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Regent's Park Outer Circle (via StreetView).jpgStranger punches London cyclist in ribs in unprovoked attack
A woman has claimed that she was punched in the ribs by a dog walker while standing with her bike on the pavement next to Regent’s Park. She believes the unprovoked attack may have been because she was a cyclist.
The London Evening Standard reports that the woman – who asked not to be named over fears for her safety – was standing on Regent’s Park’s Outer Circle at around 6.45am on Friday when the incident took place.
She claims that a white man in his sixties, dressed all in black and wearing a black beanie hat, hit her in the side.
“I'd done absolutely nothing to provoke him and was not in his way nor was I blocking the pavement. This man decided to assault me and then abuse and shout at me despite no provocation from me whatsoever.”
She added: “Eventually I said ‘stop or I'll call the police’ and he shouted and pointed in my face calling me an idiot.
When a friend of the woman’s stepped in, the man fled with his dog.
“I don't understand what it was about. All I know is that this man hit me then abused me, ranting that I was an idiot and that I was standing on the pavement. I'm not an idiot.
“I'm a caring person; I'm an engineer, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and an athlete who just wants to be able to ride her bicycle safely and respectfully.
“I care about people and don't ride aggressively, dangerously or illegally but in any event I wasn't even riding at the time.”
She said that she was regularly threatened and intimidated and was, “tired of being abused simply for travelling around London using a particular mode of transport.”
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “Police are investigating an allegation of assault which was reported to have taken place in St Andrews Place at approximately 6.45am on Friday.
“The victim is a woman in her 40s – she was not seriously injured. She alleged she was punched in the ribs by a man as she stood with her bicycle on the pavement. No arrests. Enquiries continue.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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27 comments
Just the other day, I was cycling along, not a busy road, minding my own business, when I got hit in the back. My first, and shocked thought, was that I had been hit by a wing mirror. It was a can of lemonade. All of this in that mythical Mecca for cycling....France. Morons everywhere.
I bet if you found this bloke, and asked him why he did it, he'd come back with something about how this one time, a few months back, someone he knew told him someone they knew was nearly hit by a pavement cyclist... And since all cyclists have come out of the same cloning vat, therefore she deserved it
If cycling was a religion, this would be a hate crime.
If we were a tribe, this would be a hate crime.
If we were a nation, this would be a hate crime.
So, I say this —
Believe stronger in your beliefs.
Stand closer to your fellow tribesman.
And stand up taller as a nation.
Respek SS innit blud!
I bet she wasn't wearing a helmet, so the bloke hit her to demonstrate how she was putting herself at risk.
And this is why my daughter iearning Taekwondo!
my wife (and daughter) have just said ... "phukk that, I'd have smacked the twat" - I love my
girls
If cycling was a religion, this would be a hate crime.
Cycling IS a religion!!
You don't _have_ to be a cyclist to get random unprovoked abuse from total weirdos in the street in London. (Though it may attract slightly more of them. As, from what I've heard, does being a woman.)
Exactly.
Walking somewhere near Maida Vale towards a group of three teenage kids probably all knife wielding as they had that 'look' about them took all the space on the pavement, and didn't seem to want move over, in a typical Plymouthian way I gave one a hefty dose of shoulder which moved two of them out of the way.
"whassup bruv, you assaultin' me bruv, you assaultin' me bruv, I be bringing you down innit bruv, pop a cap in yo ass bruv innit" etc etc
Anyway I chuckled and walked away, It seems what goes down as assault in London differs from elsewhere.
Why dress it up. Just say what you mean. They were black.
And "a hefty dose of shoulder ", can be classed as assault.
I'm a caring person .. A daughter an engineer.. A sister a friend and an athlete.. My theory is he hit her a dig for reading out her C.V in public
I'm thinking either the Steve Miller band - the Joker, or Bitch by Meredith Brooks
If it was an attack on a car we'd have wanted posters from street cam footage up by now.
maybe he got annoyed at her babbling?
I don't really understand why anyone would make such a stupid comment. I'm guessing you've never been assaulted randomly and been left questioning why.
yes, you nailed it first time
you've also contradicted the woman here as she seems rather more certain than you what the reason was... which was pretty much my observation in making the comment in the first place
You must be new here
Yep tbh I mostly read the comments for amusement, but trivialising assault is just quite frankly disgusting. Jokingly or not it actually sounds like this person is condoning a random attack.
I've personally been subject to an unprovoked attack, I think I know what the reason was (nothing to do with cycling) but obviously without a clear explaination from the attacker, who is highly unlikely to get caught, then you are left with doubts.
I have no doubt she was a bit shaken up, and having been punched in the ribs, apparently randomly - that's fair enough
this is quite a separate issue from the evening standard making her look like a complete idiot by publically printing possibly the most inane witterings of someone who was still in a state of shock
Wow... look at that police statement. To be clear... this is an alleged assault.... the victim was not seriously hurt.... she was a cyclist
These are the most important points the police felt needed to be expressed.
Do you know what... I share the womans sentiments. I am fed up with being treated as a second class citizen simply for the mode of transport I use.
Utterly fed up with it. I'm fed up with apologists saying that its our own fault, the actions of a few ruining it for the rest of us... that is, to be frank utter rubbish... there is a continuos stream of negative media fueling anti-cyclist sentiment that needs to be addressed.
What are the corect channels to make a stand? is it raising the matter with your local MP? should a lobbyibng body be set up, or more vocal in its anti - anti-cyclist messaging?
it all gets a bit frustrating after a while.
Join the CTC and write a strongly worded letter to Womens Weekly, don't forget to shake your fist.
Alternatively get on with your life laissez-faire if you will Safe in the knowledge that dick heads will be dick heads the world over no matter what you do.
Fair point, but the level of dickheadedness and sneering from the general population towards cyclists seems beyond the norm. 60 year-old dogwalking white men can be dickheads too... or maybe he'd just read The Wail...
Easy now... we'll have people complaining about the 'militancy' on this site (which always makes me smile... a cycling site with daily articles about cyclists being killed and bullied gets people riled up - shock! I'm more suprised people haven't gone full Guy Fawkes yet).
I'm all for a bit of militancy - let's fight back. I'm right behind ideas posted on here that might Make A Difference, let's go all Fight Club or just join Stop Killing Cyclists or something (ironmancole posted on here the other day about a Use Your Car day. Zero response). It pisses me off when commenters criticise Die-Ins etc - might not be your thing, but don't knock people fighting on a different front.
But let's be honest, most of the time it feels we can't unite behind any cause, because ultimately all that ties us together is the use of the same mode of transport.
Walks up to and assaults unknown woman in the street. Takes a big, proud man to do that.
Bet that went down a storm in the pub that night.
Twunt.
It's only a cyclist. Everyone hates cyclists. I'm surprised the police are taking this one up, what with no independent witnesses or anything.