CB HI

This time it is in Washington DC.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...b5a_story.html

Odd there are no discriptions of the kids in either the attack on the cyclist or the Metro train.

Chris516

I know the cyclist in this incident would disagree with me. But at least it was a bunch of miscreant kids, instead of a drunk driver. There was a drunk driver who drove on to the W&OD bike path in Northern Virginia recently who intentionally ran into a cyclist, then was chased down by a bunch of other cyclists' and eventually arrested by police.

Myosmith

Gotta disagree. I can't call these attackers "miscreants", they weren't stealing cigarettes or breaking windows. This was a group of up to a dozen young people, approximate age unspecified, that viciously attacked a man without provocation or apparent motive other than for the shear rush of the violence. Any time you have a man on the ground and repeatedly kick and punch him in the head IMHO it should be considered attempted homicide. Even a jr high age boy can kick more than hard enough to cause permanently disabling or fatal head injury and, on an adrenaline rush, is unlikely to posess the restraint or even the prerequisite knowledge to control how hard or even how many times they strike.

A physician speaking at an EMS conference few years ago did a case review of a teenage girl who became disabled after accidentally being kicked in the head during a soccer game. That was one accidental blow, during a sporting event, by another teenage girl. Now imagine the potential of repeated intentional targeted kicks by a pack of attackers.

UberGeek

They are both about the same. The cyclist here was luckily only one misplaced kick away from being just as dead as he would have been in a fatal vehicular collision.

And, cyclists do survive auto collisions as well, at times.

Brandonub

I'm usually not all that interested in figuring out which sort of dangerous idiot is worse, but it seems pretty clear in this case - drunk driving is an act of spectacular neglect for others rather than an act of deliberate malice. When I'm judging someone's actions, I'm going to look more negatively on the people that cause harm to others for absolutely no reason than someone that makes a bad, neglectful decision.

I'd wager I can guess correctly on the approximate ages, races, socioeconomic status, and general appearance of the assailants.

Minstrel

In my experience, statements like these are racist dog whistles intended to suggest that a) the suspects are <members of some racial minority or other> and, b) the "liberal media" is conspiring to hide how <members of some racial minority or other> are criminals.

But maybe I've been reading too many local newspaper website comment sections.

Matariki

Alternate reality?

spivonious

Wow, real Clockwork Orange stuff.

UberGeek

That's what I was thinking... Some good old ultra-violence.

Chris516

I referred to them as miscreants, for the very reason they didn't steal anything, when after the gang assault, they could have done so.
True

vol

Hmm, is subconscious jealousy a factor? Those who attack cyclists for no apparent reasons usually don't own or ride bikes themselves, and a man on the bike is likely to look happier than a pedestrian (even more than a driver)

Chris516

I don't see it as a jealousy factor. Because, If it was, I would think, they would have taken his bike, money, and keys. More like a bunch of kids that get a high from creating mayhem.

Brandonub

I think you're looking too deep. They're just worthless little scumbags that are amused by hurting other people. The same type of kids beat down pedestrians too.

Essex

These punks are just looking for trouble and taking it out on anything, or anyone they deem an easy target. With school out, no summer jobs and nothing of value about - these punks will do the next best thing - inflict hurt. Some solid policing, video cameras and time before a court judge and juvy will take some of these kids off the street. That said -these types of incidences indicate trouble with the social network in the DC Metro/Urban area.

CB HI

Then your experience is not worth crap. If I were currently riding that trail, I would want as detailed a description as possible, yes race, but also clothing, hair style, backpacks, any gang colors, etc.

Check the video in another story of the attack linked below. Whites, black and hispanics use this trail, so the attackers could have been any race. To me, it is raciest playing the PC card and not identifying the race of the kids that could have killed the cyclist.

https://www.myfoxdc.com/story/2257727...#axzz2W8XKLrPk

Another disturbing note in this second story is the issue that DC police have known this trail was not safe since March and will not get serious about fixing the problem until June 24. Yet the first story posted claims the trail is safe.

Chris516

It is not a matter of racism. It is a matter of experience. My (ex)wife was living in the Wheaton-Glenmont area in the late 1980's with her parents', only a couple miles from where this took place. It was during the time of drugs being rampant in D.C.. Every time I went down there, I was thinking about how I would have felt safer in D.C., than I would in the Silver Spring/Wheaton/Glenmont area. I detested that area because it felt so unsafe.

3alarmer 

...........to pretend this is not about race is to deny a good part of the dynamic of living in this part of D.C.

You can call that statement racist if you wish to do so, I will not be offended.


On occasion, race is a genuine factor in various areas of the nation's capital. Pretending otherwise is down the rabbit hole.

UberGeek

Man, I ride past black people, white people, asian people, and hispanic people every day; without incident.

How am I supposed to quantify that?

Chris516

Race pursuant to the artilcle, doesn't mean diddly, even though, there is predominant racial makeup in that area. Because the article never says what race the kids were. So it is unfair to presume one race or another, of the kids.

curbtender

Really is a matter for the police. No one here will solve this. Sounds like someone got out of hand.

FBinNY 

The police aren't getting more serious about it at all, or they have been all along. The Ranger patrol starting 6/24 is a volunteer effort, not stepped up police presence.

Chris516

It is not uncommon in that region of the county for behavior like that to happen. So again, race makes no difference.

Chris516

In that sense, it doesn't matter, if it is the MPD(DC), or the MCPD(MD). They are both lax when it comes to taking cyclists' safety seriously.

3alarmer 

https://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/explorer

FBinNY 

This isn't a cyclist thing, it's a who's available thing. These kids would have attacked a pedestrian if one were handy.

Problem is that cyclists often ride solo in places that they wouldn't walk, but unfortunately aren't that much faster than pedestrians, and don't have locking doors or windows to roll up like motorists. That makes them nice targets for thugs. (I'm not saying cyclists are at fault here, just stating a fact).

Years ago when Central Park in NYC was a zoo, joggers knew to stay in groups, but many cyclists would ride alone, and became easy targets as they slowed down climbing the hill coming south from 110th street. In one incident, the police sent two undercovers on bikes, who were jumped and overwhelmed by a gang, losing both bikes and much more important both guns. Fortunately they weren't too badly hurt except for their pride.

Safety in parks and trails is a numbers game. Thugs like good odds, so 6 of them want to jump 1 victim. If their targets come out in larger numbers the thugs go look for easier pickings. Numbers is how we took back the parks in NYC, and ultimately it'll be numbers that secure these trails.