sirtirithon

Well I haven't been on here in awhile but I had a pretty exciting commute yesterday morning I wanted to share with you guys!

It was dark outside and I was midway through my 6 mile straight shot to work. The temperature was 6 degrees and the roads were pretty slick with about 3" of old snow here and there where shovels and plows missed. It was around 5:15am and I was heading south on a main road and I see this dumpy mid nineties Ford Explorer heading north. They slowed way down as we crossed paths which weirded me out. I made a quick check behind me to see where they were headed and they had stopped.

Then they flipped a U and started following me. I got that something isn't right feeling and took a right turn into a residential neighborhood. They followed me. So I tore off down an alley way and again they stayed on my tail, picking up speed. I realized now that they were without a doubt trying to catch me, so as I made it back out into the main road from the alley I knew of a median that seperated lanes into a one way steep downhill street just down the road. I gave it all my single speed had to offer for top speed and bunny hopped the median and tore off the wrong way down the one way.

I checked to see if I'd lost them and they DROVE OVER the median! and followed me down the one way street the wrong way! At this point I once again turned off down a residential street and crashed into some bushes between two houses where I ripped off my backpack to shut off my blinking light I have attached there. I had already killed my head light and seat stay mounted blinking light. The vehicle turned onto the street as they had seen me and they picked me up right away in their headlights. I tore off again opposite direction of them so they had to turn around to pursue me. They flipped a violent U and actually drove through the homes front yard to take off after me again.

At this time I was headed straight for the local power company headquarters where I saw some guys outside working. I made it to them where I relayed the situation. The Explorer had gave up chase since I was no longer an easy target in a group of people and disappeared. I called the cops who just asked for a description and that was it. I couldn't get a license number as it was dark and I was just trying to survive the chase on ice and snow. I did however notice some very distinguishing features on the vehicle I was able to relay to the police so maybe they will find the vehicle.

I made it the rest of the way to work taking back streets with all my lights killed. As far as I'm concerned it was attempted vehicular homicide. I don't know what their intentions were but I can only assume they were meth heads looking to steal my bike and rob me. On another note it was -25 degree wind chill on this mornings commute which took me a completely different route today since I think it's best to avoid yesterdays route for awhile! Brrrr!

droy45

Wow, scary. I can't say I've ever experienced anything like that. Be careful out there, glad your ok.

Thulsadoom

Here's some food for thought:

Why were you so quick to run? I wonder if you had just ignored them whether it might've come to nothing.

e0richt

really? so a truck jumps over a median and goes down a one way street the wrong way to follow a cyclist for nothing? and if it was innocent then why not come up to talk while other people were around when he was at the power company? seems like they were pretty keen on catching this guy... do you think they had a scarf that he had dropped? maybe some words of wisdom? because I know I really tear after cyclists while in my car, just to tell them "hey, be careful out there"

sirtirithon

I was in one of the sketchier parts of town and the vehicle stopped and then decided to turn around and pursue me. Should I have stopped and allowed them to attack me? Just hours earlier on another side of town a guy was beaten to a pulp and left for dead. I'm not going to take a chance like that. And if they meant good they would have just realized I did not want to make contact with them and let me go about my business.

Lanovran

Seriously? You might as well ask the lady walking alone down the sidewalk why she was so quick to want to avoid the shady-looking dude who just stopped, stared, and then turned around to walk after her. If I were riding down the road and had a car abruptly U-turn after me, and then start to apparently follow me through residential streets at increasing speeds, I would be pretty concerned too. If someone feels like there's a problem afoot, then ignoring it is hardly the most effective method of dealing with it. I can't say that this kind of thing has ever happened to me, thankfully; but if it were to, I would be trying to get my phone out of my pocket to call the cops, and if possible, get some video evidence of the psycho chasing after me.

SHBR

When someone stops and turns around to follow you at 5:15AM, you just wave and smile at them? I dunno about you, I'm not going to wait around and find out what kind of people they are.

