a guy went gaggioli on me

[swoop]

some dude lost it after the race today and attacked me. and then tried to strangle me when i was cooling down.

he's a bully during races and i just got fed up with him and yelled at him to go up front and actually work instead of hollerin at people to pedal.

he lost it and came at me right after the finish.... in front of the officials and choked me. (he's a lot bigger than me). he was literally out of control with rage. this isnt the first time he's lost it on someone.

it's not like i put him into a curb or flicked him during the race.

i know the officials pulled him out of the masters race later in the day. it was either roid rage or some heavy personality disorder...

how would you handle it? he was hitting his own guys to try and get to me... and jumped me in the middle of this little town we were racing in. if i wasn't with a bunch of folks he would injured me pretty seriously. i'm a small guy and he is a big guy...

i wrote a letter to the uscf and his club. i feel like a wanker for writing the letters.. but.. this guy was literally out of control with rage ...
my teammates talked me out of calling the police on him. i'm sure they would have just slapped his hands and then he is still likely to come after me.

very scary.

i'm still bewildered.... his teammates were like, "oh he's emotionally disturbed.. just avoid him".. while another of his guys said he'd quit the team if he wasn't sactioned.

ever have this happen to you?

[Avispa]

...my teammates talked me out of calling the police on him. i'm sure they would have just slapped his hands and then he is still likely to come after me....

Big mistake swoop! Even if he attacked you later, you would have a police report of this problem and perhaps the USCF would take action and suspend him.

I wonder if this guy is on 'roids, man! I remember seen a few short tempered guys that behaved like that, when I was racing, because of roids.

Be careful next time you race with him. It is not worth it to get hurt for [basically] nothing!

Hope you are OK!

[learlove]

Its been 12+ years since last raced (cat 3 road/track) but if this guy attacked you infront of officials (and they saw it) its hard for me not to think they wouldn't suspend him right there.

When I was a junior there was this very good cat 3 or 2 guy that used to get into it with guys at races even at training races like the old tue/thur Northeast Philly Airport training race/ride. The kicker came when he went fist to fist with either Jamie or Jonas Carney at a crit in Doylestown, PA. He was slapped with a pretty big suspension of somewhere on the order of 6 months. Even as a 17 year old junior I could see he really made all of us look bad.

[cs124]

1) talk it out
no?
2) escape
no?
3) fight dirty...swift & savage retaliation, not at all pre-meditated and only in self defense ;)


swoop-o, you sound like a smart dude...you'll work it out.

[shinomaster]

Dude, you should either call the cops, or protest to the race officials, or better yet; kick him in the balls as hard as you can with your carbon fiber shoes, and while he is doubled over gasping for air, grab his head by the hair and ram your knee as hard as you can into his nose or teeth, then leave him in a bleeding heap on the pave. There is nothing wrong with going for the jewels in a street fight. I mean **** he could kill you!!!!
I also recommend praying for stength and guidence from a higher power. :banana:

[Sandy]

I read your post several times. Obviously, this individual has a problem in controlling his anger and is behavior to you is totally unacceptable. The question is what you should do at this point.

It is certainly not too late to report it to the police. I think that I would seek the advice of a lawyer to see what he or she might suggest doing. You could simply leave it alone for now, as you did write letters to the USCF and his club. Hopefully, it was a one time occurrence relative to you. However, due to the magnitude of the event, I think that I might report it to the police and/or have a lawyer send a certified letter directly to him about his outrageous behavior, with copies (certified) to both his club and the USCF (bare minimum to him and his club).

So I see two directions that you might take- Leave it alone for now and hope that the situation cools, or take a more proactive approach, as decribed above. Because of the severity of the situation, I would probably take the latter, and let him know, that one time is all that you will stand for.

Seek advice from a lawyer.

Some would say that these things happen in sports (and in life) and just leave it alone and it will go away. However, he has done this type of action before to others. A second occurrence, especially DURING a race could obviously have severe consequences.

As I think more about it, I would formally let him know that no future occurrence will be tolerated. Do this by a police report or letters as described above, probably both. You are not dealing with a single event, unique to you, but to others also. He obviously has emotional issues.


Sandy

[Kahuna]

Swoop,

Change teams. I understand cooler heads and all that, but it sounds like you're racing with a bunch of pansies. If this happened to me, my old team in NY would have gone medieval on the guy's face before I even had a chance to apoligize for their behavior.

