The ride was like many another on the trike, down the hill from the croft, along the straight between the fields, a bit of splash through the puddles along the next straight, down and around the bend under the trees, then along the short straight rising slightly towards the Dunnideer bend.
I braked lightly for the bend, then as I rounded it and started to descend the steep downhill grade, I upped the brake pressure a little and began to coast down the slope keeping the speed to 18-20mph.
The sun was shining, the breeze was a little chilly and the road was damp, making for pleasant if cool conditions for the ride.
I was on my own as it was 11.15am, and time to collect the Wee ‘Un from the school nursery.
I heard an engine note behind me, and did the head shake that most cyclists and motorcyclists will know, flick to the right and look, the left and look, ahead and look, and right again for a longer look.
A fairly new white Ford Transit was just coming through the bend, going perhaps a little fast but as I watched it began to pull out to cross the dotted white lines and pass me.
I flicked my head back to check ahead again. There were no approaching vehicles, I was close to the verge and there were no pedestrians or obstacles, I thought “should be all right”, then flicked my head around the right again just as the van began to pull level with me.
Just as its front bumper passed in front of the trike’s passenger compartment, the van suddenly swerved hard left - into me!
I had no time to do anything.
The front passenger door smacked into the passenger compartment - where the boys normally sit - while the sliding door smacked hard into my right shoulder.
Booooom!
The back wheel of the trike snapped to the left, while the front wheels skidded to the left as well but kept rolling forwards.
I suddenly discovered I couldn’t use my right hand. I could see it was still on the hand grip but it wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do.
Time paused for a second, just enough time to think, “oh shit…”
Unfortunately for me, the front wheels then regained their grip and they started to drag the front forward, while the back end jackknifed as gravity and the the forward motion of the wheel tried to drive it out and past the front wheels.
My eyes lifted off my hand and I had enough time to spot “06″ on the number plate of the van, see there were no lights showing and think “Sewage Vent”.
Then the bike toppled to the right and I went over.
As a cyclist, I anticipate coming off at some point and simply went into my mentally rehearsed falling off mode.
Arms crossed with hands over my face, head tucked into my chest and tilted up from the impact point, and relax everything else. Tuck and fall.
Whumph!
The passenger compartment of the bike is fairly wide so it hit the road first, followed by my hip and thigh, then my shoulder.
Then followed a long slide down the hill under the trike, with my leg twisting and becoming tangled in the frame, accompanied by a burning sensation along the inside of my knee.
Tick, tick, tick, tick…
Silence broken only by the left wheel slowly revolving in the air.
I cautiously looked around to see if any other cars were heading my way.
None were, but I did seen the van still going on its way down past the cemetery.
Then pain by the barrowload. Right shoulder, right thigh, right knee, right calf, right ankle - all screaming “hurting now”.
Getting up was difficult as I’d also been winded, but I wanted to be off the road before another car came around the bend.
I staggered to my feet, amazed to find I could manage that much.
I hauled the trike upright, then staggered and wheeled myself onto the grass verge.
Right, first aid time.
Start with the most important things first.
No problems breathing? Check.
No blood gushing from any place? Check.
No numb extremities? Check.
No neck or back pain? Check.
No blood or fluids from ears or nose? Check.
Head intact? Check.
After that, it was time to work methodically through the places with pain.
But first, a red Mondeo came driving out of town.
I staggered to my feet and waved with my left arm, but they drove on by.
Back to my first aid, starting at the bottom.
Right foot. Stout leather boot ripped up the outside but no pain from my foot. Boot loosened but not off (never remove boots and helmets unless vital). Ankle very sore, but no bone pain, disruption, chips or jaggedness. Soft tissue damage only.
Right shin. Along the front and right light pain, but none from the bone, no unevenness, no edges, no disruption. Left side, serious pain from a long swelling that was coming up fast. Again, no bone pain and no obvious bone disruption. Probablly soft tissue only.
Carefully lift remains of waterproofs and trousers up leg to reveal plenty of blood coming from just below the right knee. Looks impressive but a gentle wipe revealed abrasions only, while knee cap was in place and intact.
Right thigh and hip next. Leg looks correctly aligned and moves smoothly from the hip - if a little painfully. No real problems then.
Right side of abdomen and ribs all feel intact, no pain, all feels normal. No pain when breathing. Phew.
