Advocacy & Safety - Pistol-Packing Cyclist Opens Fire on Car

Shocking story. Things are really getting crazy out there. (I guess this answers the thread "Does anyone carry a gun?")



Bicyclist opens fire, killing one and injuring another
Saturday, November 27, 2004

One man is dead and a woman injured after a bicyclist fired gunshots into the victims' vehicle Friday evening in East Palo Alto.

Around 6:50 p.m. officers at an East Palo Alto police station heard a vehicle honking repeatedly, according to police, and located it on the side of the police station.

Police found the female driver and her male front-seat passenger suffering from gunshot wounds. A woman in the back seat was not injured.

Firefighters were called to the scene to treat the gunshot victims, report police. The passenger, a 42-year-old Palo Alto man, was pronounced dead at the scene, reported police.

The driver, a 32-year-old woman from Palo Alto was taken to the hospital for minor injuries, according to police.

She and the uninjured back seat passenger, a 27-year-old San Mateo woman, told officers that a man on a bicycle opened fire as they drove past two men on bikes on Palo Verde Avenue at Bay Road.

The women, who reportedly came close to colliding with one of the bicyclists, did not know why the cyclist fired at them, police report.

There was no further description of the suspect.

The injured driver should be released from the hospital in a day or two, say police.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2004/11/27/bicyclist27.DTL

Can 'o worms!

East Palo Alto does not have many of what we would usually call "cyclists" riding through. They probably buzzed some locals on bikes, who were gang members, and got shot for it.

"The women, who reportedly came close to colliding with one of the bicyclists, did not know why the cyclist fired at them, police report."

Gee... could this woman be dumber than a sack of door knobs?
That said, I think there's more to this story than what she's telling us.

"The women, who reportedly came close to colliding with one of the bicyclists, did not know why the cyclist fired at them, police report."

Gee... could this woman be dumber than a sack of door knobs?
That said, I think there's more to this story than what she's telling us.

I would be surprised if we found out that less than half of the people in East Palo Alto were packing.

I would be surprised if we found out that less than half of the people in East Palo Alto were packing.

True, I'd be surprised if she buzzed a couple of people and they DIDN'T fire on her.

"The women, who reportedly came close to colliding with one of the bicyclists, did not know why the cyclist fired at them, police report."

Gee... could this woman be dumber than a sack of door knobs?
That said, I think there's more to this story than what she's telling us.


You got that right....
But were they 'cyclists'? or just crack dealers on bikes.

You got that right....
But were they 'cyclists'? or just crack dealers on bikes.

It was just on my local news, across the Bay from there. I looked it up on MapQuest. I wouldn't go in that area in broad daylight.

alas the media only gives us half the story. Hence the uninformed are left to assume that they were your run-of-the-mill recreational cyclist who happened to be out for blood.... riiiight.

um, hellooooo! any of you ever been to east palo alto? e.p.a. is the 'hood'. this story probably refers to a ghetto thug who happened to be on a bike. i don't think this has anytning to do with cycling advocacy. i think this thread should be moved to the inner city projects, gang, and crack dealing forum.

Shocking story. Things are really getting crazy out there. (I guess this answers the thread "Does anyone carry a gun?")




http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2004/11/27/bicyclist27.DTL

I don't carry a gun. I carry my voice. When I come across an idiot driver, I chase them down and, 'verbally' give them a piece of my mind. That may sound stupid but, when I do it, the offending driver knows, not to do it again. :mad:

It is possible that regular cyclists might be passing through parts of East Palo Alto. Afterall, it's right next to the Dumbarton which many cyclists take to get to the East Bay. That said, I agree that a shooting in East Palo Alto is probably more gang-related than anything else.

I see nothing has changed since I was a police officer for the City Of Palo Alto. East Palo Alto was always a crime zoo, but fortunately (at least then), it was not part of the city and the Sheriff's Dept. got the pleasure of cleaning up the mess every night.

Hey, a pistol-packing crack dealer on a bike is still a cyclist. He's on a bike, ain't he?

Methinks there is a big difference between a cyclist and someone riding a bicycle!

I don't carry a gun. I carry my voice. When I come across an idiot driver, I chase them down and, 'verbally' give them a piece of my mind. That may sound stupid but, when I do it, the offending driver knows, not to do it again. :mad:

I can understand where you're comin' from, but I think a lot more motorists are packin' heat than cyclists. Hope your confrontations remain 'verbal'....

