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Another East Liberty assault.

Guess it's not over just yet. I was riding up Highland between Peabody HS and Stanton around 10:30 pm tonight (Saturday Oct. 9) when I saw a group of 5 black teenagers walking south on the sidewalk except for one who was in the middle of the street holding something big. Uh-oh. I grabbed my u-lock from my pocket. Get closer, see it's one of those smoker's pylons they put outside of establishments - I guess they took it from the old folks home at Stanton. Fuck. Sure enough the little motherfucker ran at me and threw it right at my front wheel. Miraculously it simply bounced off and I didn't crash. Turned around and impotently waved my u-lock at the bastard as he ran away and I screamed "you want some motherfucker?" as another one ran out and picked the thing up. We faced off for a second, yelled at each other, giving him plenty of time to chuck it at me but he didn't. Regardless I decided it was smarter to turn and speed away. 5 against one, they have a bigger weapon. Shit. I sped up several blocks to safety, called 911 & the operator was very helpful. I hope the cops grab those little shits.


My bike and front wheel seem to be fine, and that thing was HEAVY. Love an old steel 10speed.




noah-mustion
2010-10-10 02:59:54

I really fucking hate people this weekend.


rubberfactory
2010-10-10 03:46:28

Who or what were they after, any idea? Just looking for the first thing to come along, bike or car? Do you know if they were singling out bikes? Was there any car traffic?


stuinmccandless
2010-10-10 09:21:56

That really sucks. Hope you're okay.


atleastmykidsloveme
2010-10-10 10:07:09

oh man. glad you're ok, noah. stupid kids.


stefb
2010-10-10 11:25:30

Stu


No idea. They likely saw me from a mile away (literally); I was using my new front light. No cars around.


noah-mustion
2010-10-10 13:05:16

Glade you're ok Noah. Five on one isn't good odds even with a defensive weapon. Stay safe.


marko82
2010-10-10 14:00:08

I was thinking more about this... you stood down 5 kids... that's plenty rugged. Very Chuck Norris-like.


Chuck Noah-ris?


atleastmykidsloveme
2010-10-10 14:05:47

Lovely---only a couple blocks away from where I live, no less.


There seemed to be some bands of folks out last night, as I made a late trip to Target and when I came back, I noticed folks hanging out in the middle of my street. I usually just ignore them, but it does make me wonder. I guess the warm weather brought people back out into craziness.


Glad you're ok, Noah. The, uh, "you want some mofo" line is priceless, though. :)


greenbike
2010-10-10 14:47:39

Another beautiful example of what happens when you stand up to bullies. You're the shit Noah!


88ms88
2010-10-10 14:53:14

Meanwhile, I had a completely pleasant ride home on empty streets from a friend's house in Highland Park back to Bloomfield.


Bummer for ya Noah. I had some guy earlier on Saturday evening want to fight on Liberty Ave. U-lock in one hand, dialing 911 with the other. Luckily his wife kept him at bay both times he tried to jump out and fight, and I didn't take him up on the offer to fight on the next corner. All because I passed a double parked car with traffic, and he was behind me and took issue with it. I guess he needed to get to the redlight directly behind the car that I was following. It was bizarre, even more so that him and his wife were wearing their Sunday best.


bradq
2010-10-10 15:03:35

It was bizarre, even more so that him and his wife were wearing their Sunday best.


Taking a cue from Michael Bryant?


dwillen
2010-10-10 15:47:51

@bradq: did you get a plate number?


lyle
2010-10-10 17:30:04

Glad you made it away, Noah.

More foot/bike patrols would be good in H Park. Seems like there's a regular group of youths there (or at least a pattern) for several years now. I think its wilding/initiation.


Slightly OT: I did just see a bike cop on a Frick Park trail...behind the bowling greens.


pseudacris
2010-10-10 19:40:39

Glad you made it home.


They probably didn't do anything because between screaming, swinging your lock and wearing that pink shirt you had on earlier, you probably looked completely insane.


ndromb
2010-10-10 20:11:15

We need exploding dye canisters like retail anti-theft devices use. First, it would probably scare the crap out of the attackers enough to give you a second to get away, and second it could mark them to assist police in finding them.


ndromb
2010-10-10 20:15:52

Nah I'm not a badass at all. I was just incredibly furious. I'd had such a nice day and evening; how dare they try to take that away? That was an entire summer's worth of fear and anger coming out of me. Remember they accosted my girlfriend in a similar manner, and broke out my car windows for fun. And sent a couple cyclists and pedestrians to the hospital. I'm convinced it's the same group.


