Moving targets...

[terryp]

...apparently that's what we look like to some people.

I was on my usual glide home from work, on the sidewalk next to a busy street, when I saw something fly across right in front of my wheels. I looked toward the street as a pickup with three guys in it changed lanes and took off, too fast for me to get the license number.

A few seconds later another pickup came along side - a guy with his young daughter, and he asked if I got the license number. I said no, and he said to hang on - he'd be back. Five minutes later he pulled in to the parking lot where I was waiting and had the license number written on his palm. He called 911 on his cel phone and told them he'd witnessed the whole thing - the passenger had thrown two or three items at me.

So I asked him if he'd like to try the Segway - the least I could do - and he was really excited. He enjoyed it so much that I invited him to ride my other i with me in the local 4th of July parade, and he accepted.

So, there's another reason to wear a helmet. If one tire had hit the object I could easily have toppled into the street. No matter how carefully you glide, there's always the unpredictable idiot factor to watch out for. Has anyone else had anything thrown at them besides rude remarks?



Segway - What's holding you up?

[Brooster]

Sorry to hear about that Terry ... thank goodness for the good samaritan who came to your aid. Not all guys in pickups are jerks. What was it that they threw at you, anyway?

I do seem to remember someone reporting in the very early days that they'd had a full (or nearly full) can of beer thrown at them from a moving vehicle. I'm thinking it was a pickup truck (?).

Brooster

[Brooster]

It was Derek Hugger ... here's the thread.

http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5186

Brooster

[terryp]

I remember that posting now. Reminds me of years ago when I was riding a motorcycle under an overpass, and got hit in the face with a slurpy.

I'll see if I can find what was thrown as I go by tomorrow. The other side of the sidewalk was the brick wall of a large building, with some shrubs alongside, so the objects should be easy to find. The one I saw looked like it might have been a crumpled up fast food bag, but I couldn't tell. The good samaritan said one of the objects went really fast, so it must have been something more solid.

Segway - What's holding you up?

[ZoliHonig]

Wow, that stinks terry! the worst I've gotten was some moron screaming at me.

I hope these guys are caught, and gee that other guy was nice!



---
[8]-Zoli[8]

[dave]

Back in September 2003, three eggs were thrown at me while I was riding the Segway.

[soloseg]

A few weeks ago,I was gliding on my residential street when some kids in a car came over into my lane like they were going to hit me, then cut back into their lane at the last minute. I heard them laugh as they drove past.

I turned around to follow them, but they got away and I guess parked their car in the garage because I went down several streets and never did see the kids or the car.

Just some punk kids out in dad's car.

[terryp]

Where do you live, Dave? Did you get hit?

Segway - What's holding you up?

[stevew]

Sorry to hear this Terry, I swear people in cars do things they'd never do face to face. This kind of thing happened to me years ago while cycling. Some idiot kids with a super-soaker as I recall. Makes me understand why cyclists and now gliders distrust cars and other vehicles after a while. Basically these people are cowards. They only attack someone in a vulnerable situation where they believe they can get away uncaught.

Segway -- Put some balance in your life.

[Dragan]

Thank Heavens, I've never had anything like that happen on a Segway, but on a bicycle, more times than I want to remember. I used to do some long distance rides on my recumbent, and I had a family in a car (yes, Mom, Dad and the kids) angle over onto the shoulder of the Trans-Canada highway, at highway speeds, and I wound up diving into the bottom of the ditch to avoid them. I caught a glimpse in the car as they went by, all laughing.

It's disturbing to see what gives some people a chuckle;even more distrubing is what some people are teaching there kids
Wayne

Segway of Alberta - Calgary
www.mysegway.ca

[KSagal]

Stupidity and rude behaviour are not new...

I had something thrown at me when I was on a bike, back in the eary '70s. I had hoped that guy had grown old and died...

Apparently he hasn't and has moved to the other coast...

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[dave]

quote:Originally posted by terryp

Where do you live, Dave? Did you get hit?

Segway - What's holding you up?