Wait, another car - a silver estate on a T-reg. Another left-handed wave, but again no response.
Back to the first aid.
Right hand - no visible injuries but tingling in the fingers and palm. Perhaps a loss of sensation compared with the left.
Forearm and elbow intact, no pain, but sensations don’t feel right. Movement limited and prompts pain from mild to severe in top of shoulder.
Upper arm also intact, but again movement restricted.
Right shoulder next and this wasn’t feeling good, even through a waterproof, sweater, shirt and T-shirt, Raised lump three fingers in, excruciating pain when touched and severely reduced rotational movement.
Bugger. Possible fracture.
Next, time to find help.
I staggered back to my feet and limped down to the second house on the left - we know the couple there and there’s often someone around. Not today.
Bugger again.
I’m running late to collect the Wee ‘Un so nursery will be concerned if I’m much later, no help is to be found and I’m fairly certain I have no life-threatening or mobility affecting injuries.
Decision made.
I staggered back to the bike, gingerly climbed on and began the long, slow coast into the village.
It was painful, lopsided and needed a great deal of concentration, but I managed to get through the village, across Commercial Road and around the corner into the uphill stretch to the school.
The final challenge - walk up the hill or cycle?
I suspected walking would be the more difficult option, so I start pedalling with my left foot, using gravity to pull my right foot down.
Somehow, I crabbed my way up the hill and then down to the school gate, where I toppled off the bike and then staggered inside in my ripped and tattered clothes, breaking up the gaggle of mums and staff.
“What’s the matter with you?”
“A van knocked me off the trike, I don’t think there’s anything too major wrong other than my right shoulder.”
A bit of flapping followed until one of the nursery nurses, Mrs Johnstone, calmly pushed her way through.
“Into the quiet room with you, I think. Do you need an ambulance, the first aider or can you manage?”
Thanks, no ambulance needed as I don’t think I have anything life threatening.
“Well, I’ll keep an eye on you and we’ll get someone to run you around to the doctors in a minute.”
I gave myself another check while she organised the Wee ‘Un.
I let him come in so he could see I was okay and I reassured him that I was reasonably fine but would have to go the doctor in a minute. (Actually it’s the minor injuries unit at the local community hospital but he understands doctor better.)
He took that as okay and played while I phoned the Other Half to get her to collect me from the hospital, then the police on the non-priority line.
Of course, there was little they could so as all I had was “white Ford Transit, short wheelbase, no signs, 06 plate”. The Sewage Vent thought? I suspect part of the registration was SV - hence the sewage vent association!
—–
I have to finish for now as I’m seriously knackered, but suffice to say that after the local hospital it was an hour’s drive to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, an hour’s wait with drunks (sorry, frequent flyers as the EMTs referred to them), then a very cold treatment room (with someone’s pink tablets and dressings on the floor), an X-ray and a diagnosis.
I have, from the bottom, a right ankle strain, severe bruising to the inside right shin, superficial grazing just below the right knee, bruising to the right outer thigh and hip, bruising to the upper right arm, and a fractured clavicle.
Fortunately, it’s a clean fracture and nicely aligned so it should heal well. Other than that, I just have a lot of pain and a very, very stiff leg.
Apologies for the spelling and grammaticals, but I’m stuffed and need to get get this off my chest before collapsing into bed. It may sound daft but it helps to write it all down.
Unbelievable. How could a van drive into you and not stop? I have my fingers crossed for you - hope you heal quickly and well. I’m afraid I’m all the way down in sunny Hampshire, so no practical help.
xx
Sorry to hear of this, mate. Hope you heal fast … Sounds like the whole family will be in survival mode at first.
I’m glad neither of the little guys were involved. It could have been so much worse .
Take care.
so sorry to read this harrowing experience you went through. thank goodness you’re alright!
totally not daft at all, blogging is cathartic if nothing!
How Awful!! I hope you heal up soon, and the Jerk in the white van ends up in a Sewage Vent!
Thinking of you, wish we were there to help out. Look after yourself, and hope the OH copes alright.
So sorry to read about this, Stoney!
What a Bastard! How can such people live with themselves? He/she must have know what they had done? Thank God the boys were not in their seats.
This, sadly, is one more instance of inhuman behaviour.
We are constantly upset by the terrible cruelty inflicted on animals, which we come across on a daily basis …. and have to put it down to the fact that some people are either ignorant or just plain wicked.
