"Angry and fed up" female cyclist confronts male driver who made sexual remarks at her

A female cyclist in Cardiff has filmed the moment she confronted a motorist who had directed sexist remarks at her shortly beforehand.

Nanw Beard, who posted the footage to YouTube, said that the incident had left her “angry and fed up” and called on men to challenge such behaviour whenever they encountered it, reports Nation.Cymru, which has posted the video to YouTube.

The 30 year old said she was riding along Penarth Road when a motorist drew alongside her and told her she “should have a health warning because your backside is going to cause an accident.”

She said: “When I told him that was disgusting he drove away laughing. I later caught up with him and that’s the interaction that you see in the video.

After she caught yup with the driver, she repeatedly asked him, “Do you want to say that again?” and told him that his remarks were “disgusting and despicable,” but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

“This was the second occasion of harassment I’d received that afternoon having had another man shout that he was going to ‘f*ck me in the arse’,” she continued.

“I’ve got to the point where I’m so angry and fed up with the constant barrage of street harassment I face as a woman, especially while I’m alone.

“It’s been a part of life I’ve just had to accept,” she continued. “However, reading stories of women choosing not to accept this anymore has made me feel empowered.

“This man had what I presume to be his son in the car. By setting this example he’s telling young men that this behaviour is ok.

“I couldn’t miss the opportunity to call the behaviour out. I was feeling vulnerable and intimidated following the previous encounter with the first man.

“However, I felt that if he was on camera, it was unlikely that he would get out of the car or harass me further.”

She said that when she accused the motorist of sexual harassment, he laughed at her.

“This made me question myself, but I know that this is a common tactic when such men are called out for their behaviour.”

Unwanted attention from male motorists and even fellow cyclists is one barrier to more women cycling, and Ms Beard added: “In terms of how we stop this happening, I think that the responsibility lies principally with men.

“Challenge the behaviour when you see it on the street, in bars, in conversations at work or anywhere. By not speaking out, you’re enabling it.”

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