Other than that I think you're getting a good mix of advice here. You're dealing with a real head case. The first thing I'd do is call the district rep and explain the reason why they need to do something or face consequences themselves. Then get on with filing a compaint with the local law enforcment for assault and battery. It's never too late. Get a witness statement to back up your story and just do it beore the next race.
-K

[shinomaster]

My Friend D' Donald beat Roberto in a sprint.....Donald built my Cannonadle, he was a cat 1,..what POS.......

[Fat Robert]

1) contact a lawyer

2) follow up your letter on the phone with the uscf. this guy needs a ban.

3) assault charge

4) ship a 57cm Love #3, with the HT extension cut off, to my address. I will then fly out there and pull a full Mercer on the dude that Gaggioli'd you.

[orbea65]

I wonder if this guy is on 'roids, man! I remember seen a few short tempered guys that behaved like that, when I was racing, because of roids.



'Roid rage' is somewhat of a myth. I've been involved with athletes in different sports, and know many who have used (not via me!).
Essentially, if you are an a-hole before you use roids, then there is a possibility that you will be a bigger a-hole when you are on them, because of ego. But roids do not cause rage themselves.
Regardless of the legalities/ethics, I still know many who use (most of whom do it for personal use, not competition), and they are some of the nicest, down to earth, hardest working people I know.
This was an interesting report on HBO about a year ago:

http://www.elitefitness.com/articledata/hbosteroids/HBO-Real-Sports-steroid-special.avi

Sorry to get off topic here. Roids are illegal, and for that reason shouldn't be used. Just wanted to clear up some myths for ya all.

[catulle]

Don't hold back...! He didn't. Go after his sorry butt the best way you can. Report the case to the police and get a restraining order. I bet you all I have that if you were his size or bigger he wouldn't have attacked you the way he did. There is nothing worse than a bully; just watch Fox News, atmo.

[swoop]

Swoop,

Change teams. I understand cooler heads and all that, but it sounds like you're racing with a bunch of pansies. If this happened to me, my old team in NY would have gone medieval on the guy's face before I even had a chance to apoligize for their behavior.

Other than that I think you're getting a good mix of advice here. You're dealing with a real head case. The first thing I'd do is call the district rep and explain the reason why they need to do something or face consequences themselves. Then get on with filing a compaint with the local law enforcment for assault and battery. It's never too late. Get a witness statement to back up your story and just do it beore the next race.
-K

hey.. he isn't o nmy team.. the guys on my team protected me. even the guys on his team tried to protect me.. guys i don't even know were stepping in to protect me.

[Bill Bove]

As Orbea65 pointed out it may not neccasarily be roid rage, the guy could just be an a-hole. He could also be an a-hole on roids too, the number of idiots that I have to ride with that I know are using "asthma medicine" HGH, DHEA or something scarier is just, well scary. But then you say the guy was later pulled out of the 45+ race :eek:Oh my God :eek: You could be racing against Paul Curley :(

[72gmc]

Don't feel like a wanker, Swoop. Your actions are protecting not just yourself, but all of the other racers who want to participate where this head case may show up. Actively pursue your letters, contact a lawyer and talk it out, and see if you can get corroborating statements from witnesses--your team, HIS team, and the officials present.

Sounds like a man who would be trouble in softball, pub darts, or tiddlywinks. Treat his future racing privileges with the same courtesy he showed you.

[saab2000]

how would you handle it?


Tell the USCF. He should have his license revoked. Accept nothing less. Go to his 'team' and have them deal with it.

Oh, and another thing, guy hits? Hit back.

[harlond]

As a lawyer, I never want to discourage anyone from contacting a lawyer. So I won't. What a lawyer can do for you in this situation is somewhat limited here. He could sue the guy for battery, and with all the witnesses you've got, you'd win, but since it sounds as if you don't have much in the way of injuries, you're not likely to win much money here unless the guy has a long history of attacking people that might justify punitive damages. Strictly from a dollars perspective, the fees you'd pay to sue could very well exceed the judgment you'd get. Now if you've got a relative or friend who will take the case for free, WTH. And if you really want to sue him, you can probably do it yourself in small claims court without a lawyer.

A lawyer could send the assailant a letter, but having the lawyer threaten the guy with a lawsuit doesn't mean much unless you actually intend to sue, and if you do, no reason to send him a letter. He'll know you're serious, but there's probably other ways to send that message, like submitting a USCF complaint.

