So, I was just cycling along a side street to have a driver turn into the same side street going in the opposite direction. A narrow street, one lane in each direction. As he turned the corner at speed he came across into my lane as there was a parked car on his side. He did not stop, or slow down but sped by close to me. I shouted “oi” and he reversed back to confront me. I explained that he was going too fast and he said I shouldn’t have been in the middle of the road - then he spat in my face and eyes and drove off!
Called the police and they are going to come and take a statement. So much for the season of goodwill : (
I believe it is considered as assault. What a scumbag either way. He wanrs knocking out!
Did you get the reg?
I always carry a tin of brake fluid with me in case I get a leaky caliper.
The police officer (I presume it was one) that I spoke to on the phone said the same (not the knocking out bit obv). Trouble is I’m no fighter, I couldn’t punch my way out of a paper bag and he has more idea where I stay, than I do him).
😡
Did you get the reg?
This. So much this.
Get the number plate ?
Edit: Too slow.
Yes, got the reg and a reasonable description.
Gross, same thing happened to a friend The Police took samples as evidence
Yes, got the reg and a reasonable description.
Excellent stuff.
Gross question, but did you save a sample?
Did you keep the spit as evidence? I think otherwise it will be your word against theirs and the police won't do anything other than visit.
Sounds like you came across one of life's little days of sunshine...
Hope you got enough details for the police to go round and at !east give him a little wake up call...
Did you keep the spit as evidence? I think otherwise it will be your word against theirs and the police won't do anything other than visit.
No, I didn’t think of this, it was pretty disgusting, so I washed my face immediately. I doubt they’d DNA test the spit off say a handkerchief would they?
Dunno. I would like to think they would. Maybe one of the police STW'ers on here could shed some light on it.
If you came to me having been spat at I'd take a couple of quick swabs of your face. Although in your situation I too would want to wash my face immediately. Did any go on your clothes? Handkerchief might be useful, I'd seize it.
It's 100% an assault, and in my experience one that courts find particularly offensive and degrading.
Get a cam and gross.
Not everyone is an animal O.P. Actually I’ve insulted animals comparing to the van driver who spat at you.
He must be a loser scumbag.
Karma will get him. Forget him and enjoy life.
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Forget him and enjoy life.
Thanks for the support everyone. You’re right I should do my best to put it out of mind. (Sitting here now thinking Hepatitis, HIV,... )
I’ll likely post once the police have been, to give an update.
Police will do nothing your word against the spitter. As for those saying they should DNA test the spittle, get real!
Police will do nothing your word against the spitter. As for those saying they should DNA test the spittle, get real!
Or you could read three posts above yours where an actual real life policeman says:
If you came to me having been spat at I'd take a couple of quick swabs of your face. Although in your situation I too would want to wash my face immediately. Did any go on your clothes? Handkerchief might be useful, I'd seize it.
That real enough for you?
As a very minimum it should go as intelligence against the driver.
I had a guy threaten to run me down, I took his reg and reported it, full statement. Police took it further and suggested I press for charges. They looked into it and interviewed the driver, but couldn't take it further as it was my word vs his. They did say the incident had been logged as the 'vehicle' had had other 'reports' against it. Basically, if they get pulled for something more severe, these 'reports' will get taken into account.
If this guy is going to spit from his car, I'd suspect he may have previous.
It's happened to me.
I felt a bit of pity for the guy - obviously subhuman & probably finds every day a struggle.
Despite my compassion for the inadequate on this planet - I truly hope that kunt ends up on the losing side of an argument with a tree one day.
Fing tosser.
Disgusting behaviour. What is wrong with some people? Karma will get him.
Scum.
But try not to take it personally, wrong place, wrong time.
I have to ask...low rent BMW or Audi?
Would anyone have followed? (if possible)
I have to ask...low rent BMW or Audi?
Sorry, I know nothing of such things. A white van, a bit bigger than postman Pat’s I think.
Well judging by the actual original post the OP was asking for it. In his own words
I was just [b]cycling[/b] along
I [b]shouted[/b] “oi”
I [b]explained[/b] that he
So he has the cheek to cycle on roads, despite paying no road tax or VED, slowing down cars and aggravating other road users. Then despite being a lesser human and not driving a car he has the gall to shout at a car.
