Halloween Pranksters Rant!!
11-01-07 | 08:15 PM
#51
Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Athens, OH
Bikes: Gary Fisher Marlin
I can't find myself siding with or respecting any of the parties to this story. They don't get any respect because they're clearly a bunch of little derelicts. Targeting cyclists like that isn't cool. On the other hand, you lost all modicum of respect by retaliating like that. Cars have neat things called license plates, and a call to the police is much better than assaulting people. It sounds to me like in your retaliation, you acted unsafely, travelling at high speeds, cutting through traffic, generally disobeying road laws, and then worse, endangering pedestrians by hopping up onto the sidewalk while making a getaway.
I know we're out there under dangerous conditions cycling, and I know there are a lot of pricks who don't like it or who don't treat us with respect, but really, this kind of behavior is unacceptable in my head. Please don't continue this behavior, someone could get hurt.
God now I sound like some kind of mother.
I know we're out there under dangerous conditions cycling, and I know there are a lot of pricks who don't like it or who don't treat us with respect, but really, this kind of behavior is unacceptable in my head. Please don't continue this behavior, someone could get hurt.
God now I sound like some kind of mother.
11-01-07 | 08:47 PM
#52
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 487
Likes: 0
From: Chi-town
Bikes: Fixie conversion, a few 10 speeds, a trailer, I GT Transeo for utilitarian riding
11-01-07 | 08:50 PM
#53
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 487
Likes: 0
From: Chi-town
Bikes: Fixie conversion, a few 10 speeds, a trailer, I GT Transeo for utilitarian riding
I can't find myself siding with or respecting any of the parties to this story. They don't get any respect because they're clearly a bunch of little derelicts. Targeting cyclists like that isn't cool. On the other hand, you lost all modicum of respect by retaliating like that. Cars have neat things called license plates, and a call to the police is much better than assaulting people. It sounds to me like in your retaliation, you acted unsafely, travelling at high speeds, cutting through traffic, generally disobeying road laws, and then worse, endangering pedestrians by hopping up onto the sidewalk while making a getaway.
I know we're out there under dangerous conditions cycling, and I know there are a lot of pricks who don't like it or who don't treat us with respect, but really, this kind of behavior is unacceptable in my head. Please don't continue this behavior, someone could get hurt.
God now I sound like some kind of mother.
I know we're out there under dangerous conditions cycling, and I know there are a lot of pricks who don't like it or who don't treat us with respect, but really, this kind of behavior is unacceptable in my head. Please don't continue this behavior, someone could get hurt.
God now I sound like some kind of mother.
Iget the point of what you're saying but we aren't homeless. We aren't old ragged forgoten objects either. And yes it was dangerous for me to scare the pedestrians like that but in the heat of the moment everyone does dumb stuff
11-01-07 | 08:53 PM
#54
Crankenstein
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,037
Likes: 3
From: Spokane
Bikes: Novara Randonee (TankerBelle)
Yes, ask around. I'm sure you'll hear all kinds of stories about how helpful the police are in most cyclist-involved situations.
I can tell you exactly how many times a report that I've called in has done any good.... 0.
Thank you for playing, and better luck next time.
__________________
"There is no greater wonder than the way the face and character of a woman fit so perfectly in a man's mind, and stay there, and he could never tell you why. It just seems it was the thing he most wanted." Robert Louis Stevenson
"There is no greater wonder than the way the face and character of a woman fit so perfectly in a man's mind, and stay there, and he could never tell you why. It just seems it was the thing he most wanted." Robert Louis Stevenson
11-01-07 | 09:08 PM
#55
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 531
Likes: 0
From: New York, NY
Bikes: Still researching
I can't find myself siding with or respecting any of the parties to this story. They don't get any respect because they're clearly a bunch of little derelicts. Targeting cyclists like that isn't cool. On the other hand, you lost all modicum of respect by retaliating like that. Cars have neat things called license plates, and a call to the police is much better than assaulting people. It sounds to me like in your retaliation, you acted unsafely, travelling at high speeds, cutting through traffic, generally disobeying road laws, and then worse, endangering pedestrians by hopping up onto the sidewalk while making a getaway.
I know we're out there under dangerous conditions cycling, and I know there are a lot of pricks who don't like it or who don't treat us with respect, but really, this kind of behavior is unacceptable in my head. Please don't continue this behavior, someone could get hurt.
God now I sound like some kind of mother.
I know we're out there under dangerous conditions cycling, and I know there are a lot of pricks who don't like it or who don't treat us with respect, but really, this kind of behavior is unacceptable in my head. Please don't continue this behavior, someone could get hurt.
God now I sound like some kind of mother.