A lawyer could help you get a criminal charge filed against the guy, but as some have suggested, an assault in which no one is much injured and no weapons are used isn't something that many police departments/prosecutors want to deal with, unless the guy has a lengthy criminal record or is violating his parole. And if you use a lawyer in this way, the authorities might be even more inclined to think the matter should be dealt with in the civil system. Could be different in a small town, and that's something a local lawyer for sure would know better than me.

I don't know anything about the UCSF, so I don't know if a lawyer would add value in helping you get the guy's license revoked or suspended, if that's what you want. Some people are a little more careful or diligent in following the rules around lawyers, so maybe there's some benefit there. But you can read the UCSF rules . . . well, I'm looking at them now, and it says any member can submit a written complaint, see page 31. I just glanced over those rules, and it's not obvious to me why you need a lawyer to submit a complaint.

http://www.usacycling.org/forms/USAC_rulebook.pdf

So anyway, I am not suggesting that you don't consult a lawyer. Discussing the situation with a lawyer will tell you what your options are, and knowing your options and the costs and benefits of each of them often makes the decision easy and saves you any regrets about the course you choose. But if you are confident that you can identify the options and assess their relative merits, you may not need a lawyer. Perish the thought. ;)

[texbike]

Man, this must be the Texan talking in me, but there is only one thing a guy like this will understand or respect: appropriate (and possibly over the top)violent reaction.

Restraining orders, charges filed, letters to the USCF, lawsuits, etc. will not drive home the point to this kind of person. He'll be a jerk on or off the bike.

I'm the first person to promote love, peace and harmony, but this guy sounds like the type of f*** that needs to have his a** beaten by a smaller guy and then connect the dots from his behaviour to the corresponding violent beating that may result.

I hope you don't bump into this guy again, but if another incident occurs, be ready to distract him with thrown helmets, water bottles, whatever, and make your move. I wouldn't go looking for him, but I would be ready for the next time this could happen. Visualization. Sport psychology you know.

Texbike

[manet]

Visualization. Sport psychology you know.

Texbike

flow

[shinomaster]

I think if they revoked this guy liscense he might get it. They probably should just arrest him and make him take a humiliating anger management class.

[Serpico]

SMOKEY (answering machine)
Dude, this is Smokey. Look, I don't
wanna be a hard-on about this, and I
know it wasn't your fault, but I
just thought it was fair to tell you
that Gene and I will be submitting
this to the League and asking them
to set aside the round. Or maybe
forfeit it to us--

DUDE
sh*t!

SMOKEY (answering machine)
--so, like I say, just thought, you
know, fair warning. Tell Walter.

beep.

[bcm119]

Does Big William make house calls? ;)

Seriously, I hope you clear this up, it sounds pretty crazy.

[Kahuna]

I understood correctly. This was just my weak attempt at sarcasm. The point was to emphasize how fortunate it is to have a loyal team with the collective sack to jump to your aid when the sh*t hits the fan.

It amazes me how assclowns like the one you describe go through life making everyone else's lives miserable.

His own team should immediately drop him and every other club be made aware of his propensity towards violence. Every racing organization in your area should consider adopting a zero tolerance policy, lest risk being named in a lawsuit. Allow one club or race official to say, "give him a second chance", is basically an invitation for this knucklehead to act out again.

hey.. he isn't o nmy team.. the guys on my team protected me. even the guys on his team tried to protect me.. guys i don't even know were stepping in to protect me.

[coylifut]

it's my experience that USCF comes down hard on these types of confrontations. make sure they do.

bike racin's fun isn't it?

[Fixed]

bro i learned one thing this year keep my mouth shut .
bro there is always a hot head around . a lot of cats that ride or race go psycho under stress.... it's all for fun isn't it ?
cheers

that being said if he touched me he'd be pullin a Y hex wrench out of his groin.

[swoop]

thanks for all the support... you know.. the one thing i've gotten out of being a good guy ***which means every now and again i'll tap a guy from another team and tell him to get on my wheel and set him up for a win just cuz he deserves it.... the one thing from this is that.. i have a lot of big dudes that look out for me. i do feel like the kid in 'my bodyguard' sometimes.

i think he will be kicked off his team and i'm sure that the uscf will follow through and i have a feeling this guy might need some protection from a lot of guys that have my back. which isn't something i asked anyone to do.

it wasn't the incident itself that scares me.. it was the severity of just how out of control with rage and violent pathology he exhibited. and how disporportionate his rage was to what happened. totally murderous rage.