However, though it will be of no comfort to you in your pain, a young friend of ours in Swansea was mown down and left for dead last Friday night, and is still critically ill in Morriston Hospital with severe head injuries and just about every bone in his body broken, The driver,of course, did not stop, but at least the police have arrested and charged a man…. not that that will help with the young man’s recovery.
So, upset as I am to hear of your dreadful accident yesterday, I am just relieved that for you, it was not much much worse.
I hope that your neighbours prove to be more helpful in offering their services than the drivers of the cars which sailed past you ….. could it be that they were the same selfish folk who passed you as you struggled to walk home last week?
Jesus, you deserve serious respect. I came off my bike two weeks ago, unlike you I didn’t keep my hands tucked in and landed on my right hand and arm. An elderly couple stopped to help as I lay there groaning in agony and called an ambulance.
The ambulance guys put my arm in a sling, carried me off to a nice warm ER where I was seen promptly and treated for a dislocated wrist.
I was feeling okay about it, until I read your account. Now I realise I’m a total wimp. No way could I have hauled myself off the road and coolly checked my injuries off one by one, then continued on my way.
That’s awesome!
Sorry to hear about your accident. It’s tough on a smallholding when you are incapacitated, frustrating for you and hardwork for her. Hope you recover soon. In the meantime you’ll have to do what you can - warm her slippers!
Stoney glad you called the police and reported a hit and run, even if you don’t have the full facts on the licence plate. At the force he hit you to break your clavicle the impact would have left a dent, and the police take a very dim view of hit and runs!
It’s not even as if you were riding a small bike in dark clothing and can not be seen well!
sorry to hear about your stack….. hope you heal soon
Sorry to hear about your accident, mate. I hope you heal quickly, and that somebody may be able to help the OH out with the jobs.
Glad you,re not badly injured.
Good skills with the first aid assessment.
Ever thought of joining the Ambulance Service and becoming a stretcher monkey?
km
Get well soon Stoney, and best wishes to all of you, I don’t think folk always appreciate that its a tough place to be, being self employed and not able to work, the jobs still pile up around you, there is no ‘luxury’ of ringing in sick and crawling under the duvet, so be kind to yourselves!
Is white van man likely to be local?
I would like to say how shocked I am that no one stopped to help, but I shouldn’t be because I have seen it happen before, I have tried to rationalise this, are they scared for their own safety? (nowt wrong, in a swift risk assessment, you have to put your own safety first) but, if that was the case they could at least ‘go get some help’ even if they don’t deliver it themselves) or are they frightened of not knowing how to help? or just plain selfish?
I have been shocked by the actions of the supposedly most able/trained, when I stopped to help at an accident, some one had already covered the casualty, with a blanket, nice one…… but then they had got back in their car and stayed there!, I know this because, they rang me up a few days latter to see if I had their blanket, the person, I knew had been involved with a ‘first aid organisation’ all through her youth, and she told me had just done a ‘first aid at work course’…. and yet she got back in the car and did nothing……. I will always stop to help, if it is safe, even if someone already appears to be doing something, because two heads are better than one.
Me? A stretcher monkey?
I don’t mind helping people and have no problems with the harsh realities of sick, injured and dying people, but I wouldn’t be able to hack the bureaucracy and management gone mad. And call me mad, but I like volunteering my services instead of being paid for them.
I did consider the retained fire service up here, but I live a hundred yards too far outside the village.
Someone recently pointed me in the direction of the Scottish Amblance Service’s First Responders, so I might look into this.
As for my skills, I’ve done a variety of first aid and survival courses over the years with St John, the Red Cross, Royal Life Saving, the army (way back), FAW (first aid at work and largely a waste of time), and private companies (wilderness/remote area first aid). It all helps.
I’ve just got to come up with some cash for a Red Cross or St Andrew’s refresher course early next year - although the courses they offer are a bit too urban centric, assume you have both a mobile phone and good reception, and assume you’ll have potential helpers within shouting distance!
Apparently I’m a bit long-winded according to at least one fellow cyclist. Next time, I’ll be a little more British.
“Marvellous day today. I was knocked off the bike and was a bit knocked about. How is Cholmondeley doing at school, by the way?”
Succinct, understated and spot on.
