BobK

Scary but true, the police have just left.
I had to stay late at my office tonight for a managment meeting and I ended up leaving about an hour later than usual at 7.00pm. I cycle in on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays so tonight I'm on the bike, I'm in my own little world going up Akaroa Street heading north out of the city towards marshlands road. I feel an excrutiating pain in my right leg and nearly come off the bike. I then realise that there is a car along side me full of kids laughing wildly. The passenger is waving a hand gun around. I'm in shock and not thinking straight and I don't think to get the number or try to remember any descriptions. I pull over and realize that there's a small bloody puncture wound in my thigh, the police believe it was probably a high powered air pistol. All I know is that my leg hurts like hell and I'm pretty mad.

We've only been here for three months, largely enjoying it so far but we thought that we'd left all this shit behind in the UK.

I know that in the big picture this isn't too serious but even so don't believe the hype about NZ being a crime free paradise, clearly it isn't.

tonight I'll mostly be lying on my left side..

cheers

Bob

Kaiapoi, soon Rangiora. Working in Chch

kiwichild

sorry to hear about what happened. unfortuantely there are morons the world over and christchurch has never had a shortage of them. at least they didn't have a real firearm :scared: or were out of it enough to try and run you over or just jump out and attack you

annaerb

Sorry to hear your news, bloody mongrels. Glad that you are okay.

I hope they catch the bas@*$!#.

HiddenPaw

Cripes, I'm well aware of the perils of being a cyclist but I didn't know being shot at was one of the risks!. We've had beer cans and fag ends launched at us while cycling but being shot at takes it to another dimension. (Incidentally, the worst treatment we got [as cyclists] was whilst living in Oz - I never had missiles launched at me in the UK). Like you say, sh1t happens everywhere, unfortunately, and the UK isn't exclusive in the way some motorists treat cyclists.

Hope you make a speedy recovery and get back on the bike soon.

Da' Calders

Hi Bobk
hope you are ok. i agree with the others that i hope the idiots are caught.
your post/experience does highlight a fact most of us forget when planning the big move, New Zealand may look like paradise but just like the UK it has its social ails. (why else would they need to hire all those corrections officers to man the prisons?).
however, on a lighter note its far easier to get away from the criminal elements due to the smaller population and smaller close knit communities.
You say you have mostly enjoyed your time there, PLEASE dont let this one idiotic incident dampen your spirits.

good luck

Boopy

Try not to let this horrible incident spoil your new life. Life's a lottery, you were unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time. Good luck for the future.

BobK

Thanks for all the positive comments guys, I appreciate that. This experience hasn't dampened our enthusiasm for NZ at all, just opened our eyes a bit. NZ is a great place to live, but as a few people mentioned, there are idiots everywhere and last night I was unlucky.

I'm a bit sore this morning and I drove to work (its raining hard anyway) but I'll be back on the bike next Tuesday. I may avoid Akaroa street though.

Top marks to the police though, they took it seriously and came round to take a statement within 20 mins of me phoning. Unfortunately I couldn't give them many details so I don't expect a result.

Has anyone else noticed the number of bizarre coincidences that occur with a small poulation. I've had many of these, but last night my wife was going out with three of her new friends, they were all waiting for me to come home (I was late) and babysit. One of the ladies husbands was an armed response officer in Chch. weird eh.

cheers

Bob

Andrew Cross

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you. Strange, we drove through that road at 6pm. Its horrible when something happens that spoils your new life and how you hoped it would turn out.

Hopefully that will be the last incident, and all your days in chch will be happy ones!!!

Sue

P18PPS

Speedy and pain free recovery wished...

Tossers are all over the world unfortunately. I'm shocked at your story, just as I was at the personal flier that someone put through our door tonight it read.......

" On Tuesday 5 April around 12.50pm our beloved cat Gavin was attached & killed by two large black dogs "..... etc etc

Apart from the fact that Gavin is a stupid name to call your cat, it is quite sad, and brings it all back "home" (?) that pillocks with wild dogs that savage your neighbours cats in the daytime in lovely quiet suburban areas exist wherever you go.

There were also press reports over the weekend in a neighbouring suburb of people being beaten to a pulp in a local park over the weekend, leaving one man fighting for his life as I type. Not nice at all.

I'm sure in time (unfortunately) things will get worse, the only thing positive is that NZ is a few years behind the rest of the western world - notably the UK.

Wishing you all the very best and a speedy recovery.