[Sandy]

Man, this must be the Texan talking in me, but there is only one thing a guy like this will understand or respect: appropriate (and possibly over the top)violent reaction.

Restraining orders, charges filed, letters to the USCF, lawsuits, etc. will not drive home the point to this kind of person. He'll be a jerk on or off the bike.

I'm the first person to promote love, peace and harmony, but this guy sounds like the type of f*** that needs to have his a** beaten by a smaller guy and then connect the dots from his behaviour to the corresponding violent beating that may result.

I hope you don't bump into this guy again, but if another incident occurs, be ready to distract him with thrown helmets, water bottles, whatever, and make your move. I wouldn't go looking for him, but I would be ready for the next time this could happen. Visualization. Sport psychology you know.

Texbike

I want YOU on my side if I ever get into a fight! :)


Smacking Serotta Sandy

[swoop]

in the abstract it's one thing to think about hurting someone but in the reality.. it's a tough situation. by the time i'm getting dressed next to my car with a floor pump out in case i need to defend myself.... and knowing what a floor pump would do to someone's face and knees...
it's kind of a tough place to be. because if i did feel threatened i would have to hurt him and i would try and hurt him as efficiently as possible.

that's a hard place to be. i race tough and fair.... but the thought of breaking someone's skull doesn't make me happy. especially if i don't end up on the right end of the stick. i'm no model mind you.. i just can't afford to get uglier!

[Kevan]

Call the team's major sponsor and complain (the guy deserves being booted) and maybe have the guy lick the entire race course clean. Just reading this thread infuriates me. The guy needs to lose his season.

I expect harsh words and an occasional boney elbow during a race, but physical attacks at the adult level need prompt and serious actions.

Fry the wanker!

[Too Tall]

Contact his sponsor(s) and USCF in the same letter. Be polite and specific.
It would amaze me if after that he is not suspended from racing.

PS - Where is William when you need him. Hmmm?

[Fixed]

bro carry a park Y hex wrench it fits nice in your jersey pocket... put it in your palm and make a fist with one end coming out between your ring and middle finger . novbody will even see it they will just think you have a good punch . .....

[coylifut]

Man, this must be the Texan talking in me, but there is only one thing a guy like this will understand or respect: appropriate (and possibly over the top)violent reaction.

Restraining orders, charges filed, letters to the USCF, lawsuits, etc. will not drive home the point to this kind of person. He'll be a jerk on or off the bike.

I'm the first person to promote love, peace and harmony, but this guy sounds like the type of f*** that needs to have his a** beaten by a smaller guy and then connect the dots from his behaviour to the corresponding violent beating that may result.

I hope you don't bump into this guy again, but if another incident occurs, be ready to distract him with thrown helmets, water bottles, whatever, and make your move. I wouldn't go looking for him, but I would be ready for the next time this could happen. Visualization. Sport psychology you know.

Texbike

we all feel that the bad guy should take a beat-down, but the reality is that swoop is very likely to race with/against this guy again and again. local racing communities are quite small. We all know how dangerous cycling can be. Enemies at 40 mph is bad for all. These kinds of beef's need to settled immediately. If they start pushing and shoving on the course it's the rider 3 guys back who's most likely to take a dive. That's why the punishment for these flare-ups tend to be severe.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Contact USCF. File a complaint.

Fill out a police report if for no other reason than to get it on the record. If this guy shows up at your house, your job, your next race, etc, and tries to carry it forward, it's all on the record and to your advantage.

Lastly, as TooTall says, contact not only his team director, but the sponsors, as well, in a polite and professional way. I strongly doubt that the owner of the local plumbing & heating business (or whoever his sponsors are) wants a lycra-clad thug acting out with THEIR logo all over his outfit. They will put pressure on the team for you, too.

BBD

[coylifut]

Contact USCF. File a complaint.

Fill out a police report if for no other reason than to get it on the record. If this guy shows up at your house, your job, your next race, etc, and tries to carry it forward, it's all on the record and to your advantage.

Lastly, as TooTall says, contact not only his team director, but the sponsors, as well, in a polite and professional way. I strongly doubt that the owner of the local plumbing & heating business (or whoever his sponsors are) wants a lycra-clad thug acting out with THEIR logo all over his outfit. They will put pressure on the team for you, too.

