Easy Peasy

Have you ever been assaulted or harassed someone or attacked by an animal while commuting?

Do you carry a deterrent?

Chris_in_Miami

A pair of thugs on a BMX bike tried to jump me a few month ago, but they didn't stand a chance of catching up. I'm sure it would have been ugly if their timing was better.

I don't carry a deterrent.

dynodonn 

Only one dog chase so far this year, and a couple of really close passes by motorists. No immediate deterrent in my possession, just my video cams to record any useful info to give to local authorities if need be.

I did get face to face with a cow moose protecting her calves a few years ago, but I wasn't on bike in that incident.

Ira B

Thwarted quite a few dog attacks over the years with pepper spray. The look on their dog face when they are expecting a mouthful of people meat but get a mouthful of pepper spray instead makes the price of the spray worth paying.
Stung by bees a few times, once right smack dab in the middle of my forehead.
Been involved in altercations with fellow humans a few times but never while biking.

Deterrent?
Usually pepper spray.
Sometimes a Taurus PT-22.

SouthFLpix

I've been chased by dogs, but so far they haven't caught me. I've never been chased or threatened by a person, but I've had close calls with cars (who hasnt?).

dmcdmc

got punched in the stomach once my a disgruntled asian man....

AlphaDogg

Never been chased. I've had close calls with motorists and cyclists alike.

bragi

Four or five years ago, I was pretty much randomly assaulted by a man in his car. He swerved in front of me and I went over the hood of his vehicle. He then unrolled his window and told me some things I won't repeat here. I was not seriously hurt, but I was very, very angry, and I'm afraid I didn't handle myself very well. I miraculously managed to catch up to him at the next red light, but instead of being intelligent and getting the plate number and calling 911, I pounded on his car and made threats of my own. He just laughed at me and drove away when the light changed. I've always regretted my total stupidity in that situation.

Since then, I've had a few close calls with cars, but these have been largely a matter of driver inattentiveness rather than ill will. Seattle is a very bike-friendly city, and the vast majority of drivers, even if they're annoyed by bicyclists, will go out of their way not to make life difficult for you. That one incident I had was a complete anomaly.

silmarillion

I was riding a century here in Georgia, and some kids threw a piece of oak firewood at me. Cops got 'em though...

Telly

A couple of dog chases in my neighborhood, but the strays were more interested in the wheel than my leg... stopped, befriended them and I now sometimes have four-legged riding buddies which follow me for a bit!

A couple of months ago I was passing a stretch of road where Gypsies usually sort through stuff gathered and had numerous small items flung at me for amusement by them (I'm a Clydesdale, so they though it must of been funny to hit the large slow moving target!). A quick call to the police, and they were gone when I was returning... although I very much doubt it if there were any fines or arrests made; that's not the Greek way when it comes to Gypsies which usually don't carry ID, driver's licenses or even insure their trucks!

Also some minor incidents with drivers, usually not paying attention or talking on cellphones... if they become too irritant or dangerous I either pretend to call the police in front of them or in a few cases actually do... in all incidents sans one, they ran.

Have ordered some pepper-spray which is illegal here in Athens.

Artkansas 

A number of times.

Most notable was the teen on a stingray who passed me when I was going up hill on my commute to work and then swerved purposely into my front tire, dropping my bike. When I got back on the bike and passed him, he stiff armed me into traffic and we both went down when my rear wheel tacoed and almost got run over by a truck. That area was the home ground for the MS13 gang.

Another time several years earlier, I was commuting from home to school, and found one gang on bikes tailing me. I wasn't too worried, I knew I was faster than they were, but then another gang in a '64 Chevy Impala slammed me to the curb with the fender of the car, and I was trapped by the kids behind me. The gang in the car jumped out with 2x4s and began beating on me as I tried to get away. I got surrounded by the 7 and fought as long as I could, but the last I saw of my bike was it being suspended 3 feet in the air with a gang on each end. The police station was two blocks away, so I walked there. But the cops wouldn't even take a report till a witness called in to report the crime. She could even name one of my assailants. So the cops looked up from their doughnuts and took a report. Seems like grand theft and assault would warrant a bit more of a response than that.

More recently, there were two events in the same spot on succeeding nights. The first night, a passenger leaned out of the window of a car and grabbed my elbow trying to pull me down. Fortunately, they lost their grip. The next night, the passenger of a pickup shot me with a pellet gun. That particular corner seems to have bad juju for me. At that corner, I've also had a cop order me off the road despite it being illegal to ride on the sidewalk there, and had someone left hook me while riding my recumbent. Only a panic stop aided by putting my feet hard onto the ground kept me from hitting the car. By the end of the day, my feet hurt so much from the stop that I could not even stand.

