Cyclist forced to swim to safety after being pushed into canal

Yet another reason, as if needed, that: 

a) Cycling in Birmingham is utterly rubbish for the most part;

b) Cycling in the West Midlands is utterly rubbish for the most part; and

c) Canal towpaths are NOT viable cycling infrastructure, at least not in their current guise. I feel afraid I'd tip in even without the kind assistance of youthful gangs.

I've been unfortunate enough to have this happen twice. Once by a large group of "football supporters" on the canal adjacent to Nottingham Train Station and oddly enough having just checked a map of Birmingham, very much in the vicinity of where this latest incident happened.

Following the incident in Nottingham I actually caught up with several of the group who had headed into the train station to catch a train to who knows where after supporting their team in the city, I think it was Sheffield United fans, but couldn't be sure, who then accused me of riding recklessly when I verbally kicked off at them in front of several police officers, who were kind enough to give me a verbal warning to do one as they didn't want the childish thugs getting upset!

This is why I always ride with a snorkel and BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) - you only have one pair of lungs!

"Disgusting behaviour. Imagine if it was an older person or someone more vulnerable, they might not have been so lucky."

Or if they couldn't swim, or if they were impaled on an underwater object. 

No mention of whether the police have been involved, and whether they are taking this potentially lethal assault as seriously as it needs to be.  Next time the victim might not be so lucky.

So glad to see that the government's response to the petition about aggression towards cyclists is being effective already.

Thank goodness the cyclist is safe and his bicycle was retrieved.

Not that I wish to tempt fate, and riding the Basingstoke canal every morning on my commute I really don't want to, but I'm kind of suprised this doesn't happen more.