At 10.30 pm, Tuesday 16-Apr-96 I was heading north along East row and saw a white Mazda MX-5 approaching the Give Way sign from Northbourne avenue. I was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt, fluorescent yellow gloves and have a 5W headlight. The driver looked at me, sneered, and sped up through the intersection, causing me to brake hard and stand the bike up on the front wheel to avoid hitting him. I yelled “Oi!” loudly and pursued the vehicle along Bunda street. At the Akuna street intersection the vehicle was stopped at a red light, I drew alongside on the drivers side and tapped on the window. The driver turned to look at me, gave me the finger and then took off spinning the wheels through the red light. I noted the number (NSW registration ###-###) and went to the city police station.
After standing around in the empty foyer for approximately 10 minutes an officer came out and asked me what had happened. I explained, he opened every single drawer in the desk before declaring “You can never find a piece of paper when you want one”. He then used what appeared to be a brown paper luggage ticket to write the details on, then after more questioning entered them in the computer and asked me to take a seat as they would “be awhile as they were doing changeover.” At approx 11.15 pm a female officer came out and seemed surprised that I had been kept sitting so long, I remarked that maybe if you leave people long enough they go home. She opened one of the previously investigated drawers and immediately took out the correct form, then decided to write the details on the back rather than filling it in. Half way through giving my address for the third time I commented that this had already been entered into the computer by the first officer, at this point she went and got a more senior officer who came and said that the plates were for a van and didn’t match the description of the car, and since it was my word against the drivers, no action would be likely.
He then launched off on a little speech about the actions of some cyclists, I replied that they were no worse than the actions of some motorists. I left with the impression that the police’s attitude is that since some cyclists disregard some road laws, no cyclists will get any protection or assistance from the police.
Refs: Originally in my bike incidents page.
