EVERY now and then a story breaks that shocks people.
So it was last week when police announced that they needed help to find a cyclist who bashed a pensioner at the Wellington Point boat ramp.
The attack was caught on camera.
It shows a man wearing BMC brand riding gear. He had a companion who stood nearby while the attack occurred.
Police have not resolved the issue yet so no blame can be apportioned but it appears the altercation may have stemmed from the driver – who was towing a boat – being deemed to be passing too close to cyclists.
We do not know if a legal distance between the road users occurred or whether the driver or riders were at fault.
What we do know is that more and more people are taking up cycling. It’s a great thing to do and it is hard to imagine a healthier sport.
As more cyclists crowd roads, the opportunity for vehicle-bike accidents grows.
This trend is forcing cultural change upon motorists, some of whom are irritated when held up by cyclists. Equally, there appears to be a similar number of cyclists bent on doing the wrong thing.
Just as some drivers come unnecessarily close to cyclists, some people on bikes demand more than their fair share of the bitumen.
Moreover, it is often middle-aged men observed riding or driving incorrectly or becoming involved in altercations.
This is an odd thing given we live in a society which works hard to impress safe road behaviour upon children.
Car drivers, especially those in trucks and large vehicles like four-wheel-drives, must be especially careful to give cyclists a wide berth and to respect that riders have just as much right to the road as larger vehicles.
Cyclists must similarly show respect to drivers and understand that they have no right or need to block a lane if there is suitable space elsewhere.
After all, no cyclist will win an argument with Mr Dunlop and no driver could get joy from causing the death or injury of a rider.
We do not yet know if the cyclist involved in the Wellington Point confrontation was a local or had, as many cyclists do, made the Redlands Coast his ride destination.
What we do know is that an attack occurred and that violence is no answer to any situation.
Let’s hope someone out there can help police identify the rider.
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