mcavana

I started my new job a couple months ago down town. Before this job I would NEVER go down town. Normally I get off at 6:00p, but the other night i got stuck working with a customer until 8:00p. I was excited to do a night ride because I enjoy riding in the night, plus i have new lights that i like to play with.

The bike rack is in the back of the bulilding right across the street from the greyhound bus station. There are plenty of homeless walking around during the day, but man, they really come out at night! There were six scarry looking guys standing right next to my bike. they were being loud and carrying on. at 6'3'' and 260 lbs I do not normally get intimidated easily. BUT i was intimidated. a couple started talking to me, and even though i was polite, it was obvious that they were being asses. I unlocked my bike and rode off without incident, but it was a very scarry situation. then three blocks down the street i went through a particularly dark spot and saw several young men hanging out on the side of the street. of course when i rode by they all stopped talking and kinda stared me down.

So, I need to be better prepared. I keep wondering "what if" I certainly am not going to stop riding my bike. I figure when i get out late like that i can always ask building security to walk me out to my bike (i must admit, i will feel a little pathedic asking for this) but the guys on the street is a little different. what if they stepped into the street into my path and told me to stop? What would i have done?

I would never carry a gun. That is just me. So, maybe i should stop at the local gun shop and buy some pepper spray? does anyone else carry pepper spray? If so, where do you put it as your riding? do you clip it to your pants? (i do not have any pockets in my cycling clothing)


thanks,

Mike

slvoid

Ride in the middle of the street, like a car, get some bright head lights, park indoors, and ride fast.

Pepper spray won't do much against a bunch of hobos, especially if its windy. There's something that's a lot more noticable under a street lamp at night than a gun...

CastIron

I carry a variety of things. Most importantly the ability to sprint @ 30mph for two blocks at the drop of a hat. Just remember that violent street scenarios are very dynamic and that no single option will work even most of the time.
Personally:
1) Avoid trouble in the first place
2) Run from trouble
3) Fight all out, tooth and nail, until the bad guy(s) stop or die.
I NEVER cooperate.

mcavana

Ha! i should have known you would be the first to reply slovid! being that you are a NYC man, and I am just a floridian!!!!

moxfyre

Well... I know the feeling. I have lived all my life in college towns and middle-class suburbs and now I am in the DC suburbs, in an area that is very racially and economically diverse. Sometimes I get that scared feeling around homeless people and rowdy young men that you're describing, where it feels like they're testing you to see if they can @#$(*& with you.

I haven't had any actual problems so far. I find the best thing to do is to be totally confident. If someone's harrassing me, I try to look them straight in the eye, don't flinch, and then ride or walk off without hurrying. I'm a friendly-looking skinny guy, so not too tough looking. Learning to act assertive in that kind of sketchy urban situation is really helpful.

mechBgon

See if you can park indoors. Explain the reason to whomever it is that matters (building people, boss, etc).

moxfyre

+1

Also, you may wish to acquire a painfully bright nearby-supernova-type rear light such as mechBgon has... I imagine that thing could blind any thugs dumb enough to chase after you

jstream

+1 for using my favorite weapon

betes

I always feel a little better when I have my Surefire on me at night. In the event of being approached by a shady character, I could try and shine it in his eyes, then run.

tomg

if possible, get to know your people in the 'hood. it's your place too!
i feel that i have a link to the "homeless" as a bicycle tourest (in a way) and have connections to that group.
gangsters wanna be. chose an alternate route, or talk with them (in smallest grouping), then check your gut feelings. follow your feelings!
be safe,
t

ken cummings

Discretion is the Better Part of Valor. I would forget the bike, back into the building as soon as I saw the loonies, and call a cab company.

humbug

why don't you just say it?

moxfyre

What should I "just say"?

This is a very diverse area. We've got white people, black people, hispanic people, asian people, etc around here. There are lots of Hispanic and African immigrants, especially Mexicans, Nigerians, and Ethiopians. The area I live in--just outside the Beltway--is a mix of Hispanic immigrants, middle-class black and white families, and country people who drive pickup trucks, talk southern, and seem to resent the encroachment of the yuppies.

8200rpm

Are any of these people you're scared of white? C'mon tell the truth.

CastIron

Perhaps you're projecting your own predjudices here. Let's face it: there are significant cultural differences across racial lines. That doesn't make any individual any more or less dangerous. It does affect most folks' perception of it. Knowing it doesn't make someone racist, just a realist. PC suburbanites rarely understand the difference.

slvoid

I'll be packing... HEAT!

moxfyre

Yes, some of them are white. I avoid the most convenient liquor store because of the drunk white guys who hang out there and seem to hate cyclists.
I don't think it's prejudiced of me to be wary of groups of young men loitering around at night... regardless of their race or ethnicity.

KrisPistofferson

This sounds like a lousy place to lock your bike. Keep in mind, you can lock up to anything longer than it is wide, so try to find something out front of the building, brightly lit, that gets a good amount of traffic. Not trying to insult your intelligence, but there are some on this forum who think you can only lock up to bike racks, and not light poles, stop signs, etcetera, and I'd hate to see you get hurt or your bike get stolen because you thought you absolutely had to use the rack that your company put in a badly-lit, deserted Crackville.

Oh, and I have carried a piece before when I used to get off work with a lot of cash at 3 AM every night in a bad neighborhood, because it wasn't unheard of for people to get mugged, including some of my coworkers. Now, my situation dictates I carry pepper mace with me every time I ride, for unruly dogs and road-ragers. There will be a ton of hippies and Canadians post now who want to call me a troglodyte for trying to protect myself, but do what works for you, and makes you feel safe. Oh, and don't feel like a wuss if you want security to walk you out, that's what they get paid to do.

jyossarian

Ride fast, don't stop and learn how to swing a u-lock while moving.

8200rpm

What if they were women??? See. You're a sexist!

moxfyre

Touché I don't meet too many agressive women who look like they could kick my ass unarmed, so I don't worry about 'em. If that makes me sexist, so be it.

Akadis

Way to go! Another quote: "Treat everybody with courtesy and respect, be nice to nobody".

slvoid

AK-47. When you absolutely, positively got to kill every m**********r in the room, accept no substitutes.

humbug

...

the beef

Whatever. Just let it go. Sheesh. Let's not turn this into a big P.C. debate.