daytonian

I started carrying pepper spray on bike late last Summer. $10. I got it velcroed to left side of stem. There's wack jobs and stupid dogs in every state, city, and town.

ravenmore

I wasn't going to lower myself to comment on what Doc said but, on second thought.

Forget just Austin - there's plenty of nice folks all over the place here that deserve better than a comment like that. Thought that was pretty out of line.

Litespeed35

+1 Unfortunately there are people with real mental problems, and a-holes, and it can be hard to tell the difference.

Good job ending the situation without violence, comments like "shoulda kicked his a**" aren't smart. The way you did it, the situation's over and no-one got hurt. You actually hit him, and several unpleasant options roll out, including a) you hurt a person who really doesn't deserve it, b) you get YOUR a**kicked, c) you get arrested for your trouble etc.

Glad I don't live anywhere that currently would cause me to consider carrying a weapon. I'm actually licensed to carry a concealed handgun, but it would be pretty sad for that to be necessary...

Of course, maybe carrying a frame pump WOULD be smart, right now I'll be defending myself with CO2 cartridges...

Sooner Rider

I was rowing one morning (single scull) when a nut case threw rocks at me, hitting the shell once. I mentioned it later to another rower who topped my story with this:

While a student at NYU, he was rowing in the East River when a huge (you can imagine his size) guy pulled a manhole cover out of the street and dropped it onto him from a bridge. Impacting the shell on its edge, the manhole cover missed my friend but cut his scull instantly and cleanly in half. Rowing one moment, swimming the next.

If necessary, our option is better: Dismount and fight on foot.

bccycleguy

A couple of years ago I had a stand off with a German Shepard, and in the end I backed-up quite a good distance all the time holding the bike between us. I was shouting "Bad Dog" when ever it came at me [thinking that's probably what it's owner says when the dog is bad], it did work a bit. Now I carry a small pepper spray velcroed to my seat post beside the saddle bag. Inconspicious, but so far unused.

I'm far more worried about some rednecks in a pickup truck side-swiping me or trying to hit me with their mirrors.

patentcad

Go easy Canuck breath.

geeklpc1985

With people like that, don't stop. I know it's hard but it works for me. People get out of a 25mph bike flying by. Also I have the peper say, just in case.

Super Geek

k.kamm

you know how water scares dogs away, maybe it works on humans too. bummer though, pretty weird.

Prince9931

Bear mace works on 1000lbs meanies with teeth and claws. Will sure work on most any human being, no matter how mean or dumb or grumpy they are.


Bear Mace may be a tad bit on the Extreme side, how ever "wild fire mace" is not

snowyfox

Commuting in Lafayette has taught me a few things about places to avoid on weekend nights, the Bars. Riding by when some drunk guy pushes his friend right out infront of ya, and then trys to yell at me for being a crazy person on a bike...
Now I just try to stay away from that, not fun...

RocketsRedglare

Good to see another rower here. Worse thing about being attacked on the water is that by the time you get to the shore to confront the arsehole(s) they is long gone. I've been run over by jet skis and pwer boats amd have had everything from railroad spikes to garbage cans dropped from bridges and over passes.

On the bike trail, I've found your water bottle is a very effective, and non-lethal way to express your displeasure with the common jackhole

dc70

Too bad you had to have that experience, and ruin your ride to some degree.
Hopefully it never happens again to you, but if it does maybe you will be more prepared
and strike instinctively by having this unpleasant experience.

A similar incident has happend to me this past summer on a ride, alone, of course.
Two punk kids, one noticable fat, probably around 15 or 16 riding their bmx bikes
down the street, I assume spotted me as I rode up my block coming home from a ride.

They swerved over to my side and started to come towards me, head on. I rose up out of the saddle,
mashed the pedals and charged as well. As I got closer it was apparent to me that one of them (smaller kid) was not going to move, so I ever so slightly moved right, stopped pedaling and wound up my left fist, I slammed into his head at about 16 mph and knocked him off of his bike. I wobbled a bit, and moved a bit off my line, but no threat of crashing. The fat kid started yelling something and started to turn around, I just kept cruising while I looked back laughing at the two of them. He stopped and went back to his friend on the ground. Once I got up the block back home I waited outside for a bit, but no one showed.

I never did see those two again on my block. Perhaps they learned a tough lesson, perhaps not.
Either way I was very pleased with my reactions and subsequent violent actions I took.
I persoanlly think that most people only learn from something that has consequences, usually dire.

You can talk to you are blue in the face and get nowhere, while a punch or multiple blows to the head seems to present a much clearer message. I think violence has its place in society and is under utilized in many situations. Violence many times is the only answer. Sometimes the only way to invoke a change or vote for such is with your fists. Archaic? Barbaric? Crude? Unethical? Perhaps there will be a contigent who make that claim, I on the other hand see it as righteous, and worthy of defending one self in the world of peril, autocrats and doubt. Let me just say I'm not liberal or forgiving of antics that possibly
jeopardize my well being from outside influences.

"Anger is a gift"

Mo'Phat

Gnarly....I'll let someone else tell you you that you may have gone a smidge over the line during your encounter.

Strictly being a devil's advocate...couldn't you have just moved a little? Did you really have to drop the kid? I'm all for teaching lessons, but clocking the guy was 'the only answer'?

wsexson

Unless things have changed alot since I went to Purdue you should probably avoid riding past bars on WEEKDAY nights, too.