As if this all wasn't enough it then thinks it can "explain" something to someone who drives a car.
This happened to me; far from doing nothing, the police later arrested the driver and he was prosecuted for racially aggravated assault (he also called me a 'dirty white b*"ch). Turned out he had a string of previous convictions and was wanted for a similar incident where he threatened a driver with a metal bar. He was sent down for 6 months. And sorry rOcketdog but yes, the police did ask if I had washed the saliva off (I had but that made no difference, they pursued it anyway). It's a horrible thing to happen but you did the right thing.
There are some real dickheads out there. Hope the police take it further OP. These people need to realise that their behaviour is completely unacceptable
Lots of bus and train staff get spat at thats why theyre issued with spit kits a small sealed tupe with a few cotton buds inside to secure a sample.
Disgusting. Although I would recommend saying nothing at the time. An ''Oi' to the wrong person could cost you more than the disgusting thing that happened to you. Acid, knives etc... you just never know. So much better to to cycle along and ignore verbal abuse/close shaves however difficult.
Karma WILL return the favour, that's just about for sure.
He'll spit at/abuse the wrong person one day, & that person could well rip his head off, pull his lungs out & shit down his neck.
It's always worth reporting this kind of thing because as Fossy writes above, the information goes to build a picture of the driver's behaviour.
gauss1777Thanks for the support everyone. You’re right I should do my best to put it out of mind. (Sitting here now thinking Hepatitis, HIV,... )
Are you for real?
no , he's a spambot.
Ok, so the OP does not have a full working knowledge of communicle diseases , as he's just a bloke..
your wind neck in
Well if someone gozzed on me I'd be wondering what was in it as well.
Not everyone's an expert like Merak.
Quite - if someone will spit, then they aren't quite there mentally.
OP is most likely OK, but it's still assault. The person most likely has previous history of violent behaviour, so it has to be reported.
You fight bullies by sticking to the rules.
gauss1777
Thanks for the support everyone. You’re right I should do my best to put it out of mind. (Sitting here now thinking Hepatitis, HIV,... )Are you for real?
If you are an expert, you could put my mind at ease by explaining why my fears are unreasonable.
Ok, so the OP does not have a full working knowledge of communicle diseases ,
I appreciate your coming to my defence, (but I actually thought I had a fair understanding of how diseases can be transmitted). Okay, HIV is perhaps a tad over dramatic, but I thought hepatitis was much more contagious.
Merak - Member
gauss1777
Thanks for the support everyone. You’re right I should do my best to put it out of mind. (Sitting here now thinking Hepatitis, HIV,... )Are you for real?
I think I would be concerned of the same.
Pretty sure Hep can be passed on via spittle though probably very unlikely.
Give the op a break for Christ's sake anyway. He did nothing wrong.
Sycophants.
Merak - Member
Sycophants.
I can live with being that if that's what you think I am. Better that, than being offensive for the sake of it.
Your being the online equivalent of the guy that spat to be honest.
Bye bye.
Lets goz on Merak, that might dampen his attitude about being gozzed on.
Don't know if they still do it but years ago bus drivers in Glasgow were issued with DNA sampling kits to deal with spit assaults. Some convictions as well.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/drivers-spit-kit-traps-bus-assault-teenager-7gslnf7nfx9
As someone exceptionally paranoid about bodily fluids I'd say your chances of getting anything are miniscule.
Firstly.. what was the guy like. Sure he's a scumbag, but assuming he's driving a white van he's probably not a heroin injecting junkie with blood seaping from his gums.. As such in reality it's no more likely you would get anything than if you had snogged a random in a bar
If he was the type of character who looked like he may be 'riddled'then even still chances of infection would be minimal at best.. Theoretical but near impossible for hiv, and miniscule for hep b and c. If these deseased were easily spread through saliva then we'd all be screwed..
Forget about it and enjoy your Christmas.
[quote=Merak ]Sycophants.
I'm fairly sure that can't be passed on through saliva
Sycophants
Me too. Have a nest somewhere in the garden and can’t pin down exactly where it is. Little bastards are everywhere, especially in the summer
funkmasterp - Member
Sycophants
Me too. Have a nest somewhere in the garden and can’t pin down exactly where it is. Little bastards are everywhere, especially in the summer
😀
It's assault , courts take spitting really seriously, I've seen west Yorkshire police take DNA off a spat on car never mind a person. Well done for taking action to challenge the knob.
