NBR but can be

Stormswift · Post by **Stormswift** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:50 pm

There's been a rush of attacks on cyclists in Baltimore recently. Scooters are small enough to make enticing targets for predators. Don't assume that because these are " kids" they are not dangerous. If it is happening in Baltimore it is also happening in other places.

http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2013/04/12 ... ke-riders/

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:43 pm

So sad.

A couple years back when Club Choices on Charles St. was still in full swing, a number of scooterists were heading north when the club let out en masse and a number were knocked off their bikes for no other reason than to knock them off their bikes and laugh at them.

To quote Randall from Clerks, "...a bunch of bloody savages in this town."

Just another reason to constantly scan your environment as you're riding and prepare yourself for the worst at all times. Personally, I would avoid that block mentioned in the article like the plague. I've had way too many friends assaulted and robbed in that small area near the cemetery.

Stormswift · Post by **Stormswift** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:57 pm

I have to wonder why they put up bicycle lanes in that area knowing full well it was not safe.
I Feel cyclists should be part of the traffic, not ride around it and in between (same. as scooterists and bikers). Spending millions on painting these lanes especially in areas that are not safe for cyclists is criminal waste of tax payers money. Reading the comments from cyclistss these folks are scared and they should be. There was at least one comment from someone with small displacement scooter who got harassed . I live in the county so hopefully the Little darlings" have not traveled that far up Falls Rd.....

Throwback7R · Post by **Throwback7R** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 4:07 pm

Just another reason to wear my full face helmet, and armored gloves. I would really not enjoy someone trying that on me.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:29 pm

Stormswift wrote:I have to wonder why they put up bicycle lanes in that area knowing full well it was not safe.
I Feel cyclists should be part of the traffic, not ride around it and in between (same. as scooterists and bikers). Spending millions on painting these lanes especially in areas that are not safe for cyclists is criminal waste of tax payers money. Reading the comments from cyclistss these folks are scared and they should be. There was at least one comment from someone with small displacement scooter who got harassed . I live in the county so hopefully the Little darlings" have not traveled that far up Falls Rd.....

I don't know about in areas that aren't safe for cyclists to ride through because of this kind of crime, but as a bicyclist, I don't feel that bicycle lanes in general are waste of my tax money. Too many motorists clearly do not and will not consider bicycles "worthy" of sharing traffic lanes with them, and don't drive responsibly enough for that to be as safe as it should be, so creating lanes where bicycle traffic will be safe from motorized traffic is best for both kinds.

dakotamouse · Post by **dakotamouse** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 6:43 pm

We had bicycle lanes added here. I don't think anyone is happy with them. They were carved out of streets that weren't built with them in mind. Intersections are really confusing. Here, I think they just made things worse.

Mutt the Hoople · Post by **Mutt the Hoople** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 4:42 am

Scary. Here in Saint Louis we have had some serious instances of kids playing "The knockout game" or "knockout king" where a group f kids chooses a pedestrian and the come out from nowhere and attack that person until one of them knocks the person out. I don't understand any of it but one really has to keep their eyes open and to be aware. Last summer I was coming out of my parking lot and about five kids came out from between different cars and began to surround me. One grabbed the rear rack on my Vespa and asked how fast my "moped" went. I gave te throttle a good crank and sent the kid flying. It goes from 0 to 40 pretty darn quick. I don't know if I would have been that lucky if I'd been riding my Buddy as its a 50cc.... Those bras may have ended up with my scooter. It could have been worse. I could have been attacked. I carry pepper spray in my pocket now.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:56 pm

I can't stand "kids", or "teens", or "hood rats". They are so stupid sometimes in how they chase after a new thrill.

I'll never forget the turkey throwing incident back home a couple of years ago. As brazen and shocking as this attack was, it's even more incredible of the victims forgiveness of the teenage attacker. My mother is a nurse at the rehabilitation hospital she was transferred to, so she got to spend a few days with Victoria on her unit. She seems like a remarkable person. And yes, I got a little choked up watching these video clips.

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ao_0ROdJJqU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2kN0oXuno84" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 5:38 pm

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:I can't stand "kids", or "teens", or "hood rats". They are so stupid sometimes in how they chase after a new thrill.

What gets me in all of this is the nature of the, for lack of a better word, "prank". Growing up, I think it would be fair to say that neither I nor any of my cohorts were angels. However, other than the occasional intramural fisticuffs, I can't recall any of our little trips to dumbassville involving the levels of violence we're currently seeing.

