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Risking a sing, sinking a risk

I had a little sing recently and discovered that headbutting the highway seems to have absolutely crueled my singing abilities. Not that I’ve ever been a top-of-the-list audio star or anything, but just holding a steady note at more than a whisper now seems to be beyond me.

No idea why he’d do this... but the guy who ambushed me reckons that I was carrying a ten-litre jerrycan (on a pushbike? the other witnesses disagree). He then said that he’d only opened his door “about two inches”. As if I’d ride that close to a parked car? As if 2 inches was enough to give me door-style head injuries all across my forehead (not shoulder) when I (presumably) hit it?

He also made a completely different statement about his excuse for lurking to the one he gave the Police. On top of this, he complained that my bike helment had come off — as if bouncing off his door and then headbutting a highway very hard as a result wouldn’t be easily enough to do that? I habitually check fastening and positioning of my helmet, every time I halt — specifically so things like this are less likely.

Ambusher also stated that he hadn’t seem me in his rearview mirrors (bright, clear day of course) & that my riding was irregular. The other witnesses — again, big surprise here — disagree.

Ambusher might have gotten away with this kind of garbage sans conscious witnesses, but AFAICT he’s only painting himself as a compulsive liar here, & I can’t see that self-abuse doing his case any good.

Hello? Is there anybody in there? Ambusher needs a part in a comedy. A tragi-comedy. )-:

Comments

Major said…
Has anyone asked this clod how, if he had not seen you, he knows that your riding was irregular.
Major said…
As an aide, Victoria has many places where your accident is just waiting to happen. Many if not most bike paths in this state are marked off lanes on the road between on-street parking and traffic. A government published safety booklet actually recommends that cyclists not use the paths (take a lane on the road instead) under a variety of circumstances.
Major said…
PS: I assume you are using the term "ambusher" facetiously, or are you actually contending intent as opposed to utter stupidity?
Leon RJ Brooks said…
AFAICT, the act was deliberate.

Amongst other things, lots of the ambusher’s written words fail to make sense. And differ from what he told the police on the day.

Sorry, smacking one’s face into a door and a road is not exactly a recall aid. )-:
Major said…
One of the most useful heuristics for dealing with the general public is "never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity".

Attemting to avoid being charged with some kind of negligence offense as a result of one's stupid, careless acts would be sufficient reason to lie to the police. Failing to remember your lies would be sufficient reason for later inconsistency.

You do rather have a tendency to see "design" anywhere you look, don't you 8-).
Leon RJ Brooks said…
Major: wouldn't say I thought of "design" here, I had "intent" much more in mind.

No real ideas yet about why it would happen, since writing off random cyclists is a very long, unimaginably long way from any field of ambition I'd aspire (or otherwise) to.

I'm just not used to planning or actualising such things, so I have trouble imagining how the thoughts or feelings would go. It's not ever been an overriding goal to think or feel along those lines, either.

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