Bike4More

So I'm posting this here because I like you guys better than the A&S lurkers.
I've had stuff thrown at me while commuting before:
Cigarette butts
Soda Cups, Full or empty
Colorful words


Yesterday evening, I was riding road bikes with two friends in a semi-rural newly developing area on the edge of town. It was dusk and we had our blinky lights on. I was in the front, we were riding along at about 17-18 mph. Suddenly I see two water balloons sail over my head and land on the side of the road. They missed me and one other guy but nailed my other friend right square in the back.

They were driving a slightly lifted tan chevy pickup newer. It was most likely high school kids. As soon as they passed me they jumped on the gas and blew the upcoming red light. Soon after they turned into the parking lot for a new High School/Sports Complex. We followed their trail for as long as we could but never found them. I never got the plate number.

I haven't ever been actually hit with anything before but I have reported the license plate numbers when I could get them. Throwing something that is in your car at the time is a crime of opportunity. Making up water balloons to throw at people, animals, other cars or cyclists is premeditated. If it were a brick, a hunk of metal, an unopened soda can, etc he could have been really hurt. luckily my friend who was hit is also a bike commuter and has been harassed before. He took it OK.

What would you do in this situation?

1. If you found the truck parked with nobody in it and you were sure it was the same truck.

2. If you found the truck parked with the A-Hole kids still in it.

3. If you found the truck two weeks from now with nobody in it.

4. If you found the truck two weeks from now with kids in it.

Remember these kids could be under 18 so physical violence is out of the question. And I would record the plate number in any case.

Heres my answers:

1. Air out of the tires, at least two tires.

2. Call the police and charge them with assault.

3. Leave a detailed note about how you are going to find them

4. Tell them what you plan to do with their plate number and threaten some of their pets.

What would you do?

taser

Pee in their gas tank.

545h4

That sucks...! Get some of those pop-rocks (the kind that snap when you throw them at the ground), and chuck them at the vehicle next time you see it go by. No damage, but it should be equally infuriating...!

I've had:
*the still-lit cigarette butt that burned one of my favorite tops
*the plastic shopping bag that blows out of one of the rear windows of a minivan
*the random garbage that comes out of a truck bed
*the ever appealing trucker bomb (look it up if this one is vague to you...)

What I've never seen, but know deep-down it really must happen:
*glass (how else would it get all over the sidewalks on a bridge, on a highway, and along every curb on every street?!?)

BroadSTPhilly

1. Leave a note seeing you have contacted the police and that the police will be in contact with their parents sometime in the next two weeks. This will make them miserable for two whole weeks.
2. Pretend to call the police. Tell them that you have called the police and given them their plates and that they are too wait there for the police. Leave
3. Spray paint there front windshield.
4. Repeat # 2

regulators

Kids are much easier to frighten than adults. Assuming these are high school kids, my answers are as follows:

1. Record the plate number, phone the police immediately.
2. Let them see me write down their plate number and call the police. Then confront them and occupy their time while the police arrive. Act as threatening and mad as I possibly could.
3. Leave a note, let them know you have their plate number and have filed a complaint with the police.
4. Confront and harass them. No physical contact at all. Just puff out my chest a little to scare them.

I have teenage kids yell stupid things all the time. On my way home after a particularly bad day at work some punks yelled some obscenities at me. I've said and heard far worse things, so this did not offend me, but being that I was in a bad mood they managed to push my buttons. I turned around and went back to confront them. These were little guys, hardly big enough to pop a balloon, but claimed to be high school seniors. I said "Fellas, keep your mouth shut. I could care less but you'll piss off the wrong s.o.b one of these days and he'll whip your ass. You're not tough and bullet proof like you think."

Of course these days a lecture such as that is likely to cause your average 16 year old to be even more defiant. I don't have kids, but I remember what it's like to be one. Try spooking them a little bit and maybe that will get their attention. If it worsens, call the police and let them deal with it.

harleyfrog

A potato shoved up the tailpipe?

Allen

They threw water balloons, then their intent is to be mischievous not malicious.
Proper level of response is to Oreo the truck.

DallasSoxFan

Vaseline the windshield and windows, then use the rest on the door handles.

Dump a 5 gallon bucket of paint on the ground in front of each of the doors.

Let the air out of one tire after you lock-tite the nut that holds the spare on under the bed. cover it with vaseline for good measure.

