Corben

So this evening on the way home from work some guy in army fatigues on a POS fixie comes up along my left side and says something. I ignore him cuz I'm wearing head phones. Then he cruises on my left and I pull the plugs out of my ears and he says something like his bike can beat my bike. And then somthing like his bikes a crappy bike but it can still beat mine blah blah blah...
Well he sees I'm not very interested and i just keep on riding and again he states, only louder louder, his crappy bike can beat mine and then makes a poor attempt to kick me from his bike. At this point I decided to just boogie and well I guess his bike isn't faster then mine or he just gave up on me. Whatever his motive was he disappeared.
Now this happened in a rough neighborhood shopping strip mall where homeless and druggies magically appear after the sun goes down and hang out. And its getting worse.
Well I been riding home this way for years and damn if I'm gonna let some low-life scare me from cruising my established route home. So i guess I better bring along a can of mace and keep it handy so next time when I get a threat remark like that I'll just zap him in the eyes and continue on my way.
Hummm.
On second thought I'll just take a different route home for awhile and just avoid trouble.
But I still think some "Bear Be Gone" spray is a good idea.

AlTheKiller

I like changing your route at that time of day. But if mace becomes an addition be VERY mindful of how you spray it. If you spray it at all towards your front, while you are riding, you will most likely incapacitate yourself as well, which can be dangerous on a moving bike.

rhm

Wanting to carry Mace is one thing. Actually carrying it is another. If this happened to me, I would take some defensive measures. First thing I'd so is stow the head phones. Then start paying a little attention to the world around me. No cyclist sneaks up on me without my awareness.

snow_echo_NY

agree to no headphones. if you have your senses on alert, both your eyes and ears, you can probably avoid that situation.

if you change your route, do so. or if you can outpace him, do so. i'd be concerned about being pulled off the bike and robbed or my bike stolen esp. if you're passing thru that kind of neighborhood. best of luck.

scroca

At this point I call 911 and let the police handle this nut job.

urbanescapee

I feel like this post and subsequent responses highlights a larger social issue. When faced with conflict the canned advice seems to be to just avoid confrontation. I agree that on a case by case basis that is probably the best option as to minimize personal injury. But in the bigger picture, if we all just run away everytime some ******* starts something, who is ever gonna teach that person a lesson and when will they ever be caused to think twice the next time? I admit I've been caught off guard on my bike a couple times like the op and similarly bolted. But I always wish afterward that I had done something more; dished out some punishment for foul actions... Not that I would win if I fought back, but just to show the ******* that he won't always get off so easy. I have also considered carrying spray while cycling but the legalities of being caught with something really effective are currently more discouraging. I just hate feeling like I've been chased off by some scumbag, letting them have their way instead of standing my ground so to speak. Unfortunately this sort of thing seems more and more common. Maybe next time I'll fight back...let you know how it goes, lol.

Phil_gretz

It's unwise to "fight back" or engage people in public UNLESS you have no alternative to flee. Avoiding the conflict is always the right thing to do. The law will not support you if you attempt to "teach a lesson" or apply "justice" to someone who offends or startles you.

Fighting back may lead to escalation, and are you prepared to inflict harm on another (and to pay the penalty for having done so?). Are you prepared to be seriously injured or worse?

Now, the situation would be different within your own home. But we're talking about riding about in public. Leave law enforcement to the professionals.

Coluber42

Rising to the bait won't "teach that person a lesson", it will give them exactly what they were looking for. If you challenge them and they win, they'll just want to challenge the next guy because they think they'll win. If you challenge them and they lose, they'll just want to challenge the next guy because they want to get their own back. And if you get into a situation that might possibly escalate, nothing good can possibly come of it even if you can beat the guy. The only way to win the game is not to play.

But yeah, lose the headphones. In general, I think it's a bad idea to use headphones in city traffic at all, but if you're the slightest bit concerned about the neighborhood, they should be the first thing to go. My experience is that neighborhoods with higher crime rates, more graffiti and broken glass, etc, also have more drunks, more drivers who aren't too worried about a few more dents in their hood, and more people doing stupid !@#$ like turning left from the right lane, passing into oncoming traffic, going the wrong way on one-way streets, etc, and that's just the ones in cars. You need your full attention.

bmthom.gis

an airhorn in his face could be pretty effective.

JeffS

If you need to escalate the violence to "defend" yourself, then you can't.

Maybe I need to carry a g u n (censored forums suck btw) just in case that headphone guy whose never paying attention decides to mace me because he didn't understand what I was asking him.

FBinNY 

Situations like this often revolve around who has the most to lose. You're dealing with a down and out homeless, possibly mentally ill, person who has little or nothing to lose. Compare that to your own situation, and make your decisions accordingly.

alan s 

If it is dark, a powerful helmet mounted light is an effective deterrent. If the person engages you, it won't take them long to realize you are not to be effed with. A helmet cam could also help as a deterrent. Don't end up on the wrong side of the law for assault with mace.

thrllskr

This is the United States of America, a land born in blood with bravery, we must live by our national anthem..."O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."
Don't let pacifists dictate your right as an American.

locolobo13 

OP I think you did fine. There's nothing wrong with avoiding a fight, most of the time. If the same person shows up again with the same problem you will want to prevent this becoming a pattern.

