OT: crime and American exceptionalism - bike related

[eddief]

This was posted to my bike club mail list. A truly hair-raising story.Trying to find out who the victim is. Local neighborhoods where we ride all the time:

On Friday Oct. 30th our house at *** was burglarized between 10am and 12pm. The burglar entered through a sliding glass door near accessed by stairs along the side of the house and used a glass cutting tool to cut through the door and undo the lock. They took small valuable items like electronics and jewelry.

Just two days later I was riding my bike home from UC Berkeley where I work as postdoctoral researcher and was going past the 1800 block of Tunnel Road at 6:45pm on Sunday Nov. 1st.* A car (early 2000s model compact sedan, maybe a Honda Civic, light colored, maybe white) pulled along next to me with two black males in their 20s. The passenger rolled down his window and asked me for directions to Skyline Blvd. I stopped and was giving them directions. They acted as though they were lost and late for something.

They ask me for the time and when I looked down at my watch the passenger open the door and pointed a gun at me and yelled at me to give them my backpack. He pulled the backpack off me and then wanted my phone which was in my bike jersey pocket. He patted me down as I tried to indicate where the phone was. After getting my phone he took my bike and threw it over the guard rail where it skidded about 100 feet down the hillside. Before getting back into the car he gave me a hard shove and flipped me over the guard rail. I received some minor scrapes on my elbow and legs. They then drove away quickly continuing up Tunnel Rd. I lost my wallet, keys, phone, checkbook, laptop, and some clothes.*

In the few months I've lived here it has seemed like a very safe area. I was shocked that even one of these things happened, let alone two in the same weekend. I have filed police reports for both events.

Be Careful, be alert, *Earlier last week another bicyclist was robbed by Grizzly and Skyline...by people asking for directions! *

[mg2ride]

I can't tell, is he implying the 2 events are related?

[Cicli]

Wow!

I dont carry anything with me when I ride. Unless they want a nice patch kit.

[eddief]

I think they are not related except that his luck is horrible and they both took place in a world of sh*t.

Originally Posted by mg2ride

I can't tell, is he implying the 2 events are related?

[Louis]

Unfortunately, the NRA loves this sort of thing.

[eddief]

I would love to surprise those robbers by taking a gun out my jersey pocket...but I sold my Glock (inherited from my dad)...which I did not know how to use anyway.

Originally Posted by Louis

Unfortunately, the NRA loves this sort of thing.

[brockd15]

Wow, that's crazy.
Thankfully he got out of it with just some scrapes, could have been much worse.

[Tickdoc]

Crazy but not unlikely.

I have seen a jersey similar to this one before

[weaponsgrade]

Wow, that's a scary story. My place also got broken into a few days ago. I have a gated entrance where I keep my grocery bike and bike trailer for the kids. Someone pried open the gate, popped the lock, and took the kids bike trailer. For some reason they left the grocery bike. Kinda odd, but I'll take it. I've got a u-lock on the gate now until I can get the thing replaced.

[fuzzalow]

OT: crime and American exceptionalism - bike related

Forgive me, but I cannot make heads or tails about what the title of this thread is referring to. The juxtaposition completely eludes me.

What's described here is a terrible sign of the times. Petty crimes for petty criminals - nuthin' exceptional about that. And it is reflective of a coarsening of the times. We as a nation have need to be concerned for where things are headed.

[ultraman6970]

Man this sucks

What sucks the most is that cr@p like this turns into racial profiling issue really quick.

Waiting for the day Judge Dreed turns in the streets for crimes like this.

[eddief]

Cynical, pessimistic, sarcastic, satirical imply holding a low opinion of humanity. Cynical suggests a disbelief in the sincerity of human motives: cynical about honesty. Pessimistic implies a more or less habitual disposition to look on the dark side of things, and to believe that the worst will happen: pessimistic as to the future. Sarcastic refers to sneering or making cutting jibes: sarcastic about a profession of faith.

Originally Posted by fuzzalow

OT: crime and American exceptionalism - bike related

Forgive me, but I cannot make heads or tails about what the title of this thread is referring to. The juxtaposition completely eludes me.

What's described here is a terrible sign of the times. Petty crimes for petty criminals - nuthin' exceptional about that. And it is reflective of a coarsening of the times. We as a nation have need to be concerned for where things are headed.

[Louis]

If bicycles with guns are outlawed, then only outlaws will have bicycles.

Just don't go over the bars. Plus, you won't ever have to worry about shifting the chain into the spokes.

[cmg]

this is why when riding solo i never stop, lights, stop signs, lost drivers, never. only if i have a flat and then i act or i am probably pissed. when some body asks for directions and i just point and yell. glad it didn't go south on you.

[Ken Robb]

I'd worry that crooks might just run me off the road while I'm riding and then rob me without the ruse of asking for directions.