Hit by a projectile - on purpose!

As I was cycling along at about 20mph I felt something whack into my back, at first I was so shocked I didn't know what had happened, I thought I had been clipped by a wing mirror it hit that hard :eek:

After I managed to stop without falling off I realised a friendly motorist/passenger had thrown and egg at me :mad:

I can't believe that someone would do that......I'm so angry!
And despite the fact that it was only an egg I'm now sporting a nice bruise :(

As I cycle mostly by myself I now feel worried about going out alone, what if I'd have been knocked off? Have people got no sense?

This happened to me about 6-7 years ago. DH and I were riding after work, about 5 PM and 2 kids were crouching behind a stone wall and "egged" us. It hit me on the helmet. I thought someone had shot me! We went back when we realized what happened and rang the bell. They were in there... when they didn't answer, we looked in their mailbox and got their name. Since the name was unusual and one that I recognized, I filed it away. Several weeks later, I was at the local pharmacy and I saw a car in the lot with a vanity plate with the same last name... I left a note on the windshield. Within 2 hours a woman had called me, saying it was her nephews, who were in a messy and dysfunctional family situation/single dad.
This is one good thing about living in a small town.

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Originally Posted by Mako

As I was cycling along at about 20mph I felt something whack into my back, at first I was so shocked I didn't know what had happened, I thought I had been clipped by a wing mirror it hit that hard :eek:

After I managed to stop without falling off I realised a friendly motorist/passenger had thrown and egg at me :mad:

I can't believe that someone would do that......I'm so angry!
And despite the fact that it was only an egg I'm now sporting a nice bruise :(

As I cycle mostly by myself I now feel worried about going out alone, what if I'd have been knocked off? Have people got no sense?

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How mean and potentially dangerous! Sorry to hear that happened to you. Man, these wackos. Do people routinely bring eggs with them to throw? Sheesh.

(((Mako))) It happened to me recently. I had a thread about it. Not eggs, though. At least the pizza box missed me, and the coins didn't hurt.

All you can do is know that these events are few and far between, and 99% or your rides will be positive. Focus on that, and get back on the bike. I believe the universe keeps tabs on things like this, and they will pay somehow.

Sorry, to hear that happened to you. It is rather startling! I got shot by a paint gun once by a car driving by. By the time, I realized what had happened, the car had gotten away, then they went into a 25 mile per hour neighborhood with speed bumps. I sprinted as hard as I could and almost caught them to get the plate, but they escaped from the neighborhood before I could get it.

That really made me mad!

Oh how awful! I'm so sorry that happened to you and hope it was a random, not-likely-to-be-repeated event.

Hi, thanks everyone!

I guess the best thing I can do is to try not to link it to cycling.

Being armed with eggs on a sunday afternoon implies they were out looking for trouble - they aren't the sort of things I keep in my glove box just incase!
I would probably have been hit if I'd just have been out walking.

I wish I'd have reliased what was happening in time to get the registration number. Glad I didn't catch up with the car, they would have ended up with a foot shaped dint in the side....which wouldn't have been clever of me.

Redrhodie - Just read your thread. Impressive that you managed to stay so calm and collected. I'm really glad they got them! Coins and a Pizza box? thats mental :eek:

Anyways I thought the best thing to do was go out for a ride. Took my big brother with me as I was feeling a bit nervous, but all went fine and I was sooo tired by the end of it I'd forgotten all about it :)

I'm sorry for everyone else with similar experiences whilst it may not be a regular occurance, once is more than enough!

Now that you mention it, I have almost been egged while walking. Halloween, Little Italy, NYC--I was asking for it. :rolleyes: So yeah, they would have thrown them at you if you were walking, too.

I'm so glad you are ok!

I can't believe people sometimes. I wonder if it is national throw stuff at cyclists day. I had a teen chuck a soda cup (with ice still in it) at me. Luckily they did it after they passed me (He leaned out the passenger window backwards and threw it) so I was able to avoid it by riding off the shoulder into the grass but UGH!

Several years ago I had somebody throw a beer can at me. I, too, tried to catch them but I got trapped at a red light & s/he ran it.

The winner for me, though, was when an idiot turn right in front of me & I almost laid down my bike. I followed him into the parking lot & called the cops. When he came out of the store, there were two deputies waiting for him. His response: "She almost scratched my car." Sheesh!

(NB - the only reason the cops came out is because DH is a retired cop & they recognized the name.)

My dh has had fast food items thrown at him while out cycling. The worst though is when a couple of kids were out and were shooting arrows at him! Fortunately, his sister was riding a ways back and witnessed it. She then went to the house, spoke to the parents, and threatened to call the police.

I got hit by a piece of fruit thrown from a car window on my shoulder. I don't think it was accidental at all... as I was riding stoker on our tandem at the time.

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Originally Posted by Kiwi Stoker

I got hit by a piece of fruit thrown from a car window on my shoulder. I don't think it was accidental at all... as I was riding stoker on our tandem at the time.

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Sorry to read this Kiwi, I don't understand people. I rode as stoker on a tandem Sunday evening for the first time on a club dinner ride and we got on one section of road where people were buzzing us pretty close.

Last summer, a guy threw his drink on me as I was trying to make a right turn. He was on the sidewalk.

People suck.:( I hope your okay.

Wow. That is awful. I am glad (or sad) that others have experienced it but say it is far and few in between. I myself had a big gulp tossed at me while I was on a road. Scared me senseless at the time. I was going about 26mph starting down a hill and it could have been bad. Have to chock it up to the fact that people are just mean sometimes no matter where you are.

I once was hit in the back by a water balloon tossed from a car of speeding juvenile males. It felt like a brick hitting and almost knocked me off my bike. :mad:

I was hit by a big rock as I was very slowly going up a big hill in a city. Kids on the sidewalk thought it would be funny to knock me over, I guess. They tossed it at my front wheel, but I managed to stay upright and kept pedaling. At least they didn't throw it at my face.

A diaper at me. What I'm assuming was a dirty one. Luckily I was going one way and the SUV was going the other, and clearly their aim was not as nearly as good as they thought. Just annoyed the crap out of me. Haha, crap, dirty diaper! :)

I wasn't even on the road, but on a multi-use trail right beside it. People do, at times, suck.

Some people are just scum.
It's not just bikers who have things thrown at them. Here in my town last year there were two women out running and a young man (big surprise there) threw a soup can at them out the widow of a car. It hit one of the women right in the center of her chest, knocking her down. She was taken to the hospital but was not seriously hurt. They never did catch the guy.