EDITOR – On Monday, 28 March, at approximately 8.29am, I turned into Abelia Road, Kloof, en route to Msinsi Road. Directly in front of me were two cyclists riding abreast in the road. The male rider accelerated enabling me to pass.
I took note that I was not intruding on the solid white line – however, Abelia Road is a very narrow and windy road, and this left a minimal distance between my car and the cyclist. As the rear of the car passed the rider I heard a very loud thump – which sounded as though someone had hit the rear left had side of my vehicle. I glanced sideways and the cyclist rode up to the car and screamed abusively, calling me in words similar to “you stupid old bat!” He then sped off.
I decided to address the matter with the male cyclist and continued on past Kloof High School when I noticed him waiting on the side of the road. I drove up, exited my car and addressed him. “Sir, what on earth were you doing?”
He was very angry with me, and said that it was people like me that frustrate the opportunity of South African cyclists going to the Olympics. He then and asked whether I loved my country. I questioned why he had hit my car, to which he replied that I had hit him with the wing mirror of the vehicle. I suggested that he had been riding irresponsibly in a narrow road. He told me that the female rider was his wife and that they train every weekend and go down the road at 70km p/h, to which I replied that that declaration is precisely the problem and he had no respect for the rules of the road.
There is no damage to my car so no serious harm was done.
Susan
Hillcrest
