PedalMasher

During my ride today I was startled by a beater car of teens blasting an air horn at me as they pass by. It scared the living daylight out of me. Luckily I didn't swerve into traffic or hit a curb.

I grab the listen plate and eye the red light ahead thinking I can stop and put the plate in my phone and call the cops later.

It was my lucky day! The kids obviously thought I was slow or didn't give a damn, because they were turning left at the red light so I sprinted up to the passenger window to give them an earful. Now just this year I decided to carry a disposable camera with me for these situations. I pulled up with camera in hand and said "cheese!" and snapped the pic. You should have seen the look on their faces! Priceless.

That's when I noticed not only an air horn but a kid in back and the passenger both had slingshots! That can't be good.

So I asked them what they were doing with said objects and asked them to apologize or I was giving OR 277 TFT and the picture to the Tigard police. In typical young punk fashion they said we didn't do anything and sped off at the green left arrow.

I was just going to scare the crap outta them with the cop threat but with a beater car full of punks with weapons and presumably willing to use them, I opted for filing a complaint. At a minimum, I hope their parents get a visit from the police.

celticfrost

Not sure what (if anything) can be done, but you did the right thing.

ElJamoquio

Hah! Police responding to a complaint?

A co-worker's car was stolen in Detroit from a parking lot with camera's... with a cell phone in the car. The cell phone was used to call one address almost exclusively. Police wouldn't take the time to do a drive-by.

My co-worker did a drive-by, saw the car, and called the police after returning home. Police still wouldn't go.

The police said if she went to the car (which was stolen, and had been left in one of the lesser maintained areas of Detroit), borrowed a cell phone, and called from the car, they would come by at their leisure to investigate.

Hope your police are more energetic than they are here.

Mariner Fan

Good for you. A little wake up call (visit from the cops) might do them good.

hi565

hahahaha perfect. I need to start doing that.

That actually is a realy good idea.

PedalMasher

I lived in Sterling Heights for a while and my brother worked by 8 mile for a few years. My impression was you needed shots fired in Detroit before police showed up. Sterling Heights was a different matter. I find Tigard city police pretty darn good so far. My only experience with them was knock on the door at midnight on a Saturday night to tell me I left my garage door open. Can't complain....

OldschoolTrek

Thats so great. You have to show the pics when you get them developed!

dekalbSTEEL

That's why we all need one of these!

PedalMasher

nice that's exactly what I needed. Blast back at em inside a car - now that would be loud.

slvoid

I don't know why people don't just up and lie about the car, I'm all for crying wolf when the police won't get off their asses to do something useful.
Just tell them you saw them shooting at you with what you thought was a BB gun. And say you heard them mention something about going around town shooting out windows. At worst, they'll think you were mistaken and they were actually slingshots.

AppStateEvan

I always remember that there most likely going to work for me one day. And be 250 lbs and diabetic by age 35.

shabbis

These punks are in PDX? I'll have to keep my eye out on the road.

I too have been a victim of teenage pranks, I was running at the time though. Had a ute full of them pass by screaming and they launched a full big gulp at me, missed though.

Jakey

Paint to match sawed off shotgun under your top tube. They'll think its a pump.... boy will they be suprised. "Morning!" (KABOOM)

Jakey

Buddy of mine was hit with a snapple bottle while riding on marine drive. Unfortunately for the kids, a cop car (unmarked port of portland police tahoe) was behind them...lol...idiots.

baj32161

Thats why I carry my camera phone when I ride. I have never needed it though. I am actually surprised that here in the road rage capital of the USA (New Jersey) the drivers I have dealt with are quite courteous. I have yet to have a problem with a single one.

Of course I just jinxed myself.

Cheers,

Brian

jameyj

I had some teenage girls yell out something to my wife and I while we were riding our bikes. They got stuck at the light up ahead and I caught up to them and pulled up to their open windows and said "What did you say! Did you need something.". The look on their faces was priceless. The funny thing was I thought it was a buch of teenage girls but the driver was actually the mother of one of the girls. She apologized and told me that she had told the girls not to do it and that she would take care of the girls. She made the girls apologize and I gave the girls a nice short lecture on how it was dangerous to yell at bikers while approaching them as you could startle them and cause them to weave into traffic.

You should check out my blog - www.jamey.us - I have a meter that I keep track of the number of car honks I get (all of them except tonight are from punk kids).

oboeguy

You need to tell the cops you saw them shoot at somebody or they won't take it seriously. Not that I'd lie to the cops, of course.

Nachoman

I had some little punk hit my butt with something from his sling shot. I was so mad I was fit to be tied.

DannoXYZ 

You guys have it rough! The worse thing that's happened to me was when I stopped at a red light and stayed on the saddle with one foot on the kerb. A car comes up next to me slowly, I presume to make a right turn, so I scooted over a bit to make room. Except it didn't continue to make the turn, instead it actually turned a tiny bit and got even closer! Then it stopped with the window right next to me.... "Strange..." I thought as I turned to look down... then it HAPPENED! I saw a flash of blonde hair, then a full open hand grabbed my left ass-cheek and squeezed! A bunch of giggles erupted from the car of cheerleaders as they sped off... PUNKS!!!

.:Jimbo:.

Have this thing and love it, stupid pedestrian will never walk before me without regreting it!

I remember seeing some morons go to jail for taking a paintball gun and shooting down a biker as they drove by in thier car. They only got caught because thier video tape was leaked on the internet and the proper authorities came across it. Unfortunelty theres alot of misguided and bored teens out there who have nothing better to do...thats why i started biking.

djtrackie

I wouldn't mind, if they were college cheerleaders

roadwarrior

Get the carbon fiber version...you save 223 grams...

sentinel

oboeguy,
I've arrested people who called in false police reports. That's exactly what you would be doing if you called in shots fired when there weren't any fired. The look on their face as the handcuffs when on was priceless.

socalrider

do not lie to the cops, tell them the truth, what they do with it is there issue.. Most likely since no injury was involved they will do nothing.. I like riding at night.. I always make sure to carry some protection, a Microtech Scarab, just in case.. By flipping someone off or yelling back you are giving these people the satisfaction of knowing they got the best of you.. I just wave to them and tell them to have a nice day.

The only case where it is different if someone is assaulting you with there vehicle, it can happen..

sentinel

socal,
Very good post.