BBD

No one in their local cycling community wants to be known as the guy who called the cops and filled a report on a guy for going off. if swoop contacts the sponsor, it's likely the sponsor pulls the plug on the whole team and that's bad for the everyone.

these things are always best handled inside. swoop's teams leader has a sit down with the psycho's team leader. everyone makes nice and the whole thing goes away. i'd be surprised the the uscf rep isn't already on it. things like this spread like wild fire. you gotta put em out before everyone looks bad.

[Fixed]

bro i thought you so cal. bros were mellow .
cheers

[swoop]

bro i thought you so cal. bros were mellow .
cheers
fixed. socal is the best place in the world to race atmo. this is one jacka**. i had guys from every team having my back and willing to jump in for me. dudes i don't even know by name.

all of you guys have an open invite to come race here anytime. deep and fast fields and guys that can hold a line most of the time (except the juniors!).

this guy is simply pathological.. prolly has a significant mental illness and is going to suffer appropriate consequences.

the officials pulled him out of the next race too. i race with his team director and have been in many a break with him... and so.. yeah... he's got me.

i am still shocked though.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . then talk to the team director and make sure he knows if there aren't "results" that you WILL contact the sponsors. I'm glad this got handled this time around, but I just doubt this guy's rage problems are going to go away because he's pulled from a couple of races. Unless he gets some therapy to address the underlying issues in a lasting way, he's just going to do it again. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, and maybe not to Swoop, but he WILL do it again.

BBD

[JohnS]

I don't understand what the big problem with filing a police report is? He was a victim of assault and battery, wasn't he? It doesn't matter if it happened in a bike race or walking through the "bad part of town". It happened! Those saying that it should be hushed up for the "good of the sport" sound just like others who say drug use should be hushed up for the same reason. I don't get it...??? :confused:

[goonster]

I'm surprised nobody brought this up yet . . .

http://www.kenpapai.com/cycling/rbr/AdamsStitches.jpg

After an incident in last weekend's Naugatuck Criterium in Connecticut, Breakaway Couriers rider (and cyclingnews contributor) Adam Myerson found himself in Waterbury Hospital with a fractured skull. The incident occurred after the race when a former teammate of Adam's, Scott Mercer (GS Mengoni) allegedly struck Myerson in the side of the head.

Guys can't be taking swings at other guys after races. Period, full stop. :crap:

[Roy E. Munson]

Maybe the guy doesn't want his pic and the story hashed out on an internet forum.

[obtuse]

Maybe the guy doesn't want his pic and the story hashed out on an internet forum.


ahm....
he probably does though... he is in your extended network.

beautiful things and lots of tears,

obtuse

[beungood]

As A Policeman,I would advise you to use the Pump and Hex wrench.

[William]

Well now, the guy attacks you with seemingly no provocation....a verbal lashing doesn't count as provocation in my book. First off, the boy attacked you. You should exhaust all legal means, USCF and file a report. Coy is right in the sense that having him try to get you back in the peloton is not good for anyone an will cause injuries to others. But, even if you only go the USCF route and he is kicked off or suspended, he may still come back at you. As far as legally? We know that in the legal system, generally it's he who has the most money wins. So it's a crapshoot either way you want to take it.

Whether you file a report with the police and/or the USCF, be prepared to watch your back at all times. Sounds like he's that type of guy. Most people have the habit of walking through life in green light mode, meaning they pay little to no attention to what goes on around them. You should always be in yellow alert mode, meaning always paying attention to warning signals, especially when some one with a history gives you a verbal going over and you respond in kind. Most regions have **** wads like that who will spout all kinds of crap during a race, but will usually shut their yaps tight afterward. But occasionally you'll run into some loose screws....as you have.

Understand that there is no such thing as a "fair fight". A fight is about doing as much as you need to do to end an altercation as quickly and expediently as possible. I'm not advocating that you search this guy out, I'm saying, always pay attention to your surroundings. If you spot him and he comes up to you in a threatening manner...be prepared with what ever you have at hand. For myself, I have a comfort zone, my bubble if you will. You can say all kinds of crap to me and I won't do a thing (most likely), but if you advance on me and break my bubble (basically arms reach), it's go time. I won't say a word, and I'm not going to wait for you to make the first move. Most people do one of two things: try to sneak up on you, or slip into your bubble by woofing at you verbally, then try to sucker punch you. Being aware of your surroundings and not letting them enter your bubble will go along way toward keeping you safe. And if it gets to that, do whatever you have to do to come out on top. (Again, do only as much as you need to do to end the altercation....but make sure it's a mean and violent take no prisoners "as much as you need to do to end it"). Kind of like slamming the pedal down on a fully blown 426 Hemi to get from zero to the 35 mph speed limit as quickly an violently as possible, but don't go over....if you catch my meaning.