Anyway I'm so glad I wasn't hurt. Amazed too -my bike handling skills must be better than I thought. That fucking thing landed right on my wheel as I going by the scoundrel.


Their weapon is still sitting, by the way, on the corner of Highland and St. Marie (by the seminary). It has a nice little dent from where it hit my bike.


noah-mustion
2010-10-10 23:52:00

Fingerprints!


stuinmccandless
2010-10-11 01:16:08

Less of this would make me ride my bike more. :(


Glad you are okay, Noah.


kxm
2010-10-11 01:21:46

That sucks man, glad you're ok... Stu has a pretty good idea there.


salty
2010-10-11 01:31:56

==Stu. Did you call 911 and tell them that the weapon is still there, ready to be recovered?


jz
2010-10-11 12:33:18

That really sucks, glad you're ok.

Did the police ever come to talk to you in person? I really hope they, and the city administration, are taking these things seriously. A few well publicized incidents like these are the kind of things that can kill neighborhoods and destroy years of work. I can think of some specific cases in Cleveland where, almost literally, one mugging has changed a neighborhood from moderately healthy to boarded up abandonment within a couple of years.


edmonds59
2010-10-11 14:17:35

I didn't; I was hoping Noah would. I'm not sure my calling 911 (from either my Perrysville land line or my Verizon cell) would put me in contact with the right 911 folks.


stuinmccandless
2010-10-11 14:51:57

Call Zone 5 directly: 412-665-3605


Earlier this summer the zone commander said they would've been interested to take a look at the prints on the bike used in another attack, but it disappeared after a day or 2.


quizbot
2010-10-11 15:59:12

@BradQ Luckily his wife kept him at bay both times he tried to jump out and fight


I had a similar experience a few years ago, but with me as a pedestrian and the wife -with infant- in the pickup truck.


A woman who volunteers at shelters says it's a pattern of abuse - he was letting his wife know that he is capable of violence over trivia.


I don't know how true it is, but it makes sense.


mick
2010-10-11 16:01:29

Noah, is there a police report on this? case #?


stuinmccandless
2010-10-11 16:16:56

he was letting his wife know that he is capable of violence over trivia.


Might be giving him too much credit.

I'd just go with "control freak and bully who thinks violence is his right whenever he doesn't get his way."


lyle
2010-10-11 19:21:01

"I had some guy earlier on Saturday evening want to fight on Liberty Ave. [...] All because I passed a double parked car with traffic, and he was behind me and took issue with it. "


How did it go from taking an issue with it to U-Lock wielding and wife interfering?


sgtjonson
2010-10-11 22:12:08

Him gunning the engine, laying on the horn and trying to squeeze me into the double parked car I was passing with the speed of traffic. Me telling him to "go fuck yourself" both in words and in the well known gesture. Him swerving in front of me, throwing it in park, and opening his door. Me jumping on the sidewalk, pulling out back pocket ulock and front pocket cell phone. His wife digging her hand into his thigh.


It was simply an assumption that he took issue with me passing the double parked car. Perhaps it was the color of my bicycle or the pants I had on at the time that he truly took issue with. I don't know what his problem was, or why he felt the need to make the first threat with his car.


bradq
2010-10-11 22:16:26

We he driving an Outback by chance?


Maybe it's your muttonchop sideburns?


sloaps
2010-10-11 22:54:59

All this stuff is finally getting to me. Between the assaults in and around East Liberty, and a good friend getting jumped a few doors down from his house off Butler, I decided to skip the solo night ride over to Frick Park last night.


Pretty sad. I've been riding in Pittsburgh on and off since 1994, this is the first time I've ever decided the risks of riding somewhere at night were not worth it.


Went for a motorcycle ride instead and got lost in Baldwin, which was enough to scare me back into the city, happy to be out of the shithole suburbs, which I was unfortunate enough to stumble into a newish development last night. Sucker born every minute.


