[Closed] What would you have done (honestly)?

is his dad bigger than your dad?

Were you on the Frankenbike? That might have explained it! 😉

Anywhere East of Liverpool Street is bandit country for me, so I wouldn't know! 😉

However, given the prevalence of knives on the streets these days, I suspect I'd try and find a route which avoids any such dark places and any such scrotes.

You did about right I think. smack 'em one and flee. Usually its all mouth and trousers so standing up to them does the trick.

When dogs try to dominate you the best thing to do is mount them. I'd of tried that.

is his dad bigger than your dad?

I'm 33yrs old... he was probably 14-15yrs if he was lucky... but I honestly felt threatened by them all in a group, didn't even really think before resorting to defensive action... and me Da's not around any more, but I reckon he'd have been bigger 😆

"When dogs try to dominate you the best thing to do is mount them. I'd of tried that"

😯

Have a prob? call the police.

There are more of them than you and yeah they're chicken and now they will have knives.

Best not ride that route for a while too.

Report to cops? or would they book you for punching? I know stupid laws.

Were you on the Frankenbike? That might have explained it!

Nope, 'twas the Enduro (perfect for canal side riding 😉 )... I did hear one of them comment something along the lines of 'grab his bike...' maybe that's why I reacted as I did, protecting my loved one 😈 😆

real shame this stuff happens and one of the reasons we left the UK, I would have done the same as groups of teenagers can be very dangerous and beat up lone individuals for some fun, used to hear lots of stories of people beat up by gangs of 'kids' on their way home from the pub

Good call from some quick thinking, but avoid the path for a while unless in daylight or you have some friendlies alongside you

Own them with some Bombers.

Deserter, TBH, I'm not sure they were initially out for a fight or whatever, but they were being a right pain blocking the path... I should've gone round them really, but as I say, didn't feel that knob-jockey kids should be able to force me to... 🙄

I think I would have been frightened, but still tried to pass them, if they had pulled me off my bike, and hurt me or damaged my bike, I think I would have lost my temper (not just swearing at bus drivers angry - properly lost it angry) - I tend to kick when I've lost it, 'cos I'm not very good at punching, although I have been known to head butt when in a real pinch!

BTW, when Beastway was still on the Cyclone lads wouldn't ride down that part of the canal, even team-handed.

You must be very brave to do it alone!

I [i]think[/i] you say that you could have ridden around them but felt you shouldn't have to. Personally I'd have started with riding round them, regardless of the lack of consideration involved in blocking the path. But I've absolutely no confidence that I could have much effect on a teenager by punching one, even if it wasn't expecting it so I avoid situations in which this sort of thing needs to be done like the plague. 🙂

Think you had the right idea. Sounds like a straight forward case of self preservation. What with all the media coverage of knife crime, you've no idea what might happened. Keep clear of the area if I was you.

Can i be the first to say at the age of 15 or less the didn't have a complete moral compass and they didn't know what they were doing! you should have sat them down and given them some counselling.

This is funny,

You should have just gone round them, No excuse other than you being an egotistical tit.

However,

I admire your bravery & courage to stand up to them, pulled you off your bike, get a smack. Job well done!

In future id just go round though! asking for a stabbing!

Just read my last post, it sounds like I am a fighty nutter. I'm not, and I prefer to avoid confrontation if at all possible. But, if I am backed into a corner, I will fight. Hmmmm, it still sounds as if I am a fighty nutter 😉

I've absolutely no confidence that I could have much effect on a teenager by punching one

I avoid situations in which this sort of thing needs to be done like the plague.

Same here tbh! I know how to throw a punch, but I've hardly ever had to (this is probably only the 2nd occasion in my life in fact) ... and the kids blocking the path were quite young, it wasn't till the bigger 'teen' grabbed me off the bike that I realised there was a larger group and it included older youths as well...

You should have just gone round them, no excuse other than you being an egotistical ****

fair point... but why should they be allowed to get away with it? Society only exists/improves if people stand up for their rights and all that yes?

I would have defended myself - As they pulled you off your bike you were being assulted so you did the right thing.

