Monday, November 26, 2007

Cyclist knocked down my 92 yr-old mother-in-law

4 days ago my 92 year-old mother-in-law was knocked down by a cyclist while returning home from her usual morning walk. She was walking on the pavement. According to witnesses, three teenage boys were cycling furiously behind her.

One of them tinkled his bell but my mother-in-law couldn't react in time because she was old and slow. She fell forward, cutting the left side of her head on the sharp edge of the pavement. She was minutes away from home.

When I rushed to the scene, she was in a daze, blood was still oozing from the cut, her face and blouse were covered in blood. The boys had fled. With the help of some passer-by, I sent her to the hospital where she needed 11 stitches to close the wound. Half of her face is also bruised.

I was in a rage.

For the past 4 days I have been lying in wait with a baseball bat for those boys. These louts not only sped on a pavement and caused grievous hurt to an elderly pedestrian, they fled without stopping to help her. What if there were nobody around and she bled to death?

There is nothing an injured pedestrian can do if she's knocked down by a cyclist. My MIL couldn't identify the culprit. The boys might be lying low after this accident but if I catch them, I'm going to bash their brains out.

It isn't safe to walk on the pavement these days. Once my hubby arrived outside my son's school, just in time to witness a teenage boy speeding towards my son who was happily walking towards his father. Almost knocking down my son, he braked in time and started hurling vulgarities at my son for blocking his path.

When my hubby accosted him, the boy had the gall and audacity to be aggressive and challenged my hubby to a fight! Another 2 teenage cyclists came to join their friend and they started taunting and jeering my hubby. My hubby just left with our son.

Just a few months back, my family was walking to the nearby coffee shop for breakfast when a young boy (about 11 years old) rammed his bicycle into my son. He saw us but he didn't slow down nor changed his track. I was walking beside my son but stepped behind him when I saw the young cyclist approaching.

We didn't expect the boy to behave this way. Furious, I grabbed the boy's bike and scolded him. Had my hubby not interfered, I would have dragged him into the police station nearby. When the boy rode away, he screamed, "KNLBCCB!!!" (vulgar language). This is really sickening and infuriating!

It is a traffic offence to ride a bicycle on a pavement. That is covered by Rule 28 of the Road Traffic Rules, enacted in 1981.

But cyclists think that they have the right to ride on the pavement, they routinely use the pavements because they claim that roads are too busy and dangerous.

Cyclists don't need to be licensed. There is no legal requirement to have insurance. They are expected to behave in a responsible manner. But so far I have seen none of that.

Some 'top talent' in our civil service is even exploring the idea of letting cyclists cycle on our pedestrian walkways. This is because of a rising death and injury toll among cyclists cycling on our roads. They probably think that injuring the pedestrians (usually the poor and old) would be better than having expensive cars dented........... KYLBCCB!!!


50 comments:

  1. Your poor mother!!! And all innocent victims of stupid kids who ride their bikes without any thought on pedestrian walkways! A Pox on all their Testicles!! And to those who even have the nerve to talk or curse back, Double Pox on their Testicles and Sperm Ducts.

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  2. sorry to hear that.
    hope your mother in law is alright.

    Those youngsters are indeed horrible.
    If they get injured, then serve them right.

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  3. Oh my! I hope it is not too traumatic for your mom-in-law. Those kids are really naughty!

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  4. o dear! so sorry to hear about the mishap. hope your mother-in-law heals quickly and be up and about soon. those youngsters are so irresponsible. *waits with bat with you*

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  5. LB,
    Thanks.

    It's so irresponsible of them. I'm going to bash their brains out when I catch them..... oh, and their balls and dicks.

    Fancy running when they hurt the elderly who is too old and weak to help herself.....

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  6. chen,
    Thanks. My MIL is hurting and feeling giddy.

    I cursed these teenagers and hope they get run over by trucks!

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  7. Paddy,
    They are 15 or 16 years old. They should have more common sense and should be matured enough to know what they did was wrong. They should have at least helped her up and called for help. Instead they left the injured lying there and fled.

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  8. misti,
    Yes, it's so maddening. Thanks for your company.

