The solution to a problem should be preventative, not punitive. Avoidance is not a solution, the problem still exists. Unfortunately not much can be done by one person.

OP, that sucks, I would have done the same thing too.

This post isn't about your horizons therefore your observations regarding them aren't valid and fall outside the reasonable context of the scenario.

Well this is certainly not what I expected when I shared my experience on here! Anyways, it has been entertaining to read and I see I have sparked a lively discussion.

Unfortunately, where my job is located there is no way around riding through a portion of town known for drug deals and such. I myself do not live in a bad part of town, I am just forced to travel to that part of town to support my family. And I enjoy my job, make good money, and have excellent benefits so I have no intentions of leaving.

I have taken a different route the last couple of mornings and I have not seen the vehicle again. I have not heard anything from the police either. Essentially what I had hoped to accomplish by sharing my experience is to remind everyone to keep alert and be aware of your surroundings! If something doesn't seem right act on that feeling. Who is to say if I just ignored the feeling that the Explorer was up to no good and let them pull alongside me or crash into me I might not be writing this and my wife wouldn't have a husband and my kids wouldn't have a dad.

Yes. I carried it over the summer but I am apprehensive about how it would function in below freezing temps.

Your thinking is too limited. I don't think we'd get on so well at the pub.

How ironic. lmao

Bellend confirmed!

Your situation is quite common, many folks have to work in the not so savory areas. that tends to go hand in hand with area improvement. I worked in Brooklyn during the early 90s...Bed Stuy, Ft. Greene, etc.. It was akin to the third world 20+ years ago....now it's some of the most desired real estate in the NYC area....


Situational awareness, along with reasonable precautions, ;) is king. Best of luck and be careful.

I always get the end, usually the dart alley is behind me, but the wall is at my back!

Bell-end...Oh jeeze.... enough already. lmao

OP, from your description is seems pretty obvious that they were up to no good. I think you did the right thing and I applaud that you were able to keep out of harm's way long enough to get to the safety of witnesses. In my opinion, the actions of those in the vehicle speak for themselves.

Have you considered getting a helmet cam? I wonder what reaction the police would have had they seen for themselves what happened.

Also, I'd keep my cell phone handy if I were you.

This may have been an isolated incident. I hope so.

And good for you to keep riding. Good luck.

Working on my English slang.

U WOT M8?

Maybe I would by you a pint!

I had a manc (Manchester...) that work for me some time ago...

I couldn't understand a lick of what he was saying. When he spoke it was as if his mouth was a gravel compactor.

When I finally got the rhythm of it I realized his grammar was flawless.

I've got a pouch on my handle bars I carry two cans of police grade pepper spray, for just that kind of situation.

I figure if some nut gets out and confronts me, I'll give him a blast in the face and I'll be gone before he can see/breath again.

I've heard bear-strength pepper spray allows you to repel from a distance.http://counterassault.com/

You gotta be careful with blowback with that stuff. It's a good idea to have actual practice deploying the chemical in a safe location where animals or humans won't get hurt because, unless you've done so you will have no idea how it will respond once it leaves the container. And by "safe location" please realize that the chemical will linger on any surfaces it lands on and can still cause harm even after you're gone.

And don't forget about wind direction.

I was on that train 2 years ago, Frankfurt to Amsterdam and return. Don't believe it ever topped 250 km/hr, and that was only for a few minutes. At least that is what the speedomter mounted in the passenger section indicated. Very nice train ride as are most long distance trains.

My preference back in the 90's and 2001-2002 though was for the locals that I used often on a Schones Wochend pass for 40DM plus 6DM for the bicycle to get to various destinations distant from my home near Heidelberg for a day's ride. 200mph was definitely not the norm on those trains, nor is it on very many others anywhere in Europe. The passenger train system is far superior in Europe to what exists today in the U.S. but there is no need to exaggerate to make your point. Nor is there a need to snipe at the U.S. or various stereotypes in order to discuss your bicycle commuting experiences.

We visited Wales once. Went to the local pub for a pint and a bite to eat. When I walked up to order, they must have taken me for a local, spouted gibberish in Welsh. I said, "Sorry, I'm American..." and they repeated in something which more resembled English, but accent..., "Sorry, still didn't catch that..." When speaking slow, like I was stupid or American, I could finally put together enough mangled words for meaning and context...

never confront a maniac

I was almost carjacked (I think). wasn't going to sit and wait and see. I took off before he showed what was in his hand. good for you for your escape. man your adrenaline must have been off the charts! you ride that route again? see them again? call the cops to see if they found them?