I am pleased to hear you seem to be okay mate, wish I could help out on the croft. My thoughts are with you and your family at this time.
I hope the police find and punish the *#?*@>! . First aid training never goes amiss and if any of your friends and bloggers get the chance I hope they have a crack at such a training course.
Bloody hell!!
Glad your ok Stoney, hope that your injuries heal quickly. In the meantime, take it easy.
It doesnt bare thinking about but … just so glad the boys were not in the front of the bike.. could have been so much worse. Its bad enough your injured! As for the van driver… my mum used to say “they’ll get their comeuppance” (spelling!). I do hope the police find who done it!
Take Care of yourself
I know were not in Aberdeenshire, but if your other half is toiling and needs help just give me a shout.
You,ve given me an idea for a post on First Aid. When I was in the Army I did plenty of First Aid training, but the initial lessons got me flustered and I volunteered an answer when I should have kept quiet!
Theres a good little book called “Emergency Medic” by Barry Davies ex SAS. The ISBN # is 0 00 710230 published by Harper & Collins of Glasgow.
Its a cracking book full of common sense stuff and a must for anyone working/playing in the great outdoors.
I think two key things with first aid are:
1. Know your limits.
2. Do no more than is necessary.
Unfortunately, most courses either don’t teach those or don’t emphasise them enough.
Roads are for cars, vans and lorries. Bloody cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians shouldn’t be on them. Holding deliveries up adn blocking the road, stopping people like me earning a crust.
And how do you know it was deliberatre anyways. You probably did the usual cyclist prat thing and took up all the road, or drifted in front of him
Maybe you’ll get off the roiad now.
The most important thing in First Aid is never forget the basics.
Even in my job we all start off with the basics which are done instinctively at our stage of the game.
But I have worked with people who have got flustered because they could not arrive at a definitive diagnosis and overlooked the bleedin’ obvious if you,ll pardon the pun.
I used to be a CRTO (community resuscitation training officer) for my service many years ago. One of the main concerns people asked me about was the differing ratios for CPR.
Having taught them all the variations for infant/child/adult ratios ie 5:1, 15:2, 30:2, quarter past four, ten to midnight etc etc which were required for the written exams I advised them on real world resus.
If you cant remember the ratios (due to the heat of the moment etc) then just remember that “if they aint breathing”…GET SOME AIR INTO THEM, “if they aint got a pulse”…PUMP THE CHEST. Any CPR is better than no CPR at all.
This a right laugh. I can just see the van driver coming down behind you and boomp, over you go. No real harm done. It’d be good on YouTube!
I’ve been asked why I think it was deliberate.
1. If it had been an accident because the driver miscalculated the distance required to clear me, they almost certainly would have hit the front of the bike with the back of the van. They didn’t. The passenger door got the front of the bike, the sliding door got me.
2. The driver never braked or slowed after the impact. If you accidentally hit something in a car, you’re almost certainly going to brake - especially when there was a very loud boom from my shoulder hitting the door and the bike hitting the front. If they’d braked, looked and then drove off, I’d suspect a “normal” hit-run.
3. The manoeuvre was not a gradual, rejoining the correct side of the carriageway type of movement. It was a sudden, hard jink to the left and into me. If there’d been an oncoming vehicle, pedestrian, animal or other obstacle in the van’s path, a sudden jink to the left would have been understandable. There was nothing else on the road.
And a final thought for the arm-chair critics who’ve been emailing me (it’s probably useless asking people not to abuse the contact form) - why are you so quick to defend the van driver? It wouldn’t be because you think it’s all right to intimidate cyclists would it? It wouldn’t be because you’d do it yourself, would it?
And why do you think it’s a hoax? Do you want a list of the people that saw me after the accident, that helped, that gave me a lift, that treated me, that X-rayed me, etc etc. Not enough evidence? How about the X-rays and doctors’ notes? Still not enough?
Well consider this, I was there, you weren’t. I was knocked off, you weren’t. So p*** off back to your telly and cans of Special Brew, and stop trying to pretend you’re some sort of intellectual logician.
As for ScoobyDriver, you’re a right plonker, aren’t you?
To answer uphilldowndale’s question, SU, SV and SW are the plate prefixes for Aberdeen.
I only have one word for these idiots Stoney……
Chav!