Improvised weapons? Oh yes, one of my specialties. ;)


William

PS: This was not an instructional, just my opinion. atmo

[swoop]

i can't go into any details but i wanted to let you all know that USA Cycling is doing an amazing job dealing with the situation and is taking it very seriously. If you are racing in a USCF event and the sh*t hits the fan.. you are in good hands.

[coylifut]

i can't go into any details but i wanted to let you all know that USA Cycling is doing an amazing job dealing with the situation and is taking it very seriously. If you are racing ina USCF and the sh*t hits the fan.. you are in good hands.

I am so not surprised. As I said before, the punishment for these flare-ups tends to be severe. It needs to be. Other riders need to be shocked and awed at the punishement.

[Kahuna]

ZERO TOLERANCE.

Amazing how effective it is.

[botchcasually]

As satisfying as a retaliatory ***-whupping with a y hex wrench might be. Taking the two-pronged approach of filing a police report and reporting it to USCF, will likely lay the ground work for a positive outcome for you and the rest of the racers. Your personal safety is the priority in this case, and it can be threatened in and out of the context of USCF sponsored races, so that's why it needs to be dealt with both with law enforcement and with the USCF. If it is not reported to the USCF, he will likely to continue to race, and the last thing that you want while racing is to be worrying that this reprobate is going to do something to you when you are most vulnerable, racing is challenging enough. If you don't report it to police, there will be no record that the assault had occured, and when it happens again, which it sounds like it will, what really is an established pattern of violence on his part will only appear to be a single incident. Think about the potential effect of a restraining order, if for some reason the USCF gives him a warning, a restraining order should keep him out of the peloton and away from you in an any other context. Think of it this way, if he is suspended by the USCF and he is capable of reasoning what's best for his own interests he might just recognize that he screwed up and change his behavior. If he isn't reasonable the threat of going to the pokey just might be what he needs, he is over 45, he should be able to see by this point in his life, that he has a lot to lose. Though your goal is not necessarily to change his behavior, it is to protect yourself.

of course the y hex wrench has three prongs :D

[JohnS]

. Most people have the habit of walking through life in green light mode, meaning they pay little to no attention to what goes on around them. You should always be in yellow alert mode, meaning always paying attention to warning signals, especially when some one with a history gives you a verbal going over and you respond in kind.

William


EVERYONE should be in condition yellow all the time. There would be a lot less crime.

[Too Tall]

Cool beans Swoopster. You done the right thing boy.

[ti_boi]

Some very wise replies here....as a dude that spent his youth with some rough guys and had to do more than a little fighting, I will tell you what my dad taught me early on. If you want to win a fight aim for the face with a solid punch Nose or chin. Hard and fast. Follow with another and another.

In this case it sounds like a simple bully, but if you ever are faced with this again. Do not hesitate to aim for that nose. You'll be surprised at how it takes the fight out of even the biggest opponent. Do not shove someone before you hit them and do not try to wrestle a bigger person. Simple punch to the face is very effective.

Now, my buddy was in special forces and he told me that they seldom use their hands to defend themselves and always try to utilize an object. Which makes sense. Hands are often soft and fingers do break easily. So, if someone tries to choke you--grab the nearest 'thing' that can inflict pain and again....a nice chop to the face or even the wind pipe is a real effective response.

***this post in no way endorses violence or fighting***

(but I HATE bullies)

[Dave B]

All of this has got me thinking. If this guy is now sacked by his team or whatever punishment is/has com edown on him, it may be useful to file something with the authorities incase he feels the need to seek out his probable forth coming rage. Not to scare you or anything, but if he freaks like he did in a race imagine how he will react when he gets sacked.

Look I do not know how big the fella is or how little you are, and trust me I would love to see some bad juju come to this guy.

But I wanted to say how much I admire your not fighting back at the time. You can call it being scared or whatever, but I bet it just isn't in your nature. That is cool, not many people today want to stay out of trouble.