I wouldn't go that way for a while though.

<sarcasm>i'd of stabbed him and filmed it on my mobile.</sarcasm>

actually i'd of sh1t my pants and ran

i think you did the right thing.
they confronted you, you defended yourself.
like i9 said before many times.
IF YOU TAKE LIBERTIES IN LIFE, BE PREPARED TO HANDLE THE CONSEQUENCES.

Understandable what you did, but avoiding confrontation is always the best. Be like kung fu. Only respond with violence when there is no alternative. Grasshopper.

I am always super-paranoid riding around on my nice bikes in London so if I do I tend to ride round the back roads, away from estates and places where the scrotes hang out - wouldn't dream of riding along the canal

psychle, if I see you riding round Angel on that Frankenbike I think I might smack you one 🙂

You did right.

I'm not a fighter at all, but having been in the same kind of situation, I just took on the Northern (I live down-South now) Nutter approach - it caught them off guard enough for me to get away.

If I'd have seen 2 kids blocking my path, I'd have done one of 2 things

Taken a different route and gone nowhere near them
Not stopped. I've probably got more momentum (Weight!) than they can stop.

If I'd have got through like you did and "As I rode off I heard the sound of someone running after me " I would have accelerated as hard as possible. And I can sprint like you wouldn't believe. I doubt I'd have been caught and I doubt if I had he'd have been able to pull me off my bike

If I'd have ended up surrounded like you did, I would have firstly distanced myself from the canal (I can't swim) and then, after shitting myself, tried to talk my way out of it first, then chucked a few of them in the canal

Sounds like you did well to me, mind. Hopefully they won't try it again. One bitten....? 🙂

psychle, if I see you riding round Angel on that Frankenbike I think I might smack you one 🙂

Bring it on, I've proven my fighting prowess (as long as you're half my weight and 14yrs old 😆 )

You based in North London then? Coming along to the STW London Pootle this Sunday?

[i]And I can sprint like you wouldn't believe.[/i]

[swoons] 😉

I had a very similar thing happen on may commute home about a year ago. A group of youths walking down a road bridge (in pitch black) all decided to spread out and block my way. I decided that I should not have to stop and be intimidated by a bunch of kids so I kept riding (not too fast) and a gap appeared (as it always will, like walking down a crowded street) which I rode through. One of them pushed me, so I stopped to politely enquire which of the little pikeys thought that was a good idea.

I hadn't however noticed the one little psycho behind me who managed to get a sharp punch in, breaking my cheekbone, eye socket and upper jaw.

I know that I could have avoided the confrontation, but should a fit strong 55 yr old man be expected to run away from a bunch of kids doing what bunches of kids have always done through the ages? The difference this time being it was a bunch of harmless, perfectly nice kids, PLUS 1 psycho.

I hadn't however noticed the one little psycho behind me who managed to get a sharp punch in, breaking my cheekbone, eye socket and upper jaw.

Ouch... that sounds like a lucky (and hard!) punch 🙁

He who runs away lives to fight another day but when push comes to shove, attack is the best line of defence and the meaner, the dirtier and more vicious if you are frightened for your life, the better.
Always remember though that you should only use as much force as is reaonable and necessary ie no stamping on heads of the down or unconcious unless they are armed with a life threatening weapon and may try and use it.
If you have an honestly held belief that you are in danger of immediate assault (ie lets take the bike off him) you can strike first but as you had already been assaulted (by being pulled off the bike) you were well within your comon law rights of self defence in my opinion-CPS's may have different ideas though, you know how strange some of their decisions are!
One last pearl of wisdom that links on to the very first words I typed are dont make yourself a victim-wrong place wrong time!

You must be very brave to do it alone!

more like stupid/naive I think 😆

Hasn't stopped me going home the same way in the dark though.

That canal (if it's the Angel-Hackney one I think it is) has had a fair bit of "urban action" of late, even making the billboard of the Gazette recently. I've also had something similar happen last year, and had to swing a bit to continue on my journey. I'd definitely avoid it after dark for a while at least.

