Nutter*

mattyarse

So I was out for an early (pre dawn) ride this morning and all was going well. A tad chilly, but nothing to worry about, and in general no dramas - just how I like it.

I was about 30 or 40 minutes in going down a dark unlit road when up ahead I see someone walking along in the same direction I am riding. Odd I think as no buildings or cars around.

And then I notice he is wearing army fatigues. Not a problem in itself, but at 6am I did find it a bit odd that they were literally all he had on!!

As I approached he obviously noticed my light illuminating him, and so he turned and said hello repeatedly. On my approach I had considered this potential reaction and decided that in the middle of a dark country lane, my usual view of trying to help someone if I can didn't extend to a half dressed Action Man.

I took to the drops and powered by!

I felt a bit bad, but not that bad!

What would you have done?

*He may of course have not actually been a nutter, but I didn't wait to find out!

cat_with_no_tail

Bit rude, I'd have at least said a cheery "lovely morning for it" or something. Unless by: "he turned and said hello repeatedly" you mean in some sort of maniacal way with this crazy-ass look in his eyes, a-la Gomer Pile in Full Metal Jacket.

HebdenBiker

Country road; early morning; army fatigues; could have been a gamekeeper, or even a poacher. Had it have been me, I wouldn't have assumed "nutter".

Colinthecop

If you took premptive action and killed him before he got the chance to kill you. My only advice would be not to bury the body in a shallow grave, we always find those.

cornerblock

In situations like that I think it's always best to go with your gut instinct. Might have been perfectly normal, might just have been an eccentric. Who knows? Do you really need to find out though?

I had a similar situation last year riding in Turkey. Only on this occasion there was no doubt I'd been confronted by a nutter. Climbing a mountain, I was on a particularly steep section and going painfully slow, it was roasting hot and I was about 3km from the top when up ahead I saw a half-man half yeti type person, think Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid! He was just staring into the trees at the side of the road and shouting, at what I've no idea. All the while as I slowly get nearer to him I'm thinking 'hmm he looks very strange'.

I was probably about 50m away from him now, he hadn't noticed me yet as he was too busy screaming at the bushes! I was getting more uneasy the nearer I got, and knowing that I was going far too slow on this 12% section to whizz past him if I had to I really was unsure about what to do. As it happened though Hagrid made my mind up for me. As soon as he turned and spotted me he immediately started coming down the road towards me, howling like a dog! :shock:

The howling was bad enough but he then also began picking up stones/rocks and launching them in my direction. Let's just say if there was a jersey awarded for the quickest 180 turn while going up a mountain then I'd have been proudly wearing it that day, my descending wasn't too shabby either. When I'd got back down to where I'd started I was actually really pi**ed off as I'd been so close to the top and worked hard to get there, missing out on a great descent the other side through a lovely valley. Or so I'm told! Maybe next time.

peat

I would have said hello.

This country...........

meursault

Cat With No Tail wrote:

Bit rude, I'd have at least said a cheery "lovely morning for it" or something. Unless by: "he turned and said hello repeatedly" you mean in some sort of maniacal way with this crazy-ass look in his eyes, a-la Gomer Pile in Full Metal Jacket.

What is your major malfunction private Pile?

overlord2

So he could have been a service man out for a run? And you come to the conclusion that he's a serial killer. How nice of you.

sloppyschleckonds

Peat wrote:

I would have said hello.

This country...........

There is a thread on 'Rambling Today' where a guy was out walking saying how ignorant a cyclist was this morning, totally blanked him and rode off like a man possesed.

mattyarse

For clarity, he had on a pair of camo trousers. *Nothing* else; no boots, no jacket, just trousers.

It may have been an SAS assessment but if this bloke was that far from Hereford I suspect he may not pass.....

ck101

Only Camo trousers, no shoes, vest, shirt? Nutter alright. Would have said hello though, could be a nice nutter.

mattyarse

Ck101 wrote:

Only Camo trousers, no shoes, vest, shirt? Nutter alright. Would have said hello though, could be a nice nutter.

cattytown

mattyarse wrote:

For clarity, he had on a pair of camo trousers. *Nothing* else; no boots, no jacket, just trousers.

It may have been an SAS assessment but if this bloke was that far from Hereford I suspect he may not pass.....

Depends where they dropped him off...

BillyMansell

In no particular order;

He could have been a bloke playing away who just escaped a beating when the husband came home early from a night shift.

He could have been out with his mates who got him pished, stripped him and dumped in the countryside.

He could have been extraordinarily renditioned to a torture house in the British countryside and had just escaped his captors.

napoleond

Maybe he was testing the efficacy of his camo. He may have thought if he can't see me but he hears someone saying hello he'd really freak you out?

elderone

If he was military doing some kind of escape and evation exercise then he wouldn,t have been so easily seen.From what you say he was wearing seems a tad under dressed for an exercise.
Some odd people about for sure.

Anonymous

I would have assumed nutter and think its a reasonable assumption.

I would have also reported it to the police.

morstar

Maybe he was working on his tan!

I'm only half joking too. Passed a guy going in opposite direction on a dawn ride a few months back. Chilly morning and the guy was only wearing very skimpy 80's style football shorts riding on a very relaxed hybrid on a chilly morning.
Skin like absolute leather. I just had the feeling that this guy who was around 60ish just spent most of his life in that state.

tlw1

been dogging and someone nicked his car?

the playing mantis

the fatigues are fair enough, but the repeating hello hello hello is the nutter giveawy imo.

had something similar happen when i was at col zoo the other week.

sloppyschleckonds

the playing mantis wrote:

the fatigues are fair enough, but the repeating hello hello hello is the nutter giveawy imo.

had something similar happen when i was at col zoo the other week.

Shitzoo?

chris_bass

is there any chance it was Lionel richie?