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This is bound to get 'a range of views' so forgive me 🙂
I was out on my road bike on Wednesday in the 30+C heat on a flat road that goes past the traveller sites of Cardiff. As I got near that area there was a group of about 5 riders infront of me and they stopped next to a couple more in the road. They flagged me down and told me to be careful because traveller kids were throwing stones at passing cyclists and we should go through together. So I waited a bit but they were slow and I was on the clock so I set off anyway. 500m or so later I met the kids - about half a dozen, boys and girls of about 12-14 and they were actually holding water balloons and I was clearly targeted. I tried to time my sprint but one caught me on the arm and another grazed my back. They also hit a car coming the other way.
The arm one stung slightly, but overall it was a very refreshing experience as it was baking hot and the water was cold. I found myself taking it in good humour. I was that hot I nearly went back for some more!
Now clearly it's a personal violation to be pelted when you haven't given consent, but to what extent is this kind of mischief permissable? I mean I would not do it myself (although I was present during similar episodes as a kid) and I would not let my kids do it because of the consent issue. But I think that many passers by would take it in the spirit of fun, maybe? Plenty of riders coming the other way seemed also amused but I guess some weren't as they had warned the earlier group.
So - would you be upset by being hit with water balloons on a boiling hot day?
In the temperatures we've had this week? I'd have slowed to walking pace and ridden round in circles in front of them 😄
Shakes fist at sky and yells Bloody Kids!
Could be worse.
You sure it was water...
humblebrag - I was too fast for the other riders and the water throwing street urchins
Ahh, this reminds me of a country park that has a traveller camp next to it, just outside Wellingborough.
A friend was involved with organising a Halloween walk for kids in the park, she collared her friends as volunteers.
Anyway, one of these friends didn’t come back at the end of the walk. He was eventually found tied to a tree soaked with piss after being tied up by a group of kids from the camp.
What I’m saying is;
You sure it was water…
Provided it was water sounds ok to me. Hitting a car could be more serious though as drivers don't always react logically or proportionately!
Try something like the Bristol snowball scale?
1. Loose snowball
2. Loose snowball hiding accidental gravelshot
3. Loose snowball hiding intentional gravelshot
4. Loose snowball hiding accidental pebble (smooth)
5. Loose snowball hiding intentional pebble (smooth)
6. Loose snowball hiding accidental rock (sharp)
7. Loose snowball hiding intentional rock (sharp)
8. Packed-iceball (accidental/stupid)
9. Packed-iceball (intentional)
10. Yellow snowball or iceball (indeterminate motive)
11. Brown snowball or iceball ie soil (indeterminate motive)
12. Brown snowball or iceball ie faeces (motive unimportant)
13. Rock (painted white)
14. Grenade (painted white)
15. Electromagnetic railgun firing frozen rounds at 10 per minute
16. M134 Minigun firing frozen rounds at 1m (million) per minute
Definitely water.
Biodegradable balloons?
If not, would wager still better overall than a finding a Bournemouth M****log still fresh in the box
My take. A little from column A and a little from column B.
Column A: kids and water bombs go together like strawberry and cream in the middle of summer, but ..
Column B: they should be throwing them at each other rather than passing 3rd parties.
Over enthusiastic high jinks. The consequences of a rider crashed or a car swerved wouldn't occur to them.
I used to commute through an occasionally "interesting" estate. In the school holidays the local urchins often had water pistols if it was hot. One time they jokingly threatened to soak me and it was so hot I went back round and asked them to do it. This continued most of that summer, but they did check first before spraying me. A parent saw it happen, everyone seemed ok with it
road that goes past the traveller sites of Cardiff
Just as likely:
...road that goes past a middle class suburban estate in [Whitchurch / Llandaff / insert as applicable]
Makes no difference. I'd say high jinx as utterly inevitable this time of year.
Still stupid though. As above, car driver blinded and swerves, pulling into the cyclists etc etc etc.
turn it around.
What if a (presumably) middle aged roadie had emptied his bidon over the head of a random 12 year old kid, for a laugh?
Hijinks or assault?
I find myself disappointed in the youth of today.
When I were a nipper we didn't have no fancy water balloons to throw at cyclists.
We had to make do with standing either side of the street pretending to take the strain on the imaginary rope we weren't actually stretching across the carriageway.
