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Old 07-19-12, 09:21 PM
  #14  
marquhar
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: north Orange County,California
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Re: Turnbull Canyon for roadies

On the Hacienda Heights (HH) side of the hill, at the intersection of E. Los Altos Drive and Billiary Way, I have noticed a middle aged Asian male using a telephoto lens to watch the hillside above. Beware that he is watching for road cyclists descending towards the firestation.

When he spots a lone single rider, he will occasionally jump in his vehicle (a dark blue GMC panel van when I observed him) and intercept the rider at the stop sign that T-intersects with Los Lomitas Drive. This stop sign is just after the firestation and the blind curve. Twice he has trapped me by doing a slow 3-point U-turn, completely blocking the road. You have only seconds to choose the inner or outer line to avoid him. The descending rider does not have to stop and can easily hit 30+ mph. It's surprising that no rider has gone down, either avoiding him and crashing, going off the road, or directly impacting the car. Only the Highway Patrol will keep track of such info. Industry Hills Sheriff will not discuss the history of cyclist accidents in this area.

I have reported this to the Industry Hills Sheriff at 1-626-330-3322. They took my call and several email messages were exchanged. Of course, I was not hurt but I was unneccesarily put in harms way. They couldn't do much especially since I was the first and only rider to report this.

If you happen to see this guy, either at the stop sign with sketchy U-turn or using his telephoto to watch the hill, report it to the number above.

I have some idea who the guy is: its someone who might be doing RE business on Billiary Way and has huge amounts of time on his hands. He was dressed in dark slacks and red polo shirt - as if he was golfing. I have seen him in action in spring of 2010 and again in spring 2011.

Most of the roadies that ride through here are too busy to notice anything funny. I put the details of his 'Deliverance for Roadies' plot together only when I broke my usual habit and ascended Turnbull from the HH side, passing by Billiary Way and passed by him as he scoped the hilll above with the camera.

Last edited by marquhar; 07-19-12 at 09:43 PM.
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