I can understand where you're comin' from, but I think a lot more motorists are packin' heat than cyclists. Hope your confrontations remain 'verbal'....

Yes, for sure!

We had a biker/car confrontation a couple of years ago. Pickup driver pulled out his gun and shot the bicycler dead.

People are stupid. Why does it make it right for anyone "road raging" to shoot and kill someone--on either side, bike, or vehicle? What happened to communication? Yelling, for instance.

The human race has sure taken a bad turn. When people think that violent death is the way to get the point across that "you cut me off."

People are stupid. Why does it make it right for anyone "road raging" to shoot and kill someone--on either side, bike, or vehicle? What happened to communication? Yelling, for instance.

The human race has sure taken a bad turn. When people think that violent death is the way to get the point across that "you cut me off."


I doubt that this was truly a 'road rage' incident, but probably a drug deal gone bad.

I doubt that this was truly a 'road rage' incident, but probably a drug deal gone bad.

Do you think? A drug deal in East Palo Alto? There were drug deals there before there were drug deals anywhere on the SF Peninsula!

Hey, a pistol-packing crack dealer on a bike is still a cyclist. He's on a bike, ain't he?

No then he'd be a pistol-packing crack dealer on a bike. :D

People are stupid. Why does it make it right for anyone "road raging" to shoot and kill someone--on either side, bike, or vehicle? What happened to communication? Yelling, for instance.
The human race has sure taken a bad turn. When people think that violent death is the way to get the point across that "you cut me off."

I think you answered your own question. Those people are usually stupid. :p
I think there's a driver that I gotta go liberate from that automobile...

I doubt that this was truly a 'road rage' incident, but probably a drug deal gone bad.

I wonder if the victims were trying to buy drugs.
"All I's wanted was two vials of crack and these mofos be shootin at us."

maybe they just got pissed cus the dumbass buzzed 'em.

Methinks there is a big difference between a cyclist and someone riding a bicycle!

Not in the eyes of the law or the auto driver... all they see is BICYCLE!

It is possible that regular cyclists might be passing through parts of East Palo Alto. Afterall, it's right next to the Dumbarton which many cyclists take to get to the East Bay. That said, I agree that a shooting in East Palo Alto is probably more gang-related than anything else.

Not if we can avoid it. Take the Dumbarton and go out Willow Rd, at least past Middlefield, to stay out of that area. I've never run a traffic light on my bike, but I would in that town.

The News very seldom gives us the full story
usally only enough to make their point or what they think will sell
they know if they gave the full story then we would see most of their stories have biig holes in them

Not if we can avoid it. Take the Dumbarton and go out Willow Rd, at least past Middlefield, to stay out of that area. I've never run a traffic light on my bike, but I would in that town.

Well yeah... driving through downtown E. Palo Alto is scary enough. I made that mistake the very first time I was in the Bay Area. I was visiting the PAIX and thought I was heading into downtown Palo Alto. Unbeknowst to me at the time, I got off 101 going the wrong direction. I quickly suspected I was not in the right place and rather than attempting to turn around in E. PA, I bit the bullet and took the Dumbarton over and ended up turning around in Fremont. Going back, however, I diverted down Willow. :)

People are stupid. Why does it make it right for anyone "road raging" to shoot and kill someone--on either side, bike, or vehicle? What happened to communication? Yelling, for instance.

The human race has sure taken a bad turn. When people think that violent death is the way to get the point across that "you cut me off."

That's one of my favorite sayings--just ask my wife. Sadly, it holds true for anywhere you go and anything you do. Gotta be careful out there whether you're biking, walking or driving.

Not if we can avoid it. Take the Dumbarton and go out Willow Rd, at least past Middlefield, to stay out of that area. I've never run a traffic light on my bike, but I would in that town.


I ride the Dumbarton a lot going to all the good Peninsular rides. Always take Willow and in the afternoon to avoid the 101 crossing at Willow take the ped bridge at the end of Ringwood over to Belle Haven. It looks like a shady neighborhood, but never in dozens of rides have I had a problem.

Ooh, you're all so elitist! So what makes a proper cyclist, then? Expensive bike? Proper shorts? Alleycat spoke cards? The right hairstyle?

People are stupid... ...The human race has sure taken a bad turn...
nice attitude, ye of little faith. sounds like you've been consuming too much michael moore.