I'm so mad about having to deal with this crap.:mad:
I just went down to get milk and a few groceries, took my kid-hauler trailer. When I get back to my bike there's a few 'locals' hanging around my bike/trailer. As I approach I can hear them talking loudly saying stuff like "it must be some feral's bike", "she must have her feral rugrats with her", and "sure you'd ride that thing to the f'ing shops".... then one of them said to another "jump in, I'll take ya for a ride" as he started getting on my bike. The other guy starts opening my kid's trailer.:mad: that's what set me off, I just saw him violating my children's space and lost it.
It all happened so quickly. I dumped the trolley and ran up to the guy that was now sitting on my bike and king hit him off my bike, the rest of them (maybe 3 or 4) scattered but the guy messing with the trailer tripped over. I went ballistic and kicked (literally kicked!) the daylights out of him as I yelled at the rest of them at the top of my lungs but they were pretty much gone. Then as a crowd formed I started panicking that they might regroup and come back after me so I quickly threw most of my groceries in the trailer, dropped a few items but just left them, and took off. I nearly ran over the first guy that was sprawled out in the middle of the parking lot, but he wasn't moving.
Now I'm scared to go back there because I'm usually the only bike on the rack and definitely the only trailer. :mad: I'll have to go for f'ing miles to get f'ing groceries because of those f'ing lowlife scumbags :mad::mad::mad::mad: this absolutely sucks :mad:
Little Darwin
12-28-07, 08:35 AM
I would hope that the thugs had learned their lesson, but I am realistic enough to know that it is rarely the case.
If I were you, I would alert the local police, and hope for some level of protection from any revenge.
Domromer
12-28-07, 10:00 AM
Is there another grocery store you could you for a little while? Just till things die down a little.
jgedwa
12-28-07, 11:01 AM
Sounds like a bad scene. Not much feels worse than having your space invaded. Anyone who has ever had their house robbed knows this. Take a deep breath, curse the *******s, and try to move on.
jim
Kimmitt
12-28-07, 05:06 PM
It really is a good idea to alert both the local police and the security at the grocery store. You might get somewhere useful with either.
Sirrus Rider
12-28-07, 05:44 PM
I'm so mad about having to deal with this crap.:mad:
I just went down to get milk and a few groceries, took my kid-hauler trailer. When I get back to my bike there's a few 'locals' hanging around my bike/trailer. As I approach I can hear them talking loudly saying stuff like "it must be some feral's bike", "she must have her feral rugrats with her", and "sure you'd ride that thing to the f'ing shops".... then one of them said to another "jump in, I'll take ya for a ride" as he started getting on my bike. The other guy starts opening my kid's trailer.:mad: that's what set me off, I just saw him violating my children's space and lost it.
It all happened so quickly. I dumped the trolley and ran up to the guy that was now sitting on my bike and king hit him off my bike, the rest of them (maybe 3 or 4) scattered but the guy messing with the trailer tripped over. I went ballistic and kicked (literally kicked!) the daylights out of him as I yelled at the rest of them at the top of my lungs but they were pretty much gone. Then as a crowd formed I started panicking that they might regroup and come back after me so I quickly threw most of my groceries in the trailer, dropped a few items but just left them, and took off. I nearly ran over the first guy that was sprawled out in the middle of the parking lot, but he wasn't moving.
Now I'm scared to go back there because I'm usually the only bike on the rack and definitely the only trailer. :mad: I'll have to go for f'ing miles to get f'ing groceries because of those f'ing lowlife scumbags :mad::mad::mad::mad: this absolutely sucks :mad:
Remind me not to mess with you! ;D Although it best to let the authorities know and take care of the situation, from the sounds of it there wasn't any time to do so. I think about 95% of us would have done the same thing that you did. For starters you had an ignorant A-hole sitting on your bike. Someone who had know knowledge of it's quirks and usually in such situations the risk of something on the bike being broken from the offending person's ignorance is high. Second the kid trailer is not rated for much weight. Most I've seen are rated for around 75lbs. So if head-up-butt-inversion-monkey #2 who probably weighed twice the rating or more would have plopped his over plump brain in the seat of the trailer the risk of something getting bent, ripped, or broken outright was likely. I can guess what would have happened if you hadn't come on the scene. The moment those pinheads discovered they broke something they would have jumped up and fled the scene leaving a broken, scratched, bike, or a collapsed, bent, ripped trailer and no means of contact or admission of responsibility for the damage.
I say good job! More than likely these mental giants will think twice before messing with some one else's property..
stevesurf
12-28-07, 05:57 PM
Glad you didn't take that crap from the thugs; I definitely agree with reporting this to the authorities. Fortunately for you, they will most certainly side with a mom just trying to shop for groceries and simply protecting her property.
