While I was out riding today I rode down what I thought to be a bridleway which passes a farm into a valley. As I descended I could hear a vehical behind me, as I came to pass by (not through) the farm yard and begin the ascent the vehical came past me at speed and stopped dead ahead causing me to break very sharply. Bear in mind I was travelling a some speed at this point. The driver emerged and in a very threatening manner began to berate me for being on private land, I explained that I had though that this was a bridle way (to be fair I've seen horses on it in the past and there are hoof prints on the ground). I stated that he had nearly knocked me off and he said that next time he would. The driver remained agressive, I was unable to defuse the conversation, informed the driver that the conversation was over and walked back the way I'd come.
The point of this is that I know MTBers use that track a lot, and his behavior was very dangerous, if I had worse tyres, not so good brakes or hadn't been paying attention I could have been badly hurt. I acted in a very conciliatory manner to try to defuse the situation; I thought he was going to attack me.
I want to go to the police as this kind if behavior is dangerous and could result in someone getting hurt in the future. Problem is that I've since checked the map and it is a footpath, and I expect the driver was the landowner.
Where do I stand and what do I do?
Thanks,
Jez
Have you checked the bridleway on an OS map to confirm it's a proper one?
Doesn't excuse the drivers attitude either way, but I have come across people who insist a public right of way that crosses their land is 'private' and get quite aggressive about it
First find out whether it was a bridleway or not then your options will become clear.
I think that driving a vehicle at, or dangerously by someone on a pushbike could be considered to be an over reaction regardless of the status of the land - footpath, bridleway or neither. In fact I'd go so far as to say that trying to maim you would have been an over reaction had you been riding through his living room.
Hardly suprising behaviour though.
I once had a similar situation with the farmer at Cragghill Farm near Horton-in-Ribblesdale, when he pulled up short in front of me in his Range Rover and said we couldn't use his private road. I told him it was marked as a cycleway on the map - which I didn't have it with me, but as he told us to take the footpath instead we weren't too bothered:-)
What kind of PROW exists (if it does)? If its an FP it would be hard to defend your being there, however if it was an FP whats hes doing on it in a 4x4? If its a BW or similar allowing you to be there get onto the rozzers and he is potentially in very deep trouble (using a car as an offensive weapon is frowned on by Her Maj's finest - actually its a v v fekking serious charge indeed!).
You have to establish the legality of your being there first but you could still report him but be aware that you may cop some flak as well.
Depends if it was a bridleway or not but if it wasn't, I'd just put it down to experience, forget about it and probably stay well clear of the area in the future. On the odd occasion when this has happened to me, I find I'm all pumped up and annoyed on the day but by the next week/weekend it's a distant memory.
Just kick his face in, if he is incapable of holding an intelligent conversation and getting his point of view across rationally then the only thing he will probably understand is violence.
Must admit even when I have been riding cheeky trails the gamekeepers and farmers have been fairly polite when addressing me, only once have I been verbally abused and then he got told where to go and I carried on riding where I wanted.
defo check if bridleway of rupp etc.
Having checked I now know that it is a footpath, thing is other MTBers use it (and equally probably don't know either). Thing is, this behavior is dangerous and should be stopped. Is going to the police going to get me nowhere (and potentially in trouble too), because I really think some action needs to be taken.
I was told to get off somebodys land once. I asked her if her name was mrs Forestry Commission as that's what was written on the board where I entered the woods. She told me in a very well spoken voice that her name was Mrs Whore, and then spelt it out W H O R E ! I could barely stop myself from laughing out loud, and she then proceeded to tell me that my tyre tracks were ruining the ground !?! I pointed to the ****in' green wellies she had on and at all the footprints she was leaving behind. I then just rode off, never seen her since.
A farmer had a go at me once in Cheddar too, told me I couldn't ride along a bridle way. I told him to do one as I had every right to ride along the track and he threatened to hit me with his spade as I rode off ! some people.
