Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Birmingham cyclist warns fellow riders after car passenger pushed him off bike

Incident in Edgbaston yesterday the latest of many around the country in recent months

A Birmingham cyclist and road.cc reader has asked us to share his warning to fellow bike riders in the West Midlands city after he was pushed off his bike by a car passenger yesterday.

The cyclist, Mike Walsh, told us that the incident happened on Gilhurst Road in Edgbaston, south-west Birmingham, yesterday afternoon.

He said other cyclists should be attentive if they became aware of motorists pulling alongside them at the same speed, urging them to “just stop if that happens.”

Last month, a cyclist in Weoley Castle, also in south-west Birmingham, needed nine stitches in his arm after he was pushed off his bike by a motorcycle pillion passenger.

> Birmingham club cyclist deliberately pushed off by masked motorbike passenger

There have been similar incidents elsewhere in the country, including a spate of cases of car passengers shoving cyclists from their bikes in Kent over recent months.

> Kent cyclist pushed off road by car passenger

And following another incident in Hartlepool, County Durham, last month, local MP Mike Hill said that such actions were “tantamount to attempted murder.”

> Pushing cyclists off their bikes is “tantamount to attempted murder,” says MP

Referring to his experience yesterday as he rode home from work, Mike told us: “I was conscious of a car coming very close to me and then slowing down.

“The next thing I knew was a shove in the back.

“I wobbled but managed to unclip and keep my balance – just as well because the grass verge had a line of sharp looking rocks embedded in it.

“The young man who pushed me from the passenger window then gave me some verbal as they drove away laughing.

“More mates in the car behind who seemed to think it was hilarious as well.

“I was too shocked to get the registration.”

He added that he had reported the incident to West Midlands Police and is expecting a call from them tomorrow to discuss the incident.

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.

Add new comment

16 comments

Avatar
PRSboy | 4 years ago
2 likes

Keep a screwdriver within easy reach, for bike maintenance purposes obvs!yes

Avatar
brooksby replied to PRSboy | 4 years ago
1 like

PRSboy wrote:

Keep a screwdriver within easy reach, for bike maintenance purposes obvs!yes

Ninja rocks in a bag on your belt (like those bags climbers use to keep chalk in).

"There were definitely spark plugs in there when I set off, officer: I can't imagine what happened..."

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
1 like

Someone attempted a push on me 2 weeks ago in Ladywood just next door to the Edgbaston. Similar thing where a car pulled close to me at a similar speed. I looked and the passenger was trying to reach and apparently (on review of video) tried to film it on his phone. Either the driver did not get close enough, or he gave up when he saw me see him but they stopped. I was doing 25mph at the time so glad they were unsuccessful. I reported it to WMP via the dashcam uploader but like alot of these, I have heard nothing even though the car is untaxed as well.

On a seperate note, does anyone know whether I should be doing a GDPR or a SAR to get details on any of mu submissions?

Avatar
ronin | 4 years ago
13 likes

This happened to me a couple of years ago.  I came out my house planning to go for a personal best on Mucklow Hill near Halesowen in Birmingham.  Everything was perfect, It was early evening in the Summer, and I was flying on my bike.  So, at the island before the hill starts I notiched a people carrier next to me.  I didn't take much notice.  Many times I take a mental note of registrations and details of cars next to me out of habbit, but not this time.  I left the island quicker than any of the cars and had a clear run at up the hill.  As I was climbing out of the saddle, the same renault people carrier came beside me and one of the ghetto rats in the passenger seat grabbed my saddle and shook it.  I went down but rolled to the left instead of the right, or I may not be here typing this now.

Cars just rolled past like I was invisible.   I had holes in my favorite Assos top/shorts, cuts and grazes.  The police weren't much help.  There was no cctv footage around the area it seems, although there are a few buildings with cameras (whatever).

What's so stupid in this country is, if you identify as LGBQT or whatever, all of a sudden you need to be protected by law.  Although, what you do in the safety of your bedroom is your business and not mine.  You can't tell someones sexual orientation just by looking at them.  People shouldn't be discriminated against period.  Not only certain types of people.

If you're a cyclyst however you're very identifiable.  How stupid it is that we even single people out  as cyclists.  Surely you're just a man or woman on a bike - a mode of transport.  We don't single out people who walk or those who take the bus. Instead, all of a sudden you are somehow this 'other' just because you don't wish to subscribe to ill health through a sedentry lifestyle.   People sympathize more with drug users than cyclists!

There is a saying "The people get the leaders they deserve".  Unless we have leaders who understand cycling is part of the solution, not the problem, the negative image of cyclists will persit.  And those in the media that portray cyclist in a bad light, should be prosecuted for hate crimes, because it leads to behaviour that puts peoples lives who ride a bike on the road at risk.

Another wisdom which would solve our problem: A position of leadership is not given, to those who ask for it.  Imagine a mindset where you just want to control other people, but your own personal conduct is less than to be desired.  That right there is our problem.  Tune in next week where I give the solution  4

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to ronin | 4 years ago
0 likes

ronin wrote:

  And those in the media that portray cyclist in a bad light, should be prosecuted for hate crimes, because it leads to behaviour that puts peoples lives who ride a bike on the road at risk.