Glad to hear that you’re recoveing Stoney. If i could help, i’d be there in a jiffy (well…as long as it took for a plane to aberdeen, and then to find your place anyway…).
To the prats who think its funny to intimidate cyclists, i hope when you leave this plane, you end up coming back as someone who can’t drive. i can’t drive, for various reasons, but i can cycle, and i wear a florrie, and i have lights - its F***ing obvious i’m on the road - come anywhere near me with headlights and i light up like a christmas tree. Maybe these tossers need to retake their driving tests - or be forced to be cyclists for a month.
Well done for venting (not too sewage-like…) Stoney, and i hope that Karma gives the van driver a big smack up the backside - sounds like he’s due one!
And now the Aberdeen bikers think I’m long-winded, too. Oh, and one of their number is sceptical about the accident because his experience of accident investigations reveals the accounts of injured parties don’t match the evidence.
Of course, my account is going to vary from that of the van driver from that of an onlooker (if there had been one, but even that may not be correct if Moped is correct) is going to vary from physical evidence. That’s the nature of human observation and memory versus engineered observations from measuring devices.
It does not mean my account is any less valid. All it means is that context is all. Hard evidence without context is just as invalid as personal recollections without context.
But, I’m starting to get used to the doubters - after all, we live in a doubting, sceptical society where nothing is real and nothing really happens.
In fact, Moped on the Bikers’ forum has a lot in common with ScoobyDriver. To them, the experience of being knocked down is a virtual reality that doesn’t really exist because they have no evidence to support the actual events or its consequences.
Grief how much worse can it be to be a victim of hit and run or to be abused by people afterwards?
Ignore the horrid people and enjoy tea and sympathy from the rest of us.
If they catch the guy they should do him for attempted murder - he could easily have killed you. Hard to prove the deliberate bit, after all why would someone be that nasty - but from experience they can be!
accident or deliberate it was a hit and run and still an offence
Stoney, it’s not down to you to try and persuade idiots that you’re not making this up. But you know that, don’t you.
Huge hugs to you from Sunderland. xxxx
okay, gentle hugs, so they don’t hurt.
Maybe I’ll just blow you a kiss, mate.
I don’t mean to sound flippant at all, but how did the bike fare?
Deleted at request of comment’s author.
As a devout misanthrope, i am unsurprised by the idiots trying to tell you what did or did not happen out there on the road. I am also unsurprised at the people who seem to think you’re trying to make trouble by reporting your experience. They are worth exactly nothing.
I am glad to hear that you are fundamentally okay and in good spirits. If Glasgow were closer, i would hop a bus in a minute to help you out. Take care of yourself. Ignore the NEDs and morons.
I’m truly sorry to to hear about this Stoney - both the incident and the bizarre response from some people here.
Best wishes.
Alf
You havent mentioned there was local help by a very busy farmer who took and collected your wee un to school when they heard about your accident. An appalling thing to happen and I’m sure you’re suffering shock but a mention of those who helped instead of critism of all around you would be good.
sorry to hear your news hope you are able to get some help on the croft . just cannot understand some people they must know that they have caused an accident and just to drive off
I’ve just spent a good hour or more giving an interview to a very good police officer, before that I was trying to get as much dinner cooked as possible and before that I was try to feed and water chickens and pigs one-handed, before that I trying to get some rest for my shoulder.
That means I haven’t a chance to get in touch with several people who’ve offered help, nor have I managed to name every one who has helped on the blog. That doesn’t mean I haven’t had help, haven’t appreciated the help I’ve had or that I haven’t acknowledged the help I’ve.
Sarah, the farmer who gave me a lift into town today knows I appreciated her help, I’ve given the teachers and staff at the school a box of chocolates, I gave Mrs Johnstone some of our home-made jam, I told the headteacher of the boy who was helping in reception and did an excellent, mature job in helping, and so on and so on.
So, please how about a break from the carping and criticism and appreciate that I haven’t the time and energy to detail everything, every second. Nor do I wish to go around saying I did this for so and so, and this for so and so.
But as the question has been asked and the criticism put, this is my answer. Take it or leave, frankly I don’t much care. I’m bloody tired, feeling a lot of pain and still trying to get stuff done, so give me a break before I get really annoyed and say what i really think.
And thanks to the decent people for their messages.
You colonials have no idea how to behave. I don’t see you thanking Mrs Cook, Mrs Duthie or Mr Jones? I suppose you were just about to? Go back where you belong.
