Creep on a fixie makes want to carry Mace.
03-26-15, 09:45 PM
#51
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Years ago they made a small spray bottle w/ a holder that was "Dog Spray". People don't like it much either. Haven't carried one for awhile; but I think of it as a little insurance.
03-26-15, 10:17 PM
#52
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I would've.
03-27-15, 12:27 AM
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Last time I was hassled I flagged down the next cops I saw, described the car and the actions and mentioned that they were drinking. And they were.
It was nice seeing the cops get to do their jobs.
It was nice seeing the cops get to do their jobs.
03-27-15, 06:58 AM
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Sell my bike? Just-so-you-know, Zimmerman never used "stand you ground" in his defense, that was another MSM myth. Gotta make self defense a bad thing, just be a victim and wait for someone to help you.
03-27-15, 02:19 PM
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so many interesting, both good and awful, responses this thread has evoked.
03-27-15, 05:11 PM
#57
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I feel like this post and subsequent responses highlights a larger social issue. When faced with conflict the canned advice seems to be to just avoid confrontation. I agree that on a case by case basis that is probably the best option as to minimize personal injury. But in the bigger picture, if we all just run away everytime some ******* starts something, who is ever gonna teach that person a lesson and when will they ever be caused to think twice the next time? I admit I've been caught off guard on my bike a couple times like the op and similarly bolted. But I always wish afterward that I had done something more; dished out some punishment for foul actions... Not that I would win if I fought back, but just to show the ******* that he won't always get off so easy. I have also considered carrying spray while cycling but the legalities of being caught with something really effective are currently more discouraging. I just hate feeling like I've been chased off by some scumbag, letting them have their way instead of standing my ground so to speak. Unfortunately this sort of thing seems more and more common. Maybe next time I'll fight back...let you know how it goes, lol.
03-27-15, 08:07 PM
#58
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For example a guy on the sidewalk waves and says "hey man..." (I know immediately this guy is hustling me for something but I don't give that away). I quickly nod and say "hey how are you?" with a casual friendly tone. That's the end of the conversation as far as I'm concerned. And now I'm riding past him, and he's actually behind me when I hear "let me ask you something". Well we all know how much wind noise you have on a bicycle at speed. I don't think I heard that. That's why keeping your speed up is good. You avoid getting drawn into trouble of various sorts. And you don't have to be confrontive or rude or anything. The potential trouble is now behind you before it can really incubate.
03-27-15, 08:16 PM
#59
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This situation does not sound to me like one of those times.
03-27-15, 11:33 PM
#60
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He took a chance. That guy in the business suit could have been Bernhard Goetz.
Sometimes riding a bicycle, even on popular trails, can be dangerous: 10-year-old among kids arrested in 'brutal' bike trail robberies - Houston Chronicle The thing about the trails is that people who want to attack bicyclists can just select an ambush site and wait. If I were attacked in such a situation, I like to pretend that I would fight back, but I'm an old man. Some people seem to think carrying would be the thing to do, but I just can't see myself shooting somebody in retaliation for such an attack even though these, so it seems, were very brutal.
In my experience riding around Houston, dogs are a much bigger danger. Learn where and when irresponsible dog owners allow their dogs to roam and don't go there. About a week ago, I was chased three times within about 1/2 mile. The last time was by a group of three or four dogs, one of which could go quite abit faster than 25 mph. I was pedaling as fast as my fat butt could go and the dog wasn't even stretching. I don't think it meant me harm, just a game, but how do you know what the dog thinks the rules of the game are?
03-27-15, 11:52 PM
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So this evening on the way home from work some guy in army fatigues on a POS fixie comes up along my left side and says something. I ignore him cuz I'm wearing head phones. Then he cruises on my left and I pull the plugs out of my ears and he says something like his bike can beat my bike. And then somthing like his bikes a crappy bike but it can still beat mine blah blah blah...
Well he sees I'm not very interested and i just keep on riding and again he states, only louder louder, his crappy bike can beat mine and then makes a poor attempt to kick me from his bike. At this point I decided to just boogie and well I guess his bike isn't faster then mine or he just gave up on me. Whatever his motive was he disappeared.
Now this happened in a rough neighborhood shopping strip mall where homeless and druggies magically appear after the sun goes down and hang out. And its getting worse.
Well I been riding home this way for years and damn if I'm gonna let some low-life scare me from cruising my established route home. So i guess I better bring along a can of mace and keep it handy so next time when I get a threat remark like that I'll just zap him in the eyes and continue on my way.
Hummm.
On second thought I'll just take a different route home for awhile and just avoid trouble.
But I still think some "Bear Be Gone" spray is a good idea.
Well he sees I'm not very interested and i just keep on riding and again he states, only louder louder, his crappy bike can beat mine and then makes a poor attempt to kick me from his bike. At this point I decided to just boogie and well I guess his bike isn't faster then mine or he just gave up on me. Whatever his motive was he disappeared.
Now this happened in a rough neighborhood shopping strip mall where homeless and druggies magically appear after the sun goes down and hang out. And its getting worse.
Well I been riding home this way for years and damn if I'm gonna let some low-life scare me from cruising my established route home. So i guess I better bring along a can of mace and keep it handy so next time when I get a threat remark like that I'll just zap him in the eyes and continue on my way.
Hummm.
