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Oops - Stong winds and drugged/ignorant drivers.

I've done 8 miles today. In suburban Place. Village to Village and back twice with a bit of a mud churning detour thrown in the first time. It was all in the afternoon with low light nasty winds etc.

On the way back from the first trip which was on the mountain bike because it involved putting a geocache in a somewhat wet field position. I was wearing a hi-vis, helmet, gore-tex stuff everywhere and riding a bike that only has 11 hi level LEDs... at the back. I occupied the primary position for a helluva lot of the ride. I got onto the last 400m and was being buffetted side to side courtesy of the side streets but took up secondary after the traffic island as a courtesy. A Toyota came from behind and then alongside less than an inch from my rear view mirror. A wind blast caught me and I barely kept balance. Note to self stop cycling in 40mph winds until drivers have the faintest. As I went over to the right slightly I caught my pedal on his bodywork and then punched off against his B pillar pedalling was tough for a few seconds before we came free and he sped a few hundred feet on.

Then he pulled over. He did, I'm afraid get as threatening and as abusive as it comes with drugs talk being thrown in. The lovely officer talking in my ear through the bluetooth headset(999 when I saw the presumed real gun in the passneger's belt) kept me updated and I took him round to see how close he'd been by the lovely waveforms my pedals had cut through his. I offered to take him along the road to see where his tyre tracks moved on mine.

I don't know what he was on but it smelled horrible. I've smelled weed and skunk and "grassed-up a skunk factory once"

He agreed.

I was advised to ensure that if possible I kept something or a distance soon.

I was still pushing my bike so...

*Every* single car on the street stopped and erupted with officers

3 vans came around the corner with police carrying guns as long as my top bar.

The two guys went off in a van or vans I'm not sure which and I got put in the back of a Skodia Octavia to ensure I wasn't in shock or suffering PTSD (well where was the RRP team when I was beaten, stabbed, put into shock then?)(oh and you can't diagnose PTSD in the *First 15 minutes!

Back at my flat with 2 lovely WPCSOs. A couple of hours of tea and the easiest statement ever given. Lots of Armed respose and drug teams come in to say thanks and give me their cards (Isuspect they wanted to drain me of chai)

The phone beeps yet again and it's the geocache I'd laid earlier going live. I like to lurk at these and ask if it's OK to go play.

Head out on my proper bike. No helmet, but wearing a police hi-vis. Come to a kink in the road with an odd exit junction onto the road where I have right of way. Something Silverish approaches from her left with right of way. I, on the onhand have 300 lumen coming out the front.

My guttural bellow stops her before I have to get off and walk.. or have been a victim (not the volunteering sort).

Her response to not seeing me "You deal with these things"

I deal.

I've never been waved at by so many motorised police vehicles

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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13 comments

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pakennedy | 10 years ago
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It's written down in a lot more detail than here. I can't show the video anywhere as I haven't got it. I don't know when I'll get my camera back or if I'll get it back! It was only a cheap Muvi Veho but still...

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Stumps | 10 years ago
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Defo agree with OldRidgeback - dont post it, show it or tell about it till after the case. If the defence get wind of it they will call for a mistrial or some other shite to get the punter off.

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OldRidgeback | 10 years ago
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It's a good story, one to tell your mates over a beer at some point. I'm curious whether the turn of events will end up in the news. It'd make a pretty good article too with some rewriting, so you might want to work on it and send it to the cycling press. I doubt they get many pieces like that.

The cops may well want you to be a witness once the case comes to court, so writing it all up will probably help your recollection of the events. Do not post the video online as it's possible the cops may want to use it for evidence. If you decide to send it to a magazine, make sure you don't say where the incident took place. But it may be advisable to wait until the court case has been and gone before sending it for publication.

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OldRidgeback | 10 years ago
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Ok, I can fully understand the reason for the not quite coherent stream of Hunter S Thompson-like prose. I think you've earned a few brownie points with the local cops and that's no bad thing. Those have certainly helped with regard to the second incident too.

It's an interesting series of events.

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pakennedy replied to OldRidgeback | 10 years ago
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There was less swearing involved than Hunter S Thomson. I don't think traffic would have bothered with the second incident if it hadn't been for the first.

This is not to denigrate Leicestershire police in any way. They take cycling seriously and cycling incidents seriously. They *do* take the written form with a DVD of footage from a helmet-cam as evidence and will *usually* send someone to talk to the offender. I just don't usually get a 24 hour response.

We have a very visible local team who are often seen out on bikes. They are people who I would gladly take out for a coffee but they are busy with other crimes a lot of the time.

Breakfast and coffee have kicked in. Sensibility remains in place. It's a no cycling day for me. A 5k run instead before the rain comes back.

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pakennedy | 10 years ago
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Sorry for the bad grammar and train of thought writing last night. That's what I get for dictating to a tablet when exhausted and in a little shock.

Summary.

I got hit by a drug dealer with a car full of blocks of white powder. Timing was terrible as some police operation was waiting to take him down not far away. A multi force operation. I behaved well and the operation moved location to take him down around me. I was "debriefed" and thanked because having the car already stopped and the 2 people in it separated made things safer.

I was given contact details for lots of officers should I have any problems directly from the encounter or 'anything else' for my pains (and lots of coffee!)

Later I ended up in an altercation with another driver who decided that my having to pull an emergency stop to avoid being killed (Driving without due care and attention) was a case of "It wasn't my fault I didn't look, stuff happens deal with it."

I took down her registration.

I have a lot of officers who have a lot of good will for me currently. A couple of phone calls instead of filling in a "Report a dangerous driving incident" form accompanied by a DVD from my helmet-cam which I'd normally have done (except my helmet-cam is currently evidence) got an *actual* response.

Once I got home, I was shaking and going into a little shock so while the pasta cooked I had a little something(s) to calm my nerves. It appears that everything combined into a holy disaster of horrible grammar and flow for which I really apologise.

Update (while I was typing) - Traffic police went to the second driver's address, talked to her and courtesy of what she said to them will likely be issuing her a careless driving ticket with 3 points and a £100 fine, although the 3 points will be applied to a non-eu license so no holding of breath on that. Traffic officer also told me they are looking in to ways to make incidents like this trigger a requirement for non-eu citizens like her to take a UK driving test faster. A PC is coming to take a statement this morning.

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SideBurn | 10 years ago
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Maybe you took in too much of the smell of this person and his 'passneger' (what are you saying here  3 ) Thumbs up for Geocaching but I would love to have seen the looks on the officers faces if you said, "I've just got to pop out and check my Geocache" ('cos I would need to check my underpants  4 ).
Good story, these villains will probably get fined as much as £100 for this  14

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userfriendly | 10 years ago
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Hunter S. Thompson, is that you?  105

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Leviathan | 10 years ago
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I really hope English is not your first language; or you are on drugs yourself.
I have a story for you: 'It was so windy today I rode on the pavement at times.'

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northstar | 10 years ago
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And breathe...

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RPK | 10 years ago
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Yeah, I'm not getting a lot of sense out of this.

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kraut | 10 years ago
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I think I might start seeing guns in cars that drive dangerously...it's an easy mistake to make.

But, yeah, I also have no idea what happened on the second trip. Could you rewrite that part?

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Gkam84 | 10 years ago
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Well done, you have written the longest, but un-understandable post I have ever read.

You were hit by a guy who was on drugs and carrying a gun? Then you nearly got hit again?

You got taken home by the police?

That is about all I got from that....

p.s. 300 lumen isn't alot...

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