Egged at the Elephant: Warning to Cyclists

[jimbo1964]

Just a quick heads up. I was cycling along the cycle path that runs alongside the abandoned Heygate Estate (Old Kent Rd / Rodney Place) at about 7pm last night. I saw a group of youths appear on the overhead walkway and throw some objects at me. I was suddenly terrified as I thought they were rocks. They turned out to be eggs and one hit me on the head (luckily I was wearing a helmet). The whole Walworth area is a bit of a dodgy area for cyclists (some idiots tried to push me off my bike last year). I think it's best to stick to the main roads after dark. I'm probably going to stop using the Surrey Canal path after dark too.

[James]

Someone posted on here that they were attacked with a scaffolding pole on their bike in this area, on their way home from work. So do be careful. You're best sticking to the main roads I think.

[copleston_charlie]

I think it's safer just to avoid this area - it's not worth the risk?

[Ladymuck]

Does anyone know those "lovely" apple trees on the estate off Melbourne Grove? Well, I've always admired them and thought "what a wonderful idea" UNTIL some youths decided to throw them at me as I cycled past a few weeks ago...they appeared to be having a fabulous time AT MY EXPENSE! Little GITS!

[James Barber]

please pleasep please report such incidents to the Police.

Going on a forum and not reporting it is frankly irresponsible.

[Steady Eddy]

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[viclee]

um dont really think the police will do much about it, call me a sceptic

[Steady Eddy]

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[Ladymuck]

JBARBER Wrote:

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> please pleasep please report such incidents to the

> Police.

> Going on a forum and not reporting it is frankly

> irresponsible.

Oh PLEASE! I remember getting KNOCKED OFF MY BIKE by a taxi driver who had stopped at a GREEN traffic light and allowed a passenger to open the door to get out...which resulted in my "crashing" into the suddenly opened door and ending "tits up" in the road. I reported it to the Police only to be told that I should have cycled further away from the door! Waste of time!

[Steady Eddy]

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[H]

I was nearly rammed off the road by a lorry earlier this summer. I was in my lane dressed in my customary bright yellow gear and was quite obviously there. He just continued to drive along at speed and didn't try to take any care whilst barging past me. One wobble to the right and I would have been squished. Anyway, I managed to get his number plate and rang the metropolitan police's non-emergency number 0300 123 1212 and they put a tag on his vehicle which means he would have been stopped and spoken to. They were very helpful and not at all dismissive of my report, I would recommend ringing them in these sorts of indcidences.

[Ladymuck]

Steady Eddy Wrote:

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> Hello Ladymuck

>

> I am wondering how long ago this was when you got

> this response upon reporting it. Things are

> changing quite quickly in the police handling of

> incidences so they are getting much better at

> handling incidences. They are realising that this

> is a need, at last.

>

> I know I hate even now reporting to the normal

> line because there still can be a detached

> attitude of personal incidences, but have had a

> very different experience via the Safer

> Neighbourhoods Teams (SNT). If you had reported

> this incident to the SNT and got this kind of

> response then I would be concerned and I would be

> doing something about it, because it goes against

> what they stand for.

>

> I hope that officer did log your report and not

> just dismiss it altogether. If he didn't you

> should complain and how you also you felt about

> their response to your accident. When you report

> this to the normal line, it should be handed down

> to the SNT to deal with. Some times it doesn't,

> that's why I report straight to the SNTs. You do

> get a better service from them and I do recommend

> them, from my personal experience of good and bad

> police practise.

>

> Please don't let that experience put you off

> reporting in future.

Thanks Steady Eddy for taking the time to post this - I'll bear your comments in mind.

[reggie]

result!!

How refreshing.

If Carlsberg made forum posts.....

[woofmarkthedog]

Were the eggs organic or just free range ?

It's always been dodgy in Camberwell, i lived there for years......Very lively..

Hmmm

W**F

[mazza7103]

but if the police dont know about it then how can they be expected to do anything. the police dont live in the area so will not be aware of what is happening unless people report.

[davy watts]

I was egged by a group of youths the other day as well. I gave chase but they scrambled.

[Wiggle]

2 years ago I was cycling along Peckham Road on my daily commute home from Canary Wharf and was shot at with an air gun in broad daylight* (about 5pm in evening); the pellet hit me in the neck and only caused bruising (probably because of the 3-4 layers of clothing I was wearing). It was directly outside the police station so I popped in to report it - the kids (about 5 of them) had done a runner by that stage.

When I eventually got to speak to someone I was told to take a seat as they were busy - because of the lack of interest I went home and called the Community Support guys who were great and took all of the details down. They said that they had had reports of similar that day and would report my incident to the police - the police would contact me. As I said, that was 2 years ago............

*fair play to them in one sense - I was doing about 20k/h at the time so it was a cracking shot from about 30 feet away.

[Steady Eddy]

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[Miss P]

To go back to the original post, I was driving down Heygate street this time last year, and I spotted some people on the bridge over the road. They looked like they were about to throw something at the car infront of me. To my utter horror, I realised it was a fire extinguisher. Fortunately, the missed the car in front & as soon as I safely could, I pulled over and dialed 999. The police turned up, but I don't imagine they caught anyone. How people could be so utterly thoughtless and stupid left me stunned and scared.

[jimbo1964]

I was really scared that it was something like a rock they were going to throw at me. There are plenty of instances of this happening from motorway bridges and people being killed. I take a different route now.

[Steady Eddy]

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[cacaolat]

My wife used to follow the cycling route through Walworth for her commute. A few years ago she was stopped by hooded youths and they mugged her bike including attached bag with belongings phone etc. This happened on Portland Street at about 7pm. The police drove around with her and did a drive by identification but they did not get them.

[cacaolat]

My wife used to follow the cycling route through Walworth for her commute. A few years ago she was stopped by hooded youths and they mugged her bike including attached bag with belongings phone etc. This happened on Portland Street at about 7pm. The police drove around with her and did a drive by identification but they did not get them.

[thebestnameshavegone]

Cycled that way for the best part of 6 years. Never had a problem and I go through the middle of the Aylesbury to avoid the OKR.

'Youths' have been doing this kind of thing since the 50s, I think you'll find.

[Sandperson]

Me too TheBest. Two plus years and counting and not a sign of trouble, even when breaking down.