I was in the wrong, but....

AndyF16

Not a whinge, just relating a story from today; I stopped for coffee around midday in Royston about 2.5 hours into my ride, the only place I could find was a deli/sandwich bar on a sidestreet away from the main shops.

wrongly, having forgotten my cable lock, I propped the bike against the front facade and dived in, less than 2 minutes later when I came out there was a guy around mid 20s in an electric wheelchair who had two wheels on the pavement and two in the road having tried to pass my bike and failed

the pavement outside was a good width for pedestrians to pass, but fair enough not him, so I immediately apologised and went to help him straight, only to receive a long tirade of Fs and Cs and prick this and that :x I pointed out that such language really wasn't necessary, and that he or his female companion could have knocked on the window instead of trying to kamikaze off the kerb - which of the one berk dressed in a yellow airjack and bibtights did he think the racer belonged to, standing 2 feet away through a large clear window? :roll:

so 30 seconds later I had helped him back onto the pavement and carried on, disappointed a little bit more in the way people carry on these days - disabled or not! i think his companion was too embarrased by his shitty behaviour to say anything throughout

dilemna

AndyF16 wrote:

Not a whinge, just relating a story from today; I stopped for coffee around midday in Royston about 2.5 hours into my ride, the only place I could find was a deli/sandwich bar on a sidestreet away from the main shops.

wrongly, having forgotten my cable lock, I propped the bike against the front facade and dived in, less than 2 minutes later when I came out there was a guy around mid 20s in an electric wheelchair who had two wheels on the pavement and two in the road having tried to pass my bike and failed

the pavement outside was a good width for pedestrians to pass, but fair enough not him, so I immediately apologised and went to help him straight, only to receive a long tirade of Fs and Cs and prick this and that :x I pointed out that such language really wasn't necessary, and that he or his female companion could have knocked on the window instead of trying to kamikaze off the kerb - which of the one berk dressed in a yellow airjack and bibtights did he think the racer belonged to, standing 2 feet away through a large clear window? :roll:

so 30 seconds later I had helped him back onto the pavement and carried on, disappointed a little bit more in the way people carry on these days - disabled or not! i think his companion was too embarrased by his shitty behaviour to say anything throughout

Charming. I hope you asked whether they had insurance for their chariot.

CarleyB

People are so rude that drive those things about... really gets my goat !

freehub

It annoys me when they drive em on the roads.

AndyF16

I think I'd have been less disappointed if it was one of the simply idle DLA scooter crowd, but the lad was obviously actually disabled - in my ignorance I couldn't say what his condition was, maybe MS?

cougie

freehub wrote:

It annoys me when they drive em on the roads.

ffs........

plankton

to be honest it would probably be a culmination of ignorant actions blocking his journey and yours might have been the final straw.
Councils using large curbs, people parking cars on the paths, shop signs, cafe tables, all can block the only safe route for someone in a chair. Try moving along a road in a wheel chair and see how frightening it is.
I've probably had a similar responses to this person when I've been out on my bike and a car driver's ignorance has caused me to make a more dangerous maneuver too.

You might have been a little disappointed in his outburst but if I was him I might have been a little disappointed in your thoughtlessness.

Lancslad

Was it an electric wheelchair or a mobility scooter? If it was the latter the tirade doesnt really surprise me as in my personal experience most of them think everyone should get out of their way. Not only that I've seen them 'walking' their dogs with those deadly extendable leads i'll bet they dont clean up after them either, Poor dogs have to run to keep up with them sometimes.

Chip \'oyler

AndyF16 wrote:

I think I'd have been less disappointed if it was one of the simply idle DLA scooter crowd, but the lad was obviously actually disabled - in my ignorance I couldn't say what his condition was, maybe MS?

What an ignorant post! :roll:

'Simply idle DLA' crowd? Do you realise how difficult it is to get the DLA benefit (Disability Living Allowance)? OK there maybe a few people who've cheated the system but the vast majority of people who claim DLA and receive the higher mobility rate of the benefit and so by qualifying for scooters and cars through the Motability scheme will be disabled or their mobility severly impaired.

And with the new governments wholesale spending cuts it's only going to get harder for disabled people to claim benefits.

rick_chasey

S'what happens when you end up in Royston.

Chip \'oyler

Lancslad wrote:

Was it an electric wheelchair or a mobility scooter? If it was the latter the tirade doesnt really surprise me as in my personal experience most of them think everyone should get out of their way. Not only that I've seen them 'walking' their dogs with those deadly extendable leads i'll bet they dont clean up after them either, Poor dogs have to run to keep up with them sometimes.

Have you driven a mobility scooter? They're not the easiest things to steer. Then factor in that the 'driver' might have motor problems in their arms then you can see why some do need you to get out of their way!

Chip \'oyler

plankton wrote:

to be honest it would probably be a culmination of ignorant actions blocking his journey and yours might have been the final straw.
Councils using large curbs, people parking cars on the paths, shop signs, cafe tables, all can block the only safe route for someone in a chair. Try moving along a road in a wheel chair and see how frightening it is.
I've probably had a similar responses to this person when I've been out on my bike and a car driver's ignorance has caused me to make a more dangerous maneuver too.

You might have been a little disappointed in his outburst but if I was him I might have been a little disappointed in your thoughtlessness.

Well said

Frank the tank

Might sound a bit rich coming from me, but if everyone was a bit more tolerant and understanding such confrontations/altercations could be avoided.