Steely Dan

the worst i've encountered is a bee flying into a vent hole on my helmet, getting stuck in there, and then stinging me.

Supernose

Not trying to spark a debate, but that right there would be a great reason for me to carry a gun.

Booger1

Both....

degnaw

These two pooches came charging at me this morning, and didn't stop until they had crossed the double yellow.

Leebo

Does attempted squirrel assault count? Twice they have passed between my front and back wheel.

b_young

Very few times have I had problems with people. I have had problems with dogs, mainly getting under my wheel. I use a ZSounds air horn and it has helped a lot. Even the occasional person that honks starts to laugh when I honk back. I have used wasp spray for dogs in the past. It works well.

Artkansas,
What part of LR do you live in? I will avoid it at all cost. Have you thought of moving to change your route?

rent2bike

Hey guys! I wrote a quick article about this topic. Please share your experience and tell me what I can add to it. https://blog.rent2bike.com/getting-as...-while-biking/

Carrying a gun seems to be a good idea if you're being attacked by gangs, pepper spray might not be the best deterrent in that situation.

BassNotBass

A little over a year ago a guy buzzed me, stopped his SUV, got out and approached me, spat in my face and sucker punched me before his daughter stepped between us to calm him down. The cop that showed up threatened to arrest me for assault because supposedly I spat at the daughter.

goagain

rent2bike: Carrying a firearm should require training and a permit, and it's definitely not for everyone. Firearms are a special case. I'm not anti-gun (own several) but your article didn't mention any training, just suggested carrying one under some circumstances. Also, need to know what is justifiable force, etc., and whether you are actually mentally prepared to use it. Not a step to be taken lightly.
Nice article otherwise!

El Duderino X

Bugs! Bugs! Always flying right into my face. Must be texting or something. Damn bugs.
Some guy's SUV apparently didn't like me and right-hooked me once. Don't know what I did to that truck. The SUV's master was apologetic, though.

Actually, many years ago (I was still a teen), a pair of drunken fratboys tried to steal my bike from me. An over sized Sears BMX with a chromed frame, blue tires, blue seat and blue anodized aluminum components (good lookin' bike! Heavy and slow as molasses but purty!). Mountain bikes were just making an appearance and these two dime-a-dozen brain damaged thugs thought it was a new MTB and began threatening me with violence. Apparently broken beer bottles and threats were the way to get a free ride and/or bike to these simpletons.
Anyway, these guys were probably ten years older than me but I was (and still am I suspect) of superior size. One guy kicked me, I blocked his kick then got the bike between us, lifted it up and gave him a good, solid and very stern chest thump with the bottom bracket/chain ring (okay, the whole damned bike) as his buddy was crudely fashioning his beer bottle into an edged weapon.
So, there we were, a late night back in the 1980s, two guys, one with a busted bottle, the other on the ground looking for his bottle and a 6' 200lb teenage boy pumped up on adrenaline and fear and about to use his new bike as an instrument to induce blunt force trauma. Thankfully they realized the error of their ways and, after much cursing and threatening, they backed off, I backed off, we all went home unhappier but healthier.

Clearly that incident was still on my mind 20+ years later. The first bike accessory I bought for my then new Dahon was my bike helmet.
The second accessory I bought (same week) was a 26" telescopic baton*.




*Clearly I'm pretty okay without the instrument of blunt force trauma (baton, not bike, I've always got my bike) because I've only left home with it in my possession twice over the last four-five years.

nashcommguy

Well, some of these responses have left me in a state of shock at what some of you have been through.

Stated in another post I have had 10 incidents of what I consider deliberate endangerment in almost 25 years of cycle-commuting. Was able to catch 3 at the next traffic light and being a rather reactionary person at the time I would swear a blue streak and challenge them to get out of their car. All of them were male and of parenting age, but none took me up on my offer. They just drove off...after locking their doors. The other I caught in his work parking lot and let him have an earful in front of his co-workers. He tried to save face by raising his voice as well, but I think he sensed that he had about 60 lbs. on me that he couldn't use while I could use all of mine. So, he apologized profusely, said he didn't see me and would pay more attention in the future. It was all BS and I told him so. Got on my bike and continued on to work. He still passes me once in a while on my commute and always gives me plenty of room.