Kev
I think the most you would get is a slap on the wrists - on the other hand he is potentially in far greater trouble..When a motor vehicle is used as a weapon in an assault the brevity of the situation changes - it becomes akin to attempted murder (due to the likelihood of serious harm). Although no assault was made on your person - the threat of harm is there & that is also viewed just as seriously.
I maybe wrong but I think thats the gist of it.
It makes no difference whatsoever if it's a bridleway or not. It's not private land, it's a public right of way. He has a right to ask you to dismount your bike and proceed (I think?). Attempting to make you crash is not the right ****ing way to do this, and nor is threatening you. I think it's your duty to report him to the police, as you say it's likely that he's treating other bikers and walkers in the same way.
I got verbally abused by a woman who was driving a Vauxhall Astra down a bridleway the other week.
She then starts telling me that she's the famers mother, at which point I get my phone out and ring said farmer and ask him to tell his mother that I am riding on a bridleway over his land and that even if it wasn't he had given me permission to rode where I liked anyway.
Her face when she got told to leave me alone was excellent!
Someone walks into your back garden. You challenge them & they say sorry, then you punch them for it. Who do you think the Police would have the biggest issue with?
There is a law against driving in an aggressive / threatening way. I think the way it generaly works is you get a couple of offical warnings then they can take your car off you. Assuming it relates to off-road too:
Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002. states:
1 Where a constable in uniform has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle is being used on any occasion in a manner which:?(a) contravenes section 3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) (careless and inconsiderate driving and prohibition of off-road driving), and?(b) is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public,?he shall have the powers set out in subsection (3).
Although I don't think that many Police actually are aware of it and they only usually do anything if they actually witness it themselves. Might be worth a letter of complaint though. The fact it was a footpath not a bridleway seems pretty irrelevant.
I'd report the incident if only so there is something on record in the event that others report verbal assault or maybe something worse happens. You were in the "wrong" but that doesn't give the landowner (if such he was) the right to assault you or anyone else.
Have to say though were you being deliberatly naive? Horse prints near to a farm doesn't in my book indicate anything other than maybe the landowners ride horses. But hey we all ride the odd cheeky one these days don't we? Be brave enough to own up to it fella. And if horses are being ridden on a Public Footpath, they too are being naughty are they not?
Film the incident on your mobile, and say youre putting it www.fatangryfarmer.com , if you havent got a mobile with a camera , never mind just point it at him and pretend.
Forgot to say, my mate, who was ahead of me witnessed the incident
yeah, i was there. I saw what happened and it was completely out of order. The said track is a large fire road, with farm buildings etc at the end, people reguarly ride from the farm building, used as stables in various directions, including up the hill we were to go up. Which IS a footpath we now know.I must say jez dealt with it very calmly, and maturely, if it was a few other riders i know, the other fella would have regretted it i think. Big Tony comes to mind...
I had a similar incident about 12 yrs ago, farmer ran me over in his 4x4, one wheel each side of my head and a squashed bike, it wasnt very nice, as he had already put his loaded gun in my mouth, i was told him that was naughty and i rode off, he then ran me over. cant say what happened after that.
I had a similar incident about 12 yrs ago, farmer ran me over in his 4x4, one wheel each side of my head and a squashed bike, it wasnt very nice, as he had already put his loaded gun in my mouth, i told him that was naughty and i rode off, he then ran me over. cant say what happened after that.
If you have a witness then report him for sure.
The best one I had was when I was exploring locally years ago and some walkers started to have ago at me for riding on a footpath. It was great pulling out the OS map showing them where we were (on a bridleway) and telling them the path they wanted was in the next field 🙂
Name and Shame him, the name of the farm and the area you where cycling, and also report him thats what I would do
Have you checked the bridleway on an OS map to confirm it's a proper one?
Not being funny, but OS maps are by no means definitive when it comes to public rights of way. If you REALLY want to ascertain the track's legal status consult your Rights Of Way Officer at your district/county council.
But, yeah, report the farmer. Threatening behaviour is threatening behaviour. He needs a warning from the rozzers at least.
Tell him you are coming back to knee cap him later for fun.
With a smile and say thank you.
Be polite.