I pass a couple school bus stops on my commute on a regular basis. One morning I apparently looked like
a good target for some rock throwing practice. At first, I didn't know exactly what was pelting down around me
until one connected with my helmet and shin. Being a bit late on my commute to work I mumbled some invectives
and raced on.

The next day, same time and place (but not late for work) and knowing what to watch for, I saw the same youths
reach down for some more rock practice. I slowed and stopped very near the school bus stop and looked directly at them
until the bus arrived (didn't say a word - just waited). They dropped the rocks. When the
bus arrived I watched them get on the bus, waved "have a good day" then proceeded on to work.

When I pass by now, they "wave hi" - nicely.

Dr. Joe

If the terrain is right for the gear, almost all bikes are equal give a pound or two.

I was going up a hill one time in L.A. when a teen on a bmx came up from behind me and cut hard as he passed me knocking my front wheel with his rear wheel and causing me to fall. All very intentional. When I recovered, I rode on and passed him. When he noticed that, he strong-armed me into traffic and we both went down when my rear wheel tacoed. But that being the home territory of the MS-13 gang, I suspected that it was more dangerous for me to report it to the police than not.

I've thought about that. The local army/navy store sells Airsoft gun replica's for a decent price. I figure drivers/punks/aliens might think twice if they see me with a P90 on my back. (Orange tip and all, but first impressions are key)

I couldn't find a large enough facepalm picture to post in reply.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=143468Will this do?

I wear one these......
http://www.antichristconspiracy.com/BombVest3.jpg
If I am dislodged from my bike, it releases a lever, causing the 12# of C4 to detonate.

I'm with one of the earlier posters in that I've NEVER had any trouble from any non-motorized people. I ride everyday in Los Angeles and all of the kids I run across are walking with their families to school or riding old ten-speeds they've cobbled into fixed gears. It's pretty humbling to have some 15 year old on high tensile steel, jeans and a hoodie smoke you on the flats, but even then they are all smiles and just enjoying the race.
Though I think my perspective on threatening strangers is a bit skewed as I'm 6' 4" and 235lbs. I couldn't actually do much in a fight, but I think most folks would rather not find that out and will move on to weaker prey, especially kids. Though for some reason this doesn't apply to angry drivers who for some reason think they are all Rocky until they get out of their car and are looking up at me.
Still in almost all situations on the bike it's easier to just wave and smile and let the a-holes move along. I don't see how you could go for a weapon that wasn't mounted somewhere akwardly and just in the way 99.9% of the time.
IMO the biggest and most effective safety features are a good mirror, plenty of lights, and a whole load of patience. YMMV.

Whenever I see this guy I bike the other way:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=143495

Yep - I road up a steep hill where the punks had to get off their BMX bikes because they had no gas left in their puny little tanks!

I carry pepper spray. Just seems like a good idea to me, especially since the economy is continuing to decline.

ya:

http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainmen...nderBlue43.jpg

It's funny because as I have matured over the past 5-7 years I have become very much a pacifist. Granted I'm only 23, but it is my opinion that violence begets more violence. I have been lucky enough not to worry about getting cracked in the head from a kid's fist or baton, but in a blue-collar community like mine, its always an option. There are a lot of kids in my town and in the neighboring communities who do really, really stupid things for the thrill of it all. Having worked at the local YMCA and a high school over the past year has shown me that in spades. As others have said, if I encounter a situation that may put me in danger, I would much rather avoid it.

That is my personal preference, and compared to places like Nawlins, I live in a very safe community, so my views have their own perspective as well.

Been riding through rough neighborhoods for the past 10 years. Never had any problem. It's when i leave the city for the wilds of redneckistan, that i have had occasional problems.

I agree. If someone knocks me from my bike and starts trying to kick me in the head with all of his friends, violence will be begotten, if I am able.

It sucks that we even have to be discussing this issue. I generally feel pretty safe on my 17 mile commute each way, mostly MUP, but I had an incident last year where a group of teenage punks were hanging by the trail and one of them (a girl, which really surprised me) took a swipe at me with her arm as I passed by. She missed my head because I ducked, but my unfortunate reaction was to yell some profanities at her. That caused several of them to step into my path and block me from riding further, so I stopped and got off my bike, thinking if we're going to brawl I wanted to be prepared. I'm a big guy, 6'0" and about 280 lbs., and my getting off the bike and squaring off with them scared them all but one real small kid. He was about 17, but rock solid and he moved towards me in a fighting stance. I had no weapon, so I pulled off my backpack and reached into it for my cell phone, thinking if I'm going to take a beating I'd at least like to have help on the way. At that point, they all seemed to get nervous and began to back away from me, thank goodness. I ended up not calling, and I got back on my bike and took off.

I learned a lot that day. One, I wish I hadn't yelled at her and escalated the situation, but it was a reaction and I'm not sure I could stop myself from doing it again. Two, I do now carry a small firearm on me for last resort protection. I'm not ever going to engage them if I can help it, and I know that my gun is not going to keep me from getting hurt, but I hope that it would be the difference between me getting a beating and maybe being killed or beaten to a point where I have lifelong injuries. I sincerely hope I never have to use my weapon, but it does make me feel more secure if I am ever forced to step off my bike again and face a group like that.

