Shocked at attack on Wrekin walker
Tuesday 23rd August 2011, 6:00AM BST.
Letter: I was shocked to read that someone I have known for several years was attacked on The Wrekin by a cyclist.
Nick Ward was doing something which he does every day and a man rode too close to him so he said “ring your bell”. A few minutes later the man came back and struck Nick, who held up his walking poles to protect himself, whereupon the man snatched one of them but it broke so the man used the spiked end as a weapon and caused a deep gash to Nick’s knee, for which he needed hospital treatment.
It is sad that someone who has trekked across Peru, doing charitable work, should be attacked like this.
I have walked dogs on The Wrekin and have often had to say “ring your bell” or “slow down”.
There is a worse incident waiting to happen. What has become of our “green and pleasant” famous landmark?
J M Mander
Much Wenlock
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I was angered whilst reading this, but positively livid when I read that it happened to someone who has trekked across Peru doing charitable work.
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Why do people always have to add stupid comments when someone is trying to make a valid point. It is sad that you cannot walk on the Wrekin without being assaulted.
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At the risk of getting into a silly argument which trivialises a serious incident, surely the line, ‘it is sad that someone who has trekked across Peru, doing charitable work, should be attacked like this’ is the real offender here(?)
Better, surely, to say sth like ‘it’s terrible that anybody should be attacked like this’. As you rightly say, Martin.
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I posted that flippant comment to make a serious point, which I think you may have missed.
Articles that throw in irrelevant detail (in this case the “trekking across Peru” line) are irritating.
The point being made would be just as valid without it; arguably more valid, as it wouldn’t contain distracting background noise.
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I am sick of cyclists riding dangerously on Shropshire’s roads, when the evening get darker they ride with no lights or reflective clothing, thinking a reflector will be good enough and at weekends they often ride 2 or 3 abreast and don’t move over when they hear a vehicle behind them. I do wish the police would take more action on ensuring cyclists are following the highway code as they are the ones more likely to come off worse in a collision and if they’re not pulled up by those in authority then unfortunately they get the attitude that all routes belong to them – as that cyclist on the Wrekin seemed to believe.
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This I totally agree with most cyclists I have had the unpleasurable encounters with are rude and think they own the roads, recently driving through much wenlock high st at a crawling pace because the place is jammed daily with traffic I had two cyclists pass me and shout slow down! I could hardly believe my ears as 10 mph was as fast as possible considering the chaos there! All I really wanted to shout was PAY ROAD TAX OR GET OFF IT! but I did not i wish I had of now. How rude they are!
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Ms Jones, The Highway code actually allows cyclists to ride two abreast – Rule 66: “never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends”. Your other points are fair enough – a lot of stupid people ride bikes. Unfortunately the same proportion of stupid people drive cars which are far more dangerous.
Peaceful paradise – just as well you didn’t shout “PAY ROAD TAX OR GET OFF IT!” as there is no longer any such thing. Roads are paid through general taxation. You pay a vehicle excise duty based on the amount of carbon dioxide produced by a vehicle (which in a bike’s case is zero anyhow).
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I think you will find there is no such thing as road tax. It is vehicle excise duty, we all pay road tax via the various other taxes the government and local authority take from us. Shouting that at cyclists is bit like telling unemployed people their children shouldn’t go to school because they don’t pay tax.
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The cyclist in question here is an idiot and I hope they get caught and prosecuted. However the way they behaved in this incident is probably the way they behave in general life. He just happened to be riding a bike at the time.
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well try cycling along the footpath from oakengates to the town centre people walk on the bikers path and shout abush when you pass them,why cant the painted bikes be on that path like the one going to euston way
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