Are Cyclists Legitmate Targets?

Lee said:

So, im cycling home on Monday evening in the rain down my normal commute thinkin bout a nice warm
shower when i get in.

snip

Quoted message said:

Two things could be the cause here.

1) A bottle which was lodged in on the back of the truck came loose and hit me (i hope this is the
case) or *shudder*
2) Some complete *£&£ threw it out the window at me (which I am more inclined to believe
unfortunately.

3) some ignorant tw*t threw and empty bottle out of the window to get rid of
it. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

pk

"PK" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

3) some ignorant tw*t threw and empty bottle out of the window to get rid

of

Quoted message said:

it. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

pk

Possibly, it was timed perfectly though and if it were plastic id be inclined to agree but this
seemed like a perfect "bombing run" - maybe im just paranoid!

Lee said:

So, im cycling home on Monday evening in the rain down my normal commute thinkin bout a nice warm
shower when i get in.

I start up my 2nd incline which isnt too steep but it is a slow one when this flatbed truck comes
towards me on the road. Now from here on in im not sure EXACTLY what happened but the next thing i
remember is a GLASS bottle smashing on my chest and shards of glass hitting my throat. I stopped in
a panic (but was shocked so didnt turn around to see wtf had happened) and checked to make sure I
wasnt bleeding (i wasnt - VERY lucky) and continued the remainder of my uneventful journey home.

Two things could be the cause here.

1) A bottle which was lodged in on the back of the truck came loose and hit
me (ihope this is the case) or *shudder*
2) Some complete *£&£ threw it out the window at me (which I am more inclined to believe
unfortunately.

Now this could have been a lot worse, i was VERY lucky (got away with a small "shave" cut on my
neck), if the glass had shattered any other way I could be in hospital right now.

Anyone here suffered anything like this? It shook me up but hasnt put me off my commute.

Lee (battered and bruised)

Jeez! What kind of glass bottle was it, your average glass bottle is quite tough I bet that hurt
lots if it hit you hard enough to break.

I

--
Iain Norman | teknohippy.com

"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

1) A bottle which was lodged in on the back of the truck came loose and

hit

Quoted message said:

me (ihope this is the case) or *shudder*
2) Some complete *£&£ threw it out the window at me (which I am more inclined to believe
unfortunately. Lee (battered and bruised)

More than likely option one mate, what probably happened is a bottle jammed in between the tyres of
the double wheels and worked it self free just as you are passing. I would find it difficult to
believe that the driver threw it at you, if it were a white van I would think otherwise, but not a
truck driver, they are trained to a higher level for the roads and have much more to lose.

Must've been frightening.!

"<-- Wide Load --> @blueyonder.co.uk>" <apsw07048<nospam> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Lee"

<[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

1) A bottle which was lodged in on the back of the truck came loose and

hit

Quoted message said:

me (ihope this is the case) or *shudder*
2) Some complete *£&£ threw it out the window at me (which I am more inclined to believe
unfortunately. Lee (battered and bruised)

More than likely option one mate, what probably happened is a bottle

jammed

Quoted message said:

in between the tyres of the double wheels and worked it self free just as you are passing. I would
find it difficult to believe that the driver

threw

Quoted message said:

it at you, if it were a white van I would think otherwise, but not a

truck

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driver, they are trained to a higher level for the roads and have much

more

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to lose.

Must've been frightening.!

Yeah i hope it was - dont want to lose my faith in human nature!

It wasnt really frightening - i didnt see it coming - if i saw it comin at me i wouldve cacked my
pants! I was more shocked once it had hit me and i realised what had happened!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Lee


Anyone here suffered anything like this? It shook me up but hasnt put me off my commute.

I have has a half empty PLASTIC beaker of beer thrown at me in Elland before by some pedestrians. Stupid twunts missed.

"teknohippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Jeez! What kind of glass bottle was it, your average glass bottle is quite tough I bet that hurt
lots if it hit you hard enough to break.

I

--
Iain Norman | teknohippy.com

I have absolutely no idea - all i can remember seeing was the bottom "rim" on the floor next to me -
it hit my ribs and smashed straight away so it was either weakened or i have a hard chest!

It did hurt but i wasnt thinking about my chest, i was worried that my throart had been cut and i
would bleed to death! Seriously, that thought did cross my mind, then i just started peddling till i
got home (only 5-10 mins away!)

"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So, im cycling home on Monday evening in the rain down my normal commute thinkin bout a nice warm
shower when i get in.

I start up my 2nd incline which isnt too steep but it is a slow one when this flatbed truck comes
towards me on the road. Now from here on in im

not

Quoted message said:

sure EXACTLY what happened but the next thing i remember is a GLASS bottle smashing on my chest
and shards of glass hitting my throat. I stopped in

a

Quoted message said:

panic (but was shocked so didnt turn around to see wtf had happened) and checked to make sure I
wasnt bleeding (i wasnt - VERY lucky) and continued the remainder of my uneventful journey home.

Glad to hear you are OK. Bet the pants needed a good wash though :~(

The fact that the bottle smashed on your chest may be significant. Bottles are pretty strong so to
smash it would need to be:

1. damaged
2. travelling fast or
3. have hit a very hard chest (thank you Mr Schwarzenegger).

Damaged seems the most likely -- which reduces the chances of it being 'hostile'.

Seriously scary though.

T

"Tony W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

The fact that the bottle smashed on your chest may be significant.