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  9. oh dear, hope your MIL is better now. those boys need to be castrated! not worth any balls! so TYS betul... *geram*

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  10. May,
    I don't know how their parents and schools taught them!? They are already so irresponsible right now, what beasts would they become when they grow up!?

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  12. oh, gosh..i hope you MIL is ok now.
    Those boys are really terrible, like
    beasts!!

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  13. Hello my friend. That's horrible. I hope she feel better soon. Unfortunately, my mother-in-law isn't so nice. In fact, she's nasty...even to #3.

    Feel blessed you have a nice one!

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  14. Hi Dizzy Dee!
    Congratulations on your recent engagement!

    Thanks for the tag. :)

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  15. huisia,
    Thanks for your concern. My MIL's quite shaken.

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  16. if u managed to get hold of tht kid, please give that barger 2 extra punches.. say from KL one..

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  17. Hi one wacky Mom,
    awww.... so sorry to hear that your MIL's nasty. I have many girlfriends who couldn't get along with their MIL too. It's not easy for two women to see eye to eye sometimes.

    I'm truly blessed to have wonderful in-laws. I can be a monster sometimes. :P

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  18. I usually don't advocate violence, but in this case I will come to Singapore, hunt down those little punks and hold them down while you bash away.

    What they did is totally unacceptable and might even be criminal.

    I hope your MIL is ok.

    If you do find them, I want to hear part two of this story because i know it's going to be really, really good

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  19. Mike,
    awwww....... thanks for your offer.

    I've been trying to track those fellas down. It's a little tough because the bicycles have no registration numbers.

    But with whatever info I have at the moment, I hope to get them.

    And when I do get them, it's definitely going to be a really good story. I'm going to break their legs.... so that they will not be able to cycle any more.

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  20. It really annoys and upset me when I hear young children have no respect for the elderly people.

    What more, to even knocked an innocent lady down and ride off.

    Grrrr...........you go and catch them and teach them a lesson. Pretend to want to take them to the police station! NO MANNERS KIDS!!

    Oh, by the way, I hope your mother in law gets over the shock quickly.

    You know, at this age, aiyah,......just one small fall, they are affected everywhere.

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  21. Oh dearrrr! I always thought Singaporean kids are well behaved and law-abiding citizens, unlike the bengs here in Malaysia. Seems there are black sheep everywhere in this world ya? Hope ur MIL is fine now. :)

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  23. Judy,
    Thanks.

    It's heartbreaking to see an elderly person suffering such pain. My MIL is really tough and she never complains about her pain although we know it must hurt like Hell.

    If anything happens to her, I'll sure as Hell get those kids as offerings to her.

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  24. kyh,
    I'm not sure if they are Singaporeans or foreigners. But we do have some really terrible youth in our country.

    And thanks for your concern.

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  25. Really 'mou kar kau'... they must be punished severely! (But u really gonna break their legs ar?)

    Hope M-I-L gets well soon!
    *hugs*

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  26. Just yesterday, I was walking my dog when this bicycle came up really close behind me before the rider unleashed his air horn! Yes, read "air horn" like those you hear from trucks!

    Whatever the hell a bicycle needs air horn for? It's damn deafening when someone blasts a air horn so close to you.

    I am equally pissed with these cyclists.

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  27. Oh no! I hope that your mum in law will recover quickly and soon. I think the problem boils down to social values, which is sadly something that we are still lacking in. Like your hubby, I have accosted people who committed acts of inconsideration before although perhaps I was luckier as the folks involved didn't threaten to "hood" me.

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  28. They are only riding bikes, what happens when they become of legal age to drive cars? Hopefully they grow up..

    I ride my bike on the pavement, but not at stupid speeds and there are things called courtesy, safety and common sense which needs to be existent in between the ears when people ride bikes..

    Think they're so tough..Hope those punks come to London and get stabbed or shot..I mean you can't do that in singapore..

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  29. Those boys should be given the cane... pointy end first!

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  30. Aiyo.
    I hope she recover soon, both physically and mentally.

    As for those boys ... we have enough Mat Rempit here ... Sigh..

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  31. Aiyo..ur poor MIL!