Pepper spray is a possibility. So is a physical confrontation. Or a loud argument. After the first time I would try to be able to provide a good description and call the police. Whether or not things got physical.

PatrickGSR94

If you pepper spray the guy, he will probably scope you out and possibly do worse to you the next time you go that same route. Not a great idea. I say just change the route, if that's possible.

And lose the head phones.

Phil_gretz

That's a foolish post. Francis Key's poem celebrated a nation's response to an external threat, the British bombardment of Baltimore. Key, a lawyer, could have explained the limits of your rights. When you physacally confront another person, when a public avenue of escape exists, your actions may in all likelihood be criminal. The law will be against you.

Grow up.

unterhausen

violence is just the intermission between people deescalating the situation. It doesn't actually solve anything, doesn't teach any lessons, and there is no guarantee you are going to win a violent encounter. And the notion that you would shoot (and thus be willing to kill) someone for challenging you to a race is the definition of insanity.

FBinNY 

If I were in the exact situation, I would neither arm myself, not change my route. This was a non-issue with a street person, who though maybe intimidating, was not an actual threat. I'd continue riding my preferred route, being a bit more alert, and ready to pull away if he approached, as this experience proved possible. There's an excellent chance, that though crazy as he is, he'll recognize that you're not a good candidate for his antics and won't bother you again. If he does, you can simply ride away if/when necessary.

Corben

Well today I drove to work in my Grand Cherokee because my wife needed me to stick around a little longer this morning before work. Not cuz I was scared or anything like that. Also I won't be able to ride to work untill next Tuesday because I'm doing swing shifts for the rest of the week.
So the next time...okay no ear buds. I'll hum.
And.... Leaving the flashy new road bike home and Im gonna use my old hybrid instead.
And I'm sure it will be warm enough for just a flannel shirt to wear home here in toasted calf, instead of my 'Lookie here! I'm a big shot cyclist!'
And I'll talk really loud to myself as ifi was talking to someone invisible. I don't know about you but I dread making eye contact with people like that.
I think I'll be okay if I do all this.
Oh hell! I just remembered I have bright red side wall tires on the hybrid now.
( now where did I see my old St. Christophers medal at again? )

kenwer

I think it's ok to ride with one ear phone in, but I had a similar incident on a commute and got a can of pepper spray from an official friend. First, I didn't feel one bit safer because I could not help but think I was potentially turning a random incident into a life long threat. Second, a policeman friend (different one) of mine told me that it's a weapon and that I had better practice live at least once with it, and many dry runs pulling it out otherwise it"ll be more of a weapon against me. I carried it for about a week and then forgot about it.
PS If you have kids please be very, very careful with it.

acidfast7

that was me

Archwhorides 

Nothing like a little conflict and adrenaline to tee up the senses and polarize the "flight fight" response mechanism. I'm always happy when I have a little scrum on the commute and work out my aggressions before I land in the office. I'm also happy that I haven't followed my dark fantasies of inflicting pain and justice on every miscreant that I have encountered.

I agree with other posters that headphones are trouble-magnets; it's an animal fact that aggressors will prey on those in a weakened state.

Worknomore

As someone who has trained and taught martial arts for many years and who could most likely "teach a lesson" to most guys a third of my age I recommend avoidance. The best way to win a fight is to not be in one. Never underestimate anyone. Your crazy Fixty guy might carry a knife (knives scare me more than guns close up). Work on your sprint, stow the head phones and pay attention, and maybe take some classes at your local mma gym. Think cornered cat; run away fast until/unless you get cornered then rip 'em to shreds. If you want to carry mace/pepper spray (any self defense tool) you will still need training to be effective.

Mr IGH

I always avoid a fight but if I was worried I would use my recently acquired concealed carry permit. I don't carry regularly but if I feel the need I can carry lawfully. You just don't know how bat-poop crazy folks can be these days.

rhm

Well, this is an interesting point.

On one hand, I am not a policeman. I believe the police have a job to do and I would rather let them do it than undertake to do it for them.

On the other hand, I realize they often do it badly; and even when they do it well, it adds to the load of an already overburdened justice system. In some cases, perhaps it would be better if things could be handled privately.

I was on the New York subway some years ago; I believe it was a No.6 train. Very crowded. Rush hour. When the train stopped at Grand Central Terminal, a guy in a business suit was trying to get off the train and said something to another rider that included the words "move your punk ass." Everyone got out of his way and he got off. One of the other passengers, perhaps the one to whom the comment had been addressed, was carrying a heavy tool box that he put down in the doorway so the door could not close; then he got off the train, punched the business suit guy in the nose one time, got back on the train, and moved his toolbox just as the door was closing. The train moved on. Business suit guy was lying on the platform bleeding from the nose. I'm pretty sure his nose was broken.

Frankly, I admired the guy with the toolbox. He saw that business suit guy needed to be taught a lesson, and he took it upon himself. But I will not be following his example.