Funny Angel is mentioned too. Coming back from Afan via Paddington last Easter the missus and I were riding our bikes through some back streets in the the afternoon to avoid the Essex road traffic and had a spot of bother with some aquisitional youths. The "Mad Irish Bastard" routine worked on that occasion, but it's all a bit depressing...

No you shouldn't have punched him.

You should butted him instead, breaking his nose in the process.

It must be time for 'that' video by now 🙂
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You should butted him instead, breaking his nose in the process.

Had my helmet on, headbutting was definitely on the cards if it'd progressed to a melee! Hopefully it would've protected me, TJ might have an opinion to offer on this? 🙂

Suggsey +1

You did the right thing.If it was me however i would of found out were he lived,kidnapped him in the back of a van,take him to a very remote place,remove his socks and trainers,slash his feet with a razerblade and theen leave him to walk home :twisted:.Or is that going a bit to far 😯

I'd avoid the canal / cycle path as a route to work and take the road. Way too much potential for that sort of thing.

That said, once you were in that situation your only option was to defend yourself.

As for calling the police, you're having a laugh. They wouldn't be interested - even if they do pick up the right lads, they'll say nothing, the CPS won't be interested (rightly, as there's little chance of a conviction off the back of it) and they'll be on their way pretty happily. The police know this, so they probably won't bother coming to have a look.

As an aside, the other day I had a smackhead/alcy looking bloke follow me up the road for a good half a mile after he'd seen me take a phone call, doing the "oi, mate, mate, oi mate" routine, clearly hoping I'd stop so he could try and pinch my phone / laptop etc. What the hell are you supposed to do in those situations?

I'd avoid the canal / cycle path as a route to work and take the road. Way too much potential for that sort of thing.

That said, once you were in that situation your only option was to defend yourself.

As for calling the police, you're having a laugh. They wouldn't be interested - even if they do pick up the right lads, they'll say nothing, the CPS won't be interested (rightly, as there's little chance of a conviction off the back of it) and they'll be on their way pretty happily. The police know this, so they probably won't bother coming to have a look.

As an aside, the other day I had a smackhead/alcy looking bloke follow me up the road for a good half a mile after he'd seen me take a phone call, doing the "oi, mate, mate, oi mate" routine, clearly hoping I'd stop so he could try and pinch my phone / laptop etc. What the hell are you supposed to do in those situations?

yes right-thing to do 🙂

rs good point well presented 🙂

Good on you mate! I found myself in a situation once where i was just about to pull into my road, one night in the wifes car. Some lads were stood chating on the pavement at the corner as i turned in. Just as i passed, they decided to cross the junction, not checking it was clear first. On seeing the car, one decided to kick it! I stopped and got out, and they seemed to have grown! There was four of them all holding bottles shouting abuse at me for nearly running them over! Now, i would like to say i unleashed a world of terror on them, but the truth is i had to bottle it and get back in the car! If i had been somewhere else other than 100 yds from my house it would have been different though! So well done fella, just avoid the path for a bit! maybe they will think twice of doing it to someone else, or more likely not give them a chance to get away!!

just a small observation with the replies to this post.
there are a couple of people on here saying it was the right thing to do.
in my headbutting the driver incident the very same people said i was in the wrong.......................wot gives??

Would have been better if you'd have kicked all their heads in rather than just winding one of them, but at least its a good start.

Ton - the difference is in justifiable force or not. One middleaged man thumping one of a group of lads threatening him is very different from a big lad headbutting someone who was no threat to him.

teej, give your head a shake.
just because someone is big, does not mean that they can handle theirselves.
when someone is in your face screaming that he is gonna kill you, when he has just forced you off your bike, i would say that is justifiable.

One middleaged man

and I'm pretty broad across the shoulders meself, and I have a big ****-off 'Ed O' style beard 😆

I agree with Ton on this point. He may be large, but I'm sure he'll admit to some trepidation at the thought of getting in a ring with little Barry McGuigan in his prime. It's worse when there are 5 or so overexcited teenagers who alone may not add up to much at all, but together could easily kill you without even having that intention. Or someone who could easily have killed or crippled you and wants you to feel bad about their selfishness/stupidity.

