Commuting - Struck by a bottle

I have been living in Albuquerque this semester and the bike friendly city is great. Until today. I was on a trip to a classmate's apartment to borrow a book. I'm wearing a beanie instead of a helmet due to the cold. I was riding on University as I slowed to turn right onto Indian School as I was struck on the head with what felt like a sledge hammer. I remember putting my arms out to break the fall. Upon getting up I blacked out as if I stood up too fast, and a pedestrian help me check over myself. Luckily I didn't get too banged up, though my knee is scraped and I have a painful lump on my head. I searched around and found the broken bottle that struck me; a large Budweiser bottle still wet with beer.

I am more pissed that the people were drinking and driving than using me for their idiot target practice.

What should I do? If I contact the police about the matter I'd probably waste more time than anything cause the suspect is in a Silver Buick or Cadillac(she thinks) with bright headlights. If I see a car fitting the description I might just wait to see who owns it and have a talk at the most about the ordeal.

unfortunate incident, glad your ok.

I had a smiliar circumstances some years back where a car of three teen-agers 17-20 did the same thing
they hauled ***, passed me threw a liter glass pepsi bottle at me hit me in the arm and it shattered as it fell, causing me to hit the curb
Luckily I got the liscense number, pressed assult charges on them went to court and won.

See if anyone around saw the incident or a better description and possibly got the liscense number and follow threw on assult charges

Wow!! I am really sorry to hear about what happened to you. Really shows the caliber of human you are to be more concerned about the fact they where drinking while driving. This is the exact reason why I do not commute on the weekends. I usually have to be to work by 5 am which means I am riding when drunkholes are on their way home. As far as what to do about the situation, I do not know but definitely always wear your helmet. I wear a skull cap under mine when it is cold so it is definitely doable. Hope you get to feeling better. *******S!!!

Well, this whole thing has me shaken up and I know I am going to the authorities and seeing if the corner store has video surveillance. I am usually asleep by this time but I'm having eye twitches which i hope are only due to the lack of sleep and are not something serious. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow for a check up to make sure I don't have any glass fragments or real trauma to my skull, small amount of blood and white blood cells from the lump.

Either way, i suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. At least I don't have red necks running me off the road and most people here are kind. I'd live in Albuquerque forever if the real estate wasn't so high and my family wasn't all in Texas.

I think I'm going to carpool tomorrow. Then I'll go to the LBS and REI and see about something insulating that'll fit under my helmet.

Joseph, it would probably be a good idea to get your head checked out by a doctor if you haven't done so yet. That "blacked out" thing might be a sign of a head injury.

I would have definitely called the police right then. You were the victim of a felony assault, and there could have been other victims (maybe the guy was cruising around town drinking and tossing bottles at people all night?). Depending on how late it was and what traffic is like around there, that vehicle description may have been enough for them to find a suspect. Some departments may even take a felony assault like this seriously enough to fingerprint or run other tests on the weapon.

Joseph, it would probably be a good idea to get your head checked out by a doctor if you haven't done so yet. That "blacked out" thing might be a sign of a head injury.

I would have definitely called the police right then. You were the victim of a felony assault, and there could have been other victims (maybe the guy was cruising around town drinking and tossing bottles at people all night?). Depending on how late it was and what traffic is like around there, that vehicle description may have been enough for them to find a suspect. Some departments may even take a felony assault like this seriously enough to fingerprint or run other tests on the weapon.

I agree--this is significant jail time if caught. File a report--there could be other similar incidents on file and there might be some suspects.

I feel for you. That's a serious crime.

See a doc, file a police report. Good man, worrying about others (danger of drunken drivers) after getting attacked like that. Seriously, if the MFers are ever caught, they should be facing attempted murder charges. This stuff is no joke.

See a dr., file a police report and wear a helmet over your beanie. Sucks people find it fun to attack strangers.

It always seemed to me that the mean people in Albuquerque were a good bit meaner than mean people elsewhere.

I'll add another voice to the "see a doctor, go to the cops" chorus. If the cops aren't responsive, go to City Hall and make the biggest stink you can -- bike advocate, public safety, the Mayer, whoever. Re wearing a helmet, I do wear one, but damned if I'd wear one to protect myself from thrown objects -- that's not what a bike helmet is for, and the day bikers are wearing them for that purpose, life officially sucks.

I agree with all the other posters,.......but you (or someone else) should've called 911 right away. You were the victim of a violent attack, with injuries, and that cannot be allowed to go unpunished. The 911 operator would have dispatched an ambulance and the authorities at the same time, and that would have set up an immediate investigation right away. The chances of these idiots being caught would've been much greater then.

