As more people take up cycling as a pastime and more cyclists are seen on roads and shared footpaths, conflicts may inevitably arise. On Monday (28 Mar), a lady took to Facebook to share her encounter with a cyclist in Sengkang on 26 Mar.
According to the post, she did not realise the cyclist was ringing his bell from behind her as she was hearing impaired. The cyclist then allegedly shouted at and slapped her.
The lady later lodged a police report. She is now seeking witnesses to the incident, hoping to identify the cyclist.
On Saturday (26 Mar) at around 9am, a lady was walking with her husband along a footpath at Sengkang East Way when a cyclist started ringing his bell incessantly from behind them.
The lady, who claimed that she has hearing impairments, apparently did not hear this and only moved aside when her husband gestured at her.
Following that, a male cyclist accompanied by a female cyclist rode past them.
The man, who was on an orange Trek Marlin mountain bike, allegedly stared at them as he passed, muttering what seemed like vulgarities under his breath.
Even as he rode towards the Sengkang East Way and Sengkang East Road traffic junction, he repeatedly turned his head back to look at the couple.
The couple soon caught up to the cyclists waiting at the junction.
At this point, they stated that the male cyclist turned around and shouted, “Don’t know how to give way is it?”
The lady then tried to explain that she had a hearing impairment and could not hear him.
However, the man allegedly continued yelling at them, prompting the lady to take out her phone to record the encounter.
Seemingly angered by the lady’s actions, the man allegedly raised his hand and slapped her on her cheek, causing it to redden.
According to the Facebook post, several passers-by at the junction witnessed this.
The lady then told him not to leave and that she’d be reporting the incident to the police.
Immediately, the man tried to flee the scene by cycling across the junction, despite the traffic light still being red.
Passers-by, including an Indian couple and a Malay man, then stepped in to help, holding him down while the lady called the police.
He then sneered at the lady as he allegedly exclaimed that the police “can’t do anything to him”.
When the traffic light turned green, the man broke free and sped across the junction, turning towards Punggol.
The lady and her husband tried to give chase but eventually lost the cyclist.
After the incident, the lady claimed that she had lodged a police report in person at Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC).
Unfortunately, the police were not able to track the cyclist down.
She is now appealing to the public for help, especially those who might have witnessed the incident or know of the cyclist.
The lady describes the cyclist as a tan Malay man in his late thirties or early forties. She estimates his height to be about 170cm and guesses that he could be a Sengkang or Punggol resident.
The lady urges anyone with leads to contact Sengkang NPC at 1800 3438 999.
Sharing the road with others, especially on narrow pathways, can be frustrating.
But it is important for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike to be understanding and patient.
Ultimately, whatever the case, violence is never the answer. After all, these resentments are much better ironed out by talking things out calmly with one another.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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