Another big angry cyclist attacks a lone female

A WOMAN has been left with a black eye after she was attacked and punched by
a cyclist whilst walking her dog on Sunday morning (May 27).


Lesley Elliott, 63, was walking her Springer spaniel, Megan, near the Café
on the Beach at Glyne Gap when she claims the unprovoked attack took place.
"I was walking along the designated pedestrian walkway towards Hastings just
before 11am; Megan was walking along the beach.



"A male cyclist came down the hill on the shared walkway from the Hastings
direction. He was travelling quite fast, then he screeched to a halt in
front of me and parked his bike between my legs!"

Lesley said she was subjected to a torrent of verbal and physical abuse from
the cyclist. "He said 'get out of my way', swore at me and shoved the bike
into me even more. I pushed him aside but then he grabbed me by the throat
and punched me in the eye."

"He was so hyped up and kept shouting 'restraint, restraint' and nearly
garrotted me.

"It was very frightening. He was a big obnoxious, intimidating bully who
tossed me around like a rag doll."

Lesley said the cyclist was a large man, around 6ft 2ins, aged between
35-40.

The attack took place in front of the café in full view of a number of
people who were eating breakfast. Two diners went to Lesley's aid. She said:
"They said to the cyclist 'that's enough' but he kept ranting and raging the
whole time so I called the police."

Police arrived within minutes but Lesley claims it took them nearly 20
minutes to calm the cyclist down. Lesley, who sustained a black eye and sore
neck in the attack, said: "There was a difference of opinion to what
happened as the cyclist said I was in the way but I was actually standing on
the white pedestrian symbol on the walkway!

A spokesman for Sussex Police said the cyclist apparently rode onto the
pedestrian walkway because the cycle lane was blocked with bikes. "Following
an altercation between a cyclist and a pedestrian the two officers who
attended the scene spoke to independent witnesses. It was subsequently
deemed that no offence had been committed and advice was given to both
parties."

Both Lesley and the cyclist chose not to press charges but Lesley feels that
something urgently needs to be done about the junction at the end of the new
walkway.

She said: "I think something needs to be addressed regarding the bikes
tearing down the hill at 50 miles an hour. A child will be killed there if
nothing is done.

"I'm also a cyclist but I would like to see something put in place, perhaps
a barrier that makes cyclists stop, dismount and walk through."

Lesley said if this were to happen at least something positive will have
come out of her experience.

An elderly pedestrian sustained injuries after being in collision with a
bike in the same location a few months ago.



She definitely should have pressed charges.


http://www.bexhillobserver.net/news/...-eye-1-3905651

On Sat, 2 Jun 2012 17:25:22 +0100, "Mrcheerful"
wrote:

A spokesman for Sussex Police said the cyclist apparently rode onto the
pedestrian walkway because the cycle lane was blocked with bikes. "Following
an altercation between a cyclist and a pedestrian the two officers who
attended the scene spoke to independent witnesses. It was subsequently
deemed that no offence had been committed and advice was given to both
parties."

A bit of an odd story.

These three seem able to share the path at that point happily enough:
https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/72566856

On 02/06/2012 17:25, Mrcheerful wrote:

http://www.bexhillobserver.net/news/...-eye-1-3905651

It was subsequently deemed that NO OFFENCE had been committed and advice
was given to BOTH parties."