It's a sad situation, and especially tough when you're a parent because it sometimes makes you feel (granted, illogically) that teaching your kids to do what's right puts them at a disadvantage in a world populated by these sociopathic, feral genetic errors.

mattgordon · Post by **mattgordon** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:45 pm

I'm not following the logic between bicyclists, which in many areas have a tempestuous relationship with the motorized vehicles they "share' the roads with, and scooters.

If I missed something in the article regarding scooterists, I apologize....otherwise the leap from these bicycle attacks which HAVE occurred to scooter attacks which havent occurred is lost on me.

Anyone in any vehicle is susceptible to random acts of violence or hatred...all the more reason to remain courteous, allow passers to pass, and be part of traffic, not an obstruction to it.
Minimize your impact on someone else's travel and you'll likely be more apt to be left to alone, in all but the most isolated of instances anyway.

It's unfortunate that some instances of bicyclists behaving badly in terms of these things have made them unwelcome by some, as a whole.

Not trying to fan any flames of bike vs. non-bike riders but it is well-known at least here in So-Cal that there is often a large division between the pedal-powered and motorists.

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:58 pm

mattgordon, the thing is that scooter attacks HAVE occurred in Baltimore in the same areas. It's not about powered vs. non-powered. It's about the proliferation of small gang attacks on seemingly easy targets and a scooter waiting at the red light at Greenmount and North Ave is just as easy a target as a bicyclist to these modern-day highwaymen.

mattgordon · Post by **mattgordon** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:07 pm

Stilts wrote:mattgordon, the thing is that scooter attacks HAVE occurred in Baltimore in the same areas. It's not about powered vs. non-powered. It's about the proliferation of small gang attacks on seemingly easy targets and a scooter waiting at the red light at Greenmount and North Ave is just as easy a target as a bicyclist to these modern-day highwaymen.

I didn't gleen that from the posted article.

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:25 pm

The article itself doesn't mention it, but, as Stormswift pointed out, at least one commenter on a small displacement scoot was harassed and my first post documented just one incident mere blocks away from the intersection the article noted; I can go on and on about many more.

This may not be a problem where you are, but it's definitely one in Baltimore for cyclists and scooterists.

mattgordon · Post by **mattgordon** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:29 pm

Stilts wrote:The article itself doesn't mention it, but, as Stormswift pointed out, at least one commenter on a small displacement scoot was harassed and my first post documented just one incident mere blocks away from the intersection the article noted; I can go on and on about many more.

This may not be a problem where you are, but it's definitely one in Baltimore for cyclists and scooterists.

That's too bad, and I'm sorry to hear it.

Frankly, it doesn't sound so much cycle, or scooter-centric to me, but more a localized gang issue.

The LA area certain experiences bouts with fad crimes as well.

Be safe out there...bike, scooter, public trans, on foot...whatever.

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:32 pm

mattgordon wrote:
Stilts wrote:The article itself doesn't mention it, but, as Stormswift pointed out, at least one commenter on a small displacement scoot was harassed and my first post documented just one incident mere blocks away from the intersection the article noted; I can go on and on about many more.

This may not be a problem where you are, but it's definitely one in Baltimore for cyclists and scooterists.
That's too bad, and I'm sorry to hear it.

Frankly, it doesn't sound so much cycle, or scooter-centric to me, but more a localized gang issue.

The LA area certain experiences bouts with fad crimes as well.

Be safe out there...bike, scooter, public trans, on foot...whatever.

It's definitely a localized gang thing and not necessarily a robbery. People on cycles, powered or not, are just seemingly easy targets.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 10:48 pm

I recently had an incident in which, while stopped in traffic, a guy got out of his truck, marched down between a dozen stopped cars, and approached me to berate me for some perceived slight while I was lane splitting. It could have gotten very ugly, but he quickly turned tail and ran back up to his truck before I even had a chance to do or say something that probably would have been rather stupid.

Bike lanes are a step towards improving safety for bicyclists, though they've got nothing to do with this sort of crime. In LA, they've done a good job of pairing expansion of bike lanes with public information campaigns. Sadly, it's still very dangerous out there for cyclists for the same reasons it is for us: inattentive and reckless driving is worse than ever. There have been a number of hit and run incidents in this area in the past several months.

Many of the negative perceptions people have about cyclists are also common with regards to scooterists. Same goes with a number of the issues and challenges facing both groups.

This is sometimes reinforced by scofflaws in both the bicycle and scooter communities whose behaviors reflect badly on all of us.