Anyway, this shit needs to stop. I'm not a fearful person by nature, but honestly, packs of teenagers with no fear of adults or authority scare me.


eric
2010-10-11 23:29:20

i feel your frustration and fear, but it's also worth keeping in mind that we are hearing about this stuff pretty much instantly now, where in the past it was all word of mouth (with a whole lot less mouths).


one of the side effects of having an active messageboard and facebook is the 10 o'clock news effect that keeps people in the burbs afraid to go into the city.


again, don't take this as a critique of how you feel, i'm not trying to start anything, i just think it needs to be mentioned. with that said, i wonder where we'd be if this messageboard (or something similar) didn't exist as a place where cyclist can tell and share stories and experiences.


erok
2010-10-12 00:27:41

I live a block from ELB & Negley, and though concerned about these random incidents, I also try to keep in mind that 100's of cycling trips are taken through the area without a problem on a weekly basis. Ride smart. If you know there's a sketchy spot on your route (like a few blocks around Peabody), make modifications.


quizbot
2010-10-12 01:02:16

I understand the fact that more info is available more quickly about things like this, but again, I've been in this city for over 15 years, I've never been scared to ride, anywhere really. I've ridden at night all over Pittsburgh, and plenty of other cities too, often alone. Sure I got some yelled now and again, got a rock thrown at my head and a knife pulled on me in the South Side, but this is different. Targeted attacks against cyclists. This hasn't happened before, taking place over the course of months, not days or weeks.


eric
2010-10-12 01:11:47

That I know of: no case number, no visits from the police. After calling 911 my next step was go home and drink two beers in quick succession to calm my frayed nerves. I was absolutely freaked.


I could call the police to dust that thing for prints. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. Somehow I doubt they give a shit. Worth a shot though.


noah-mustion
2010-10-12 01:37:41

I understand the fact that more info is available more quickly about things like this, but again, I've been in this city for over 15 years, I've never been scared to ride, anywhere really. I've ridden at night all over Pittsburgh, and plenty of other cities too, often alone.


I doubt anything is any different now. The fact that you haven't had an issue is 15 years is a testament to how safe it is to ride!


rsprake
2010-10-12 02:24:37

yeah totally sucks. again, not trying to start anything, but this situation wasn't necessarily targeting cyclists, noah coulda been the next person that happened to go by. who knows, they might have thrown it at a car too.


regardless, it's good info to know, and something to be aware of so that you can make a better decision on whether to ride at certain times or places or streets or not.


this summer seems to have been a bit extreme with this, but i have no clue whether it's been like this every year, or if it's a new phenomena and we're aware of it now because our networking is better. either way, it sucks. people should feel safe in their neighborhoods, and when you have to understandably change your lifestyle because of a few assholes, it sucks all around


erok
2010-10-12 04:45:22

+100 for Erok and Eric.


bjanaszek
2010-10-12 10:55:56

20 years ago, on sunny summer weekend days, I might do a 20 mile loop around town, staying completely within the rivers. If I saw 2 other cyclists, it would be an exciting day.

Penn circle was something you would circumnavigate as quickly as possible to get to the far end of Highland Park, white people did not go into the interior.

Big picture, the city is much healthier now, people can safely go places now they wouldn't have thought to before, but thusly there's more friction. This doesn't help the individual who is being chased with a cigarette bin, but you just have to get the city and police to deal with things and continue to make progress.


edmonds59
2010-10-12 11:00:26

I don't know that it is getting any worse, I do think that the improved communication just makes it clearer when there is an issue. And the fact that most of us, having had a bad experience (either directly or one of our friends) usually comes and posts about it. But when something positive happens, we almost never do. (So our data is highly biased.)


In fact, when I moved here in 1990 I was an avid cyclist...that summer I'd commuted 20 miles daily to work at an amusement park. [Near Syracuse, NY ... comparatively flat, so like commuting 10 miles a day here. :) ]


By the end of my first semester of college, I'd more or less stopped riding due to one incident.


I was coming down Forbes towards Pitt, and as I crossed the bridge before Craig St a rusted out pickup started blaring its horn at me. I didn't think much of it at first... as far as I could tell, I hadn't done anything wrong. (No sudden swerves or outrageous behavior.)


When I stopped at the light at Forbes & Craig, I hear the guy screaming at me. MF'ing and "I'm gonna kill ya!" So instead of going straight (I HAD been going down to Jerry's Records), I turned down Filmore... and he followed, staying less than a foot away, leaning out his window and screaming. So down Neville toward CMU... still following... back onto campus.


He eventually gave up after I lead him on a chase around the robotics institute.


For someone who had just moved to Pittsburgh from a village of 206 people (and 400 cows in the village limits), it was terrifying. After that I only rode my bike in PGH two or three times until I moved back in '08.


Not nearly on the same level as what Noah experienced, but that's not my point. My point is that I didn't have anywhere to go to post/vent/warn others about this crazy rusted out gray truck that was harassing cyclists in Oakland.


