- Graeme Gibb claims he was punched by a cyclist on the Gold Coast on Sunday
- Mr Gibb said he was driving past two cyclists and asked the pair to ride single file
- The 76-year-old alleges one of the men approached him after he parked his car
A cyclist has been accused of shattering a pensioner’s jaw after he asked a pair of riders to travel in single file.
Graeme Gibb, who lives at Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast, claims he was punched by a lycra-wearing cyclist while en route to his weekly Sunday walk.
The 76-year-old was behind the wheel as he drove from his gym session to the car park opposite the Miami Hotel, where he begins his beach stroll.
The retiree then came across two cyclists ignoring a bike lane, who he claims he struggled to safely drive around, The Courier-Mail reported.
‘They were riding side-by-side taking up the main lane while there was a massive bike lane right next to them,’ Mr Gibb says. ‘I shouted out (of the car) ”why don’t you (ride) single file” as I drove past.’
Mr Gibb passed the cyclists but when he parked his vehicle in the shaded carpark opposite the Miami Hotel, he was approached by one of the riders.
The offending cyclist, who is believed to be a member of a Facebook Group called “Gold Coast Cycling Combine” has yet to be questioned by police.
Senior Editor for Single File Please, Geoff Baird, says this is simply more evidence the time has arrived for cyclists to wear mandatory ID tags.
“The public has had a gut full of this sort of stuff,” says Mr Baird. “Bad behaviour takes place when people think there are no consequences, and cyclists are a group of road users who simply cannot be identified. That’s what people want to see change.
“Take a look at the photo,” he continues. “Look at what he’s holding. He’s holding a helmet. That’s what we’re saying is the common link. Give plastic ID tags away for free but make them mandatory.
“At the moment bike riders can film offending motorists and they can ask for police action because motorists have to wear a number plate. But cyclists can get away with whatever they want.”
Comments by readers on the Single File Please Facebook Page indicate very little sympathy exists for the offender who remains at large at the time of writing.
