fosmith

https://www.probikewrench.com/2008/09/so-yeah.html

too bad they let this guy out on bail....

Szczuldo

yeah that is a shame he's out. It would plain ruin my day if someone pointed a gun at me, it ruins my day enough when I have to borrow a friends wheel and use his quick release which just can't seem to hold my wheel in place under high torque.

Cyclaholic

That guy obviously didn't know that the only socially acceptable deadly weapon that can be used against cyclists are motor vehicles.

ritepath

LOL....guns kill people, cars kill cyclists.

mike

I liked the response of the police department. Not only did they react quickly and appropriately, but they went out of way to inform the complaintants of what was going on - and called him to advise that the guy was out on bail (which should be standard proceedure if it isn't already).

It is unfortunate that the guy is out on bail, but unless he is a mass-murderer, he has the right to be released on a reasonable bail.

Wow, spooky story, but a good reminder that there are a lot of nuts out there.

G piny parnas

I've been shot at,, I had a solid frozen bottle of water thrown at me, batteries-- water balloons
lets see..... as a messenger it seems to be just a war out there on the streets--- all I do is ride for a living-- I can literally taste life sometimes and wonder how I get through the day--
I'm glad you were not injured, but you are stronger now, I know it.

feba

Cooler story:

Guy goes for a bike ride. A driver stops and says what he is doing is illegal. The cyclist points out that it is acceptable under the law, and encourages the driver to research it at his local library. The driver does this. The end.



I know, I know, fiction. At least it's nice to know there are police doing their jobs out there.

Kurt Erlenbach

Great to live in a country where every nutcase can get is hands on a gun, don't ya think?

cudak888 

And what follows? "Driver couldn't give a hoot, and repeats things same as always."

-Kurt

Hobartlemagne 

You are free to defend yourself from those people with your own gun too.

leadchucker

Just out of curiosity, but what country do you know of where someone who is willing to disregard the law (which this guy obviously is), can't get his hands on a gun?

avmanansala

First, I'm glad that it turned out okay keep us informed of what happens. Call the DA and make sure they file charges.

Yesterday here in Sacramento, a guy was solicited for money by a panhandler. He said "No, get a job." The panhandler pulled out a gun from a bag and shot him in the belly...tried to shoot him in the head but the gun jammed or misfired. Panhandler was arrested a short time later.
https://www.kcra.com/news/17533330/detail.html

unterhausen

My thought is that this guy probably doesn't break the law very often at all, maybe speeding. Makes me wonder if he thought they were threatening him because they followed him. Not that it makes it any more sane.

Part I like is that he had a gun pointed at one guy's head, and the group is trying to educate him about bike traffic laws.

The person this happened to may have PTSD.

crhilton

That's a stupid idea. You have about a 50-50 chance of winning each gun fight. Maybe better if you're a brilliant gun slinger. A much better idea would be a functional society that doesn't require you to carry. Like the society we currently have.

Let's not forget that the reason this is shocking is because most of us have never looked down the barrel of a gun.

crhilton

I bet he's shockingly awesome at being calm under pressure. I couldn't have gone to work that day, and I certainly couldn't have kept talking with a gun to my face.

Sometimes I wonder if we suck more at confrontation than humans did in the past. This guy's first inclination when the cyclist came face to face with him was to reach for a gun. That's just not right. Yelling and screaming would have been far more productive. At least that's an emotional release!

unterhausen

I've looked down the barrel of a loaded gun twice on shooting ranges when I was in the Air Force, and had one inadvertently pointed at me another time (domestic dispute on the highway). They don't call me Eric "why won't my gun fire?" Unterhausen for nothing -- both of the Air Force troops said that when they were pointing their guns at my head.

If someone had done this to me because I was riding my bike, I might not have had an entirely rational response.