What's with all this "BOO!!" business?

the reluctant cyclist

For about the last few months pedestrians - mostly schoolkids have been jumping out at me and shouting "BOO" really loud in an attempt (I presume) to startle me or something stupid like that.

This morning however I was overtaking a queue of stationary traffic when a driver lent out of his window and did it too - what's it all about (I am in Birmingham).[?]

**All I'm trying to do is get to work**

Ghost Donkey

Don't know what it's all about but replying with an air zound would be the gentleman's response.

Jacomus-rides-Gen

Just how painfully loud is an AirZound, I've been toying with getting one for a while, but what it to virtually break windows / actually make children cry that kind of thing.

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<i>Quote: "25mph is pretty fast when you aren't wearing a car..."</i>

WyS

Sounds like a lorry's airhorn. Seriously it is deafening.

I have one but am yet to put it on my bike. THink it has also been approved for use on boats etc.

Not street legal as far as im aware, but neither are half the motors on the road these days so meh.

paulo.mc

?Thirded? for the 'zound. It works partially because it is LOUD (when fully pumped) and partly because of the suprise factor.

Last deployed it at a youth leaving school for half-term. He was with his 'stable' of young lady admirers and though it would improve his standing to wander about in the road in a way that would cause me to swerve and brake. He's attempting to stare me out from about 15m away so I hold the stare and, about 2m out (none of this is happening at speed - its uphill) I give him a decent toot. His veneer of street hardness falls away and he scampers for the curb, with his gaggle of maidens definitely laughing at him, and not with him.

Wys - not aware of any restrictions on cycle horns!?

I'm happy [:)]..... and angry! [:(!]

graham_g

I've had that too - perhaps indicative of the imaginations of most brummies!

Aidocp

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Graham G</i>

I've had that too - perhaps indicative of the imaginations of most brummies!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Its not just Brummies, sometimes the kids do it here too.

If I had a baby elephant, who would take it for walks?

WyS

If i remember correctly it had a sticker on it saying not for use on public roads.

But its proper loud.. gonna stick it on in the morning!

Unknown

no, the correct way to respond is to throw your arms up in the air in mock panic while still riding towards them

that or appear to relax and slowly, calmly move your hands away from the brakes

works for me

Giggery Pokery

So I'm not alone in this experience then! My ride between Sheldon and Moseley is often livened up by tossers leaning out of cars and roaring at me or school kids jumping in to the road for a giggle. This usually happens when I get to Acocks Green but you have to make allowances as it is Chav heaven. I did once take exception to a kid outside Arch Bishop Illsley school and dragged him in for a bollocking as my wife teaches there and I have the occasional game of squash with the head. Was very satisfying [}:)]

The Axles of Evil!

Small Fish

Often get the BOO! thing in Manchester too... That or the one where one of a group of kids pretends to push their mate into your path just as you pass.

Both invariably signposted by totally obvious body language.

The only person who made me jump (and I really really jumped) was some chav in the passenger seat of a car who screamed and slapped the roof when they right close behind me.

mmoo

I had a lad on Moss Lane East trying to impress his lady friends by walking out as I passed, unfortunately despite the music coming from it he hadn't notice my trailer - I looked back to see him holding his foot and his trainer rolling down the road

When I had a recumbent people seemed compelled to shout things, I suppose that's what spending hours at bus stops does to you.

Martyn

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goo_mason

I get the 'boo' trick here in Edinburgh, often accompanied by "Hey mister - yer back wheel's going' roond !", or "Hey mister - yer back wheel's followin' ye !".

There's also the ned-herd trick of seeing you coming, then standing blocking the path with their backs to you, so that they can then scream abuse at you or try to lash out at you for 'almost bumping into them'.

Mind you, I've noticed these days that tanking towards them at full-belt ringing my bell from a long way off and showing no intention of slowing down has gained me rather a lot of respect from them. They move aside rather quickly and there's NO abuse !

Cheers !

Grant
Three From Leith podcast
www.threefromleith.com

gavintc

I often encounter the neds on the streets on my evening training routes. Glasgow seems to be ringed by some rough districts and it seems impossible to cycle out of the city centre without encountering the ned. Occasionally, one will attempt to kick a ball at me, but the usual routine is to play chicken with me. I have found that the only answer is to accelarate, cycle straight at them and take them on. So far, I have not hit one.

Lbaguley

I actually had a kid run out into a road at me screaming "my bike, my bike!" - he can't have figured on there being a car behind me though judging by the sounds of the car's horn and tyres locking that followed very soon after. Total genius.

