Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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I was watching a programme about the history of the High Speed Train (the intercity 125), it was relatively common to tie a house brick to a peice of string and dangle it off bridges at the drivers window height. It was one reason the HST was designed with bullet proof glass in the drivers window.
For many years it was a 'thing' for youths in the area around Prestonpans (just to the east of Edinburgh) to chuck bricks and stones and lumps of concrete at the trains on the Edinburgh mainline. I recall being on one and seeing something flying towards the window just behind me and landing witha thump. The window didn't break but another one in a carriage further back did. The train staff then got everyone out of the carriage and moved them forward (luckily it wasn't full) and we carried on at reduced speed until Newcastle where we waited for a bit and the carriage was removed. I still think about how lucky I was that that window behind me didn't break.
The brick throwing stopped after a few years.
Just imagine if someone who *really* hated motorists laid a stinger across some road, or even across a motorway? I wonder if that would be written off as a prank?
I've had a bag of flour dropped off a bridge over a motorway as I was passing underneath... luckily it missed me...
These incidents are worrying. There are some nutters out there who hate cyclists. And there are teenagers who may do rash (stupid) things without thinking them through and considering the risks.
Nailing your mate in the woods?
Nail. In some way cause grief to a mate. Tripping, shoving into ponds, pushing off branches . Pain would be a bonus but not enough to stop him trying the same in revenge. Sticks into front wheels were fun but best done when playing cavalry and stick was a sword substitute. All harmless fun with no thought to conseqences.
Thinked "nailed it" as replacement for "got it"
Not saying that all these incidents are innocent of course, just that I bet some are just ill though out fun.
See also https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/qld-hose-prank-leaves-cyc... which the lovely newspaper decided to call "a prank" despite the cyclist going to hospital with "...broken collarbone and several fractured ribs."
Can I ask you to clarify what you mean by "nail a mate in the woods" please?
Thanks, I was wondering the same thing.
i think the meaning is innocent. i hope
a bit like pegging a mate means something very different now than when i was in the scouts, and pegging each other was fun.. oh
To be honest I think that many of these cases are kids who don't think it through. Can't recall doing this but as a kid its the sort of thing I might do. In those days it would have been to nail a mate in the woods rather than anything malicious.
Of course maybe some of these cases are more intentional.
There have been a number of incidents like this, but I don't think any of them have resulted in prosecution as it is obviously pretty difficult to find those responsible. Is it just kids who think it's funny or is it die-hard petrol heads who really hate cyclists?
Maybe when someone dies as a result things might change, but why do we have to wait for that.