Yesterdays commute, angry farmer assaults cyclist

3leggeddog

Yesterday I had the brass neck to ride my bike on the public highway. For doing so I was assaulted, threatened and had my bike thrown into the hedgerow. I am shaken, angry and will not give up.

For those in the area (west lakes) this happened on the Dean Cross to Pica road, please report any further incidents to whitehaven police who are dealing with the matter

jedster

that's outrageous - good luck

gtvlusso

If he was in a tractor - you should have dropped him!

Would not have liked it if his Border Collie came after me though......They are bloody fast!

I don't think Border Collies can throw bikes in hedges though - no opposable thumbs y'see.

el_presidente

we need more details. Let's hope the red-faced farmer was jumping up and down waving a shotgun shouting "get orff moi laaaand"

3leggeddog

OK full tale then.

"I was just riding along..."

Herd of cows were being moved along the road, land rover in front, end of herd hidden behind brow of hill. I dismounted bike and waited on the verge. Final few cows and calves were obviously spooked by my presence
and turned tail. Farmer on quad and wife on foot appear over brow of hill. Farmer starts shouting and swearing at me, jumps off quad, pushes me, raises fist threatens to hit me then thinks better of it, picks my bike up and throws it into the hedge.

Reasoning with him was not an option, he was too wound up. Fighting back wasnt either, he was far too big.

He has been arrested and bailed as custody was still full of the sunny weekend's fighting drunks. I am shaken and dismayed by the whole sorry affair.

gtvlusso

Sometimes "hitting someone back first" results in them leaving you alone - never ever go by size.......very bad measure of toughness.

If he'd pushed me and thrown my bike in the hedge, I am afraid and ashamed to say I would have lost it and he'd be wearing one......I don't think I would have contreolled myself very well.

The last recipient of my left hook was a large van driver who wound up with a few missing teeth and a broken jaw......he looked tough and angry, but wasn't.

Ultimately, you have done the right thing by going to the plod. And I applaud that.

Kieran_Burns

Console yourself with the fact that he will end up with a criminal record and your control avoided you getting one as well

Roastie

Has this summer brought a rash of morons or something?

cjcp

:shock: Not surprised you're shaken. Now, big, angry farmer or some chopper in a Porsche? I'll go with the latter.

Gussio

gtvlusso wrote:

Sometimes "hitting someone back first" results in them leaving you alone - never ever go by size.......very bad measure of toughness.

If he'd pushed me and thrown my bike in the hedge, I am afraid and ashamed to say I would have lost it and he'd be wearing one......I don't think I would have contreolled myself very well.

The last recipient of my left hook was a large van driver who wound up with a few missing teeth and a broken jaw......he looked tough and angry, but wasn't.

Ultimately, you have done the right thing by going to the plod. And I applaud that.

You talk big from behind your computer screen

I for one would not tangle with a farmer - all those EU subsidies mean that they can afford expensive gym memberships.

cougie

I know some riders by us were threatened with a shotgun from a farmer last time we had the foot and mouth disease. I think he had it in his head that cyclists on the lanes were spreading it. Yeah - cos we love hanging round farms, and its not like any other traffic ever goes down lanes is it ?

You did the right thing. Its only a bike - not worth getting physical over.

Kieran_Burns

cougie wrote:

I know some riders by us were threatened with a shotgun from a farmer last time we had the foot and mouth disease. I think he had it in his head that cyclists on the lanes were spreading it. Yeah - cos we love hanging round farms, and its not like any other traffic ever goes down lanes is it ?

You did the right thing. Its only a bike - not worth getting physical over.

Oh for Gods sake - it's FOOT and mouth disease NOT tyre and mouth. The man's an idiot.

fossyant

Bad news - you did the right thing - especially if you had road shoes on - you'd never win even a shoving match.

Nah, this guy will be in big bother - pushing is assault. Sting the bugger for every little scratch on the bike....... cow's are stupid animals, and are easily spooked....

woodyonthebeach

fossyant wrote:

Bad news - you did the right thing - especially if you had road shoes on - you'd never win even a shoving match.

Nah, this guy will be in big bother - pushing is assault. Sting the bugger for every little scratch on the bike....... cow's are stupid animals, and are easily spooked....

Sounds like a fool to me.

I heard that your wheels were horribly buckled after the incident

In the cows defence they do taste good

salsajake

As a Cumbrian I am a bit ashamed to read that! I assume that he thinks you were spooking the animals by doing something silly, which is odd bearing in mind he hadn't seen you until after the incident. Sounds like you did the only thing you could have - did they get him from the numberplate on the quad?

I had an incident with a driver yelling abuse at me in a "you'll get killed before me" kind of way, so as he drove off I just shouted his number plate back at him - I never did anything with it but hopefully it gave him a sleepless night that night!

BBL

3leggeddog wrote:

Yesterday I had the brass neck to ride my bike on the public highway. For doing so I was assaulted, threatened and had my bike thrown into the hedgerow. I am shaken, angry and will not give up.

For those in the area (west lakes) this happened on the Dean Cross to Pica road, please report any further incidents to whitehaven police who are dealing with the matter

Did you make The Whitehaven News? Must be the most interesting thing that's happened around Pica for a while...

doog442

gtvlusso wrote:

Sometimes "hitting someone back first" results in them leaving you alone - never ever go by size.......very bad measure of toughness.

If he'd pushed me and thrown my bike in the hedge, I am afraid and ashamed to say I would have lost it and he'd be wearing one......I don't think I would have contreolled myself very well.

The last recipient of my left hook was a large van driver who wound up with a few missing teeth and a broken jaw......he looked tough and angry, but wasn't.

Ultimately, you have done the right thing by going to the plod. And I applaud that.

lol dont you just love keyboard warriors

there are van drivers and there are farmers ........mess with the former but dont expect too much joy with the latter.

I expect the bloke is now feeling throroughly embarassed and ashamed with himself, some people have just too much affinity with their animals

He will get a caution and you will get nothing

gangsteruk

its nice to know that there are people in this area who commute!!

i never see anybody when i go from whitehaven to workington!!

on a different note, i drove into a herd of cows once, at 60mph, on the A595 just outside

greenhills hotel, pitch black.....they escaped from a field....

needless to say a few cows died.

so did my car...

still, the BBQ had plenty of beef chops......