E1A104 Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 And you actually carry a "pet" baseball bat around with you .... ??Specifically for bullies.Keep it in my tubbie bag. Thank goodness there is no pre-meditation in that or you could be in trouble.
Delgado Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 Another proud rainbow Sodom & Gomorrah tale...!!!!!
E1A104 Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 Is it Gomorrah or Gamorrah? I just want to know when we get to sing Kumbaja (spelling thing again ....)
Canaris Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 Now lets look at the article in ENGLISH and see if we can understand what happened: Cobus Coetzee, Beeld Johannesburg - A grandfather and engineer from Boksburg on the East Rand was attacked by six cyclists after he hooted at them in order to pass. Pierre Grobbelaar, 61, was attacked at his office in Concorde Street, Bedfordview, after he had hooted "very politely" to ask them to make way for him to pass about a kilometre from his work. "They formed part of a group of about 40 who were spread out across the road. I hooted and all of them moved away, but when I stopped at my office, six cyclists awaited me and started beating me," he said. Grobbelaar, who worked for Murray and Roberts, said he suffered several blows to the head and upper body and was sprayed with pepper-spray. "It felt like an eternity. They ripped my shirt from my body." The cyclists seemed to be part of an organised cycling practice run and all of them were wearing cycling gear. "When a colleague tried to help me, they threw her aside like a rag," said Grobbelaar. The cyclists stopped attacking him after one of them had used pepper-spray on him. Dr Frans Human from Germiston said on Tuesday Grobbelaar had suffered several bruises to his face and body, but the worst was that he had to receive a cortisone injection to improve his breathing. Superintendent Andy Pieke, a police spokesperson, said a case of assault was being investigated. "We haven't arrested any suspects, but Bedfordview police will be talking to all the cycling clubs in the area in order to identify the suspects," he said. ANALYSIS: So what " A grandfather and engineer from Boksburg " got to do with being attacked? Emotional junk? or are 61 year old grandfathers from Boksburg especially fragile and immune from annoying other? "attacked at his office in Concorde Street, Bedfordview" location of crime. Was the area fenced? was he attacked in the car or outside? "hooted "very politely" to ask them to make way for him to pass" How the F do you hoot politely, has his car got a special polite hoot button? "about a kilometre from his work." about a kilometer that is two minutes at 60 km/hr, if the group was cycling at 30km/hr that is only 2 minutes he would have lost. Me thinks that there is something fishy with the mans side of the story. "They formed part of a group of about 40 who were spread out across the road. I hooted and all of them moved away, but when I stopped at my office, six cyclists awaited me and started beating me," he said. From this we can infer that there was no traffic on the road. So in order for six cyclists to have covered the distance they had to cycle very fast, or this was an ambush (indicating a history of abuse) or he drove to his parking lot, casually got out of his car and headed for work........... Grobbelaar, who worked for Murray and Roberts, said he suffered several blows to the head and upper body and was sprayed with pepper-spray. Where was he at the time? in his car? (if he was in the car why did he open the door?) or had he climbed out of his car? If he was out of his car why did he not run from the assaliants who were in "cycling attire" (Including cycling shoes. Have you ever ran in cycling shoes?) These blows to the head and upper body were they with fists or with flat hands? did he hit back, did he throw the first punch? "It felt like an eternity. They ripped my shirt from my body." Is this a sign of an altercation and struggle? Was he giving as well has he was getting? "When a colleague tried to help me, they threw her aside like a rag," said Grobbelaar. This colleague, does she have a name? What did she witness? is this a sign of sloppy reporting, or was there a colleague at all? Why would she interfere against six burly lads? Where were the security guards at Murray and Roberts? The cyclists stopped attacking him after one of them had used pepper-spray on him. (THis is probably vindictiveness?, or is there more?) Dr Frans Human from Germiston said on Tuesday Grobbelaar had suffered several bruises to his face and body, but the worst was that he had to receive a cortisone injection to improve his breathing. So the peperspray was the worste of it. A man from Boksburg working in Bedverview and going to a doctor (with a name) in Germiston.
slowpoke Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 my point is that we need to hear their side. i cannot believe that they sommer bliksemmed a poor defenceless old man - and if he had bumped any of them, causing visible injury or not, and driven off without checking that his victim was unharmed then he got what he deserved. as to beating up the woman - if they had then the headline woulda been "cyclists charged with assault" - no mention is made of this alleged female victim having laid any charges, which would have been an even better selling headline. again, i reitterate - i would love to hear the cyclists side of htis story. and if their lives were endangered by this poor pathetic old man, then he got what he deserved.
City Cycling Athletic Club Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 crazy headlines sell newspapers.
Delgado Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 Can I predict how this ends?? Well let me see ...some poor sod, completely innocent and cycling on his own will get flattened as pay back by irate motorists? And so it goes on.....