No imagination, these modern kids
Kids round here challenged me to a water fight the other day.
I soon won, just me and my trusty kettle.
Just as likely:
…road that goes past a middle class suburban estate in [Whitchurch / Llandaff / insert as applicable]
Makes no difference.
I know. I only mentioned it because there was a strong feeling of 'bloody gypsies' from the other roadies. TBH there was no evidence that they were traveller kids other than that's where we were.
But would I be more likely to think favourably about the experience if it were middle class kids in Llandaff?
I found myself taking it in good humour.
Good man. Can't say I definitely would have, as it would depend on my mood, but on a baking hot day, I'm leaning toward good humour.
What about if it were toff kids?
I only mentioned it because there was a strong feeling of ‘bloody gypsies’ from the other roadies. TBH there was no evidence that they were traveller kids other than that’s where we were.
I’m one of those, I have to admit. The roads you are referring to are, of course, notorious, and I have been harassed on more than one occasion riding them. Indeed, one night in particular, they really had me bricking it. I suppose the one benefit was that I got better results on Strava.
Could be worse. There was an estate in Huddersfield where, during the late 90’s, some little bastards attached bricks to tree branches. Not good for the passengers on the double decker buses 😕
I’d love a water fight. Not had one for years.
the behaviour is still antisocial, the fact that it was a warm day makes it more bearable/ easier to laugh off.
How would you feel if it was tomatoes/dyed water/you were riding into a bitter northerly?
If it's just water bombs I'd laugh it off. It has been rocks/handfuls of gravel when I've been past other camps though.
When we were kids, if we had done this kind of thing, we would have expected a kicking from the victim. And then marched back home to be belted again by the old man and confined indoors for a week.
Antisocial behaviour at best. I'd like to think I would have scared the little buggers like I did when a football was kicked from a group of kids and hit me. I had the kicker pinned up against a wall by his neck in seconds and put a real good scare into him.
Edit - I had exactly this - water bombs happen to me once. I couldn't catch the buggers but they fled looking scared
Pop a wheelie and flick them back at them.
If that had been around where I work, judging by the pikey kids trying to force their way through our security turnstile*, and their dad’s interrogation of our security person on our remote storage area as to how many people were on duty at night, it wouldn’t be water balloons, it’d be something more solid so they could nick the bikes!
*Yes, they actually did try to force their way in, five of them, I told them to sod off, there was no way the would get in. Didn’t stop them trying. They were also hanging around just outside of the site with big stones making to lob them at people driving past as well.
For those wondering whether it was just water in the balloons, I challenge you to inflate one with piss 😀
We had to make do with standing either side of the street pretending to take the strain on the imaginary rope we weren’t actually stretching across the carriageway.
Must be a Scottish thing, the rope trick was still alive and well 20 years ago!
Antisocial behaviour at best. I’d like to think I would have scared the little buggers like I did when a football was kicked from a group of kids and hit me. I had the kicker pinned up against a wall by his neck in seconds and put a real good scare into him.
Really? Read that back and tell me that's even remotely proportionate.
Yes I consider that entirely appropriate. I was riding down a busy road. The ball was deliberately kicked at me and hit me in traffic, the bunch of mixed male and female youths aged around 15 were laughing at me nearly being knocked off my bike in traffic. I didn't hurt him at all - but I did put a good scare into him and it was nice to watch all the bravado fade away from him.
Fun. Kids doing kids things shocker. Good on them.
How would you feel if it was tomatoes/dyed water/you were riding into a bitter northerly?
Neither the situation described nor the question asked.
What if it was a harpoon? At a baby's face?? Oh the humanity.
antisocial and potentially very dangerous.
Not acceptable behaviour at all.
Amazed at all the people saying it’s acceptable! It’s **** behaviour. Also what normal kids would do it? Only **** kids (gypsy or otherwise) do stuff like this! (If you did stuff like this BITD, you were/are a ****). As others have said, you’d have got a kicking/bollocking for doing this years ago so while it happened it was kind of self-policing. Now people are too scared of the repercussions so kids can pretty much get away with anything (and the feral kids know this). These are the same kids vandalising cars, robbing from shops, generally making life worse for everybody because they have been brought up to not give a **** about anybody else. Rant over 😂
nice troll 😀 got a bite 👍I had the kicker pinned up against a wall by his neck in seconds and put a real good scare into him.
