A CAMDEN HAVEN senior claims to have been verbally abused by youths while cycling the Beach to Beach path on the afternoon of Saturday 10 August.

Peter, 75, an avid cyclist with over 35 years of riding experience, had recently recovered from eye surgery and decided to resume his usual rides.

Advertise with News of The Area today.
It’s worth it for your business.
Message us.
Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au

Accompanied by his wife, he drove to his starting point near the cleaning tables at the North Haven break wall, eager to enjoy a familiar route.

However, as he crossed Stingray Creek Bridge around 4:00pm, he says his peaceful ride was abruptly interrupted.

Two youths, estimated to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, allegedly approached him from behind on an e-scooter.

Peter, unaware of their presence due to the lack of any warning, says he was suddenly subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse from the passenger, who was seemingly angry the cyclist hadn’t made way for them to pass.

“I asked him why he didn’t ring a bell,” Peter recounted, explaining that he hadn’t realised he was in their way.

Peter said the encounter escalated into a heated exchange, with the youths eventually passing and riding off.

Shaken but undeterred, Peter said he continued his journey, only to encounter the same pair a short distance later.

The youths, who had hidden in the bushes, reappeared and the passenger allegedly resumed their verbal attack.

Peter, admitting that he responded with some unsavoury language, acknowledged that he didn’t handle the situation as well as he could have.

A witness from a nearby backyard agreed, noting that the cyclist’s reaction wasn’t ideal, despite the initial aggression from the youths.

Deeply disturbed by the encounter, Peter ended his ride early and reported the incident to Laurieton police.

Having never experienced such hostility in all his years of cycling, Peter expressed shock at the incident.

“That night I couldn’t sleep, and the next day I checked my blood pressure, and it was up,” he told News Of The Area.

His primary concern now is the potential harm such an encounter could cause to someone with more fragile health.

While Peter acknowledges that both parties were at fault in different ways, he insists the initial verbal abuse was completely unwarranted.

He hopes that this incident serves as a reminder for all path users to exercise patience and remain aware of their surroundings, especially in shared spaces frequented by walkers, runners, cyclists and pet owners.

By Luke HADFIELD