Sorry about what happened to you though. All too often, cyclists are targeted for attack simply because we are out riding our bikes, and the punk assailants know we cant catch them. I too, have been attacked, so you are not alone my friend. Just be sure and wear a helmet when you ride. - It makes good sence from all angles.

Agree w others...definitely call the police and your campus security and report it even if you can't provide a complete description. The police, even if they can't investigate your case need to know if this is a regular occurrence.

...and get a helmet on over your beanie. Plenty of hats out there that are helmet compatible, thin, warm, windproof, etc. I picked up a Bula at REI for ~$15 for my son. Feels like it's made with something like Malden Mills PowerStretch.


Glad it didn't end up worse for you.

Save the beer bottle; the police can lift fingerprints from it for evidence.

I agree with everyone above. Go to the doctor. You may have a light concussion, and you want them to check you out, just to make sure. I would also call the police. This won't be the last time that they do this, and the police should be on the look-out for such behavior, so that it won't happen multiple times in the future.

I also think that you should wear your helmet OVER your beanie. Even my cheap Bell and my wife's Giro helmets will expand to fit over your average x-mart acrylic stocking cap, and those make your head larger than those fleece beenie caps. Always wear a helmet in traffic. Always.

So I made it to the doctor this morning, had to buzz my head for a thorough inspection. The doctor believes I had a concussion and told me to take some Ibuprofen which relieves pain and inflammation. He told my friend who was with me to look for any changes of interest, taste, or dizziness to make sure it wasn't something more serious.

We went to the APD and filed a report. I messed up by not reporting it immediately.

Kill them.

I have been living in Albuquerque this semester and the bike friendly city is great. Until today. I was on a trip to a classmate's apartment to borrow a book. I'm wearing a beanie instead of a helmet due to the cold. I was riding on University as I slowed to turn right onto Indian School as I was struck on the head with what felt like a sledge hammer. I remember putting my arms out to break the fall. Upon getting up I blacked out as if I stood up too fast, and a pedestrian help me check over myself. Luckily I didn't get too banged up, though my knee is scraped and I have a painful lump on my head. I searched around and found the broken bottle that struck me; a large Budweiser bottle still wet with beer.

I am more pissed that the people were drinking and driving than using me for their idiot target practice.

What should I do? If I contact the police about the matter I'd probably waste more time than anything cause the suspect is in a Silver Buick or Cadillac(she thinks) with bright headlights. If I see a car fitting the description I might just wait to see who owns it and have a talk at the most about the ordeal.
Well, now that it has happened and is over, it's unlikely that the cops will do anything. I live in Rio Rancho, the suburb to the north, and I regularly cycle in the area around the university as I attend UNM. It's a shame, but there are some real *******s in Albuquerque, and a rather high number of drunk drivers too. Lots of this in and around the university area, and up and down the central corridor.

If you see someone you think is drunk, you can report it by dialing #DWI (#394) on your cell phone, and they'll respond. If you get hit again, call 911. The police here are pretty good about responding to things as they happen.

Glad you're not hurt too badly. Don't be discouraged about ABQ either; I think most people here are pretty easy going.

I'm really sorry to hear what happend to you I hope you get better JosephPaul86.
If any of you are ever assaulted especially like the OP you need to call the police and make a report. It is in the realm of possibility that the perpetrator may do it again, maybe to the next cyclist he see? And lets say if he/she/they gets caught for throwing a Budweiser bottle at another person they may be able to charge this person(s) with assaulting you as well. Plus the Police in the area would probably be more alert, maybe an officer sees a group of rowdy people in a car, they make an illegal turn or make a somewhat reckless maneuver (but not nothing too extreme), in some occasions, depending on the cop they might let it go thinking it just a bunch of kids and he/she was the same when they were younger (or some reasoning of the sort), but since there has been a cyclist assaulted obviously by a drunk, and they are likely to be driving more reckless, and it is less likely this person would do this without an audience, the cop will check things out and maybe catch the perps.

The officers here in Albuquerque have been more helpful than any Houston Area cop I have met. I guess I was expecting nothing would have been done by calling the cop immediately and the car would have been gone by then anyways.

I made two mistakes;

1. I wasn't wearing my helmet but even then it could've struck my neck, back arms or etc.

2. I didn't call 911 immediately and I know it could've been much worse for me.

Heres to catching the catching the felon and people like him.