I am absolutely fuming after an incident that took place on the way to work this morning. I wanted to check the air in my tyres on the way to work and headed to the nearest garage so that my tyres wouldn’t be too warm from riding. As I was waiting behind a truck checking his tyres, a white van pulled up behind my bike. They parked so close that the driver had to hold onto the back of my bike as he slipped between the front of his van and my bike. They made a few comments, but I ignored them. They told me to move out of the way. I replied that I was waiting for the air pump, myself, and would only be a few minutes.
I rolled my bike forward to the pump, placed my 20p on top of the machine and went to pull the caps off. Meanwhile, the men parked their van directly next to my bike…so close that they had to squeeze in and out of the doors. They then drew the water hose across my bike to use on their van. I told them to the get the hose off of my bike and went over to the machine to set the pressure and put my money in. My money was not there and one of them was grinning like a *******. I asked where my money had gone and he denied having it. We went back and forth for a bit and then he said that he took the money because he didn’t know it was mine. I told him that he now knew and asked for my money again. He told me that he would not give it to me because women should not be riding bikes. He then demanded to know if I had a husband. I told him that it was none of his business and that he should move back to his own country if he didn’t like the way that things were done here (I am foreign, too, so i’m not being awful by saying that!). He proceeded to say that I clearly needed a husband to lay down the law, etc., etc. I did not like the situation and was not going to get in an argument with three men, so I got on my bike and tried to leave. They wouldn’t let me move forward or back (I was blocked in on the right, with the machine on the left), and put the hose across my wheel area whilst they filled their bloody van.
The minute they moved the hose out of the way, I made as much noise as I could with my engine and pushed through them. No, I didn’t get the number plate. No, I don’t know what company it was…it was a beat up white van. I am kicking myself for this, but at that point, I just wanted to get out of there and honestly couldn’t believe that they trapped me in. I am furious and felt so shaken up by it that I had to pull over and sit for a bit after I put a bit of distance between the petrol station and myself. The men were aggressive from the word go and basically sat there laughing at me when I couldn’t get away. I have been riding for almost a year with very little hassle, other than blind car drivers…not sure what I could have done, either…not much, to be honest. It is a shame that mace is illegal in this country!
What a BUNCH OF F**CKIN C*NUTS do not let it get you down do you think they would of said a word if us lot were there with you I think not!!! I would give them a twat in the head for you.
Brooke, I am astounded and dismayed at this. Spaktards like that that make me feel ashamed to be human! They had absolutely no right to do what they did. Next time, try to get their reg number and make an anonymous call to the Police … if they haven’t done enough to justify a visit, exaggerate a bit!!
Brooke! I’m really sorry that you had to go through a such frustating experience … Not just becouse you are a woman, as even me as a reasonably big bloke wouldn’t get into the finals against them, but for the actual des-respect for the fact that you are a lady. Knowing you a bit it’s very easy to know how you are feeling… Shame I can’t do anything to help …
I hope that you will never have to go through that again… ! If so? please get the bloody number plate!!! Cheer up ok? We all are here to support you!
OMG! What an awful thing to have happened! If that happens again, call the police. You’re a lone woman surrounded by men who have stolen your money (they don’t have to know it’s only 20p), they’re preventing you from leaving and are making threats. The fact that you’re talking to the police will be enough to get them on their way.
Might be worth your while calling the petrol station to see if their security cameras were working and if there’s a licence plate number there. If so, get the police involved, as next time it might be another girl and these guys might get nastier. There’s plenty of room in the back of a van for a girl, you know.
I’ve been much luckier, in that people often let me use the air pumps (hmm, all the ones I know are free, though) first, as I don’t take long.
Bloody hell, Brooke, that’s awful! I’m surprised, but also I can’t help at laugh at them, as they’re clearly the type that only try to bully those who they believe they can get away with, i.e. a woman by herself on her bike. If I was in your shoes, I would have called the Police immediately, saying you were being assaulted by three men in a white van, and given them the registration, the Police are very good I believe, when it comes to responding to women in distress.
They would soon shut up, get in their van and leave you alone, I’ve seen this type of pond-life before and they’re all the same; opportunist idiots. Well done for standing your ground, I hope it doesn’t shake you up too much!
Next time, get the registration, it’s very important!
– edit, I agree with Paivi, speak to the petrol-station and see if you can get their numberplate. Reporting them to the Police might well help someone else in future, not to mention we can all keep an eye out for the van.
i agree with paivi, its def a good idea to get in contact with the station and demand they go thro the cctv footage as u need the number plate to report to the police. and like she say’s theres room for a lone lady in the back of the van, its only a small step from dickheads like that going from makin thenselves feel like real men by picking on a female, to proving how much a real man they are by taking it further.
altho a headbutt from a very angry chick wearing a helmet and a swing at the shins with titanium toe sliders is gona hurt then too
…sorry, y’all…stress in the office today…nipping in an out of site.