Dr. Seuss Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 KonaFan - do you work for Brixton Moord & Roof?
linnega Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 There is never justification for resorting to violence to solve a problem. However there are a few obvious missing pieces to the story. Konafan is right - you cannot hoot politely. Secondly, if he passed the cyclists by moving across, then there was no need to hoot. He just had to pass as it was clearly safe to do so (he did it). The cyclists would then have no reason, need or cause to move over. I imagine it went more like - motorist sits behind bunch of cyclists and hoots, cyclists indicate that it is safe to pass in the other lane, motorist hoots again, cyclists respond with a F* you and a middle finger salute, motorist races past hurling abuse, cyclists hurl abuse back, motorist continues to hurl abuse after having parked his car, cyclists take it a bit far, motorist doesn't back down, cyclists act irresponsibly. Up to the point that the cyclists actually started physically assaulting the guy, I have no problem with their behaviour. Delgado - that attitude does no favours for anyone. Motorists cannot justify assault with their vehicles as payback for perceived actions of cyclists. That same motorist is just as likely to run over an innocent cyclist for any other reason as he clearly is mentally unstable. You cannot guard your actions because of the possibility of retribution from people lack in basic human decency with mental instability.
scotty Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 Secondly' date=' if he passed the cyclists by moving across, then there was no need to hoot. He just had to pass as it was clearly safe to do so (he did it). The cyclists would then have no reason, need or cause to move over. I[/quote'] Rules of the road are quiete clear, cyclist's may only ride 2 up when overtaking. Most likely 40 will 2-3 up, so motorist was perfectly entiteld to expect the cyclists to move out of the way irrespective of wheteher there was other traffic or not.
Delgado Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 There is never justification for resorting to violence to solve a problem. However there are a few obvious missing pieces to the story. Konafan is right - you cannot hoot politely. Secondly' date=' if he passed the cyclists by moving across, then there was no need to hoot. He just had to pass as it was clearly safe to do so (he did it). The cyclists would then have no reason, need or cause to move over. I imagine it went more like - motorist sits behind bunch of cyclists and hoots, cyclists indicate that it is safe to pass in the other lane, motorist hoots again, cyclists respond with a F* you and a middle finger salute, motorist races past hurling abuse, cyclists hurl abuse back, motorist continues to hurl abuse after having parked his car, cyclists take it a bit far, motorist doesn't back down, cyclists act irresponsibly. Up to the point that the cyclists actually started physically assaulting the guy, I have no problem with their behaviour. Delgado - that attitude does no favours for anyone. Motorists cannot justify assault with their vehicles as payback for perceived actions of cyclists. That same motorist is just as likely to run over an innocent cyclist for any other reason as he clearly is mentally unstable. You cannot guard your actions because of the possibility of retribution from people lack in basic human decency with mental instability.[/quote'] Linnega "my attitude" is merely a reflection of the reality that exists in our utopian society. Correct ....A motorist is likely to run over an innocent cyclist for any other reason but more so when there have been well publicized assaults by cyclist riding in mass groups.
linnega Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 I disagree - I think people that run over innocent cyclists deliberately either have a bone to pick with that specific cyclist or they are mentally unstable. The former overreacts to something specific done by the specific cyclist (press reports may have some impact on this but the fact of the matter is these idiots don't believe cyclists should be on the road so adverse/positive press reports don't change that) or the latter just cracks at any impulse. It is for this same reason that the turn the other cheek that some of you propose (or make way for the guy in the biggest vehicle attitude), I believe, is misguided. If a motorists infringes on your rights let him know. Preferably discuss the matter in a rational manner, but obviously that doesn't work when the guy is speeding off so a middle finger salute is a good option.
linnega Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 Secondly' date=' if he passed the cyclists by moving across, then there was no need to hoot. He just had to pass as it was clearly safe to do so (he did it). The cyclists would then have no reason, need or cause to move over. [/quote'] Rules of the road are quiete clear' date=' cyclist's may only ride 2 up when overtaking. Most likely 40 will 2-3 up, so motorist was perfectly entiteld to expect the cyclists to move out of the way irrespective of wheteher there was other traffic or not. [/quote'] The rules of the road also quite clearly state that a vehicle may not pass another in the same lane (for example, a car may not pass a cyclist as both are vehicles). Obviously practicality means that both the exception (cyclists and motorcyclists being allowed to ride two abreast) and the rule that no vehicles are allowed to be side by side in the same lane, needs to be treated with a level of practicality. There is no reason why the cyclists being the vehicles in front and therefore the vehicles with right of way, should be forced to move over when the vehicle without right of way (the motorist) is approaching from behind and can safely pass in the passing lane.
Gumpole Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 Linnega, I think what you are proposing is a 'crusade' to educate motorists through tough (but fair) action. The problem with this is that you are likely to be killed/ maimed/ dondered with a baseball bat a hell of a lot quicker than if you ignored the offending motorist. So what if 5 motorists in the Durban area are now a bit more considerate of cyclists due to 'meeting you if the 6th guy runs you down in a fit of road rage?? I think that if cyclists really cared about respect safety they would do something else rather than flipping a finger, which is a really easy response.
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