Install a locking gas cap for them. Lose the key.

DallasSoxFan

Personally, though, I would just ignore it.

oldfolksmashers

U-Locks make short work of window glass.

Personally though, I find that being 6'2" and 190 pounds worth of bike riding muscle usually gets them. I've caught up to kids before, and usually the shock of seeing a guy in spandex throwing his shoes off ready to fight their punk asses gets them thinking otherwise in the future.

BroadSTPhilly

Alright given the way this thread is going I am going to say, "Kill'em all and let God sort 'em out." It would be fun to have some fun with it but seriously I have to agree that it isn't malicious so the response should be directed to scare the poop out of them but not actually hurt them.

psycho d

i've been pelted with rotten oranges before up in SacTown. The first time it happened i was hit in the middle of my back pretty hard. When i reflexively reached back to feel my back, it was all wet and pulpy feeling, so i figured i had just been shot in the back. Kinda of freaked my out until i saw that there was no blood on my hand and it smeeled like rotten citrus. No bueno.
d

Bike4More

Really?

ews

You need to lighten up, man. I got egged last Halloween and I'm sure those eggs hit me harder in the back than the ballon that got your friend. I just went home.

Bike4More

I'm not really all that mad, I'm asking what you would do if you were able to find the people who did it?

Cal_Jordan

I'm only 6' tall, but yes, that just about does the trick every time.

although pissing in the gas tank would probly be high on my list...

and, I have yet to have anything thrown at me from a car.

so far, all I've gotten is a couple of a-holes honking at me...

dipy911

Supreme Court says we have a 2'nd amendment to bear arms. Just saying.

rmp5s

Bleach does bad bad things to fuel tanks...Mythbusters told me so...

And, if you're going to let the air out of the tires, a good idea, at least do it right. Take the core out. That way, when they go to put the air back in it just comes back out creating much more of a headache. Evil...sheer evil...:-D

Takabrash

I carry extra keys for just such an occasion

Zero_Enigma

I've yet to have anything thrown at me. *knock on wood, knock knock* I have had yelling, shouting, and sudden honking and extended honking as the (mostly teens/college kids). That was before when I has low powered blinkies and lighting. Now it is possible that my upgraded crazy lighting has something to do with the level of respect I get now. I've only had one honk and rubberneck a few days ago but I think they wanted me to turn and look at them because my Dinotte has a massive red flood light on the road and hitting signs back 2 blocks but I did see these kids coming. They rolled up and tailgated for a second then honked then sped off. Most of the times now I rarely see this stuff as most cars change lanes 2 bus lengths away and mostly give me the jaw drop look that a cyclist can have such powerful lighting.

Now if hypethically (sp?) I had stuff thrown at me and I was able to find the perps that did that then :

1.
-Get a brick of sugar and drop it in the fuel tank (if the fuel tank is not locked)
-Let the air out of the tires
-If I was absolutely sure that was the right truck I'd so up with a jack and tire iron and take all the tires off the truck and gun tape the nuts either under the bumper or in different parts under the front engine area of the car to f--- with them.
-If a hot day egg the windshields and oil it.

2. Inform them I've called the cops and reported thier licence plate and that the cops will be paying them and thier parents a visit. I may work in something of a scare by saying the cops have reported this to thier (mostly parents) insurance company which would jack up thier insurance.

3. Given it's teens here I'm not sure the truck would not be idling for two weeks as they'd probably be driving around with it but if it was well... everything in #1.

4. Not sure yet

Zero_Enigma

'master' keys right?

DallasSoxFan

One, I wouldn't seek them out. Two, I would ignore it. If it happened repeatedly, I'd write down the LP and call the cops.

If it kept happening after that, I'd get a restraining order. If it kept happening after that, I'd kick their asses and say it was self-defense because I felt threatened. I'd have the restraining order as proof.

mjw

Projectile from car meant two years in prison for one woman https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...022601508.html

thebarerider

I enjoyed being hit by water baloons as a kid. On a warm summer day, out on my bike, it might actually be pleasant.

Still, throwing stuff out of car windows at people = bad. Cultural problem, IMO.

The Figment

"Air out of the tires, at least two tires."

I use the Valve stem caps that also have the "Air Valve Remover" built into them.....they can try to put air back in the tires,but little good it would do them if it does'nt stay inna tire.