It should be the law that anyone throwing rubbish out of their car window gets repeatedly punched in the chops.
The country lanes round here were covered in McDonalds packaging from a drive thru a few miles away. Seen it being launched all too often. Then a KFC opened nearby and their stuff is everywhere too now. Off topic but these fast food companies should have a street cleaning tax levied on them.
The thing about motorists is they are less likely to have a go at cyclists if they are wearing a helmet as its a good headbutting weapon and in a fight you have extra protection.
The thing about motorists is they are less likely to have a go at cyclists if they are wearing a helmet as its a good headbutting weapon and in a fight you have extra protection.
Ahh so thats why TJ isnt a fighter! 😆
Aye, good for you. Not sure I would have been brave enough.
next time tho, don't lob it in the window, smear it on the windscreen, that way they have to stop and get out of the car.
I lost the plot once and egged the windscreen of a car on Grove St when the alarm went off four about 3 hours overnight once.
So you could also remember to carry eggs about with you when you go riding....
The thing about motorists is they are less likely to have a go at cyclists if they are wearing a helmet as its a good headbutting weapon and in a fight you have extra protection.
Or you'd pop your fingers in the vents- pull the head forward and down then uppercut a few times?
Get over.
Car throwing rubbish is litterlouting and not to be condoned, but you returning rubbish into car was definitely provocative, maybe 'having your say' but not playing sandwich tennis may have kept it at verbals rather than escalate to a postion where you end up falling off your bike !
I always think 80kg of spindly bike + squishy rider Vs 2000kg of metal box is not a good position from which to be self righteous and provocative - better another half eaten sandwich in the gutter than another broken cyclist.........
It may not be my place to comment as I'm still new and don't really like these 'aggro' threads, but here goes anyway.
1)It's a woman at fault here so you've already lost, they can do no wrong, pointless to argue, your role as a man is to pick the litter up and put it in a bin and to say nothing, just feel lucky she allowed some mild interaction with her, smile then be on your way.
2)Having challenged both her and effectively her 'escort' you have now introduced the need for said 'escort' to prove his ability to defend her. You then acted in a manner that encourages pursuit, never a good position to take in an aggressive debate.
3)You probably don't have all the necessary defensive weapons (have you a hammer clipped to you handlebar, I find it an essential device for dealing with traffic, they really don't like you hitting their cars with it.)
4)The answer to this question is key, what were you wearing? Tell me it wasn't spandex and spankies, if it was, then everything that happened to you was deserved.
5) Are there not people in fully paid employment whose task it is too look after the young damsels droppings? She would have been especially mad with you for denying them gainful employment.
No I think in your case you should not get involved, mind your own business is probably the best counsel I can offer, or arm yourself better, then a simple tap with the hammer to the BMW wing would have rectified the situation and if not then a tap to the skull of the escort and a tut tut to the lady..
Tj mini cameras are so cheap now, get one, www.7dayshop.com as for cctv, the local council are usually the data controller for the cameras, not the police, who just access them for crime prevention duties.
I'd rather not waste the police and my time
So basically the point of this thread was this:
so - who else would have challenged the litter thrower - its not he first time I have done so.
ie - 'I challenged the litter thrower, aren't I brave and noble, everyone look at me and tell me how great I am'.
Also given the way you act on here it's highly unlikely that you weren't incredibly pompous and slightly aggressive in your initial response to her.
Sorry to burst the bubble, but TJ is anything but pompous and aggressive IRL.
definately did the right thing. i doubt that he'll ever litter the streets again after that little lesson.
he'll probably have more respect for cyclists as a result too.
excellent work all round 8)
Fine to challenge tgen verbally but throwing it back in maybe not so good...easy to say with hindsight tho.
love the anti-bmw rhetoric, I wonder if the driver is now ranting about do-gooder cyclist lefties?
Sorry to burst the bubble, but TJ is anything but pompous and aggressive IRL.