11-01-07 | 09:38 PM
#56
Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Athens, OH
Bikes: Gary Fisher Marlin
I don't know about Chicago - I know where I've lived, the cops tend to respond to assault calls. It doesn't matter what mode of conveyance the victim was using, throwing eggs from a car is assault. I guess the other part of it is that I know cops, so I don't know what it would be like for someone who doesn't have cops in their social circle or something. Still, if you don't report it, you don't know how they'll respond.
Doesn't really matter anyhow, not sure how much I believe the story in the first place.
Doesn't really matter anyhow, not sure how much I believe the story in the first place.
11-01-07 | 10:04 PM
#57
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,020
Likes: 2
From: Raleigh NC
I don't know about Chicago - I know where I've lived, the cops tend to respond to assault calls. It doesn't matter what mode of conveyance the victim was using, throwing eggs from a car is assault. I guess the other part of it is that I know cops, so I don't know what it would be like for someone who doesn't have cops in their social circle or something. Still, if you don't report it, you don't know how they'll respond.
Doesn't really matter anyhow, not sure how much I believe the story in the first place.
Doesn't really matter anyhow, not sure how much I believe the story in the first place.
11-02-07 | 06:07 AM
#60
Guest
Posts: n/a
I was just subject to some pranksters on my ride home from High School today!
I guess I was the perfect target though. I guess they saw me and said, "Hey, look at this guy, 15 year old preppy black guy on a bicycle wearing a helmet in school uniform (I go to a catholic school)."
So (for those of you who know Chicago) I left school 35th & Michigan Ave. I was riding south on King Drive. Less than a mile from home I crossed 73rd street. I was doing a steady 16mph on the far right side of the road. Then I felt something hit my bookbag and splatter on my pants and stuff. Man I'm glad I didn't use my panniers today. Then a little red Toyota Corolla with some rap song drove by with three older boys laughing. I was furious!
So there is a stoplight at 75th street. I was determined to get back at them. So I sped after them at nearly 30 mph. They were looking out for me and I stopped about twenty feet behind them and waited for the light to turn green. They were in the middle lane, a car was waiting to turn left in the far left lane, and a CTA bus was picking up passengers on the far right. The light turned green, I shot foward, keys in hand. I passed them leaving a nice long scratch from fender to fender of the little red corolla.
"OH Hell Naw!" I heard one of them yell. Now that scared the **** out of me. Fearful of being run down or something I cut in front of the bus and rode over a curband onto a crowded sidewalk. I was now riding down the sidewalk and they rode alongside me throwing eggs. One almost hit me. Still mad I missed my turn and pursued them to the next stoplight. I rode behind them at about twenty mph. The light turned green just as I caught up with them I stuck my footout and kicked their mirror. The mirror was rigid and made of fiberglass. It cracked and was hanging. I hightailed it home feeling very pleased with myself.
Ultimate Revenge! Yay!
I guess I was the perfect target though. I guess they saw me and said, "Hey, look at this guy, 15 year old preppy black guy on a bicycle wearing a helmet in school uniform (I go to a catholic school)."
So (for those of you who know Chicago) I left school 35th & Michigan Ave. I was riding south on King Drive. Less than a mile from home I crossed 73rd street. I was doing a steady 16mph on the far right side of the road. Then I felt something hit my bookbag and splatter on my pants and stuff. Man I'm glad I didn't use my panniers today. Then a little red Toyota Corolla with some rap song drove by with three older boys laughing. I was furious!
So there is a stoplight at 75th street. I was determined to get back at them. So I sped after them at nearly 30 mph. They were looking out for me and I stopped about twenty feet behind them and waited for the light to turn green. They were in the middle lane, a car was waiting to turn left in the far left lane, and a CTA bus was picking up passengers on the far right. The light turned green, I shot foward, keys in hand. I passed them leaving a nice long scratch from fender to fender of the little red corolla.
"OH Hell Naw!" I heard one of them yell. Now that scared the **** out of me. Fearful of being run down or something I cut in front of the bus and rode over a curband onto a crowded sidewalk. I was now riding down the sidewalk and they rode alongside me throwing eggs. One almost hit me. Still mad I missed my turn and pursued them to the next stoplight. I rode behind them at about twenty mph. The light turned green just as I caught up with them I stuck my footout and kicked their mirror. The mirror was rigid and made of fiberglass. It cracked and was hanging. I hightailed it home feeling very pleased with myself.
Ultimate Revenge! Yay!
11-02-07 | 06:54 AM
#61
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 765
Likes: 1
From: Jacksonville Florida
Bikes: Raleigh Glacier MTB/Commuter. Cannondale CAAD5, Windsor Timeline fixed gear
Actually in this case it would probably be considered criminal mischeif. And in Florida (dont know about Illinois) if the damamge does not excede $1000 it will only be a misdemeanor. I should know, I been charged with it 3 times in my younger drunken years.
And dont worry, no more alcohol for me.....