Good luck in your next race! :beer:

[swoop]

i am a shrink.. so at least i know what i was dealing with.. intermittent explosive disorder.... and the thing about it is that there's nothing you can do when the guy is mid episode except hope you're not in his path.

kicking his a** or having when of my tough friends do it wouldn't change the fact that this dude is wired wrong. i'm just gonna make it so maybe he takes pause and tried to deal with himself.

[William]

....kicking his a** or having when of my tough friends do it wouldn't change the fact that this dude is wired wrong. i'm just gonna make it so maybe he takes pause and tried to deal with himself.

True, but in the heat of the moment, self preservation is paramount. It's not about whooping his "A", it's about making sure you come out of it in one piece. Not fighting back doesn't help much if the guy is attempting to bludgeon you. I'm all for letting the authorities work their magic, but I'm also big on self protection.


i am a shrink.. so at least i know what i was dealing with.. intermittent explosive disorder.... and the thing about it is that there's nothing you can do when the guy is mid episode except hope you're not in his path.

Knowing what the problem is beneficial, but If he's intent (due to bad wiring) on coming after you, there's not a lot you can do about that (restraining orders don't tend to mean much to folks like that). Let the authorities worry about how to deal with the "bad wiring" AFTER you protect yourself.


Now, my buddy was in special forces and he told me that they seldom use their hands to defend themselves and always try to utilize an object. Which makes sense.

True, for SF and most military in general it goes...

Firearms
edged weapon
Impact weapon
Open hand.

H2H generally considered a last resort

William

[Elefantino]

This may have been suggested already, but toothpaste is always a good secret weapon. Squirt some in your mouth and start babbling incoherently. The foaming action makes you look like a lunatic.

He will leave you alone.

Do it before the next race, too.

[William]

This may have been suggested already, but toothpaste is always a good secret weapon. Squirt some in your mouth and start babbling incoherently. The foaming action makes you look like a lunatic.

He will leave you alone.

Do it before the next race, too.

Alka-seltzer too.


William ;)

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . EVERY DAY in this place! ;)

will this work at my next staff meeting, too? :confused:

BBD

[ti_boi]

One other thought, if the aggressor is in full on rage mode -- he/she might have the upper hand -- as well as the burst of strength that accompanies that 'energy'...if in that position put some distance between you and the attacker....(back up, wriggle away)

Then very quickly and with force direct either a chop or sharp punch into the windpipe...or a downward stomp into the shin just below the knee. Or one followed by the other. That should work to subdue just about anyone. key here is to keep your head and think! They are not thinking and you have that one advantage. WARNING: both of those moves can be somewhat lethal to the rider's future -- do it only if you can live with yourself and the sound of either a gasping attacker or a crunch of the leg breaking.

DISCLAIMER***No, I don't condone violence***but agree with William...self-protection is key.

[beungood]

As satisfying as a retaliatory ***-whupping with a y hex wrench might be. Taking the two-pronged approach of filing a police report and reporting it to USCF, will likely lay the ground work for a positive outcome for you and the rest of the racers. Your personal safety is the priority in this case, and it can be threatened in and out of the context of USCF sponsored races, so that's why it needs to be dealt with both with law enforcement and with the USCF. If it is not reported to the USCF, he will likely to continue to race, and the last thing that you want while racing is to be worrying that this reprobate is going to do something to you when you are most vulnerable, racing is challenging enough. If you don't report it to police, there will be no record that the assault had occured, and when it happens again, which it sounds like it will, what really is an established pattern of violence on his part will only appear to be a single incident. Think about the potential effect of a restraining order, if for some reason the USCF gives him a warning, a restraining order should keep him out of the peloton and away from you in an any other context. Think of it this way, if he is suspended by the USCF and he is capable of reasoning what's best for his own interests he might just recognize that he screwed up and change his behavior. If he isn't reasonable the threat of going to the pokey just might be what he needs, he is over 45, he should be able to see by this point in his life, that he has a lot to lose. Though your goal is not necessarily to change his behavior, it is to protect yourself.

of course the y hex wrench has three prongs :D

A clear thinker! :bike:

[72gmc]

This may have been suggested already, but toothpaste is always a good secret weapon. Squirt some in your mouth and start babbling incoherently. The foaming action makes you look like a lunatic.

He will leave you alone.

Do it before the next race, too.

Wasn't there a comedian who postulated that the best way to deter a crazy person was to appear even crazier? But I think he recommended wetting your pants...