Think that the post was more of a vent as I rarely lose my temper and it was still flaring after lunch. Grrrr! I won’t let them get me down as riding the bike and knowing my friends from the Ace has made me more confident than I have ever been in my life. I LOVE riding! Nothing like the smug feeling you get as you pass down the side of everyone sitting in traffic, or walking around with an imaginary bike gang for back-up…kind of like having an invisible army. However, an invisible army is all well and good when you suspect that you won’t ever need it!
To be honest, I don’t even know which company runs the garage, but I shall stop by on the way home and see what I can do. I came up Putney Hill to the large Wimbledon roundabout and then headed left off of that roundabout into town (It would have turned into the A3 if I went right). I don’t usually go that way, but know that it links to the S. Circular. The garage is on the left hand side before you merge with another road (that eventually turns into the S. Circular). It is all in Wandsworth.
I am usually level-headed and would normally go for the number plate right away, but the whole situation put me in a bit of a panic and I just got out of there as quickly as I could. It isn’t the issue of the money, though that did wind me up…it was the fact that they trapped me, knew I couldn’t do anything about it, and laughed. I can sound quite stern when I need to (and I did cuss at them), but they weren’t having any of it. I didn’t want to leave my bike on that side of the van (blocked from view) as they were all around it…it was just best to sit and wait until I could move forward, I think. I highly doubt that the garage attendents would have wanted to get involved.
You are all stars (thank you, thank you, thank you!), and I must say that I feel worse for the people who are actually losing their bikes than getting a bit of harrassment from ignorant apes. This pales in comparison!
I agree, contact the garage. Some of these garages are franchises so threatening to contact the head office regard a certain branch that is allowing this intimidation to go on will normally ensure they are willing to assist you.
I’m sure that the company (if it was written on the van) wouldn’t be impressed to hear of their staff’s idea of having a laugh in the garage!
Glad your not to distressed by it all and seem strong enough to brush it off.
Us blokes do a good enough job of giving us a bad name, without these t055ers helping.
Sadly, it was an unmarked, run-down white van. Two of the men kept on referring to my key antagonist as ‘boss’. I highly doubt that they are connected to a large organisation. It is at times like this that I wish I had a sword . However, I will do my best to follow up on it, I promise!
There are plenty of good guys out there to keep the balance right, so don’t you worry!
so as its an unmarked, run down white van u can bet it also had no tax, no mot and no insurance, and probably doubtful as to whether the knobs in question had valid visa’s or work permits too
Yaaayyyy you tell’em girl!!! Don’t take their crap and DON’T let it ruin one more second of your life than absolutely necessary.
They clearly didn’t know with whom they were messin!
Pity that we have to share the lives of the simple or vindictively minded, even for a minute. But they get to spend their lives living it, we just get a glimpse.
I feel sorry for them really.
No, that’s a lie. I’d stick that airhose up their …'s and get every last psi out of my 20p piece.
Hey Brookie… So sorry to hear of your incident today… Fooking ******s… I have encountered idiots like that, but as you know I’m a tad more aggressive!!!
Don’t let this get you down my darling… Where were you on Friday? Mwaaa
Hey, y’all! Again, thanks for all of the comments. I will speak to the petrol station people on the way home. Again, thanks for the suggestions…I will certainly follow a few, and I won’t feel as p-d off by being proactive. I don’t have high hopes, but might be pleasantly surprised!
Don’t you worry, Foxy and Angela…I AM getting mouthier, and I will tell people off if they purposefully cross me when riding. Stationary is another story…I can’t zip away!! However, I think that I deprived them of entertainment because I did not get aggressive. Really, not a lot to be done and I would have looked even more ridiculous.
Just heading home from work as I am starving…out for a blast on Friday night, but need Cheeky Jon to sort my brake pads first. Sadly, the forecast says rain…loads of hot chocolate to keep warm, then!
… Not just becouse you are a woman, as even me as a reasonably big bloke wouldn’t get into the finals against them, but for the actual des-respect for the fact that you are a lady. Knowing you a bit it’s very easy to know how you are feeling… Shame I can’t do anything to help … 
Cheer up ok? We all are here to support you!
However, an invisible army is all well and good when you suspect that you won’t ever need it!
. However, I will do my best to follow up on it, I promise!
but don’t let it get you down for to long ask about the security cameras and then go out and enjoy your bike.