Gets it all out on the internet eh? That's good to know I suppose.
[i]so - who else would have challenged the litter thrower - its not he first time I have done so.
ie - 'I challenged the litter thrower, aren't I brave and noble, everyone look at me and tell me how great I am'.[/i]
Can't help but agree with grum's sentiments.
I wouldn't bother challenging a litterer, as it's just inviting confrontation. But if I had invited confrontation I wouldn't run away like a little girl.
should have just tucked it under the windscreen wiper.
TandemJeremy - Member
The problem with reporting it to the police is that I don't have a reg no - just a probable partial and there is no CCTV.So hard to trace the guy and no chance of a prosecution anyway. Tehy could trace him but is it worth the man hours involved? remember no chance of a prosecution as nothing to corroborate my story. A whole series of crimes committed as well for sure
I'd rather not waste the police and my time
A partial may be enough.
You have witnesses to (i) the driver chasing you then (ii) driving away after fell - 2 offences no?
I'd go for it.
I doubt I would have done anything about the littering, it's just not worth the risk IMO. I may have given them a dirty look though.
If it turned out that was enough to make the driver go mental (which is not outside the realms of possibility) then I wouldn't have tried to ride away. Like I said in the other thread, there's too much of a risk that they can use their two ton vehicle as a weapon. I think it's much better to take the risk with an individual.
Saying that, if he had a weapon or if there is more than one of them then I'd try to escape (on pavements, against traffic, into the nearest shop, etc).
I have done the same in the past TJ with litter droppers in the High Street or shopping centres. but never yet out on my bike.
Hoddies forget their hoods make a good bin when they drop litter 😉
I wonder TJ if they would have acted differently if they were out walking on a street & you had handed them back their litter?
Tj mini cameras are so cheap now, get one
+1
You seem to get in a few rucks TJ. Not sure if this is due to the route your commute takes or just your, err.. nature.. but a little helmet cam would definitely be a useful of evidence in these situations. Have a look on YouTube and you'll see lots of cyclists using them to record and highlight bad driving.
And even fellow [url= http://www.sillycyclists.co.uk/ ]Silly Cyclists[/url].
Good on you for challenging TJ, but not sure I would have thrown rubbish back in the car.
As above, I worked in Sheffield that it is best sometimes to sit there / step onto pavement if challenged, rather than give opportunity for car to move/be used.
Get the reg next time.
I cant believe you didn't rip his door open and beat him to death with your penis!
Seriously though, you did the right thing by aasking them to pick it up, but you escalated confrontation by [s]throwing[/s] putting the rubbish back in the car and then running off. 🙄
The running off was probably the red rag to his bull, but if you'd stood your ground who knows what may ave ocurred?
a little helmet cam would definitely be a useful of evidence in these situations.
Yeah, but where would he put it?
Good point.
Is there an adapter that lets you mount it on an inflated sense of righteousness? 😉
No point in getting a helmet cam. The helmet sits on top of the wardrobe ;O)
Going back though.. i would have probably done the same.Maybe tossed it onto their bonnet. Would have peeved me off too.
what colour was it? there is a navy blue X6 I see every day in Bruntsfield that carries out some terrible driving, reg no is X6 ___ . given the sheer number of peni in X6's in Edinburgh there is a one tiny chance of it being the same one though, therefore we shall burn them aaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllll
Think this is a case of mtfu surely? As if you are going to go around telling people what to do, well you should expect and be able to handle a wee bit of confrontation.
I agree you did the right thing but if you're not prepared to stand up for yourself then there is little point.
Dropping their litter through the window was never going to end with 'you're right and thanks for returning our rubbish'. These people are idiots and they won't change.
You're just lucky you got away and I suspect this ruined your day a lot more than theirs.
So when you checked with the Police did you tell them what you actually did? Can't imagine they'd be too impressed. My opinion is you're lucky you didn't get a right spanking or worse. Move on.