There's a huge difference in unintended endangerment and deliberate. When someone makes a driving error whether they're texting, phoning, putting on make-up, sipping coffee or whatever I simply maneuver out of harms way. It's my feeling that it's my responsibility to take precautions for my own safety. After all no one is forcing me to be a cycle-commuter. It's my choice knowing full well the dangers. That being said if I'm put in danger from an act of aggression on the part of a driver then all bets are off.

When I began to cycle-commute rural I had a huge problem w/dogs. So, I got a CO2 pistol w/420 ft per sec. travel rate and 'trained' several dogs on my regular routes to the point that I don't need to carry it anymore...but I still do anyway. You never know when you'll be harrassed by a loose dog. Had one owner object, so I offered to call the Sheriff's Dept. and he could have them explain the 'leash law' in the county. He declined the invitation. Now there's a state law on the books that calls for a 350.00 fine for a 1st offence.

In terms of carrying weaponry I'm all for protecting one's self by any means necessary. It's funny, asa I received my CCP things that used to chap my behind don't bother me nearly as much.

rex_kramer

Loose Chain

I have already posted my photos of my badly broken femur as a result of being attacked, ambushed, by two pitt bull type dogs who then continued to attack me while on the ground and I had to fight them off with a bone sticking out of my leg by punching them and hitting them with my helmet. Not to mention yet another encounter shortly after I started riding again that finally prompted me to carry a weapon.

These people, some here, who say there are no dangerous dogs, they are being foolish and stupid, sorry. Just as some dogs are bread to herd or point birds or retrieve, some are bread to fight and kill in pitts, hence PITT bull. They are a fighting dog. Certain other breeds are known man killers. Yes, any dog can be dangerous if he gets under your wheel, no argument there but to deny that some breeds are downright dangerous and like carrying a gun with a broken safety with a round in the chamber. Ridiculous to deny it. I was there, they tried to kill me and nearly did. Why, all of a sudden it is fashionable to own pitt bulls or other dangerous dogs I can only speculate but just as if I left a loaded gun in a playground I would be responsible, so are people who allow such dangerous animals to roam unrestrained are RESPONSIBLE for what happens--not me.

I now carry dog "Mace" pepper spray and I also carry a XD subcompact in 40S&W or a S&W nine shot 22 Mag with defense rounds loaded up. Yes, I have a concealed carry license and while I have had it for many years, I never, ever carried a weapon except to the occasional range practice session. I now carry anytime I am on my bike going away from my house. I do not carry in my car etc. Just on the bike.

I now have a phobia since being attacked. I wake up screaming and kicking and punching. My leg hurts, it has a titanium rod and my require a third surgery. I missed two months of work and nearly 6 months of active life. My leg will never be the same and I can no longer run or do triathlons etc.

Some people may want to own dangerous animals, well, now I am dangerous. If I can control my terrifying fear that now overwhelms me whenever I am around dogs I perceive--I PERCEIVE--I don't care what you (generic) think I should feel and the law does not require me to justify--only be genuinely fearful of harm and I can use deadly force and I intend to. If I can control my fear I will use the Mace, if not, I am shooting them and I will not shed a single tear. Oh, and the sheriff told me to shoot the c--p out them and he had my back. Seems the sheriff is sick of killer dogs as well.

Yeah, if you think I am p--- off, you would be right. Yeah, I am the one who had to get a shot in my stomach every day for three months that hurt like heXX to prevent blood clots from lodging in my brain. Oh, and the blood transfusion with blood from who knows who!!!!!!! So, (generic) y'all go ahead and get dangerous dogs and let them roam, I will oblige (generic) you but putting a .40 caliber hole right through them if they get near me.


BTW, about shooting pellet guns etc at dogs, do not do that. You will be arrested. The law allows you to defend yourself with deadly force if you --YOU--feel you are in danger of serious injury or death or your property or loved ones. Shooting something to injure it or brandishing guns is illegal. Shooting to STOP is LEGAL. That is right, you shoot to stop. That means you do not leg someone or some animal or shoot over the head. You must shoot to stop or the law will perceive that you were not genuinely fearful for injury or life. I specifically said STOP, not kill. If death results from being stopped, oh well. You must use a warning as in --STOP-- or in the case of a dog, get away, stop, sit, etc. If this does not stop the animal and I/you are indeed fearful then you shoot to STOP him.
LC

thenomad

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