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He Tried to Chase Me Down on Foot

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He Tried to Chase Me Down on Foot

Old 08-16-21, 06:08 PM
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coopman
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He Tried to Chase Me Down on Foot

I was out riding my bike a couple of weeks ago in my neighborhood and a teenager got out of a parked car as I passed it and started running towards me as fast as he could. I turned my head to see what that noise was - it was his shoes slapping on the pavement as he ran. I had pepper spray on me, but I was able to outrun him fairly easily. He chased me for about five houses before seeing that he couldn't catch me. I can only assume that he was going to try to steal my bike. This really shook me up, as you can imagine. I've been a bit careful about passing through that area again but have done so several times now w/o any further incident.

Last edited by StanSeven; 08-16-21 at 07:25 PM.
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Old 08-16-21, 07:28 PM
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Edited post to remove gun talk
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Old 08-16-21, 07:43 PM
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Sorry.
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Old 08-16-21, 08:43 PM
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Originally Posted by coopman
I was out riding my bike a couple of weeks ago in my neighborhood and a teenager got out of a parked car as I passed it and started running towards me as fast as he could. I turned my head to see what that noise was - it was his shoes slapping on the pavement as he ran. I had pepper spray on me, but I was able to outrun him fairly easily. He chased me for about five houses before seeing that he couldn't catch me. I can only assume that he was going to try to steal my bike. This really shook me up, as you can imagine. I've been a bit careful about passing through that area again but have done so several times now w/o any further incident.
Maybe he needed the money to buy books for school.
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Old 08-16-21, 10:02 PM
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I only carry bear spray since the animal rights activists caused halt to reduce the potency of their spray. Bear spray works on any kind of animal including the two legged kind.
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Old 08-16-21, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by StanSeven
Edited post to remove gun talk
Seriously?

I've seen this happen a few times now on these forums. I must be in the wrong place. I thought censorship was only on FB, Twits, and Utube.
Bye
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Old 08-16-21, 10:07 PM
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Yep... As if it wasn't hard enough to get a pleasant ride in a neighborhood already.

If they want your bike they are probably gonna get it... Be Careful!
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Old 08-17-21, 01:51 AM
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Maybe they just want to scare you for fun. Lucky for me, never tried that. You should make a police report.
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Old 08-17-21, 04:43 AM
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About 35 years ago, I bike commuted on a Raleigh three speed to work in a relatively tough neighborhood in Minneapolis. Apparently there was a teenager who must have liked my bike because one time he was waiting at the side of the road kneeling with a long stick. As I passed, he tried to put it into my spokes. The flaw in his plan is, of course, it's really easy to see and swerve around, and he ended up just looking stupid.

A person on foot has to be very clever to mug someone on a bike successfully. Unless they have you cornered, they're not really going to get close enough to be much of a threat.
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Old 08-17-21, 05:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Bigbus
Seriously?

I've seen this happen a few times now on these forums. I must be in the wrong place. I thought censorship was only on FB, Twits, and Utube.
Bye
Try reading, you know, the forum rules. Also prohibited are pornographic images, in case you had such intentions.

Buen viaje!
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Old 08-17-21, 05:34 AM
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Yep, also prohibited are racism, misogyny, homophobia.... The usual dog whistles.
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Old 08-17-21, 06:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Bigbus
Seriously?

I've seen this happen a few times now on these forums. I must be in the wrong place. I thought censorship was only on FB, Twits, and Utube.
Bye

You've been here since 2018 and didn't realize that this is a moderated forum? Seriously? yourself.

Don't let the door hit you....
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Old 08-17-21, 06:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Bigbus
Seriously?

I've seen this happen a few times now on these forums. I must be in the wrong place. I thought censorship was only on FB, Twits, and Utube.
Bye
We're not an airport. No need to announce your departure.
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Old 08-17-21, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
We're not an airport. No need to announce your departure.
Especially if you are Spirit Airlines.
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Old 08-17-21, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
About 35 years ago, I bike commuted on a Raleigh three speed to work in a relatively tough neighborhood in Minneapolis. Apparently there was a teenager who must have liked my bike because one time he was waiting at the side of the road kneeling with a long stick. As I passed, he tried to put it into my spokes. The flaw in his plan is, of course, it's really easy to see and swerve around, and he ended up just looking stupid.

A person on foot has to be very clever to mug someone on a bike successfully. Unless they have you cornered, they're not really going to get close enough to be much of a threat.
I don't know. It happens, unfortunately, here in NYC. And crime, including violent crime, is on the rise. It's a byproduct of a lot of things -- the pandemic-induced economic disruption, which had all kinds of unpredicted effects over and above a huge rise in unemployment, and the protests over the killing of George Floyd and the resulting police disengagement from the city.

And sometimes it's hard to outrun someone on foot. I'm over sixty, multiple joint replacements, and I ride an undergeared folding bike.

I finish work around 11:00 pm. I've had some moments riding home. Yes, I know that it's possible to be surprised on the West Side greenway, and have insufficient time (and space) to get away from the situation.
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Old 08-17-21, 08:26 AM
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He was probably just wanting to borrow it. I am sure he would have returned it to the communal bike rack.

