Road Cycling - Those darn neighborhood kids...

I was coming back from a ride yesterday and was still about 20 miles out, so I wasn't exactly near my neighborhood, but when biking, 20 miles out is still kind of like your neighborhood. Regardless, I was minding my own business when a car passed me and a bunch of loud cracks went off. It startled me a little bit and I thought, "what the hell?!". I turned around a little bit and saw a package of firecrackers exploding and the car driving away. At first I was livid. I turned around and shook a fist at them hoping they would come back for nice verbal tongue lashing... but sadly they got what they came for and kept on driving... :( . It took me a moment before I calmed down and had to laugh. It could have been a lot worse. They could have tossed them at me and possible got stuck down my open jersey or maybe have gone off on my leg and singed a couple of leg hairs, (Let's keep the comments about my leg hairs to ourselves shall we :rolleyes: ). I was lucky that they just wanted to startle me and not throw me into the weeds. Although that could have been their plan and they didn't succeed. Ahhh, the trivials of youth. Anybody else have the neighborhood punks mess with them?

shouldve gotten their license plate number and called the police.

That is why I ride with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the stem.

When I was a kid we threw snowballs at cars...darn kids are all a bunch of hoodlums aren't they.

Sometimes I think we forget what it was to be a kid...they do silly and even sometimes stupid things. Despite this or maybe because of it almost all of them grow up to be good people

shouldve gotten their license plate number and called the police.

Had their car not been traveling 40+mph and had I not reacted sooner that might have been an option. By the time I realized what was going on and turned around their license plate was far from view.

I used to toss firecrackers while passing sidewalk cafes and yelling, "Drive-by!" Immature and stupid? Yes. But also funny. Humor, after all, is found in seeing a yuppie twit dive for the deck.

or maybe have gone off on my leg and singed a couple of leg hairs

Yet another reason to shave the legs.

I just rode 10 miles to work, I start in the twin peaks area in san francisco through the south east corner of the city. If I hear popping sounds, it is not going to be firecrakers! I try to say on well traveled areas but I get close to some housing projects that are often in the news. So I stay pretty alert! :eek:

I used to toss firecrackers while passing sidewalk cafes and yelling, "Drive-by!" Immature and stupid? Yes. But also funny. Humor, after all, is found in seeing a yuppie twit dive for the deck.

Funny until someone thinks you're actually shooting, returns fire and you end up dead for a prank. Humor is seeing an off duty, yuppy twit cop, blast you to the next life.

Paul

i ride through the projects on my way to my usual loops in the park. tons of kids hanging out and riding bikes and playing ball or whatever. it's rare that i can go a week without something random thrown in my direction (bottles - only plastic so far, a shoe, etc) or some kind of comments ("******" is a popular one).

i haven't been hit yet, and have slightly altered my route to ride along a different road, but it's hard to avoid all together.

That is why I ride with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the stem.

Good idea. With a bike that weighs that much you'd better be ready to fight because running isn't likely to be an option.

You'd be surprised. I have strong legs.

I worked my way through college as a pizza delivery driver. July 4th is the most dreaded day of the year. Its like delivering pizza in the West Bank or other war zone!

little bastards

Funny until someone thinks you're actually shooting, returns fire and you end up dead for a prank. Humor is seeing an off duty, yuppy twit cop, blast you to the next life.

Paul

You'll notice that I acknowledged the stupidity of that act in my first post. I was years ago, when I was both much younger and slightly dumber. Looking back on it still gives me a chuckle, though.

Also, I don't know many yuppie cops.

That is why I ride with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the stem.

SWEET :D

Ride for fun - battle it out on the internet - HALO addict.

Mark

Good idea. With a bike that weighs that much you'd better be ready to fight because running isn't likely to be an option.

Why would you try to run if you have a bike? Wouldn't you cycle away? Anyway, the key is to get one of the new Ti .50 cal MG's from litespeed or something like it... Then the weight penalty is only due to ammo, giving another good reason to return fire :D