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