I avoid those kind of high crime places. You cannot defend yourself. I doubt police could respond if you made a call. They are no go zones for me.
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Old 08-17-21, 08:31 AM
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@coopman One time back in the early 2000s I had a car stop ahead of me and a driver get out and walked towards me on my bike. I pulled out my non-camera flip phone and held it out as if I was recording and yelled, "I'm recording this!" He ran back to his car and took off.

Since 2014 I've been recording my commutes and rides. A couple of times since then I've had aggressive drivers pull up with their windows down and start yelling. I point to the helmet cam and say, "You're on video!" THat stopped both of them cold.

I also have been riding with an AirZound air horn since the mid '90s. It has scared off a few aggressive dogs, and startled a couple long enough for me to gain distance. Perhaps it might work on people.

Slidell is only about 29,000 people big. Get a helmet cam, and next time maybe you'll have a face to give the police.
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Old 08-17-21, 08:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Inisfallen
I don't know. It happens, unfortunately, here in NYC. And crime, including violent crime, is on the rise. It's a byproduct of a lot of things -- the pandemic-induced economic disruption, which had all kinds of unpredicted effects over and above a huge rise in unemployment, and the protests over the killing of George Floyd and the resulting police disengagement from the city.

And sometimes it's hard to outrun someone on foot. I'm over sixty, multiple joint replacements, and I ride an undergeared folding bike.

I finish work around 11:00 pm. I've had some moments riding home. Yes, I know that it's possible to be surprised on the West Side greenway, and have insufficient time (and space) to get away from the situation.
Fair enough--the biggest key to self defense is to know where your strengths and vulnerabilities are. I have at least one bike path I avoid because I think it would be easy for a mugger to set up an ambush. Mostly, I rely on my speed and evasion skills to keep me out of trouble. I did pull the "I have your license plate and called 911" bluff once when a driver stopped with the clear intent of ambushing me, he drove off really fast. That was after the first time he tried to cut me off on the right side of the road and didn't anticipate my going to his left and running a red light to get away from him.
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Old 08-17-21, 09:07 AM
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I used to live in a quaint little town South of here. The area is known to have three bad spots, two of which were REALLY bad. We lived right on the edge of one of them in a rental, but were out on the main street. I made friends with the drug dealers next door. I brought them a case of malt beer right after we moved in, gave them a half gallon of Vodka for Christmas and just talked as well as listened to them. (They actually saved my son's bacon from a bully later on).
Of the other two areas only one of them actually went somewhere, the other was a dead end street with no reason to ride there. The one that did lead somewhere went around the cemetery and was called Cemetery Street. I had ridden there perhaps two times and aside from getting some strange looks didn't have issue. The third time a guy walked up to me, pulled his shirt up to expose grips, and told me that my white behind better never be down there again. Fair enough, thanks for the warning. I turned around quickly and headed out.
Part of one of my favorite routes was about a block from this location where I could turn left instead of right shaving about a half mile off that specific route. There was a house located there where a couple of old black fellas were always on the front porch in rockers. My next several rides they would cut up with me about not having my "horn sound behind" back down that way...that boy mean....I believed them.
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Old 08-17-21, 12:25 PM
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I'm fortunate to live in an outer ring suburb on the NW side of the twin cities, but I have run across a couple of strange dudes on the trail. Not "criminal" types, but your basic wierdo - maybe high or something. I ride with pepper spray.

The city is beginning to see more criminal activity moving out into the community - cars left on driveways overnight are being broken into, garage thefts, porch bandits, people reporting prowlers at night, etc. Seems like it is moving outward from the inner ring.
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Old 08-17-21, 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Bigbus
Seriously?

I've seen this happen a few times now on these forums. I must be in the wrong place. I thought censorship was only on FB, Twits, and Utube.
Bye
Censorship is practiced in 99% of the forums on the internet.
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Old 08-18-21, 07:59 AM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
You've been here since 2018 and didn't realize that this is a moderated forum? Seriously? yourself.

Don't let the door hit you....
Why am I not surprised that you don’t the difference between moderation and censorship.
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Old 08-18-21, 08:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Bigbus
Seriously?

I've seen this happen a few times now on these forums. I must be in the wrong place. I thought censorship was only on FB, Twits, and Utube.
Bye
Their house, their rules.

Maybe you don't understand the First Amendnent only applies to government restriction on free expression?

See you.
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Old 08-18-21, 08:14 AM
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cruising back to my car, around dusk, on a remote paved trail, "off season" I saw some teens? gathered on the trail ahead of me. when they saw me, some of them moved to center on the trail, as if to block me. I sped up very fast & aimed right for them. they moved w/ a smile on their faces
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Old 08-18-21, 08:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Bigbus
Seriously?

I've seen this happen a few times now on these forums. I must be in the wrong place. I thought censorship was only on FB, Twits, and Utube.
Bye
Don't let the door hit ya where nature split ya.

Last edited by Milton Keynes; 08-18-21 at 08:40 AM.
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