And although I'm no hardman with a realistic limit of a few swings and a sprint, I hate the type of scum that hangs around canals and backstreets safely in numbers and would have no compunction in hurting them were I capable of doing so. My life, my partner's, friends' and family's would all improve if they didn't feel free to do what they do. You make a judgement based on your self assessed ability, the threat and how much it would eat away at your self respect to let yourself be bullied. Hopefully you get it right.

So, on that note, I'm off down the canal for a scrap.

Not sure - I've been in a not dissimilar situation a few years ago, and did more or less what you did, ie chinned the biggest one and the rest of 'em legged it. It leaves you with mixed feelings though (at least it did with me), I was initially elated, thinking I'd done the right thing, then felt a bit ashamed of myself having resorted to violence, then felt even more ashamed after posting on here and getting royally torn to pieces by the usual suspects. 😕

If it was the Regent's Canal then i would steer clear after dark esp. if you're riding something tasty.

I live in Hackney and i've heard that the Police have been patrolling the canal in boats of late as they can't respond to incidents (muggings) quick enough otherwise.

News article reporting this here: http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/content/islington/gazette/news/story.aspx?brand=ISLGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsislg&itemid=WeED09%20Dec%202009%2014:12:13:600

There are plenty of estates off to one side of the canal that troublemakers can do a runner into.

Personally i don't like riding down that canal as there are too many pedestrians, joggers, obstacles and other cyclists who get in my way. There are enough quiet roads to link together to form a route normally if you know your way about.

Apart from that, nice one.

come on then tj whats the difference between these lads and the ones on the other thread out of interest? Just one set deserve a slap and one get help yet they could be equally as badly brought up and you dont know what they could be capable of ?

about the same here Barnsleymitch. In hindsight I know I should've ridden around them, so I certainly inflamed/provoked the situation, which in turn led to someone getting hit... I don't go out of my way to fight, as mentioned this is probably only the second/third time in my life I've thrown a punch, so it's a weird one for me... and after all, it was a kid for ****s sake, at least a 30kg difference between us 😆

Wasn't near here by any chance was it?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Danbury+Street&sll=51.520308,-0.131447&sspn=0.010868,0.027874&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Danbury+St,+London+N1,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.533683,-0.103791&spn=0.010865,0.036049&z=16

interesting link Airwolf... it happened not far from Danbury St, around a kilometre away in fact, maybe I was luckier than I thought! 😯

EDIT: actually, thought Danbury was further along... I was closer to Mile End

It was me wot did it innit!

I'll get you next time!

Total respect for you mate - well done. Never mind their age - some of these friggin scrotes need to be taught a really important lesson. Theres not enough of what you did around and too many bloody do-gooders quite prepared to say you should never do such thing.
I rode to work this week for the first time this year and theres plenty of very dark canal towpath. I wondered to myself whilst I was riding what I'd do if I ran into a similar circumstance and concluded I'd just go on the attack. I kind of ride half prepared for a confrontation in such circumstances and am well up for it if it happens.
Go for the chin or preferably the nose next time and whatever you do, don't begin to imagine you shouldn't have done what you did. You did society a small favour and its a shame we're not formally encouraged to behave in this way.
Stop me on the canals around Leeds and Bradford and be prepared for a kick off 🙂

"come on then tj whats the difference between these lads and the ones on the other thread out of interest? Just one set deserve a slap and one get help yet they could be equally as badly brought up ?"
They would appear to have been older, a larger group, and were trying to intimidate a grown bloke rather than systematically abuse and torture two younger kids. Apart from that, no difference at all. 😉

Still could be the same gang, if they had any sense they would just move down to a different stretch of the canal after the police started looking out for them in the Danbury Street area.

