Happy slappers targeting cyclists

I received an e-mail from Jennifer about an incident that happened to one of her colleague. There is a craze now where teenagers would gather on the kerb by the road and lash out at cyclists. The cyclist in question was punched in the head so hard that apparently a chunk of her helmet broke off. This happened on the A270, which I use frequently whenever I am in Brighton if I want to head to the South Downs.

Reading the e-mail reminded me because about a month ago when we were cycling back from Ditchling Beacon late at night, a group of three or four youths were eyeing us. Fortunately we knew a lot about chav these days. We picked up speed and cycled to the middle of the road (dangerous - but the road was deserted) and avoided them. False alarm maybe but you can't be sure these days.

I am guessing that this is a new turn for happy slapping. As if we already have enough trouble from motorists from the right side, now we have to worry about being assaulted by murderous youths from the left side!

Anyway, another reason why I hate using cycle lanes. They are too narrow, share the same lane as buses and illegal cab drivers, and with this new craze, takes you closer to idiots.