Excuse me officer, I've just confronted a person who dropped a sandwich from their car window, I then fell of my bike whilst running away
Not really going to make Crimewatch is it...
Stand your ground if you're going to start a confrontation. Otherwise it's just bickering
I would never engage in a confrontation with a car driver. I'm just too timid and pleasant natured. 😳
There's being in the right, and there's protecting yourself. They're not the same thing.
I might have said something to the driver, but I don't think I'd chuck the rubbish back, however much they deserve it. As others have said, only a **** would deliberately chuck rubbish out of their car, so it's unlikely you're going to get a positive outcome.
Well done for challenging - I doubt I'd have had the nerve to do it. Not sure if there's ever the right outcome from these incidents but if no one tries...
grum - Memberie - 'I challenged the litter thrower, aren't I brave and noble, everyone look at me and tell me how great I am'.
.
Not at all - fully prepared to be slagged off and actually interested in other peoples reactions to the incident.
hilldodger - Member"!Excuse me officer, I've just confronted a person who dropped a sandwich from their car window, I then fell of my bike whilst running away "
Not really going to make Crimewatch is it...
😳
I did.rewski - MemberSo when you checked with the Police did you tell them what you actually did?
Interesting the number of folk that think legging it is adding to their anger. I had never considered this. To me its just running away - the aim is to be somewhere else - Usually I will go somewhere where a car can't go (quickly) - as I did this time
You did the right thing giving the rubbish back, they are (BMW 6 Driver & occupants) morally bankrupt and repugnant people, shame they cannot or probably will not be brought to boot. I often politely tell people off for dropping cigarette butts and rubbish, and if they get aggressive I say their behavior proves my point as you can't defend the indefeasible. No doubt I will become unstuck one day, good on you Jeremy.
Legging it just suggests (to them) you know what you did was wrong, and you are running off to avoid the consequences of your actions. Plus it makes you look like bit of a chicken, which makes it more likely the pursueing party will seek retribution. I wouldn't bother to challenge someone unless I intend to stay and stand my point, and if my gut told me who I was about to challenge was proper mental I would let it go. I don't ascribe to the world view that everyone could be nutter, and when I do challenge someone I expect some reaction. But glad you are ok.
TandemJeremy - Member
Usually I will go somewhere where a car can't go (quickly) - as I did this time
Did you break the 15mph barrier? 😛
(Just cos you ignored my post!)
You made the right stand, nice one. Doing one from a confrontation that you've started though? Not ideal. Obviously you're in the right, but [s]hurling [/s]gently tossing rubbish back in the car is definitely escalating things. Giving it toes has the appearance of being wrong (as said), and you're at considerably more hazard from an out of control goblin in hot pursuit than if you had a face to face on the pavement.
V bad luck that he caught up with you mind, you wouldn't expect that to happen.
All 20/20 in hindsight though. It's rare that any roadrage / aggro you get on the roads gets dealt with exactly like you'd plan it in the cold light of day. Would you toss the rubbish back in if it happened again?
[b]TJ[/b]
Where did this lovely incident occur in our fair, pleasant city?
Kicked his twunt in for being just that, had enough of it son...what an f'n day an all...
In response to the tag, walking the walk.
Blimey... how emphatically angry one is!
I cannot stand litter being chucked out of cars/vans. I had some guys dump a load of MaccyD's stuff on Oriental Parade, got the name of the company , took a photo of them driving away and leaving it. Quick check on companies house to find the directors - sent them a nice email of complaint. Result was two of them got dismissed. Unacceptable behaviour there is no reason to throw litter - period.
I've been known to ping a boot if someone is being a twunt, much harder to get out and shut your boot at traffic lights than you think. Always good to alter your timing of riding for a wee while though just in case !!
Makes a change from aggressive taxi drivers, that's for sure... Glad you're OK, TJ.
Nice childish tags BTW
Mods!
You shouldn't have bothered saying anything in the first place, it would have saved you looking like a tit running away like a
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