are one of the most angry races on the planet but they dress it up wiht being goody two shoes and saying to the rest of the world 'we are good' like the Yanks but the Yanks do more or less live it as I don't think you'll get cycle abuse in the States - there again, nobody walks there let alone cycle....however, all this suppressed rage comes out particularly in cars and how the British drive and treat eachother on the roads; it is almost like Battle of the Somme out there. As for the kids of these angry Islanders; they are all little Damians from the Omen types.....cycle at risk on British roads and get spat on, pulled off, and driven off and if you survive live to tell the tale on internet blogs. If you stand up for yourself against these bratty kids you'll end up in jail for child abuse or end up in the human rights court or at the very least have yourself arrested for something you can't even remember doing...and all you wanted was a quiet ride on your bike! Crikey!
Posted by: len | Friday, 25 April 2008 at 10:39 AM
I agree about avoiding wearing garish colour and lycra (which I suppose marks you as part of an 'out' group). Regular abuse from kids has more or less completely stopped since I ditched the yellow jacket and put some normal shorts over my padded lycra ones. Need to get some perspective here though - in nearly a decade of daily cycle commuting I've had to deal with dodgy kids a handful of times. The worst was pretty bad, having a brick thrown at my head, but then some berk in a motor car whether through ignorance, stupidity or malice has a go at intimidating me off my bike every day. Bad drivers are the real danger out there.
Posted by: drhaddock | Friday, 25 April 2008 at 11:56 AM
I've had fruit thrown at me twice (once in Tottenham and once in Dalston); I've had a firework fired at me (Dalston); and I've been kicked in the head while bodge-fixing a broken rear mech at the side of the road (also in Dalston). This is over a period of 6 years though and I still love Hackney!
Posted by: Dave P | Friday, 25 April 2008 at 04:00 PM
You can't fix the problem of local scumbags. I suppose you need to ask yourself would you rather be walking through a pack of hooligans or on a bike? Leave a little in the tank power through!
Posted by: Tom | Monday, 28 April 2008 at 04:45 PM
Keeping a waterbottle full of old lucozade is my defence as the kids who threw litter at me in Rotherhide know, it stings the eyes, smells and is sticky - try explaining that to your hoodie gang! [btw: i am 195cms, 14 stone, ex-police officer ... ]
Posted by: Jacl | Wednesday, 30 April 2008 at 11:00 AM
I've had several gratuitous attacks while on a bike. Once, cycling back from work, at the back of Holloway Road, I came upon a group of about six young teenagers, one of whom ran along side me and punched me in the side of the head. I wobbled on my bike, got off it to be faced by the group, and then got back on it again in case they decided to take the bike. Fortunately, as I recall it, the "Paradise Park" gang, as it seems they were called, dissolved. Another time, around midnight, just after pub opening hours were extended, I was cycling past a group who seemed to have just come from the World's End pub in Stroud Green, when one of them, who had his back turned to me, thrust out his bum so that he hit me just as I passed him. At the top of Crouch Hill, on another occasion, in the early hours, I passed by a bloke who was having a huge row with his girlfriend and was pulling back on a young, bendy, tree. The guy, who had no top on and was very muscly, then suddenly decided to charge at me as I passed the crest of the hill and I took his barge full on, wobbling precipitously, before I picked up speed down the hill, with him charging wildly behind. Then, at the weekend, coming out of the gym I use in Finsbury Park, where a group of young teenagers had come in for a short while, I found the back light of my bike smouldering on the ground after it had been set light to, it seems by this group. I think the only realistic thing to try to do, purely from a cycling point of view, is to avoid trouble when you sense it coming.
Posted by: Lee Levitt | Tuesday, 03 June 2008 at 05:38 PM