Carrots handbags cheese toilets Russians planets hamsters weddings poets Stalin

On my way out this evening, at about 50 yds North of Holloway Rd Tube station, I was a bystander when a guy came off his bike. He either fell or was knocked off by a passing vehicle. (I didn't see which; it was the noise which alerted me). Several vehicles drove on :-( I walked out into the road to check how he was doing and thankfully at that point a driver of a big van pulled into the inside lane where the cyclist was to offer a more visible blokade than me crouching down and a bloke-bicycle pile.

When I first approached him he was entirely out cold - GCS in single digits (5 or so). As I continued to speak to him, he started murmuring but not really intellibly. After what seemed like minutes but was probably only a few seconds he came around more and was able to sit up and respond a little. He had blood coming off his right ear. At that point (with the driver having joined us) I called for an ambulance.

He was clearly coming round quickly because he got himself to his feet unaided which seemed to be a good sign. He sat himself down on the pavement and the other driver moved his bike out the way. I started checking his well being - the blood from his ear had thankfully stopped, his shoulder and legs were a little grazed so thankfully his injuries were only superficial. That said, I was slightly concerned that not only had he lost consciousness but also that his helmet showed signs of damage. That means he probably hit his head quite hard.

He was conscious but had slight amnesia as he couldn't remember the address to where he was cycling. He had felt dizzy but that had gone. He had no tinnitus, wasn't feeling nausuea, too hot or cold and his pulse was fine. (Well, rapid and strong, but that'd be the adrenaline. I was more worried about shock).

After a few minutes the ambulance came and I passed on the details of his condition. Surprisingly the LAS despatcher didn't ask for my contact details, though as the operater put my call through to him she did read my number back. I therefore decided to give my details to the ambulance person, checked that they were happy for me to head off and I was on my way.

As I was walking to the tube I felt a wave of nausea come over me. I was fine though - I just sat in a daze on the tube and headed over to the cafe to meet cryx, softfruit and angeoverhere.

I guess somewhere along the line I learned to cope in a crisis. I don't think I would've been able to be so calm and collect 3 years ago.

Alan, one of the customers walks in. He's drunk and bragging about being chucked out of the previous drinking establishment for being intoxicated.

He asks who else is on duty, and I tell him. Then he says "Jay says I can help myself to these, so when I do, you just tuyrn a blind eye, OK?", pointing to some of the food. I *know* that's not true, not only from the words he used, but also, not even staff get that privelidge.

He then walks up the stairs and shouts "Any puffs in tonight?". John, the security guard asks him to calm down. He wanders down stairs to moan at Jason for (allededgely) telling John about him, calling everyone homophobic. The irony is twofold 1) I didn't know he was gay, 2) I'm bi myself- it'd be hypocritical.
He threatens me (I'm talking with Jason), so I walk off. He wanders upstairs and starts being loud again.

By this time John has come downstairs and spoken with Jason and I. We decide it'd be best if he left, so John goes up to ask him to leave. Whilst he's on his way out, he sees me at the desk and approaches me to take a swing at me. John pulls him back and there's a scuffle. He hits John a couple of times and Jason grabs his feet and drags him out.

Once outside he runs off.

The police arrived about 20 minutes later and took statements.