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Windscreen spray 'prank'
I don't know if this happens regularly, or is somehow related to either the increase in motorists since lockdown, or merely because I've been cycling far more than I used to in the past few years...but I've had wiper fluid sprayed at me by passing cars at least once a week for the past month. The pattern is boringly repetitive - car swings past at walking speed (leaving me momentarily thinking, oh, good pass) and then I get a faceful of strong chemical detergent. It's classic big-man-bully as well because as soon as I react or raise a fist in protest, the bastards usually brake check me and spray again, as if to say nah-nah-nah-nah you can't catch me.
Anyone else have this happen? Or have it happen with increasing frequency?
I wonder if me catching them on camera would be worth any salt as it's not exactly endangering or violent - merely antisocial and a bit annoying. Cleans my glasses up a treat, though...
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18 comments
From my experience, it's just down to moron's not setting their washer jets correctly, you see it happen all over the place.
I have to confess when I was a kid - and with one particular teacher - we used to turn the nozzle on the spray to the side on the mini-bus and then someone sitting in the front would press the wash wipe and hit unsuspecting cars/pedestrians (I don't actually ever recall hitting a cyclist). One driver stopped, got out, and accused us of spitting out of the window.
In our defence, this was in the 1980s.
Should've been warned of this BEFORE I got into education. Even spit balls are dying in popularity these days in the classroom.
I've never experienced this riding my bike, it's happening when I've been walking.
I put it down to careless unawareness, nothing sinister.
I think you're imagining being targeted. Too many drivers seem unaware that they should check for nearby pedestrians before cleaning the screen in town. Sometimes they spray people. Usually they're apologetic when they realise. Some people are just cunts, though.
" wonder if me catching them on camera would be worth any salt as it's not exactly endangering or violent - merely antisocial and a bit annoying."
Frankly, if you waste police time with that, don't be surprised if they arrest you instead.
Never stood a chance of sending that to the cops tbh, I've acknowledged that. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Either that, or there's a weirdly coincidental rise in cunt-ery in my neighbourhood.
I've had deliberate close passers scream past then slow down until I'm nearly up with them, give it a burst on the washers and then zoom off again. This has happened a number of times, usually on country lanes - sadly never when I've had a camera. I've also seen people on "petrolhead" websites saying that they've turned their left-hand washer nozzle sideways so they can hit cyclists with the stream. The majority of times it's doubtless just people being inconsiderate, but it's equally doubtless that some are deliberate.
In terms of being worth reporting, it depends if it's dangerous; I once got some washer fluid in my eyes at around 40mph on my motorcycle (my fault, should have had the visor down) from a thoughtless driver in the next lane and it took a good few seconds to blink my vision clear again, it stung badly too. If someone did that deliberately in a situation where it could cause an accident the police would certainly not "arrest you instead".
Thanks for the validation. I did expect many to claim it's an innocent mistake, but despite my paranoia I'm sure some have done it maliciously. Consider the people who slowed down and then sprayed me again.
Dave, in hindsight, it seems a bit strange to be gaslighting my comment AND threatening that I might be arrested for reporting it, don't you think?
I wouldn't let him bother you, he appears to believe all cyclists are snowflakes who should be grateful that the rich folks in motor cars deign to let us have a little bit of road and shouldn't complain about anything.
He's a fantasist. Previously claims he takes phones off drivers and throws them away; assaulted a cyclist by running in the road to prevent them cycling through stationary traffic because he thought it was dangerous (obviously he is a mute).
SWAN!!
You're actually insane. None of that is true.
I had the same van seemingly squirt me several times as he passed on the same stretch of road at similar times of day (commuting) for a month or so. It didn't bother me as never got my face and just seemed childish so never responded. Once when I caught him in traffic as I rode past his window I commented "smell of window wash makes me horny" and I've never seen/smelt him do it again.
I think 'childish' is a good word, but I'm a school teacher so perhaps my behaviour management instinct is kicking in (i.e. 'They shouldn't be allowed to do that and get away with it.')
Don't think I'd get away with repeating your tactic though....
Brilliant!
I didn't 'gaslight' you, I just told you how the police will react. Not sure how explaining reality makes me a fan of that reality.
Surely the Police will react by ignoring it like they seem to do with most submissions (axes being thrown, mutiple submission by wstj, multiple submissions by me). You specifically stated vthejk would actually be arrested for wasting Police Time so I don't think you were explaining reality at all.
Didn't you?
Gaslighting: the act of manipulating a person by forcing them to question their thoughts, memories, and the events occurring around them.
Eg: 'I think you're imagining being targeted,' as a response to my simple recollection of someone consciously spraying me with their wiper fluid, and then consciously doing it again.
Thinking about it, I made a mistake agreeing with you the first time - my specific experience wasn't imaginary. I simply wanted to know if others had experienced this before and, perhaps, some advice on how I might go about addressing it.
Ok, so perhaps gaslighting is a slight exaggeration. Now we're both guilty of making hyperbolic statements to get a reaction. How's that feel?