    Actually, I'm quite amazed your MIL is still so mobile at her age..I really tabik her. But a fall like that...is really bad for her. Poor lady. I'm glad she doesn't have any broken bones..that takes ages to heal!

    Those boys....haiz.. I pity the future generation of Singapore (and Malaysia, actually). Their behaviour/attitude will be their downfall!

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  32. I hope your mother-in-law is feeling better. In Seattle, the cyclists aren't too bad, but there are lots of young boys on skate boards. They are the scourge of downtown Seattle streets.

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  33. Hope she is feeling better now... These reckless cyclists!

    I have encountered these cyclists many times and I don't hesitate to tell them off. I hope you will be able find these culprits.

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  34. This "ren za" (rubbish people)really got my nerves. I would be bloody damn angry and scolding the hell out of them too! "bo ka si" (hokkien) one! Really hate kids like that!

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  35. Sorry to hear about your MIL.. :( i hope she is better now. I didn't think that kids in singapore.. is so bad ..using vulgarities.. like that.. on the street. This is sad..!
    I donch blame you for waiting for them with a bat. i would too.

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  36. finally i can view ur whole blog! for the past few mths, i kept facing prob..keep hanging. alright, i agree, is my pc lousy. ha ha.

    hope ur MIL is getting better now :)

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  37. Sorry to hear about the hit and run case. Hope your MIL is better now. And I can't wait to read the story about you making those fellas learn their lesson!

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  38. I hope your mother-in-law is all right.

    I also don't really like cyclists. I walk to work and one of the roads doesn't have a proper pavement. Anyway, one day, I was starting to cross over from one side to another, but I didn't know a cyclist behind me until two steps later. I walked back to the side, but that nutter spoke to my ear aggressively, saying something like 'Look where you going Jesus H Christ!' I just shout back with swear word.

    Some cyclists really think that they have a right and walkers don't. Well: "go and f*)& yourself"! (Sorry ECL, I hope it's not a problem. Feel free to take the last bit out.)

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  39. Keeping you, your family and your mom in law in my prayers...

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  40. I often have to walk back from school as it is quite a long journey from the bus stop to my house. And bicycle is a huge problem for me and my friends. My arms got 'brushed' harshly a few times before and often some of them did not even horn before me and my friends realize they are right behind us. Having to give way is frustrating as we have to do so a few times and carrying a laptop/wearing high heels make it all the more frustrating. Those so called 'top talent' should take a walk in the neighbourhood before making such suggestion.

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  41. oh them motherf***ers!!! I would smash their head and feed their brains to the dog!!! How can they do this?!! Hope your MIL feels better now!

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  42. I do hope she recovers well. I am so sorry to hear of such great disrespect. Just terrible!

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  43. So sorry to hear about what had happened to your mother in law. Please take good care of her ...

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  44. Sorry to hear abt this..but then...it's the mindset...cyclist can't use the road...so it's pavement ah.

    Blame it on PAP... make them cyclist paths like in UK

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  45. Whoa, that sucks!

    It's so dangerous to see kids like dat around! My blood would have boiled too!

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  46. Is it normal for a lady to hurl out KYBCC or KNN or ABCD when they are in anger? *sticking out tongue*

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  47. When I go jogging on the pavement and encounter those cyclists who insisted their right of way...I will simply run toward them and then knock them with my elbow. I am 1.78m and 83kg and I usually manage to knock those buggers until they scream in pain. for those who chicken out at the last minute of impact, they will brake or move to the side. Pavement is not for cyclists and I wonder why the hell do they think they can drive us off the pavement simply becuase they have a bell???

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  48. i am a cyclist. of course it is wrong for cyclists to barge pedestrians aside. but not all cyclists are like that. at the same time, roads are dangerous for cyclists because singaporean drivers are worse and dont freaking give way to cyclists. i have known so many cyclists who get knocked down by vehicles. breaking arms, legs or even worse.

    the solution should be wider pavements for both pedestrians and cyclists, or cycling lanes on roads. cycling is a good way to reduce pollution and traffic congestion and its a clean and efficiennt way to travel.

    but obviously there are no monetary and economic benefits for the country and would be on the low list of priorities for our LTA minister.

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