Bottles

Quoted message said:

are pretty strong so to smash it would need to be:

1. damaged
2. travelling fast or
3. have hit a very hard chest (thank you Mr Schwarzenegger).

Damaged seems the most likely -- which reduces the chances of it being 'hostile'.

Seriously scary though.

T

Id like to think the Schwarzenegger chest was the reason it broke ;-)

Tony W said:

Glad to hear you are OK. Bet the pants needed a good wash though :~(

The fact that the bottle smashed on your chest may be significant. Bottles are pretty strong so to
smash it would need to be:

1. damaged
2. travelling fast or
3. have hit a very hard chest (thank you Mr Schwarzenegger).

Damaged seems the most likely -- which reduces the chances of it being 'hostile'.

Seriously scary though.

T

My line of thought as well. I reckon damaged is the most likely option.

--
Iain Norman | teknohippy.comteknohippy.comOpen ↗

"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Damaged seems the most likely -- which reduces the chances of it being 'hostile'.

Seriously scary though.

T

Id like to think the Schwarzenegger chest was the reason it broke ;-)

If it is no-one is going to argue with you :~)

"Tony W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Lee"

<[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Damaged seems the most likely -- which reduces the chances of it being 'hostile'.

Seriously scary though.

T

Id like to think the Schwarzenegger chest was the reason it broke ;-)

If it is no-one is going to argue with you :~)

I wish!

Lee said:

So, im cycling home on Monday evening in the rain down my normal commute thinkin bout a nice warm
shower when i get in.

I start up my 2nd incline which isnt too steep but it is a slow one when this flatbed truck comes
towards me on the road. Now from here on in im not sure EXACTLY what happened but the next thing i
remember is a GLASS bottle smashing on my chest and shards of glass hitting my throat. I stopped in
a panic (but was shocked so didnt turn around to see wtf had happened) and checked to make sure I
wasnt bleeding (i wasnt - VERY lucky) and continued the remainder of my uneventful journey home.

...snip...

Quoted message said:

Now this could have been a lot worse, i was VERY lucky (got away with a small "shave" cut on my
neck), if the glass had shattered any other way I could be in hospital right now.

...snip...

Quoted message said:

Lee (battered and bruised)

Christ! Whatever the cause, I hope you heal 100%. Could have been worse but it sounds nasty enough.

Gary

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Reply to gary <at> data <dot> mildenhall <dot> com
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"MSeries" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lee said:

Anyone here suffered anything like this? It shook me up but hasnt put

me

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

off my commute.

I have has a half empty PLASTIC beaker of beer thrown at me in Elland before by some pedestrians.
Stupid twunts missed.

--

Quoted message said:

--------------------------<

Posted via cyclingforums.com cyclingforums.comcyclingforums.comOpen ↗

Probably [censored] (must be if throwing beer away)

:-)

"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have has a half empty PLASTIC beaker of beer thrown at me in Elland before by some
pedestrians. Stupid twunts missed.

Quoted message said:

Probably [censored] (must be if throwing beer away)

Probably Leeds United fans. Nuff said.

"Gary Sinnott" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Christ! Whatever the cause, I hope you heal 100%. Could have been worse but it sounds
nasty enough.

Gary

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Reply to gary <at> data <dot> mildenhall <dot> com
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Yeah, i wasnt really injured, just a small nick on the neck.

Wasnt the nicest thing that ever happened to me but ill treat it as a freak incident!

"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Wasnt the nicest thing that ever happened to me but ill treat it as a

freak

Quoted message said:

incident!

given the type of vehicle, terrain and "missile" it does seem like a potential *accident* - it would
not suprise me if the trucks *load* was *glass bottles* en-route to a recycling facility (which
would have been rattling together anyway - it does not matter if they are smashed in the truck as
that is what will happen to them at recycling!) - one bounced out and you were just unlucky.

IME most incidents where a missile is thrown at a cyclist are by a *passenger* in a vehicle with
more than one occupant rather than the driver. Surely it is fairly difficult to keep control of a
motor vehicle *and* pelt *moving* targets at the same time!

I suppose the moral of this is to give trucks with easily "dispersed" loads a wide berth..

Alex

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have has a half empty PLASTIC beaker of beer thrown at me in Elland before by some
pedestrians. Stupid twunts missed.

Quoted message said:

Probably [censored] (must be if throwing beer away)

Probably Leeds United fans. Nuff said.

'nowt wrong with Leeds Utd. fans. Anyway, her said Elland, not Elland Road. Different places

Dene

"Mr R@t (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

given the type of vehicle, terrain and "missile" it does seem like a potential *accident* - it
would not suprise me if the trucks *load* was *glass bottles* en-route to a recycling facility
(which would have been rattling together anyway - it does not matter if they are smashed in the
truck as that is what will happen to them at recycling!) - one bounced out and you were just
unlucky.

Possibly although I seem to recall wood strapped to the back of the lorry - could be mistaken tho

Quoted message said:

IME most incidents where a missile is thrown at a cyclist are by a *passenger* in a vehicle with
more than one occupant rather than the

driver.

Quoted message said:

Surely it is fairly difficult to keep control of a motor vehicle *and*

pelt

Quoted message said:

*moving* targets at the same time!

I think there were 2 people in there - but like I say I didnt really see much cos i wasnt looking!

Quoted message said:

I suppose the moral of this is to give trucks with easily "dispersed"

loads

Quoted message said:

a wide berth..

On a 3 foot wide cycle path it aint easy!

Quoted message said:

Alex