Sprocket Man

You know what would have been REALLY funny? If the kid had fallen off his bike, hit his head on the pavement and DIED! Then you could have explained to the cops, judge, and the kids family how you killed a kid because you THOUGHT he was about to cause you harm.

flmmkr

This past summer I was returning from a long ride...I was almost home, cruising up a city street, when a teenage kid threw what i think was an old rusty bolt at me. It missed my face by about two inches.

Well, after riding 60 hard miles in 90 degree heat, all that's on my mind is a cool shower and a big meal. There is also some sort of endorphin/adrenaline/primal thing going on...I don't know how to describe it. Anyway, I've also got this pet peeve about littering which, in the mind-body state I was in at that moment, set me off into some sort of Herculean fury.

I screeched to a halt, jumped off my bike (skinny, sweaty, dirty), walked up to this kid and lectured for what seemed like about 10 minutes on the dangers of rusty bolts, the fragile balance of our environment, disrespecting elders, fat lazy youth and where the hell did this kid's parents get off raising such an imbecile...etc.

The kid blinked and claimed he didn't do it, that his friend did...who was standing next to me. "Well, don't do it again," was all I could muster and rode off.

Now, I am also not the fighter type, and wouldn't have scrapped with these teenagers even if the bolt had hit me, but I like to think that the fact that this wierd, spandex-clad white guy cared enough about something that I did to stop and confront me would make me think twice about committing such a senseless act in the future.

When I was a teenager I had a similar thing happen when some friends and I fired a bottle-rocket at an 18 wheeler on a country road. The aim was better than any of us thought and it struck the closed driver-side window. He hit the brakes and we took off into a cornfield...he actually came after us and caught us; gave us the talking-to of a lifetime. I figure he saved me from a lot of mischief.

I agree with an earlier post that some people are bored, some need reassurance, some need to feel powerful, and some are just stupid and in need of a lesson, like me.

No Exit

LOL reminds me of a far side cartoons... kids with frozen water ballons

budster

Floorit -- you handled the situation well.

To those advocating violence, including the use of pepper spray: I have to deal with loose dogs on a regular basis, and I was going to get some "hot sauce" to deal with them, but then I was given a Delta AirZound horn.

It's LOUD, louder than a car horn. Doesn't hurt anyone, but... Dogs fear it. People fear it. I used on an SUV that was trying to steal my right of way a couple of days ago. Stopped him dead in his tracks. Try it. No violence necessary.

Silverexpress

Wait a minute, Wait a minute!!!!! Let's look at the perspective of the pedestrian....

YOU PROBABLY STARTLED HIM!!! He was just reacting normally to a perceived threat that was moving speedly towards him not saying a word. So as a ped with a fast approaching unknown......One, you turn around, and face the threat. Two you stand your ground since your a man and your not afraid.

It pays to have a bell or a whistle...or maybe a "hello, I passing on your left...Hello!"

My goodness, for all we know he could have been a father to a 2 yr old. Or someone who has a family and just got laid off or someone who was off to work....etc..

Sad, sad, sad...yes I know there was a chance he could have been a threat, but more then likely you simply startled him.

For example, I'm an avid flyfisherman, and often times I find myself alone on some river bank not to far from a trail. If anything, the last thing I expect is a jogger. Guess what happens when one comes running out from in between trees down the trail. I JUMP! I get startled, and I perceive it quickly as a threat. I don't have time to second think anything because for starters I'm already wary of my surroundings, and the dangers (I've watched to many of those detective shows on cable).

More then anything this guy was probably being as wary as you are, plus he's at a disadvantage of being a pedestrian. It would have been easy to assualt him from a bike.

Nachoman

That's why I wear combat fatigues when I'm out there riding. I fill my water bottle with agent orange and prepare for battle!

sprcoop

About 10 years ago 2 buddies and I had ridden north on the 605 river bed bike path to the end (So. Cal folks will know that ride). Turned around and headed back. For some reason I had ended up quite a ways in front. I had gone under an over pass and I see 3 or 4 kids to my left and one has a pellet/BB gun pointed at the river bed. I figured he was just about to shoot and did not see me as I had just come out from under the over pass so I yell Hey! attempting to avoid an accidental shooting. So he fires right at me and his buddy runs over to the fence and leans over with a pellet/BB pistol and fires from about 3 feet away as I go by at 20MPH. Either they weren't loaded or I am lucky as I did not get hit. I thought about unclipping, stopping, climbing the fence and killing someone but I wasn't going to catch them and could end up at the doctors office getting a pellet removed so I just rode on. They must have run since my buddies didn't even see them. I have maced a few dogs though. The best part is that just the residue on the dogs fur causes the owners eyes to water. Don't ask how I know that. I figure it's the owner that needs to be maced.

galen_52657

You were obviously traveling faster than safe and prudent on a Multi-Use Path. The incident was your fault. Lucky for you she didn't have any pepper spray.....

starkadur

Wow, this is a strange thread. Attacking children from fast moving bicycles, macing dogs, cyclists carrying concealed weapons af all sorts. (Did I stumble into the website of the Baghdad Jihad Biking Club by mistake). I´m an avid biker myself but after reading this thread I sure will watch out in the future when I see a biker coming at me from the distance. I think this thread has completely shattered my enthusiasm for bike advocacy in the near future.

rattlecan

well i havent read threw this whole thing yet but i was shot in the helmet once with a pelletgun nice shot