I mean I did tell a few other students, but there was nothing that could spread the story like a posting here.


myddrin
2010-10-12 12:43:50

sorry for hijacking the thread a bit, but i've been thinking about this a bunch lately...the whole double edge sword of the board thing, and i gotta get this out.


so the idea of the board is for local cyclists to share local knowledge in the hopes of lowering the bar of entry for cycling, and making lives easier for existing cyclists. Real goal: get more people on more bikes more often.


it's also become a place where people understandably post about terrible things that happen because they are frustrated, this is an outlet that will provide support, and they want to warn other people and keep them out of harm's way.


with that, more people are using the board this year, and patterns began to emerge mainly in regards to teenagers attacking cyclists in East Lib (among others). so i wonder, if the messageboard (or something similar) didn't exist, most of us, myself included, wouldn't even be aware that there is a problem or pattern in East Liberty in regards to attacks on cyclists. the people who are aware of the patterns, the cops and media, aren't telling us - we're telling us.


and that's the great thing of the messageboard, right? cyclists helping cyclists. but it makes me sad in a way, that the very thing that is supposed to help more people get on more bikes more often, is actually making people aware of problem(s) that are causing more people to ride less bikes less often.


I'm not suggesting that people don't post this stuff when it happens. it's crucial that we find out about it in order to act, stay safe, and make rational decisions on where/when/how to ride. remember that incredible public safety meeting in east liberty? i'm more just thinking out loud and how the world makes me really really sad sometimes.


and when it's all said and done, i think the board has succeeded in getting more people on more bikes more often, sometimes there's setbacks tho.


erok
2010-10-12 12:57:56

@erok, that's a good point and I wonder if it doesn't deserve a thread of its own?


Just a thought but would a couple of sticky threads help? I'm thinking: "Post Your Bad Experiences here" and "Post your Good Experiences Here"


That at least might 1) remind people to post when they have a good experience(*) and 2) centralize some of the less egregious bad experiences into one thread.


There would still probably be some threads about the most egregious bad stuff, which would (rightfully) separate out the stuff that we really need to know (like Noah's) from the less serious ("some guy MF'd me today and I need to vent").


I don't know how much the forum is moderated, but I know on other bbpress forums I belong to (such as http://gallifreybase.com/forum/) the moderators will actively merge discussions if there is an already existing thread.

---

(*) I'm just starting really cycling again after recovering from a minor hip injury (that I made worse by ignoring) and I have to say that I've really been noticing a lot of nice drivers lately in the Regent Sq/Sq Hill/Greenfield areas... but I keep forgetting to post about them.


myddrin
2010-10-12 13:59:40

moderation: very low level. the keeping people in line bit is pretty self regulating. everyone on here pretty much won't tolerate trolls. as far as merging threads? we don't do it, mostly because of time.


erok
2010-10-12 14:05:23

I've have been noticing improved relationships with drivers. I think partially because I've become more accommodating.

I almost feel sorry for these suckers stuck in their cars, picking their noses up and down Butler, and they PAY for this.

I've also been noticing a new type of driver, one who respects and gives room to cyclists.

When I first find myself next to them, I think maybe it's a blue hair because there giving me a lot of room and they seem afraid to pass, we get closer to each other and it's some kid, smiling perhaps, Not on the phone, just giving me some space. They almost seem like they're over doing it, like maybe they know people on this board, know people who ride. They probably ride themselves. So increased communication would seem to be having a positive effect on somebody.


timito
2010-10-12 14:13:20

I'm guessing the "Good Experiences" thread will be pretty meager. Where's the motivation for me to come and post: "Went for a ride today, nothing happened. I had fun."?


By comparison, the "Bad Experience" thread will be full to overflowing with posts. It would give the appearance that cycling in Pittsburgh is a minefield.


I think erok is right, and the "Bad Experiences" are the squeaky wheels. I wouldn't know about any of the stuff from East Liberty except for this board. Even knowing it doesn't stop me from riding through there - it just heightens my sense of awareness.


My guess is bad stuff happened to cyclists before all of these tools of communication became widespread. And they were all happening in isolation. Now, we all know, but he facts haven't changed.


atleastmykidsloveme
2010-10-12 14:14:51

hey- i pick my nose up and down butler on my bike!


erok
2010-10-12 14:22:27

timito is on to something, and I think it is a secondary effect of more cyclists on the road. Most cyclists do drive from time to time, and when they do, they tend to be more cognizant of other cyclists.


