Booby trapped bike path in Portland, OR... [Archive]

Bruce K

11-11-2018, 03:27 PM

Dekonick

11-11-2018, 03:38 PM

Jerks.

Nothing new - In Maryland, along the Baltimore - Annapolis trail, often you can find 'flat zones' where bottles are broken on purpose.

I haven't ridden there in several years but I imagine it hasn't changed. Still a nice winter ride on a fixed gear.

I can't even imagine running into wire or string at speed.

A co worker still talks about a motorcycle accident where a man was decapitated by a wire. Head intact in the helmet. Sigh...

:(

Hilltopperny

11-11-2018, 03:45 PM

Sad state of affairs. It always drives me nuts when I hear things like this. The utter disregard for our fellow humans is quite disturbing.

There always seems to be some broken glass somewhere on the local canalway trail when I ride it, but wire or string is extremely dangerous. Hope the woman heals well and that law enforcement punishes the degenerates accordingly!

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fogrider

11-11-2018, 04:56 PM

Sad state of affairs. It always drives me nuts when I hear things like this. The utter disregard for our fellow humans is quite disturbing.

There always seems to be some broken glass somewhere on the local canalway trail when I ride it, but wire or string is extremely dangerous. Hope the woman heals well and that law enforcement punishes the pranksters accordingly!

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This does not sound like a prank. 20 something means they are adults...they are not kids!

Hilltopperny

11-11-2018, 04:57 PM

This does not sound like a prank. 20 something means they are adults...they are not kids!True

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Bruce K

11-11-2018, 05:02 PM

To me a prank might injure an oversized ego or tickle a funny bone.

Causing physical injury or potentially a fatality is hardly a prank.

BK

Hilltopperny

11-11-2018, 05:04 PM

To me a prank might injure an oversized ego or tickle a funny bone.

Causing physical injury or potentially a fatality is hardly a prank.

BKFixed it! You guys are correct!

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Blue Jays

11-11-2018, 05:12 PM

The techniques bicycle-hating alleged “environmentalists” have utilized are absolutely horrific, especially to mountainbikers.
Arrest and prosecute!

jtakeda

11-11-2018, 05:16 PM

This is horrific. Reminds me of the infamous Mike Vandeman over here, charges were dropped against him further emboldening him and making him feel some sort of amplified righteousness for his actions.

I hope these idiots are charged with an act of assault that reflects the pre-meditated nature of their crime.

Peter P.

11-11-2018, 05:43 PM

Please link to an article.

Thanks!

Clean39T

11-11-2018, 05:47 PM

Please link to an article.

Thanks!+1

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rwsaunders

11-11-2018, 07:32 PM

Please link to an article.

Thanks!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/articles.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/11/three_men_booby-trapped_path_injured_cyclist.amp

Burnette

11-11-2018, 07:44 PM

More info here, her words:

She said she was on her bike, riding home from work just before 11 p.m. on the multi-use path that she uses frequently. She said she saw three men run up the side of the hill, and by the time she turned her head, she rode straight into yards of string that had been tied across the path.

"I put my head down, I let my helmet take the brunt of it. I could feel the... it was breaking off on me, so it wasn't fishing wire," said Ostedgaard. "I kept breaking it for three or four yards."

https://katu.com/news/local/portland-police-arrest-three-men-suspected-of-setting-booby-trap-on-i-205-bike-path

SlowPokePete

11-12-2018, 04:09 AM

I've seen this happen around here, most recently to my friend Roger on a little side trail right near his house off Route 9 near Sleepy Hollow, NY.

He hit a wire strung across the trail and it took him out, left him on the ground and bloodied...

SPP

R3awak3n

11-12-2018, 05:16 AM

thegunner

11-12-2018, 05:29 AM

This happes in prospect park a couple of yeara ago too. Someone tied a string across the lane and caused an accident, I think was at night too so pretry hard to see.

People suck and that it all there is to it

there's a bunch of teens who evidently have been throwing rocks at folks riding up the west side highway as of late... which is just a tad more bold than the string traps. some people really are trash.

oldpotatoe

11-12-2018, 05:59 AM

three 20 somethings arrested but a woman cyclist was injured when she became entangled in woven string strung across a bike path, causing injuries to her face and neck. One very close to her eye.

What is with people????

BK

Any idea why they did this? When I lived in San Diego, there was a place, bike path with steep sides..****e-heads would sit on wall, throw bottles in front of cyclists, they'd flatten, they'd jump down, rob and steal bike..why I CCWP...:)

mcteague

11-12-2018, 07:20 AM

Many years ago, when I was still mt biking, I found a trap along a trail in the Loch Raven reservoir area in Baltimore county. I was going down a narrow trail in an area I seldom used. As it was steep and narrow I was riding slowly. Lucky that I looked up in time to see a rusty wire strung across two trees right about head height. It took me a while to unwind it from the trees as it was quite rusted. I just cannot imagine the type of person who would do this. Same that shoots up public places and people I suppose.

Tim

b33

11-12-2018, 08:04 AM

Many, many moons ago i would commute on my bike in DC. Most of my commute was within Rock Creek Park on some of the bike trails they have. One year a woman was hurt considerably as some youths puncher her in the face as she passed by them and then there took her bike.

These horrible antics always seem to occur in the fall right after we change the clocks.

C40_guy

11-12-2018, 08:05 AM

Had a similar recurring issue on some trails in our area. Person responsible was pretty vocal about his opposition to cyclists on the trails, which are open to riding and actively managed by the local NEMBA chapter.

Local police had a couple of stern conversations with the guy and the booby trapping stopped, fortunately. People were pretty pissed off, not to mention scared, and understandably so... seemed like the possibility of an informal response was growing, which would have been very bad...

GregL

11-12-2018, 08:48 AM

Aggravated assault under Oregon law. Hope the authorities apprehend, charge, try, and convict. The lack of value for human life in our society is appalling.

Greg

kevinvc

11-12-2018, 01:35 PM

Here's a write-up (https://bikeportland.org/2018/11/10/police-arrest-three-men-after-boobytrap-injures-bicycle-rider-on-i-205-path-291972) from the local bike blog. It also includes some photos of the victim so you can see how dangerous this would have been if they had used something like fishing line instead of string and if had been tied tighter. Literally deadly.

The article also includes a summary of some other fairly recent sabotage incidents on biking paths in Portland.