Good luck Stonie and I hope your injuries heal soon…as others have said, thank god the kids weren’t aboard…
I told you to watch out for those angry vegans, uncle stony! They did say they believe in direct action!
This is just another farmer scam to get free labour. You tie up land so hardworking families can’t have homes, get lorry loads of subsidies paid by my husband’s taxes, and expect people to come running when something goes wrong. You’re no better than the benefits scum.
I think some people on hear are getting totally carried away. They have forgotten that a very serious crime has taken place and that luckily nobody was killed or seriously injured. Everybody has views on the Colonials moving up to the north east of scotland, I think under the circumstances stonie can be forgiven for worrying about his health first I am sure that in good time he will thank those who helped him. As for the ridiculus comments about this being a farmers scam I can tell you that the single farm payment if any for a little croft is about 300 pounds a year and about the same for the woodland. 600 pounds would not even cover the feed costs for a year. As for tying up the land how else do you expect to have your cheap food if we build houses on all the land. You have obviously never been in the country and know the hard work that goes into very little profit. Most farmers work 60 hours plus a week for no thanks. If you got off your a@# and got a job as well maybe you could afford a house instead of crying and blaming others.
I cannot believe the vitriol spewed on these pages!
It just goes to show that life itself is certainly viewed from different angles.
How very sad and pathetic some of these folks appear to be!
Hope you are feeling better, physically now? I’m inclined to advise you just to ignore the scurrilous postings, but perhaps it is also important to display them so that the majority of us can be aware that they exist?
I’m going to withdraw the feedback form later today - that means ALL comments will be published. No more hiding. If anyone wants to contact us about pigs, produce, etc leave a comment on any post with an email address or other contact details. Comments are held for moderation so your details will not be public
As for the colonial comment, yes, I’m an Australian and, yes, I live in Scotland but so what? Many of my ancestors were Scots who went to live in Australia. The wheel turns. The Other Half is Scots, while our boys are Scots-Australians born in England. I suppose that in the bigot’s view we shouldn’t be welcome anywhere as we’re mixed.
As for knowing how to behave, what’s wrong with being honest, open and up front about what happened? And why is it wrong to ask if anyone would like to help? Perhaps it’s not the done thing in certain circles, but as I don’t move in those circles I don’t really care.
We do not received any farming subsidies whatsoever. We’re not eligible as we’re not an agricultural unit (meaning we’re not a business) and we’re new entrants to crofting/farming as well, which further reduces any chance of government help.
While I don’t “work” in the wage slave sense, I do work the croft and care for the boys, while the Other Half works has a public sector career. How is that so different from being a stay-at-home wife whose husband earns the main or only salary? Except that my workload is almost certainly much higher.
As for thanking people, please look at my previous post. I have not had the time to publicly thank everyone, but they know who they are, they know we are grateful and appreciative, and when I get the time I do thank people. Read the page I wrote after the water crisis was resolved, if you don’t believe me.
Now, I’m off to the doctor.
Why not kick an man when he is down….because that is precisely what you lot of trolls are doing. But then you are probably are sick enough to enjoy it!
As for racist remarks village mummy, that is totally out of of order.
One Scotland, no room for racism
And why does he need to thank people in public when he has already done it in private….they may not want their names published!
Stoney if you see any this lot of trolls hurt on the road…ride on by!
Maybe you should change your handle to ‘the accidental stuntman’. Just read your blog, ouch. Maybe I can help out during the week. I have sent you an email.
Chris, I’m glad to see someone shares my sense of humour. Thanks for the offer of help and also to MLA for her offer, too.
If you want to drop by at some point for a cuppa, the company would be welcome but we’re not accepting any further help as it’s too much hassle. I’m closing comments on this post for now and have shut down the feedback form as well.
Comments have reopened as I have more humour to deal with inflammatory, small-minded bigots. But bear in mind that my shoulder has kept me awake most of the night so my humour may be short-lived. So please, try not to be too much of a ratbag if you intend commenting.
Stonehead: we’d help if we could. but 1) we’re in manchester. 2) i’m so unfit i’d probably be more help than hindrance. 3) i’d spend all my time going “ohhh looooook” over the pigs or the chickens or.. something. LOL. so i’d be next to useless even if we got up there…
Hope you heal up from the accident very soon and that the idiot who crashed into you is caught.
keth
xx
Keth, I know you’d help if you could and the thought is appreciated. You could always come up for a holiday - we could share a cup of tea and go “oooooh, look at the pigs” together. That’s just as much help sometimes as doing anything.