Cyclaholic
12-28-07, 09:25 PM
Glad you didn't take that crap from the thugs; I definitely agree with reporting this to the authorities. Fortunately for you, they will most certainly side with a mom just trying to shop for groceries and simply protecting her property.
I think they assumed I was a mom because of the kid's trailer, I'm a 220lb (230lb at the moment, it's the holiday season :o) male and unfortunately I have a bit of a short fuse when it comes to my bike.
I thought of reporting it to the cops but I really don't see any benefit, especially when I get to the point where I say "...and then I smashed him unconscious for sitting on my bike":( I wouldn't expect them to understand.
In hindsight I'm so glad my kids were not there to witness that. They asked a few awkward questions about the ice pack on my hand yesterday and I was not too proud of my actions. As much as I dislike some lowlife messing with my bike, what I really resent is having been lowered to that level of behaviour.
Thanks everyone for your words of support, I appreciate them.
donnamb
12-28-07, 09:56 PM
Well, if they thought it would be OK to mess with some mother's bike and trailer for her babies, I'd say they deserved exactly what they got from you. :mad: Sure you lost your temper - it happens. At least you know you have a tendency for it, and I've heard you tell stories where you did keep your temper. Acknowledging and working on our faults is all we imperfect humans can do in this world. It's not like you bullied totally innocent people for no particular reason.
I don't know if I would avoid your local store. They know you know what they look like now, and I doubt cowards like them would ever want to mess with your stuff again.
Domromer
12-29-07, 12:26 AM
Hopefully Donna is right. But if you do see them again, give em another ass kicking. I hate it when people my with other peoples things. Thats why I never leave my recumbent parked anywhere.
StephenH
12-29-07, 01:18 AM
My opinion- I think you blew it. Yeah, they shouldn't be messing with your bike, but that's not permission to assault them, either. Locking it up would have helped.
The Human Car
12-29-07, 07:30 AM
Years ago there were a couple of times where I encountered that kind of attitude from the locals (along the street) but I was still on the bike and all I had to do was peddle faster, but my blood started to boil when one of them was hanging on the trailer for a bit trying to hop on.
I would try talking to the store manager to see what they have to say maybe they’ll let you bring bike and trailer inside to use as a trolley or up outdoor security. Make no mistake, stores that let lowlifes hang around lose business and it is in the stores best interest to keep their parking area secure.
The only other thing I can think of is finding a store that delivers (ordering over the internet.) Not as much fun as bike riding but it is an option.
PaulH
12-29-07, 08:00 AM
Couldn't you just tell the police that you felt your life was in danger and used appropriate force in self defense? Their behavior suggests that most reasomable people would consider them a threat.
The fact that they failed to counterattack implies that they were not, in fact a threat. However, that just means that they likely won't threaten you again. So don't worry about it.
Paul
Cyclaholic
12-29-07, 08:13 AM
My opinion- I think you blew it. Yeah, they shouldn't be messing with your bike, but that's not permission to assault them, either. Locking it up would have helped.
Could I have handled it better? well, lets see, there's 4 scumbag gangster-wannabes in a parking lot and very few people around. You can be sure that when push comes to shove nobody gets involved so essentially I'm alone. They are already in a somewhat agressive mood and are messing with my bike/trailer which was locked to the rack.They've also made some assumtions about the 'feral' owner of said bike/trailer, thinking that it was probably a woman with kids. One of them is straddling my bike and another is about to clamber on to my trailer which is rated for maybe 1/4 of his weight and will end up bent. Clearly, they have a total disregad for someone else's property and think that the owner is powerless to stop them doing whatever the hell they want with it. They weren't going anywhere since the bike was u-locked to the rack, thy were peobably going to just trash my trailer and/or bike. What do you think would have happened if I just walked up to them and politely asked to please stop? you think those cocroaches would be polite back? or maybe decide to have some more fun at my expense? maybe they'd try to kick my ass because it's 4 on 1?
Untill now I've had mixed feelings about what took place. I've been questioning my behaviour. But right now, after reading your post and thinking about it some more I reckon their antisocial petty criminal attitude and disregard for my property is not only permission but a friggin invitation to get their asses kicked. I think you're right, I blew it, I let two of them get away without the beating they deserve.
You bet I'll be there next week to do more grocery shopping and I'm taking both u-locks with me, but only one will be on the bike. The other is staying in my hand :mad: If they so much as look at me I'm going to go ape sh!t and crack some friggin skulls. If I stay away then I'll just be another victim, f##k that! Sorry for venting like this but I'm so friggin pissed about this I swear I could kill one (or all 4) of them right now.:mad: I can't stand these scumbags victimising someone at random, they even thought it was a woman with kids they were victimising! WTF!!.... I'm going to just stop thinking about this and go for a hard ride now because my blood is absolutely boiling:mad::mad::mad:
astronomerroyal
12-29-07, 08:26 AM
I suspect that secretly some, if not all of them, feel ashamed of their behaviour. Together they goaded one another on but individually they probably couldn't even begin to defend their behaviour under the sober gaze of someone more mature. As a result I doubt they're sufficiently indignant for a reprisal. I wouldn't worry in the slightest; you won the war. As for your actions I think you made your point very well in a language which they understood.