Spitting at someone is common assault, as a cop myself I always arrest people that spit at me and nearly always they are successfully prosecuted. I would urge everyone to do the same and always report it.
Oh and we absolutely do send off spital for dna testing if we have some and don’t know who the offender is.
I bet 50p the cops don't test the spit. Happy to be proved wrong.
It'll depend in part on whether they need to. ID'ing the driver should be fairly easy without it, after that it comes down to whether or not they need it to prove he spat at him - if they get a burst it'd be totally unnecessary.
Never knew it was taken so seriously. I’ve been spat on for no other reason than being on a road bike. Fellow runners have been spat at too. Luckily never in the face.
Although horrible thing to happen some of the ridiculous vile responses on here make some of you no better
It’s disgusting, I’d rather be punched in the face. The tram and bus drivers in Sheffield carry spit kits with them for such occurrences. I recently sent one off for testing, unfortunately the dna profile returned wasn’t matched on the database (only if someone has been in custody previously and had their dna taken will you get a match).
At least for the OPs case they can 172 the driver.
Okay, the police have been and taken my statement. They will go and speak to the driver. However, they say there’s not much they can do, as there were no witnesses. They asked me what outcome I wanted, to which I asked what were my options - I don’t remember what they were, but nothing hugely satisfactory. I’m not sure what I do want done, but I wouldn’t want someone who drives like that and readily spits in someone’s face, to get away with that repeatedly.
Unfortunately to end it all, they told me that I needed to reflect on my actions and not be confrontational in future! I explained that I found that offensive and that if I did nothing then how would he know his driving was unacceptable and that it was a normal reaction to somebody driving too close, too fast. They said that I could have contacted them anyway about the close pass at speed and that they would have spoken to him.
He will contact me later to tell me the outcome of their speaking to the driver.
He will contact me later to tell me the outcome of their speaking to the driver.
Let's hope he's stupid enough to spit on the coppers. Not because I condone spitting at the police of course but I'm pretty sure they'd start finding all kinds of ways of bumping up the charge sheet.
Sorry to hear that OP. That's not how it would have been dealt with where I work.
Sorry to hear that OP. That's not how it would have been dealt with where I work.
Is there much difference between Scotland and the rest of the U.K.? More than once he said “well that’s the way it works in Scotland”.
Did you keep the spit as evidence? I think otherwise it will be your word against theirs and the police won't do anything other than visit.
I've had this before and called the police about it. Sadly they wouldn't take samples of the spit so he just had a visit. Not in the public interest was given as a reason.
There are quite a few differences, both in legislation and approach I guess. That said, at the end of the day, things that are a crime down there and still a crime up here, just maybe a slightly different one (eg. there's no such thing as burglary in Scotland). Perhaps they assessed it that they couldn't realistically get any DNA since you (quite understandably) washed your face? I'd have given it a shot if you still had the tissue you wiped your face with. As others have also pointed out, there is plenty of precedent both sides of the border for prosecuting people for assault for spitting, and using DNA to do so.
As the guys is clearly a scumbag he might kick off with the Police knocking on his door on xmas eve. Then he will get what he deserves for being a knobber.
My bet is he will deny all knowledge and hope there is no proof (cctv, eye witness or DNA ) and bluff it out.
At least he will have a marker against his name/ vehicle.
Shame, a good lesson not to wash the spit off.
They said that I could have contacted them anyway about the close pass at speed and that they would have spoken to him
ANY time I have complained about driving I have been told they won't do anything without witnesses.
Unfortunately to end it all, they told me that I needed to reflect on my actions and not be confrontational in future!
No surprise there then.
[quote=cynic-al ]ANY time I have complained about driving I have been told they won't do anything without witnesses.
Depends on the force, and also who you speak to and the time of year IME. I've had that response, but I have also been told they would go and speak to the driver for something very similar.
If I still commuted on a bike I would have a head cam running without fail these days.
There is a deterrent value and also (hopefully) some decent proof captured too.
That driver must really know how to launch a flob! In all my riding altercations I've never managed to get close enough to get spit in my face.