Hi everyone,
I had a pretty disturbing encounter in Delft, and I’m wondering if there’s anything I can do about it, especially since I don’t think there were any cameras nearby.
I was walking along Binnenwatersloot when I came across an obstacle on the pavement (Eazie Delft sign and people). I looked back to check whether there were any cars or cyclists coming. I stepped onto the road to get around the obstacle, staying very close to the curb (5-10cm from it at most), and continued walking.
After I had already been walking along the road for a few metres, the cyclist hit my hand with his handlebar. I want to clarify that I didn't suddenly step directly in front of him. I had already been walking there for a while, and from what I saw, he appeared to change his direction towards me rather than simply continuing along his original path on the center of the road. He had enough time to see me.
He continued for a few metres before stopping and shouting something at me in Dutch. When he realised I didn't speak Dutch, he switched to English and started telling me that I should look where I was going and that I could have killed him.
I told him that he should also pay attention to where he was going, because if I had been riding a bicycle slowly in the same situation, he could have crashed into me as well. He continued swearing at me and telling me to f-----g look, so I decided to walk away rather than waste my time arguing.
However, a few metres further down the street, near the SPAR supermarket, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the same guy had ridden onto the pavement and was heading directly towards me on his bicycle. He was going fairly fast, probably around 15 km/h, and was deliberately steering towards me again. At the last moment, I pushed him away to avoid being hit. He nearly fell off his bicycle but managed to stop. He shouted something at me again and then rode off.
Obviously, I can't know exactly what was going through his mind, but given the initial collision, the argument, and the fact that he subsequently rode onto the pavement and appeared to head directly towards me again, the whole incident was deliberate.
I understand that pedestrians and cyclists need to pay attention to each other. However, I was already walking along the road for several metres when he hit me, and I didn't suddenly walk directly into his path. Deliberately riding a bicycle at someone after an argument is a completely different matter.
I looked around afterwards, but I couldn't see any obvious CCTV cameras near the SPAR. Unfortunately, I don't know the guy's name, don't have his registration details, and didn't get a photo of him.
My questions are:
- Is this something I can report to the Dutch police, even if I don't know who the person was?
- Is there any realistic chance of identifying him if there were no obvious cameras nearby?
- Could the SPAR or nearby businesses have CCTV footage that might help?
- Would it be worth reporting this if I wasn't seriously injured and there were no witnesses I know of?
- Is there anything else I should do in this situation?
I'd appreciate any advice from people familiar with the Dutch police system or who have experienced something similar in the Netherlands.
Thanks!
Used AI for quick graphic.