Thulsadoom

He took off before the truck jumped the median and got squirrely on him. I'm just thinking that he encouraged the chase. All the truck originally did was flip a U turn and follow behind him. They might've been up to no good, they might not have. They might've just been young punks who wouldn't have got pumped up had the bike just continued on his way and ignored them right from the beginning. It's almost like a dog chase. If you show no fear and just tell the dog to go away, or stop for a couple of seconds, he'll lose interest and go back to his house. If you run, he'll feel like he has to chase you.

SHBR

Good luck with that strategy.
Cyclist vs. motor vehicle, usually doesn't end well for the cyclist.

bigbenaugust 

Is it a mid-90s explorer thing? I got paintballed by some guys in an old Explorer once in Cupertino.

e0richt

I have played paintball and even with proper equipment getting hit was not great... I can imagine what that is like with just normal clothes / cycling attire. And there is also a reason one wears a mask that protects your eyes..

tarwheel 

Creepy. I get that feeling sometimes when ultra-cautious drivers are afraid to pass me. That always drives me crazy.

sirtirithon

I gave them every opportunity before I got desperate. Read my post again I turned down a side street and then an alley before I decided the situation was getting serious and I needed to shake them fast. Should I have stopped and greeted them?

e0richt

could be... could also be he would have ended up as a statistic, too... guess I would trust my instincts.

SHBR

Here is a fairly recent example of a cyclist minding his own business that was blatantly targeted.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum...&nested=0&v=58

Thulsadoom

Look, don't get me wrong. Obviously I wasn't there, so I don't know what kind of neighborhood you were in when it all started. Perhaps you did the right thing.

Your story has all the earmarks of a situation where it appears (to me anyways, but I'm an old guy) that whoever was driving the Explorer was just ****ing with you. Once the chase started he/she/they were just having a ball freaking you out. Probably laughing their butt off.

As an old guy I've always thought that one of the benefits of riding a bike are that nobody usually wants to rob you because they figure that if you're riding a bike you likely don't have any money, or else you'd be driving. It seems unlikely that someone wanted to accost someone riding a bicycle, in 6 degree winter weather no less, to rob them of whatever they have on them.

Again, perhaps if I had been there it would make more sense to me. But I still think that there's a good chance that by running you gave them the opportunity to mess with you that they couldn't pass up.

bigbenaugust 

I was plugging up Stelling on the way home from my g/f's house, probably 11pm-ish. I crossed over 280 and heard a weird noise and felt a stinging pain in my arm. I did not realize I had been paintballed until I got home and found the orange spot on my forearm with the welt underneath (it was dark, obviously). I guess I took it like a man. But the car was definitely an old Explorer.

Big Lebowski

Crazy stuff happens. Seems like a decorated WWII vet was murdered last year in Spokane while sitting in his car. He didn't do anything to his assailants.

sirtirithon

I see what you are saying and this could have been the case. The driver might have just been a piece of **** human having a good time at my expense. I'm not sure how I could have handled it any differently though. I did not panic and take off abruptly. I saw them start to pursue me so I casually turned off on a side street. For all they knew I was heading home. I did not antagonize them at all. And as far as I'm concerned even if they had no intention of robbing me they still put my life and others at risk by chasing me like that especially given the winter conditions.

e0richt

you are lucky. I remember during a paintball match that there these guys that were caught with their paint balls in a cooler. It turns out that they froze them in order to cause some real pain to the other players...

megalowmatt

OP the only thing that matters is that you came out OK. I love how people second guess situations when they weren't even there - you're the one to trust your instincts and I think you did the right thing.

buzzman

I completely agree. And my years on this planet have taught me to trust those instincts. Anyone stimulated to "take chase" because someone behaves cautiously is someone stay away from in any case.

Confrontation can suck, especially alone at 5 in the morning. Worth it to avoid when possible.

bigbenaugust 

Also, what is up with Spokane? One of my old Stanford buddies' dad lived up there and murdered his wife.

BobbyG

"The better part of valor is
discretion, in the which better part I have sav'd my life."
Henry The Fourth, Part 1 Act 5, scene 4

There is too much crazy out there, you did the right thing. Vary your route for a while.

acidfast7