Thankfully (or maybe unfortunately in a Darwinian sense) the car did not hit him...

Made my ride home that evening though!

Cadfael

I was following another cyclist once... and as he passed a group of teanage kids one of them held their arm out and tapped him on the shoulder... not hard, but enough to make him wobble a bit.

As I passed the arm came out and I grabbed his thumb and bent it back to meet his wrist. He squealed like a baby.

On another occasion I was passed by a car and this utter brain dead in the passenger seat hung is head out and roared at me. They thought it was great fun... so they pulled of into a side street and got behind me and did it again... and again. The last time he did it he got a facefull of GT-85 for his efforts. The car pulled over ahead of me, so I got of my bike and waited for them... but they thought better of it (seeing as one of them was having trouble seeing anything) and they got back into the car and drove off.

The Endorser

Hhhhhmmmm. I've been thinking about this 'boo' phenomenon you've been experienceing, and i've been spending a lot of time working on a reponse scenario.

Next time someone leaps out and shouts "BOO" you hould calmly reply in a loud voice, "F*** OFF!".

Let me kow how you get on.

<i><b>Taking the moral high ground since 1969</b></i>

The Endorser

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Giggery Pokery</i>

This usually happens when I get to <i><i>A-cocks</i></i> Green but you have to [}:)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Ah, all becomes clear!

<i><b>Taking the moral high ground since 1969</b></i>

the reluctant cyclist

I'm going to ignore the comments on Acocks Green as I come from there (!)(Although I will mention that it got its strange name from the Acock family who set up the village and the green - you can still see the gateposts from the Acock house by the park on Fox Hollies Road too if you are interested! (They are just by the concrete fish with the hole through).

As to the reply comment of F**K OFF - yup tried it on I like to add "you c**t to the end!!!!

It's very dangerous really, especially in traffic and it's happening more and more! Last time through Edgbaston so obviously not particular to affluence of the area!!!

**All I'm trying to do is get to work**

PeteinSQ

It happens in London too. I often get kids run out into Jamaica road, I can normally see that they are going to do it ages before I get to them and just move out into the middle of the road.

It is sort of tempting to just crash straight into them though.

Giggery Pokery

Reluctant...My wife is from the Green and teaches and was taught at Arches. We lived and still own a house oposite the Wreck just down from the bus depot. I love the Green, it just has a strange feel about it these days.

I know the gates you mean on Fox Hollies, it's strange to imagine that behind them used to be Fox Hollies House and that all the land that is now covered in flats was park and farm land. the house we own just up from Mayfield/Westfield road was tied to the Acocks family and was the very edge of the village with the next populated area being Coventry!

The Axles of Evil!

frogcp

I cycle through Beaconsfield which has a large girls school (not sure where the small ones go) just off the main road. Last year I had three incidents in one ride home with the little St Trinians' brats giving me grief. I e-mailed their head mistress and for the next six months the streets have been clear of school girls. Don't know what she said to them but it works fine for me.

---

Vultures circling high in a clear blue sky - must be a traffic jam near by.

chuckles

Hi,

Found this on the web which may provide inspiration to you:

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
Boo boys make me stronger

May 28, 2007


STEWART DOWNING insists he has learned how to handle the boo boys.

Disgruntled motorists have targeted the Middlesbrough cyclist this season.

But Downing, 22, hit back with two wheelies and a bunny hop on Friday.

He said: ƒ?oItƒ?Ts horrible to hear the drivers booing you but most cyclists have had it.

ƒ?oYou have to deal with it and it makes you a stronger person and a better rider.ƒ??<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

*note, I had to change a couple of words to make it more relevant, can you guess which ones?


Chuckles

Punditcp

I've had this happen a couple of times too...

Once from a ned-mobile as I was cycling past the Scottish Parliament, the car swerved close to me and the passanger leaned out and yelled "boo!" about 30 centimetres from my right ear.

It frightened the carp out of me, but adrenaline is a wonderful thing. It enabled me to put on such a turn of speed that I caught up with the nedmobile a few hundred metres on. They didn't see me coming, and it was with the most satisfaction that I've EVER had in my life that I leaned in the window and shouted "Boo yourself, you c**t".

I laughed so hard at his expression I nearly fell off. Fresh trousers required all round [^]

The Endorser

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by the reluctant cyclist</i>

I'm going to ignore the comments on Acocks Green as I come from there (!)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">sorry mate, no offence meant [:I] Feel orry for me - i'm from Cockermouth! Up there the rosy cheeked locals just shout "oooaaaarrrr" at you.

<i><b>Taking the moral high ground since 1969</b></i>