I'm not pointing fingers at either party in this issue, just going to get some splintters out of my @rse now.

AndyF16

Chip \'oyler wrote:

And with the new governments wholesale spending cuts it's only going to get harder for disabled people to claim benefits.

what will also make it harder for disabled people to make legitimate claims is the thousands of freeloading idle tw@s who like to milk the system to avoid breaking a sweat - don't even try to deny that the system has been badly abused in this way

AndyF16

Frank the tank wrote:

Might sound a bit rich coming from me, but if everyone was a bit more tolerant and understanding such confrontations/altercations could be avoided.

after causing the whole thing with my actions, I don't think I could have been any more apologetic or accommodating - a lot of roadies i've seen would have gone straight back with the effin and jeffin instead

Frank the Tank wrote:

I'm not pointing fingers at either party in this issue, just going to get some splintters out of my @rse now.

LMAO

Chip \'oyler

AndyF16 wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

And with the new governments wholesale spending cuts it's only going to get harder for disabled people to claim benefits.

what will also make it harder for disabled people to make legitimate claims is the thousands of freeloading idle tw@s who like to milk the system to avoid breaking a sweat - don't even try to deny that the system has been badly abused in this way

It has. But that tends to be with Incapacity Benefit. Which has now been changed and the DWP are really putting people through the mire to get on it. A friend of mine's wife has just been diagnosed with MS - despite her being in a right state they've refused her Incapacity and moved her onto Jobseekers. They reckon she can work because she can put her arms above her head! They seemed to overlook the fact that she can hardly walk!

freehub

cougie wrote:

freehub wrote:

It annoys me when they drive em on the roads.

ffs........

Do you like it when you get people in the electric equivalent driving on the roads at walking pace? It's not just a hazard to other road users, but to them.

Stuey01

freehub wrote:

cougie wrote:

freehub wrote:

It annoys me when they drive em on the roads.

ffs........

Do you like it when you get people in the electric equivalent driving on the roads at walking pace? It's not just a hazard to other road users, but to them.

You sound like a motoring "journalist" whinging about cyclists.

Rouge Penguin

Chip \'oyler wrote:

Lancslad wrote:

Was it an electric wheelchair or a mobility scooter? If it was the latter the tirade doesnt really surprise me as in my personal experience most of them think everyone should get out of their way. Not only that I've seen them 'walking' their dogs with those deadly extendable leads i'll bet they dont clean up after them either, Poor dogs have to run to keep up with them sometimes.

Have you driven a mobility scooter? They're not the easiest things to steer. Then factor in that the 'driver' might have motor problems in their arms then you can see why some do need you to get out of their way!

I doubt someone with motor problems would be using a mobility scooter, they would be using a powered chair. The scooters are usually reserved for the fat bearded women in howling wolf T shirts.

freehub

Stuey01 wrote:

freehub wrote:

cougie wrote:

freehub wrote:

It annoys me when they drive em on the roads.

ffs........

Do you like it when you get people in the electric equivalent driving on the roads at walking pace? It's not just a hazard to other road users, but to them.

You sound like a motoring "journalist" whinging about cyclists.

No I don't

I guess you've never seen people in these electric wheelchairs on the road then? How would you like it if I walked on the road? Or went for a jog on the roads rather than the paths? If they could do 15 mph+ then fine.

I know a guy who is permanently in an electric wheelchair, he reckons it can do 60mph, but when he puts it into top gear I've only ever seen it doing about 6-7mph then his battery is on low.

guinea

Woosh.

freehub

guinea wrote:

Woosh.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>............>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Squillinossett

Too often disability is used and an excuse to be rude.

rick_chasey

Squillinossett wrote:

Too often having to live in Royston is used and an excuse to be rude.

Corrected that for you.

Squillinossett

Rick Chasey wrote:

Squillinossett wrote:

Too often having to live in Royston is used and an excuse to be rude.

Corrected that for you.

Chip \'oyler

Rick Chasey wrote:

Squillinossett wrote:

Too often having to live in Royston is used and an excuse to be rude.

Corrected that for you.

If you're going to take the piss out of people with disabilities then at least be funny.

Ginjafro

Sounds like you bumped into Andy Pipkin....

rick_chasey

Chip \'oyler wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Squillinossett wrote:

Too often having to live in Royston is used and an excuse to be rude.

Corrected that for you.

If you're going to take the wee-wee out of people with disabilities then at least be funny.

?

I'm taking the p!ss out of people who live in Royston, not disabled people.

Chip \'oyler

Rick Chasey wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Squillinossett wrote:

Too often having to live in Royston is used and an excuse to be rude.

Corrected that for you.

If you're going to take the wee-wee out of people with disabilities then at least be funny.

?

I'm taking the p!ss out of people who live in Royston, not disabled people.

I might be a bit dense but could you explain what the OPs story has to do with Royston?

And are you talking about Royston near Barnsley?

rick_chasey

Chip \'oyler wrote:

I might be a bit dense but could you explain what the OPs story has to do with Royston?

And are you talking about Royston near Barnsley?

S'where the OP stopped and had the incident. It's Royston near Cambridge.

It's a dump.

Chip \'oyler

Rick Chasey wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

I might be a bit dense but could you explain what the OPs story has to do with Royston?

And are you talking about Royston near Barnsley?

S'where the OP stopped and had the incident. It's Royston near Cambridge.

It's a dump.

Fair enough. I always thought all of Cambridgeshire was posh though?