If you knew it was coming I.e. if they shouted first and you had time to brace yourself I would probably have laughed it off and asked them if I could at least have a couple of water bombs off of them to make it a bit fairer. Copping one in the face if not expecting it wouldn't be brilliant though.
Much better than miserable old gammons putting logs across trails, though.
For those wondering whether it was just water in the balloons, I challenge you to inflate one with piss
Four pints of fizzy lager and I'll take that bet.
Depends how easily the bomb bursts - if not - it could have you off your bike
If it was the other day when it was 29C, I'd have cycled up to them and appreciated the drenching! Roasting day = fair game.
If ye canny appreciate a water balloon on a roasting day, ye need to take a look at yersel! 😆
This is bound to get ‘a range of views’ so forgive me
You weren't wrong there! 😄
Not a troll zilog
It's the best way to deal with feral kids put a good scare into them. It's amazing how the bravado disappeared once they have an angry adult in their face
I had the kicker pinned up against a wall by his neck in seconds and put a real good scare into him.
TJ, what you've described there is criminal assault. Really. An adult doing that to a kid won't play well in court. And there's a reason for that.
I'm not saying what happened to you was ok, but there's no viable defence if you see the red mist and go and assault someone after the event.
*apologies for wiki ref, but it is right!
Not a troll zilog
Maybe don't make a post with multiple interpretations ranging from you looking like a **** to them looking like ****s next time then 😉
It’s the best way to deal with feral kids put a good scare into them.
Sweeping statement bollocks alert. It is the best way in some scenarios, but not others.
20 odd years ago I played for a good local cricket club, we had a nice ground, but it was in a 'problem area' of town and there was a particular 'problem family' who had been put into a house that backed onto the ground. There were two or three brothers and as soon as they moved in, they took part of the fence down. When we were there, there was no issue, just a bit of 'banter', but the amount of random vandalism started a steep upwards climb. Some of the wiser heads amongst us actually engaged with these kids. Mucked about a bit with them with a bat and ball. One of the players did the ground keeping and he asked them if they'd like to help. They did a little bit, the older kids drifted away after a couple of weeks but the youngest lad was really keen. He helped out around the ground, played at practice sessions with the juniors and his mum (it was the Dad who was the real issue) worked a few hours a week as a sort of caretaker and did the odd stint behind the bar.
Net effect = 'problem' neutralised, family mostly on side and probably keeping their mates from vandalising the ground and a small success. The family drifted away about a year later after some kind of bust up involving the Dad. God knows what happened to the kid, but I like to think he didn't just carry on through life thinking "if people call me a scrote then I have to act like one".
In other situations a 'scare' might 'work' but if the kid has grown up with casual domestic violence or addicted parents I find it difficult to think that I could 'scare' them. If it was a spoiled posh kid, then maybe, but where's the guarantee?
andrewreay
correct. It is also however assault and possibly more what he did to me
It wasn't red mist descending - it was a cool and calculated thing. I have done it a few times when threatened or assaulted by youths. They rely on you being too scared to do anything in return. Well I will not stand for it. Its not like they were little kids - but around 15
I got a stolen motorbike of a bunch of youths like that once ( and failed to do so once)
Good point danny = but a very different situation
those of you that think me wrong - are you just going to walk away after being assaulted?
Good point danny = but a very different situation
Agreed. My situation was a protracted period with captive audiences to a certain extent.
those of you that think me wrong – are you just going to walk away after being assaulted?
Well, yes. I did.
And I’m perfectly happy with my choice.
I was standing at the main crossroads in our town. With the 9yo and our bikes. A 40yo threw a half chewed toffee at me from a passing Astra. That was antisocial.
are you just going to walk away after being assaulted?
Knowing a few man who have been hospitalised for doing what you did TJ, I might.
The key is too look like Begbie and scare the pants off them. Roaring and looking like a berserker!
I took an obviously stolen motorcycle off a group of youths once doing this - but once with another stolen motorbike I had to let it go when I realised that I was surrounded by a dozen of them and they had not bought the Begbie act - and as anyone who knows me knows its only an act 🙂
YOu can tell by the look in their eyes if they are scared of you or not.
I will always stand up for what I think is right and will challenge antisocial behaviour when I can. Its just my nature.
Of course you did....
The winner of the "Here's what I wished I would have done" is..... tjagain