 

 

My emotional response is that they should indeed do this.  But there are so many things that would be the case if people were rational and consistent in moral judgements, but which just aren't, because humans are not rational and ideas about ethics and morality are always partially determined by power (things get judged morally "good" or "bad" partly on whether they are in the interests of those who happen to hold power in a society or culture).

 

 Much as I'd like to see all those professional trolls, bullies, and liars frantically back-tracking to stay out of jail, It is clearly never ever going to happen.

 

(Also, sexual-orientation is often visible, even if not with 100% accuracy, if it were otherwise, "gay bashing" would not happen)

 

To me it still seems that the only (partial) solution is to get better physical infrastructure.

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
2 likes

That sounds really nasty.

Cameras can be handy for those kinds of situations when you can't get their reg (understandable when you're shocked like that) and of course providing some evidence of it. It's a shame that without footage the police are unlikely to catch them.

Avatar
Sriracha | 4 years ago
2 likes

It's strange, "lock 'em up" is generally seen as the Telegraph reader's go-to solution, but it seldom seems to actually work. It gets them off the street, but of course they come out again worse than before. Not sure what the answer is. I have a feeling that they need to be made to comprehend the stark reality of their "fun" and understand themselves for the turd that they are, and want to change. Whereas at present I guess they revel in it.

Avatar
Pilot Pete | 4 years ago
4 likes

Stiffer sentencing required methinks. Loss of licence for 5yrs for the driver + a charge of aiding and abetting a crime plus a custodial for the perpetrator ABH or GBH at the least surely?

PP

Avatar
crazy-legs replied to Pilot Pete | 4 years ago
4 likes
Pilot Pete wrote:

Stiffer sentencing required methinks.

Yes, all cyclists should be allowed to carry guns. A few "stiffer sentences" handed out at the roadside at the point of the crime would do wonders for driver manners.

Avatar
jonathing replied to crazy-legs | 4 years ago
2 likes

crazy-legs wrote:
Pilot Pete wrote:

Stiffer sentencing required methinks.

Yes, all cyclists should be allowed to carry guns. A few "stiffer sentences" handed out at the roadside at the point of the crime would do wonders for driver manners.

 

Top tube mounted rocket launcher, you know if makes sense.

Avatar
LastBoyScout replied to jonathing | 4 years ago
5 likes

Jonathing wrote:

Top tube mounted rocket launcher, you know if makes sense.

Pretty sure I don't want my crotch in the firing line of the rocket propulsion system!

Avatar
burtthebike replied to jonathing | 4 years ago
0 likes

Jonathing wrote:

crazy-legs wrote:
Pilot Pete wrote:

Stiffer sentencing required methinks.

Yes, all cyclists should be allowed to carry guns. A few "stiffer sentences" handed out at the roadside at the point of the crime would do wonders for driver manners.

Top tube mounted rocket launcher, you know if makes sense.

I've been thinking more in terms of a massive catapult with ball bearings.

Avatar
OldRidgeback replied to burtthebike | 4 years ago
1 like

burtthebike wrote:

Jonathing wrote:

crazy-legs wrote:
Pilot Pete wrote:

Stiffer sentencing required methinks.

Yes, all cyclists should be allowed to carry guns. A few "stiffer sentences" handed out at the roadside at the point of the crime would do wonders for driver manners.

Top tube mounted rocket launcher, you know if makes sense.

I've been thinking more in terms of a massive catapult with ball bearings.

If you were caught it'd still be classed as an offensive weapon and you'd likely be charged accordingly. What you need to take is something a cyclist could reasonably be expected to be carrying, such as a large adjustable (30cm/12") spanner. Because it's a tool a cyclist might normally carry, it is far less likely to be classed as an offensive weapon should you find yourself in the position of having to defend yourself.

Just saying.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to OldRidgeback | 4 years ago
1 like

OldRidgeback wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Jonathing wrote:

crazy-legs wrote:
Pilot Pete wrote:

Stiffer sentencing required methinks.

Yes, all cyclists should be allowed to carry guns. A few "stiffer sentences" handed out at the roadside at the point of the crime would do wonders for driver manners.

Top tube mounted rocket launcher, you know if makes sense.

I've been thinking more in terms of a massive catapult with ball bearings.

If you were caught it'd still be classed as an offensive weapon and you'd likely be charged accordingly. What you need to take is something a cyclist could reasonably be expected to be carrying, such as a large adjustable (30cm/12") spanner. Because it's a tool a cyclist might normally carry, it is far less likely to be classed as an offensive weapon should you find yourself in the position of having to defend yourself.

Just saying.

Thanks.  So why isn't a car an offensive weapon when it is used as one?

Avatar
El Camino | 4 years ago
1 like

That's a shocker. I commute on that road an awful lot.
Hope you feel okay soon, Mike.

Avatar
burtthebike | 4 years ago
9 likes

I'm sure the talksport twat will be instantly condemning this totally unjustified violence.   And admitting that his previous interventions only increased the risk to cyclists everywhere.  Or not, because he's a twat.

Latest Comments