Or it's another gang who thought - "Wow! what great idea, why don't we go rob people down by the canal too"

There are plenty of gangs in London, so this is perfectly possible IMO.

the way they were blocking the canal towpath was certainly suspicious... and the fact that a larger group materialised fairly quickly was pretty worrying to me! There were only 2 or 3 and suddenly there was 7-8 of them, some quite young, like 11-12yrs old I'd guess! Luckily, they were the ones that gave way and let me through... maybe they're used to scary big violent looking men perhaps? (a possible sop to some of the more 'bleeding heart' liberals on here 😉 )

I got jumped by about 8 kids with my mate about 8 years ago.

My mate put up a fight and got a bottle bashed over his head (didn't break but still split his head open).

I didn't fight and got away with a single feeble punch to the face.

I had my cash card taken and a jar of branston pickle i'd picked up in the corner shop earlier for my packed lunch. I wasn't carrying anything else a s we'd just 'popped out'.

My mate managed to keep his expensive phone, watch, wallet and stuff because he fought back (i reckon they were also confused about the Branston pickle).

I'd rather lose my stuff than have to get my head glued shut (or worse) personally.

barnsleymitch yeah much older at 11 or 12 the other two didnt only do what they did as you know who knows what these kids have done before or will in the future so not that different perhaps

that said id have cracked one of them 🙂

Here's a tale that'll warm your heart.

I was out round Leeds with a mate of mine a few years ago. I went for a leak down an alleyway and heard all this commotion. Hurried back out the alley find my mate up against a wall having an altercation with 4 young scrotes looking for a fight.

Thankfully, unknown to them my mate is plenty more than a little bit handy and set about paggering the smoke out of all 4 of them very quickly indeed. The rozzers appeared and arrested him. He ended up in CROWN court for making such a mess of them.

Only one of them turned up to the trial and the judge threw it out, asking the one that did turn up if he would ever pick on a 5 foot bloke again 😀

"the other two didnt only do what they did as you know who knows what"
Sorry Mick, but I'm not at all sure that's even written in a language I recognise 😉

missed out some punctuation as on my phone. But im sure you undertand what i meant. The two boys didnt start with torture as a first offence they worked up to it . So who is to say that these boys by the canal wouldnt progress to horrendous crimes too. But yet these eleven or twelve year olds should be punched for what they did and the two from donny should be looked after ? Should they be treated any less sympathetically because their crimes arent as bad?

A huge number of differences. firstly the age - they guy that hit the op and was hit by him was not 10. Secondly the OP acted in self defence with a reasonable use of force - allowed within the law whereas hitting someone after the fact is not.

Thats two clear reasons. There are more

I'd have made sure the ****er 'tripped' & fallen in the canal.

You assaulted a minor. You had the opportunity to avoid conflict by riding round them. What makes you think you have more of a right to a piece of ground than they do? Disgraceful behaviour and you should know better.

george, dont talk like a c nut......
can you remember what you nearly did in the zoo.

ah i didnt realise you could hit a minor lawfully i must have missed that along the way. Shame those poor two lads couldnt have defended themselves as strongly as they were attacked 🙁

ton - I can remember exactly what I did at the zoo. Non-aggressive defence is always the best option.

They guy brought it all on himself. If they had simply ridden round there would not have been an issue.

You have done well and nothing wrong that at all.

Children occasionally needs to be taught lesson the hard way.

If their parents cannot manage their own children then someone has to as simple as that.

😛

p/s: try a different route home for a while just in case.

george, explain to me how the op would have road round the 2 bike blocking his way.
and he asked them to move prior to trying to get through.

You are allowed to use reasonable force to defend yourself - from old ladies to dogs to kids to adults. Its all about what is reasonable as defined in law - which has several definitions but " as decided by a jury of your peers" or as " understood by the man on the clapham omnibus" are the two common ones.

Its really clear.

Yep, right move in my book. On my messanger duties to the ruffer parts of town, like Angel, often get yoofs eying up my bike and getting a bit 'close' but although i'm a wee lad, i think the reputation cycle couriers have of being a bit mad, and a long hard stare does the trick and they leave it.

If push came to shove, having lived with a scotsman, my mental scottish nutter routine would come into play and i would hope for the best....

Rather not find out if it works though.