On second thought I'll just take a different route home for awhile and just avoid trouble.
But I still think some "Bear Be Gone" spray is a good idea.
had nothing to do with the bike being a fixie but more about mental illness/drug addiction. it was probably random, I doubt he/she will be waiting for you in the same spot at the same time on Monday.
03-28-15, 04:38 PM
#63
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I rode through a few rough neighborhoods 2-3 times a week for years. I had several one-off encounters where someone started messing with me. It was never the same person twice. So I'd say just keep doing what you're doing especially since you've been doing it for years. If the same guy comes after you, ditch him again then don't go back for a while. Getting stabbed or shot is not worth being able to say that you 'stood up to your fear'. People lose their lives over less, to people who just don't give a $*#!. Like someone else here said he's probably got nothing to lose. If you do decide to get mace or any other self-defense tool, make sure you practice using it or you might do yourself in for no good reason.
As far as changing your route I changed part of my well-established route this year to avoid construction. I like the new route more and now I know yet another route.
As far as changing your route I changed part of my well-established route this year to avoid construction. I like the new route more and now I know yet another route.
03-28-15, 05:09 PM
#64
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Well he sees I'm not very interested and i just keep on riding and again he states, only louder louder, his crappy bike can beat mine and then makes a poor attempt to kick me from his bike. At this point I decided to just boogie and well I guess his bike isn't faster then mine or he just gave up on me. Whatever his motive was he disappeared.
Now this happened in a rough neighborhood shopping strip mall where homeless and druggies magically appear after the sun goes down and hang out. And its getting worse.
Well I been riding home this way for years and damn if I'm gonna let some low-life scare me from cruising my established route home.
Now this happened in a rough neighborhood shopping strip mall where homeless and druggies magically appear after the sun goes down and hang out. And its getting worse.
Well I been riding home this way for years and damn if I'm gonna let some low-life scare me from cruising my established route home.
So i guess I better bring along a can of mace and keep it handy so next time when I get a threat remark like that I'll just zap him in the eyes and continue on my way.
Hummm.
On second thought I'll just take a different route home for awhile and just avoid trouble.
But I still think some "Bear Be Gone" spray is a good idea.
Hummm.
On second thought I'll just take a different route home for awhile and just avoid trouble.
But I still think some "Bear Be Gone" spray is a good idea.
...Killing indians is no more fun I guess.
Last edited by Bike Gremlin; 03-28-15 at 05:19 PM.
03-28-15, 05:29 PM
#65
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Avoiding conflict is the best strategy. Every good self-defence school will teach how to avoid conflict and get out of the situation without using force. Only if you're in a situation with absolutely no way out , then you do whatever you can to defend yourself. Using a mace or any other weapon is very risky, forget about using any of that stuff unless you have real training. There are also legal consequences from using weapons. Martial arts training is not a guarantee against an uncooperative unpredictable opponent. In fact, traditional martial arts can work against you and be totally useless against an experienced street fighter, sparring in a dojo is very different from facing a real opponent on a street who is out to hurt or kill you.
Last edited by wolfchild; 03-28-15 at 06:05 PM.
03-28-15, 06:02 PM
#66
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Always disengage ASAP.
Crazy people have a shed-load of 'issues" and if you become the focus of their attention, you become the one responsible for all their issues. Leave it to the professionals.
I had one crazy man on a bike insist that you had to ride on the right in a (UK) bikelane, because of all the symbols of upside-down cyclists on the path. Trying to explain that the symbols were upside-down because he was approaching from the wrong direction was a tactical error. He followed me around shouting that I was a [insert very bad criminal offence]. In this town, you could easily get lynched if someone points at you in the street and accuses you of this crime.
I had to call the police to warn him off.
Crazy people have a shed-load of 'issues" and if you become the focus of their attention, you become the one responsible for all their issues. Leave it to the professionals.
I had one crazy man on a bike insist that you had to ride on the right in a (UK) bikelane, because of all the symbols of upside-down cyclists on the path. Trying to explain that the symbols were upside-down because he was approaching from the wrong direction was a tactical error. He followed me around shouting that I was a [insert very bad criminal offence]. In this town, you could easily get lynched if someone points at you in the street and accuses you of this crime.
I had to call the police to warn him off.
03-29-15, 03:48 AM
#67
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They still make it. It works very well VS dogs. Dunno about people. Don't want to find out. (BTW, I like the stuff very much!)
03-29-15, 04:59 AM
#68
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Sounds to me like he was trying to talk to TC and TC blew him off, a sign of disrespect........and if you were indeed the "yuppie" riding through on a "nice" bike it made this guy dislike you really fast.
Like the posters mentioned, you gotta know how to play "nice" in the rough parts and don't look like easy prey. The beater bike should have already been your commuter. I only use (open) headphones on the MUP and listen to podcasts at a low volume, bad idea in traffic.
Routes should always be changed, by everyone, to avoid potential ambushes. Lastly work on your sprinting, you're not a pedestrian, you're on a bike man!
Like the posters mentioned, you gotta know how to play "nice" in the rough parts and don't look like easy prey. The beater bike should have already been your commuter. I only use (open) headphones on the MUP and listen to podcasts at a low volume, bad idea in traffic.
Routes should always be changed, by everyone, to avoid potential ambushes. Lastly work on your sprinting, you're not a pedestrian, you're on a bike man!
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