Kids on scooters (with engines, not the push along things)

guy.spartacus

Last night I encountered a gaggle of 16 year old oiks on 50cc scooters, all with their helmets sat on top of their heads (not covering their faces), drinking cans of monster energy drink while pootling along at 20 ish mph.

They pulled up in a layby (I presume to look 'ard on their mean machines) and I passed them - I heard some shouts of 'tour de france w*nker' - which was nice.

About 2 minutes later they passed me, still with helmets not on properly - with more shouts about lycra and Tour de France. One swerved dangerously in front of me and jumped on his brakes, much to the delight of his colleagues. I let off a bit of a tirade at him/them for being idiots and to watch where they were going (probably not the best idea).

This led them to continue their game and even lob an empty can at me. I stopped and dismounted. I think they then realised that I'm 6'3", 95kg and incredibly p*ssed off so they scarpered PDQ.

When I was 16 I wouldn't have dreamt of doing anything like that - am I getting old or are these little scrotes getting worse?

hodge68

A bit of both i think.
I had a Scooter at 16 (1984) and would get up to no good :oops: ,i could not have given road cyclist any trouble, as at least twice they over took me :oops: on the dual carriage way by the Clent hills. That vespa was slow.

Pross

Teenage kids in a group acting like tw@s. Hardly a new thing is it? Catch any of them on their own and they are probably nice kids, in a group bravado takes over. Just ignore them, tempting as it is to confront them even if you get the better of them they will just go running home to dad who will either chase you down in his car or report you to the police.

guy.spartacus

It's a bit harder to ignore being cut up by scooters and having cans lobbed at me

ShutUpLegs

Is this a veiled thread about improving average speed :?:

guy.spartacus

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Is this a veiled thread about improving average speed :?:

The ride home was slightly faster than normal and I got a PB on a Strava segment fuelled by rage

me-109

Camera phones are useful for pictures of registrations and/or videoing such behaviour, for later submission to the police when you report it. No penalties for cycling whilst using a mobile! Once they twig they'll bu99er off anyway - unless they really are that thick!...

redvee

If they are wearing their helmets on top of their heads, perhaps they'll learn that lesson the hard way. Seeing the way groups of them ride in Bristol I'm surprised there aren't more casualties.

rpd_steve

It never ceases to amaze me just how stupid some people can be... I had a scooter at 16, as did most of my friends, and would never have dreamed of acting like that - and hated people who did as it gave 'us youths a bad name'. I suspect that now as then, it is only the worst 5% that we see or hear from.

Bet on a good sprint you could outrun their 'tuned up' pop can engines anyway

Just seems like some people think that being on the road is just a game and pretty safe/easy, ride in a very naive manner and then wonder why 'that guy cut them up', when it was prob them that was in the wrong place! :roll:

Monty Dog

Once you overtake them then soon skulk off in humiliation and then you find a cul-de-sac to get your breath back! I used a use a kid for motorpacing on my way to work - he'd try a bit of tank slapping to get away, but I could wind the bike to over 50kph on a slight downhill and get past.

Anonymous

I had a similar experience, group of lads, can lobbing etc. One pulled up beside me at about 18mph, so I just unclipped and booted him off his moped. I then stopped to see if he was ok, he was fine, scared and a bit scruffed up, I then asked him if he wanted me to kick the crap out of him or he could go home, he chose going home. His mates were getting a bit vocal at this point, so I took advantage of them helping him up etc and went off.

Smiling now thinking about it.

gaddster

Isn't that assault? Had the chap on the moped attacked you and you needed to defend yourself?

edenchristopher

Assault? I think that he got what he deserved.

markos1963

A group of these types infiltrated a local TT recently, they looked pretty silly as several fast guys overtook them with ease( I was pretty close as well as there was a reasonable tailwind)