And for those who doubt the attitude some people have towards cyclists, watch this…
Or from Canada…
Or someone with Scooby’s attitude in Mexico…
And here’s a mate of Chuckers and my white van man…
Then the car driver doesn’t spot the “invisible cyclist”, and again, cyclist, what cyclist?
Village Mummy,
We do not use people’s real names without their permission. I notice that you choose to make public the names of people involved in ‘our’ incident and yet do not have the courage to attach your real name to your offensive comments.
You would not have heard Stonehead thanking Mrs Cook because you were not in the car and you would not have heard him thanking Mrs Duthie because you were not invited into her house and you would not have heard him thanking Mr Jones as you most certainly were not invited into our home. You would also not have heard his thanks to many other people who have similarly offered support and help.
I suggest you do not offend and sully the names of people who are generous in spirit and action by including them within your bigotted and ignorant mutterings.
I can only assume you are a member of the local Mummy Mafia who prefer to stand in judgement over others from the protection of you playground gang.
Can I recommend that you either keep your thoughts to yourself or have the guts to walk up to me in person.
(Is it my imagination, or is that guy in the car from Oz?)
I am amazed to find that cyclists as a breed are subjected to such bullying.
However, during our sailing years, our only land transport was a pair of folding bikes and we must have covered thousands of exploratory and/or shopping miles along the Welsh, Irish, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish coasts on them.
I would like to say we never had any mishaps, but in the light of the revelations on this blog I am now beginning to wonder just how my husband came to have two ‘accidents’, one in Portugal and one in Spain.
In each case, I was riding ahead and had to go back to look for him when he failed to appear. Both times, somebody had knocked him off his perch. Each time he had been shaken and bruised, but I’m afraid I just assumed his attention had wandered…. but…..now I am having alternative thoughts!
He’s a Kiwi.
I have a couple of close encounters a week with motorists. There are the Neds (like Scooby above) who think it’s funny; the arrogant and vicious morons (like Chuckers above) who think the road is theirs; the blindly stupid; and the absent minded (like the old bloke fiddling with his mirror as he passed).
I actually know one of my regulars by name. He’s a member of the arrogant and vicious brigade. I wouldn’t mind getting a camera to catch him in action…
I really do not understand why Stonehead has such a negative view on the world and how he seems to exert such energy in regaling us all with the importance of his life?
If one stick ones head above the parapet one should not complain about being shot at!
Life sucks sometimes but carping on about the bad times makes depressing reading especialy when written in such a tabloid, sensationalist, drivel like way.
Maybe the van driver knows of you?
I have no comment to make about his behaviour as there’s two sides to every story.
If you were a true crofter you wouldn’t have time for this blog but i feel you are very needy emotionally.
Happy riding.
Pontius Pilate (judge of all things crofting)
I’m bemused. Why are you not only expending the energy to read the depressing yet sensationalist drivel (oxymoron???) contained within this blog but also taking the time to compose a response?
Maybe the van driver IS you?
Happy pilates and always look on the bright side…
blog reading isn’t mandatory, Pontius. Even if stoney is ‘needy’ (which i have no idea about), what difference would that make to him being in an accident?
God, stoney, i don’t know how you can deal with this crap. It would make me want to curl up in a corner.
Keep your head about you, and know that there are plenty of people who find your writing, and your life, interesting. Mend well.
Pontius Pilate can I ask if you feel the way you have posted why are you reading Stoneheads blog?
If I believe someone is writing drivel I don’t read it, much as I don’t read certain gutter tabloids.
I use a disability scooter, road worthy one, and I can tell you about vehicles, vans in particular, that come a little too close for comfort and it isn’t that they have miss judged the length of their van and pulled in too quickly either because they have told me to ‘*’ the ‘*ing’ road (a very quiet country road) on occasions. I also have a scooter for pedestrian areas and get rammed with push chairs and prams, purposely, and the same foul language used. Shopping trolleys in supermarket are rammed into my legs if I am walking, I used a walking aid, and most follow with a ‘*’ off cripple!
