Smashed with a Watermellon

pprendeville

Anyone read the report in the Sunday Independent yesterday about the journalist cycling past Mountjoy Prison (I think twas there anyway) and getting a box of a watermellon into the head and falling off the bike. He didn't mention anything about wearing a helmet but I guess that would frighten the living daylights outta you. Lucky to be alive if you ask me.

I really dislike cycling through the city. Traffic is dangerous even if you take your time. Fumes from cars gives me a pain in my head and now there's the chance of getting struck by a watermellon. Crazy.

manwithaplan

There was always a chance of being struck by a watermelon, as this incident proves.

niceonetom

They've been known to throw stuff a lot worse than watermelon.

Lumen

I have nothing relevant to add to this bizarre story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfEmHmbraww

kmick

I have had stuff thrown at me before but I always saw it coming and thankfully they always missed. That guy needs to keep his eyes and ears open.

bugler

I had dog shit thrown at me across from Temple St. Children's hospital. I now wear a full biohazard suit and mask when cycling.

Lahm

pprendeville wrote: »

He didn't mention anything about wearing a helmet. Crazy.

Urgent letter being penned to the indo. I'd say it would make print.

Tinder

I had a cigarette thrown from a car window go down the front of my T-shirt. :mad:

chakattack

pprendeville wrote: »

Anyone read the report in the Sunday Independent yesterday about the journalist cycling past Mountjoy Prison (I think twas there anyway) and getting a box of a watermellon into the head and falling off the bike. He didn't mention anything about wearing a helmet but I guess that would frighten the living daylights outta you. Lucky to be alive if you ask me.

I really dislike cycling through the city. Traffic is dangerous even if you take your time. Fumes from cars gives me a pain in my head and now there's the chance of getting struck by a watermellon. Crazy.

I have one of these anti-pollution masks for sale is you're interested. It's plain black unlike the pictures on wiggle. Only used once and in perfect nick. Yours for a tenner and I can deliver to Finglas.

I prefer to train in the countryside so don't really have any need for it. If you're pottering into town and don't want to inhale a load of filth it's great.

seanie500

had a half full plastic coke bottle thrown at me on sally gap a few weeks ago by some scummer in a passing car! good job it hit my helmet(one on my head!);)

SerialComplaint

pprendeville wrote: »

He didn't mention anything about wearing a helmet

But is there any sound research that shows the benefits to watermelons of wearing helmets?

MarkR

Seeing as they often describe peoples heads being burst like a melon, then surely they have the same squishy properties. So really they should both equally absorb the impact. You and the watermelon will be left with minor bruising, and you'll have the added benefit of a refreshing snack.

Slightly Bunkers

Someone threw the road at me on friday evening and it hit me on the chin! Well it must have been thrown 'cos I would never fall off my bike!!!!:o

Liamo08

Seriously a watermelon WTF?

Worst I've had is someone slap me from the passenger seat of a car on Howth Hill. You have to wonder what going through their heads when they're deciding to throw stuff at cyclists, is it really going to make their day to knock someone off their bike and possibly seriously injure them?

ED E

Eggs, snow, and a 3/4kg slab of ice here. Never watermelons though. Must watch out for them now:P

emtroche

I met a guy at the electric picnic a few years ago who put half a watermelon on his head helmet style. He claimed it was good for re-hydration.Thats my 2 cents.

Jawgap

Sprayed with coke and had a half full (I'm an optimist) can of beer thrown at me, plus the usual snowballs and a few acorns once when I was in the Phoenix Park.

The worst was not so much thrown at me, but spat at me - coming out of work one evening and for some reason this "person" took offence and spat at me - nice big gobby one right down my leg (he must've been getting over a dose of bronchitis!). Went around the corner and hosed myself off with my water bottles.

emtroche

The bangers at halloween are always fun.

pprendeville

Liamo08 wrote: »

Seriously a watermelon WTF?

Worst I've had is someone slap me from the passenger seat of a car on Howth Hill. You have to wonder what going through their heads when they're deciding to throw stuff at cyclists, is it really going to make their day to knock someone off their bike and possibly seriously injure them?

How do you get slapped from a car? You must have been stopped and made a really rude remark coz I can't think of anything else.

Lumen

pprendeville wrote: »

How do you get slapped from a car? You must have been stopped and made a really rude remark coz I can't think of anything else.

You assume the assailant is rational.

There have been a few reports here of cyclists being pushed or slapped on the arse from a car, with no provocation.

pprendeville

Had a McDonals Ba da ba ba ba thing of coke thrown at me one day also. really annoying. I rekon the car was an inch away from my pedal as well doing 60-70km/hr. How I stayed on the bike I'll never know.

Was shot at with a bazooka also one day but managed to outspeed it. :eek: Mark cavendish should be leading me out.