Some time ago, I ran across a thread about Amsterdam's bike culture, and aside from the obvious "everyone's on a bike" part of it, the point was made that nearly everyone behind the wheel is a cyclist fairly often.


So, net effect, the more young'uns we keep on two wheels beyond their 14th birthdays, the more we'll see tolerant drivers, blue hair or not.


stuinmccandless
2010-10-12 14:36:14

I'm guessing the "Good Experiences" thread will be pretty meager. Where's the motivation for me to come and post: "Went for a ride today, nothing happened. I had fun."?


Isn't that motivation enough? And isn't that what gets most of us on a bike most days?


I'm fairly certain I could note something positive every time I'm on a bike, even if it's as simple as something I observed because I was on a bike.


bjanaszek
2010-10-12 14:40:14

My interactions with car drivers have improved immensely in the last 15 years, to the point where it is a rare day I feel like I'm singled out as anything other than just another person going somewhere, my method of transport doesn't seem to matter anymore. Once I realized just how much of the aggression could be abated by changing how I behaved things got better and continue to do so. More riders on the streets and the hard work of Bike-Pgh are no small part of this either.


I think this is getting to me because of the geographic location of my house and how few ways there are to leave my neighborhood. My wife stopped riding to class last year because of nightly harassment (verbal) while riding home. I've also got responsibilities past myself now, and a recreational ride seemed like pretty poor excuse to risk a beat down. Of course I ended up going for a motorcycle ride, something many people consider dangerous also, so maybe I'm just a giant hypocrite.


I know my previous posts sounded defeatist, but that isn't the case. We'll figure this out.


Also, communication in the cycling community existed before message boards and Bike-Pgh. It is certainly much better that it was, and faster, but "back in the day" word of mouth was pretty effective considering how few of us there was.


Man, I sound like a cranky old fart, don't I?


eric
2010-10-12 15:01:14

My intereaction with drivers have also gotten better over the last decade or so.


On the other hand, 15 years ago, the pukes would never have thought of looking for a bicyclist. There were not enough bikers around. They wouldn't have an idea of how to attack a cyclist.


Now it seems, at least around ELB, that anyone growing up now has a pretty good idea of how to roll a biker. If some jag in a pickup wants to go out and look for a guy on a bike to harass, he can be confident of finding one.


I wondered - if political pressure from bikers ever causes the City of Pittsburgh to enforce traffic laws for cars, there could be some kind of backlash. We've all seen how pissed a driver can get over being delayed 2 seconds by a bike. How angry will they be if Lolly, Erok, and Scott cause them a 1/2 second delay at every freaking stop sign?


mick
2010-10-12 15:15:31

This board, the map & the bike commuting booklet, plus the visible increase in cyclists, lanes & sharrows, racks & bike-friendly or bike-servicing businesses definitely helped me get "back in the saddle." When I bought my bike ~8 yrs ago & commuted (infrequently) from Park Place/N Point Breeze to Garfield I was regularly cut off & yelled at by cars. I'm a pretty conservative/visible driver/cyclist: lights, signals, etc.


Although the reports here about attacks do scare me, I feel MUCH safer in Pittsburgh at all hours and in most neighborhoods, including East Liberty, than I did during 10 yrs on & around Capitol Hill & other neighborhoods in Seattle.


As I drive less and less, I also realize each time I get behind the wheel how freakin' stressful driving & parking are in Pittsburgh.


I agree with those here who've noticed more drivers who are accommodating to cyclists. It's gotten much better on many fronts.


pseudacris
2010-10-12 15:34:44

Oddly, I'm going to take the optimist view regarding noobs reading the board, I think anyone considering biking thinks there are inherent dangers, but maybe reading threads can help clarify some of the threats, instead of just a vague "ooh, cycling is dangerous". Also learn how to deal with threats, and how to be safe. I mean, sometimes you run, and sometimes you ball up and get in someones face, learn the difference. Most importantly don't let the bastards stop you from riding.


edmonds59
2010-10-12 15:50:22

the negative experience threads don't put me off so much as the serious crash threads. I'm okay with riding aware, but riding thinking about being dead makes it not worth it.


the only time I actually stayed home was after my boss asked me to get paperwork in order that anyone could just pick up where I left off, you know in case something where to happen to me on my bicycle or something. that morbid thought running through my head kept me from bike commuting for a week.


tabby
2010-10-12 16:01:52

@ Tabby: geez! And who will run the company when your boss wrecks his/her car while texting?


pseudacris
2010-10-12 16:07:33

believe me, I was quite insensed. he claimed that he was just using that as an example and that he just believes it's a good practice to have something easily accessable. I may have rolled my eyes at that point.


tabby
2010-10-12 16:13:00

Ha! We have a half humorous/half serious policy in our office, that anything you do should be clear enough that anyone can pick it up if something should happen, and it doesn't have anything to do with anyone biking. And we call it -

"the hit-by-the-bus" policy.


edmonds59
2010-10-12 16:18:40

Yeah, "hit by a bus" is the standard figure of speech for this where I work.


jz
2010-10-12 16:37:49

we use "struck by a meteor". It all depends on how much you like your coworkers and how "important" your job is.