Several months ago my father in his infinite wisdom started a small riot with some local reprobate teenagers. About 20*police arrived, police dogs, a police van etc. My father was definitely the centre of their ire, yet to this day there have been no reprisals. I had expected one of his windows broken at the very least. Yet nothing.
dwood
12-29-07, 09:23 AM
As much as I am personally pleased with your response to these asses and can fantasize that I would do the same . . . I have to be realistic. If that event happened in most places in the USA . . . you would be in jail for assault/battery.
Not knowing what it is like in Australia . . . I might be hesitant to involve law enforcement. It is possible 'they are looking for you'. I'd shop elsewhere until things cool off and whatever injuries you have to your fists have a chance to heal. Then it would become "they say, I say". Shop without the trailer for awhile. Don't reveal yourself to store management either. Keep a low profile.
DON
Domromer
12-29-07, 09:51 AM
What area of Sydney did his happen?
PaulH
12-29-07, 09:56 AM
In the US, you are generally allowed to use physical force only in self defense. Once you had clobbered one and put the rest to flight, the danger was over and further action would not be allowed.
Pual
graywolf
12-29-07, 05:08 PM
In the US, you are generally allowed to use physical force only in self defense. Once you had clobbered one and put the rest to flight, the danger was over and further action would not be allowed.
Pual
Too true, which is the real reason we have so much petty crime. Heck if you resist you are in as much trouble as they are.
There was a time when I was working in a store and stood up to a couple of bullies. All the customers, every one of them, who were in the store at the time applauded my actions. They actually gave me a standing ovation. Management? They fired me. A couple of the customers whom I met later told me they had quit shopping there when they found that out. I was always getting into trouble like that; I am glad I am now retired.
I sincerely hope that that is the end of the matter for the OP.
Cyclaholic
12-30-07, 04:26 AM
What area of Sydney did his happen?
I'm in the south-west, near Liverpool.
Domromer
12-30-07, 07:50 AM
I had a similar thing happen in Newtown.
JeffS
12-30-07, 11:45 AM
Untill now I've had mixed feelings about what took place. I've been questioning my behaviour. But right now, after reading your post and thinking about it some more I reckon their antisocial petty criminal attitude and disregard for my property is not only permission but a friggin invitation to get their asses kicked. I think you're right, I blew it, I let two of them get away without the beating they deserve.
Whatever you say.
I, however, think you acted like a raving lunatic.
bmclaughlin807
12-30-07, 10:04 PM
Personally, I'd have most likely done the same... I don't put up with ****... I've beat the crap out of more than one person that thought the skinny guy on the bike was an easy target.
unkchunk
12-30-07, 10:17 PM
I'd probably have flipped out too. I don't know what it is with folks that think they can mess with someone else's bike. If you had a car instead, they probably wouldn't have touched it. But some how a bicycle gives them a green light. I guess it's some sort of power trip... which you sort of cancelled.
aleelee28
12-31-07, 04:15 AM
As a mom who usually has kids with me (although on their own bikes) I say BRAVO to you. Those idiots figured they could do whatever they wanted and no one would stop them. I bet they are still shaking in their shoes and will think twice before 'assuming' a bike with a kid trailer is an easy target.
Mago
12-31-07, 12:48 PM
I am glad that South Texas allows force to be used in defending your property. In your own statement, they were intent on stealing your bike. You had every right to defend your property, and thus should be in the clear if they try to press assault charges or if the police decide to be numbnuts and try and put it on you.
Cyclaholic
12-31-07, 07:46 PM
As a mom who usually has kids with me (although on their own bikes) I say BRAVO to you. Those idiots figured they could do whatever they wanted and no one would stop them. I bet they are still shaking in their shoes and will think twice before 'assuming' a bike with a kid trailer is an easy target.
It leaves me cold to think that it could just as easily been my wife with one of our younger kids there instead of me as she uses that same trailer when she goes to those shops.
Elkhound
01-02-08, 01:29 PM
The guy was getting on your bike and was about to ride off on it. That was theft. A citizen does have the right to use reasonable force to stop a crime in progress.
Most of the larger supermarkets here have surveillance cameras and have at least one off-duty police officer or sheriff's deputy around for security (more at night or during high-traffic times). Hence, the specific situation you describe is unlikely to arise. Hence, had I come out of the store and seen such a crowd, assuming that management hadn't seen it already through the cameras, I would just have gone in, found the officer on duty, told him the situation, and left him to deal with it. Most of the officers my store use are on the bike patrol, so they know me anyway.