Liamo08

pprendeville wrote: »

How do you get slapped from a car? You must have been stopped and made a really rude remark coz I can't think of anything else.

Yes sure that's obviously what happened. :rolleyes:

A guy reached out from the passenger window and hit me on the back as I was near the top of the hill, completely unprovoked and as I was flat out at the time I was far from able to make a rude remark. As Lumen has pointed out these guys are idiots, the car was less than 2 feet from me when it happened so if I had swerved from the shock of it I'd possibly have gotten knocked down as well.

f1000

Mudguard from a truck hurled at me from a kid & hurt like hell. Luckily I had a helmet on.

pprendeville

Liamo08 wrote: »

Yes sure that's obviously what happened. :rolleyes:

A guy reached out from the passenger window and hit me on the back as I was near the top of the hill, completely unprovoked and as I was flat out at the time I was far from able to make a rude remark. As Lumen has pointed out these guys are idiots, the car was less than 2 feet from me when it happened so if I had swerved from the shock of it I'd possibly have gotten knocked down as well.

You only get slapped by a woman. Men don't slap (proper men anyway).

Agree, they are idiots though.

eightyfish

Rugby ball to the helmet. Haven't been targeted with anything organic.

Mid you, there are some Sunday Indo journalists I wouldn't mind seeing pummelled with a watermelon (in a Roadrunner kind of way).

daymobrew

pprendeville wrote: »

How do you get slapped from a car? You must have been stopped and made a really rude remark coz I can't think of anything else.

Brother-in-law was slapped while moving (passenger reached out). At lights a 100m further on the passenger waved a hatchet out the window. Brother-in-law had held back, still recovering from the the slap. Unfortunately he didn't note the reg plate (I'd have driven him to local station to report assault).

Beasty

daymobrew wrote: »

Brother-in-law was slapped while moving (passenger reached out).

Happened to me about 18 months ago - someone hanging out of the passenger window almost shoved me into the hedge. It was a Friday afternoon, and I suspect drink was involved. They drove on, then turned round and came back past me - didn't compose myself quickly enough to get the full number plate unfortunately (still remember it was black 01-D with L plates though!). Lady in the car behind who witnessed it was probably more shocked than I was!

unionman

"It is quite horrible that, out there, it is raining fruit and a tragedy is waiting to happen. The violence is growing. In the past year, the incidence of friends, relations and colleagues being attacked on the streets and in their own homes has increased. Daily, there are stories of innocent victims caught up by the mayhem around us."

CV en route to the Daily Mail.

manwithaplan

Being knocked off your bike by a piece of fruit may seem funny but it's no laughing matter

Wrong

droidus

You can all laugh about this, but its quite serious. Apparently the cyclist in question has been afflicted by severe meloncholoy as a result of the incident.

Captain Havoc

I had an empty drinks bottle fired at me yesterday from a car near Portlaw (Waterford), pity I didn't get the reg. Someone did try (poorly) and pinch my bum once which I did find rather amusing.

manwithaplan

droidus wrote: »

You can all laugh about this, but its quite serious. Apparently the cyclist in question has been afflicted by severe meloncholoy as a result of the incident.

I heard he was a bit seedy alright.

unionman

manwithaplan wrote: »

I heard he was a bit seedy alright.

At least he got to publish a juicy story.

droidus

Joke all you want, but there are serious personal consequences to this as well.

I know this guy. He's been involved in a secret romance for the last few years and was supposed to get married this weekend, but now, because of this heinous attack, he cantaloupe.

Its a terrible shame - it was supposed to be a gala affair too.

Tau

I've been shot by a guy with a pellet gun in the passenger seat of a car while cycling in the Phoenix Park. I thought I had the reg but when I phoned the guards they said it was a totally different type of car, so I must have swapped a digit or something.

Shame though, shooting a pellet gun out of a car wouldn't be assault, it would be more like offences against the state and they could have really screwed the assholes.

SerialComplaint

Tau wrote: »

I've been shot by a guy with a pellet gun in the passenger seat of a car while cycling in the Phoenix Park. I thought I had the reg but when I phoned the guards they said it was a totally different type of car, so I must have swapped a digit or something.

Play around with the digits on cartell.ie and you might find the right reg. That site will tell you the make/model for any reg.

Tau

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Play around with the digits on cartell.ie and you might find the right reg. That site will tell you the make/model for any reg.

Wish I had known about that site at the time, was 2 years ago though.

SerialComplaint

Resurrecting this old thread to show a news article I came across ;

See http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/21/2241755/independence-bans-harassment-of.html

I'm generally not a huge fan of extra legislation, given that much of the existing legislation is not enforced. But perhaps there might be an arguement for something specific to outlaw attacks against cyclists, and other road users.