Pontius, you reallyhaven’t a clue. I only just realised who Stonehead is - he’s a lovely man who invited myself and two girlfriends in to see his pigs. We stopped to watch them, lovely big black ones, and he was out mowing with a scythe. Yes, really, That’s proper crofting I think.
Anyways, he invitedus in, showed us the animals and talked about what he does. He was very enthusiastic (and contagious if the three of us are anything to go by).
What struck me was Stonehead saying he knew stuff because people had shared their knowledge with him, so he felt obliged to pass it on in turn.
If that’s a sign of being emtionally needy, then brill! We want more of it.
And PS to the Otherhalf. Your man is very yummy in rolled down boilersuit and T-shirt!!
watch it Stoney you’ve pulled again!
I found this blog page linked from another site. God, I’m stunned at the nastiness of some people.
Does it matter who Stonehead is, where he comes from, what he does for a living?
He’s been (probably deliberately) knocked down, is injured and in pain. What about a little bit of compassion for him and condemnation of the driver? I don’t know whether I’m more disgusted by the van driver or by the people posting bile.
This whole situation has made me cross & upset. The “accident was bad enuf,but the reactions by some people to it have suprised & shocked me. I know there are a lot of folk about like” scooby-dim”,i guess he just dosent know any better?! The one that really got to me was village-mummy, “such a cosy sounding name”!! for a racist bigot!
I am half arab half english & live just over the hill from stoney,i have a child at the local school,H was born in scotland. I suppose we are not welcome either.
I dont give a flying-f**k what people like her think of me,but i worry about H,as i know what it is like to grow up feeling different.I was born in a small village in yorkshire,the same house as my mum was born in yet i was called a pakki & told to go home!
I dread to think what v-m is teaching her children!
Anyway i’d better stop myself there.
Stoney, i hope you heal quick & keep entertaining me with your blog!——-
Hi, l followed your post from the CTC site after l posted there for post-bike accident advice.
Absolutely deplorable what happened and hope you fix up well and fast, and they catch this lunatic.
best wishes, p
Kirsten, it’s nice to hear from someone new. Don’t worry too much about the nasties - they generally don’t worry me too much and when I get too annoyed, I just shut things down for a while. By and large, most people who visit are good folk.
Hilldreamer, good to hear from you again. You must pop over for a cuppa sometime.
Paul, it’s unfortunate that some drivers don’t feel they can share the road with bikes, trikes, pedestrians and horses. But, no matter how aggressively and violently they behave, this is one cyclist who is not surrendering the road.
Finally, a big thanks to Andhar the Wheel, a fellow cyclist who rode the 30 miles out from Aberdeen to offer moral support and found himself herding pigs in the mud! He’s just headed off on his return trip. As I said to him, any Aberdeen cyclists looking for a ride in the country are welcome to pop in or use the field for a break. Cheers.
I am quite at a loss as where to start, thank goodness the children weren’t in the cab, tosser of a driver, I hope you get better soon, six weeks sounds like a long time to be out of action considering all the jobs you have do around the croft.
As for the comments - ???? Where the hell to begin, I applaud you for re-instating them and allowing us all to see how sinister the other side of humanity actually is, I remember being taken aback at the vegans but this is something else.
Village Mummy - the thought that you have been allowed to breed and are filling the minds of your unfortunate offspring with this sort of attitude is shocking “go back to where you belong” ? I truly thought people who thought like this didn’t exist anymore - how naive I am in my fluffy little corner of the valleys.
Lots of love to you all.
The Press & Journal has run a story on the crash, but allow for some poetic licence with details and quotes! Still, it might help catch the van driver.
Hope your healing fast, and managing alright. I’m not even going to start on the marathon read I’ve just had. I’m gobsmacked.
Take Care of you and yours and concentrate on getting right.x
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Holy cripes! I don’t think there’s anything I can say that hasn’t been said, but I see now what you mean by your history with vehicles. That is amazingly terrible!!
Sorry to read about the tumble Stoney. I hope you heal quickly and well. I am surprised by the amount of venom you are taking here. I always figured that sort of thing was less common over there. Just the same though I think you aught to develop a better means of transport. Your history and recent events suggest you need to take steps to protect yourself and your family. I suggest a giant and ridiculously slow vehicle with a banner that reads, ” I almost rode my bike”. Possibly a Combine if you can borrow one. HeHe.