Low likelyhood of occurance * High severity of outcome = High Risk.


ejwme
2010-10-12 17:09:31

yeah, I get the concept, but the thing was that it wasn't a figure of speech. It was specific to how I get to work. I wouldn't have had a problem with it had he said the standard "hit by a bus". And I do already have all these things with the paperwork so I felt his point was excessive.


tabby
2010-10-12 17:17:28

Imagining myself in Tabby's position, I would feel very uncomfortable with the person who would say that. Using a standard figure of speech is one thing, but tailoring the example to the individual's lifestyle is freaky. What's next: "You look like you eat a lot. Hey, could you be sure to document your work in detail in case you drop dead from a heart attack tomorrow?" Yuck.


jz
2010-10-12 17:21:43

yeah, the general practice is good for everyone, regardless of how they commute - your boss' words were ill chosen. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. 100% of my coworkers who know I bike for commute think I'm crazy, and often say things... I'm sure they don't realize they shouldn't. My boss doesn't know, because I want to avoid a conversation like this. But y'all know how I feel about that situation.


Maybe your boss just REALLY values your work, more than everybody else? :/


ejwme
2010-10-12 17:30:40

The prep for being "hit by a bus" was the standard cliche in my office, but my boss has been discouraging that image lately. I think partly because she considered how I get to work.


A point that is made repeatedly in helmet law arguments is this: biking - even without a helmet- is such healthy exercise that it increases your life expectancy. If British stats are to be believed, there are about 300 people that die from inadequate exercise for each person that dies on a bike. Maybe Tabby should tell her bass she's concerned he might die becaue he doesn't get enough exercise.


mick
2010-10-12 19:33:01

I actually get right out in front of this one. For years I commuted by bus, so the old "hit by a bus" got rather old for everyone I worked with. Now I'm also on a bike quite a bit, and when someone says something about getting clobbered by a car, I just come straight out with "and it's your job when driving not to hit me or any other cyclist". That usually shuts them up. Whether it actually gets them to think about it when sailing along at 15 over the posted limit like everyone does, or not, I can't be sure, but at least I know I planted one little seed in their brains.


stuinmccandless
2010-10-12 19:34:07

(@bjanaszek: the "motivation" I was referring to was the motivation to make a post, not the motivation to ride a bike. I was simply trying to point out that aspect of human nature that causes us to complain about things more than make positive comments. Considering that 99% of my rides are positive, I don't really think anyone would care to read or participate on a board where the posts read: "another great ride today," over and over again.)


atleastmykidsloveme
2010-10-12 23:16:56

My idea for a positive thread was more along the lines of "Flat tire -- some driver stopped and asked if I needed help" than "I had a nice ride today."


Yeah, it would only get 1% as many posts as the negative thread... but it might be nice to have a place to hat tip some good samaritans.


myddrin
2010-10-13 12:45:19

The tag thread is so much fun. It would be cool if we could engage that community -- the non-cyclists, the potential peers of the whateveryouwanttocallthems -- in an equivalent game of some sort, that would draw them in to us. Change the peer pressure, so to speak, make it uncool to single out cyclists.


I'm grasping here, I don't have the answers, but it just seems that boredom, us-against-themminess and maybe a racial tinge as well, all add up to them looking for an outlet, and we're it.


stuinmccandless
2010-10-13 13:11:44

@myddrin- check out the "good people" thread. that's the kind of thing posted in there and it does seem to still be active even if it's at a slower rate.


back to the main topic, Noah I'm really glad that you're alright. I can't believe they threw that thing at your bike and it didn't cause you to wreck.


tabby
2010-10-13 13:22:10

yeah dude, you're a tank


erok
2010-10-13 13:29:19

I was a tank allright... of a day's worth of beer. Which makes me even more astonished I didn't bite the dust.


noah-mustion
2010-10-13 22:06:41