Slow track. Fastest track in Germany is Frankfurt to Köln where it touches 300km/h. Frankfurt to Paris hits 320km/h.

I should note that's not a technical limitation ... the trains and tracks are spec'd for 350 to 380km/h ... depending on trainset ... it's just not cost-efficient. The French don't care and run the TGV at 300km/h in Germany and 320km/h in France.

I try not to exaggerate ... I'm just quite pissed off by US foreign policy at the moment and the whole "fuk the EU" comment ... typical.

info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICE_3

Local News had a story about a dog after catching the car chewed up the edge of the fiberglass front quarter

around the wheel , thus answering that age old question about what a dog does

after reflexively chasing a car impinging on his territory, after he catches it..


Steel front panel , may have had a different response , depending on the dog's tastes. :lol:

Yes, I have.
I was waiting at 6:30 am at a red stoplight, in the middle of the right lane (the road there is where the bike lane ends and the last 1/2 block up to the light is marked with Sharrows - I was actually positioned just near a sharrow marking). Traffic pulls up to the light in the left lane and then a car pulls up not behind me, but squeezes between me and the other car in the left lane, straddling between the lanes. The guy almost took me out and I was completely startled and yelled "HEY!" at him, while I moved right, concerned that his fender would catch my rear pannier as he took off at the green light.

Instead of just ignoring me as I moved out of his way. He got out of his car and started yelling at me that I shouldn't be in the road. The light turned green and I biked up onto the sidewalk at that point, not wanting to be on the road with him. Instead of driving off on his way, he sped up quickly, drove up ONTO to the sidewalk about 1/2 block ahead and tried to stop me, got out of his car again, and was yelling. At this point, I was in full danger mode. It was an empty block and I rode fast around him and the car, giving as wide a berth as I could (thanking the lord he wasn't IN his car) and headed for the nearest bus stop where I knew people would be.

He followed me as I cut through an empty lot and as I got to the bus stop, thankfully with people and bus pulling up, he blocked the bus, and my exit to the street, again getting out of his car yelling and approaching me. I was able to get out my phone and get a good look at him and his car (couldn't get his plate number - but someone else at the bus stop DID!) and yelled, "I am calling the police to sort this out NOW." He took off. It was very, very scary and I just operated by instinct. I knew he was bad news the second things got hinky. I totally believe the OP. I also reported the incident to the police.

* I was also chased for about two blocks near downtown Seattle as a driver didn't think I should be turning left in front of him with the left turn only signal, even though after getting through the intersection (with him honking at me from behind - I was at the light waiting for the green well before he was) I moved to the shoulder. He drove next to me for about a block, changing speeds and veering over onto the shoulder in an attempt I can only interpret as trying to run me off the road. I was able to lose him by slowing way down - there was a line of cars behind him - and then getting to the bike route. That wasn't as harrowing as my other incident but it does happen. And both times, I was doing absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, I was following the rules of the road to a "t." Which also teaches me sometimes it may be good not to. :rolleyes:

It's a sad state of affairs over there ... makes me weep :(

Does it occur to you that this could happen anywhere?

Road rage is on the increase worldwide.

Problem.
Create a lifestyle that is based around the motor vehicle, but don't offer any real safety systems that protect us against road rage, distracted driving etc.

Reaction.
The public starts to get angry over all of the death and destruction caused by motor vehicles.

Solution.
Make personal motorized transportation only accessible to the privileged few. (remember driving is a privilege, not a right.) Discourage people from living outside of major urban centers, by making most employment available in the city. (remember there was a time when farming was a huge source of labor and employment) Build public transportation services that are in-efficient, costly and unreliable. Continue to sell cars, but increase the price of everything related to them. (insurance, maintenance, fuel etc.) Build a few token MUP systems that go nowhere to show us that we are making progress, and that city life is going to be better for everyone.

:crash:

these are supposed to address that issue. the kimber pepper blaster give you 2 shots from a "bullet" that doesnt freeze or loose its charge ever. its actually an explosive shell that fires liquid instead of lead.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=363311

No I do not carry anything when I ride.

It's very unlikely to happen in Germany. Getting a liscence is a several month and several thousand Euro affair. Cutting across the double lines to bust a u-turn as described by the OP would be a 6 or 12 point fine, which would be an instant year loss of liscence.

I think the issue is that the entry in the driving pool in the US is too low and there's no enforcement.

So, no I don't think rode rage will be prominent in Europe.

Interestingly, fines for speeding and quite low in Germany compared to the US.