I did get my my concealed carry license and I also took some very specific training in firearms use for self-defense, so I am carrying legally and I feel well-prepared to use my gun, but it would only be to save my life or that of another person.

It does suck that we have to even discuss this. I have noticed an increase in muggings and robbery in my home town since the economy has been bad. It has only gotten worse as the recession drags on. I have never had a problem where I live until recently. As I said earlier my friend got mugged, and the bakery where I work was robbed a gun point about a month ago. Personally, I had a crazy guy try to fight me in the alley while walking to the coffee shop I go to at nights to study. Luckily, I was able to deescalate the situation. He was much bigger than I and probably could have given me a good beating had I not been able to talk my way out of the situation. I dunno, maybe I am just a scared little man but, I will continue to carry my baton just in case. I would like to at least have a chance if I can't avoid or talk my way out a bad situation.

Ideally the economy will improve and folks won't be so desperate/crazy if they can get jobs. Looks like for the time being, jobs will continue to be scarce.

I have had the same experience. I live in Detroit and I have ridden in some of the worse neighborhood. I have had more problems in riding in the suburbs than in the city.

+1, I have been harassed more often out in the rural parts of town. I had one young guy yell at me from his truck to get on the sidewalk.... and there was no sidewalk! I pointed that out to him and he changed his mind "then ride in the f---ing grass"

I find that a phaser and a light saber are usually enough. Occassionally I'll take the photon cannon. Having the Death Star track my ride is overkill.

In some states including Florida and I think Texas, deadly force can be used upon YOUR fear for your life. The concept is that you have a right to protect yourself and threatening behavior, if YOU feel you are threatened to the point you must defend yourself they should not have placed you in that position. The burden is then to prove otherwise upon the law.

However, I rode all over Houston and never had one single problem for 10 years, but, sooner or later we are going to have to take our cities back from the hoodlums if we are serious about living car free. In fact, I have never realy had a problem ever other than an odd encounter recently in Pompano on a fishing peer that was making me nervous, but, I either misunderstood him or he decided I was not a very good target.

Careful; this is an incorrect statement of the law. Your fear of bodily harm must be both genuine and reasonable -- that is that you genuinely believed it necessary to use the level of force used, and that a reasonable person in similar circumstances would act the same.

Bingo...which means you're trusting 12 people to judge your decision. In Philadelphia the jury is going to be a lot more likely to nail you than in the burbs. The kid's parents are going to be on the stand explaining how he was a good kid who went to choir practise and basketball try outs...he was only out at 2am to get his ailing sister much needed penicillin and was only carrying a knife to protect him from roaming packs of dingoes.

Holy crap, I can't honestly believe that it is really all that bad out there. But wait, I get it. I'm convinced that if you walk around thinking about an incident, or worse yet somehow prepared to defend yourself, you're asking for trouble. Something about a person's mannerisms, body language, or maybe just aura if you will, is different when they are expecting trouble. If you’re having that much trouble you’re probably bringing some of it on yourself.

Seriously, try waving or popping a little wheely as you pass the Bmxer’s. If somebody yelled at me, I might yell something back. But if I was smiling when I did it then I think there’s a good chance the whole interaction would diffuse into a game. Even if someone throws something at you, you can stop and in a very disappointed, unaggressive way be like, “Aw come on man, I’m just trying to get home from work.”

Now maybe, just maybe there are places where it is so bad that you have to be prepared (though I doubt it). Perhaps someone could try feeling a little disappointed in that fact instead of getting a sense of self importance over the matter. I think that being quietly sad that you have to carry a weapon can go a long way towards never having to use it.

But then again, with drama there is something to talk about. So you can be ready to defend yourself against a hostile world and have lots of cool stuff to talk about on BF. Go ahead and play the Us vs. Them game if you want. It is exciting.

That last part of that is sarcasm right?

Sarcastic towards the standard "he's a good boy" schpiel...yes. I spent enough time in courts and schools watching thugs get described by delusional parents as mommy's little angel.

I'm not being sarcastic about the message I'm trying to get across. I hear people say "I'm allowed to defend myself" all of the time, and they have no idea what they're talking about. Lambo is exactly right...the law is intentionally ambiguous and it's designed to let reasonable people decide if your actions were justified. The problem there is that not all juries are reasonable and not all police and/or prosecutors are reasonable. Also, the standard of what is a reasonable action can change depending on the neighborhood you're in. In the suburb that my dad is in, predominantly white and middle/upper class, a typical jury is going to be more sympathetic to a self defense claim. In Philadelphia...you're more likely to get a less well off person more sympathetic to the person who was injured.

That's what I figured.

Last time I got mugged and robbed it was by a businessman and politician. I'm not being metaphorical. I'm still $12,000.00 poorer for it and without legal recourse. The poor crooks often get caught and pay the price. The rich crooks often have the laws on their side.

JoeyBike, what parts of NOLA do you ride? I don't think there's any such thing as an UNARMED robbery in New Orleans... everyone has a gun. But thats just robbery, and your only option is to just give up whatever they want. Most young "punks" are jumping/threatening just for the ego/reputation without remorse of the law. Its been a while since I've been confronted by punks.

Dang dude, 12k?