I live in Encino California. Two eggs struck the left fender and stained the fender and the mat leaving markings that never washed out. One actually struck my back, but I never felt the impact. I heard the impacts to the fender, looked down, then realized what happenned. By then the pick up truck was too far away to see the license plate. I was on Ventura Blvd, on the northern sidewalk, going west, a block past Balboa Blvd.

Ever since then when I travel on a sidewalk I travel on the side opposite traffic, so I can actually see a car slow down before they throw things at me. That time I was on the sidewalk on the side going with traffic. I remember the pick up truck passing by and yelling insults. They then went around the block, slowed down, threw the eggs, and sped up again. If I were on the other side of the street I would have seen them coming a second time.

[panderso]

Do any of your carry camera phones? I always carry my cell/camera phone on glides. Just in case I get stranded so I can call my supportive wife and have her pick me up and the other is in case an accident happens I can take pictures right away. My biggest fear when gliding is the cars behind me at a stoplight turning right when I have the go ahead to cross the street. Be careful out there!

[terryp]

I didn't notice until this morning, but the left fender had a gob of 'stuff' on it. It smelled like oranges, but had the consistancy of rubber cement, and took some time to remove. I'll look for a cup of the stuff as I glide by there tonight.

I have the officer's name who investigated, and will call him after he starts his shift.

Dave: I'm guessing that whoever got you with the eggs didn't just happen to have a carton with them. They were out to find a target. I sure must have missed out on a lot of fun when I was a teenager.

Edit: Try using Softscrub (the white version) and a green Scotchbrite pad on your fender, and Simple Green on the mat. Various people at Segway have recommended those products for cleaning those parts.

Segway - What's holding you up?

[terryp]

I contacted the officer who 'responded'. He said he drove around the area, but didn't see the vehicle, so that was the end of it. He said that unless he actually saw it happen, he couldn't do anything, and although they have the license number and an eye witness, the vehicle owner would not be contacted.

Does it mean that if I witness someone shooting a gun from their car and call 911 with the license number, a cop will drive around the neighborhood where it occurred, and if they don't happen to see the vehicle there, the case is closed? Doesn't sound right to me.


Segway - What's holding you up?

[ZoliHonig]

Terry don't stop there!! I'm sure if you keep pursuing it these guys will be brought to justice.

Maybe contact the DMV and see how you could go about getting the name of the owner of the car.

---
[8]-Zoli[8]

[KSagal]

Maybe you could write a letter to the editor detailing how juvenile it was... I would omit the plate number, but give the description of the truck and say you have the plate. Make it clear that you not only can find them but make it so that people who know them can easily figure it out...

Let public opinion work to embarass them... Talk up the "What if this happened to your kid..." angle, and get their own friends and relatives to come back on them...

Public embarassment is a powerful tool. (Don't play the victim too much, more the outraged citizen.

This is the way I would go if I were of a mind to fight this battle...

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[bystander]

quote:Originally posted by terryp


Does it mean that if I witness someone shooting a gun from their car and call 911 with the license number, a cop will drive around the neighborhood where it occurred, and if they don't happen to see the vehicle there, the case is closed? Doesn't sound right to me.


Segway - What's holding you up?
If there were bullet casings, at least they'd have to do more paperwork.

No, it doesn't sound right to me either.

I experienced a "projectile" incident once while riding a bicycle many years ago. It was out on a country road, there may have been witnesses, I wasn't hurt, no cars stopped, I did not see the license number or even a good description of the vehicle. At the time I chalked it up to one of those things that just can't be explained.

It was a place where I was not planning on doing much traveling in the future, and thought it unlikely anything could be done about it, so I did not file a report with the police.

But if it's on your regular commuting route, it is very easy to understand your concern with the authorities' lack of concern.

Speaking with the editor of a local paper may be a good idea to find an effective way of communicating with the local police without (overly) antagonizing them.

Although it may be a too late now, perhaps if more of the physical evidence (objects thrown) were recovered, it would give the police more to go on. (or possibly more paperwork) You mentioned that you were going to look around to see if you could find anything more. I take it the police officer was unimpressed with what you found concerning the orange stuff.

[ahoy]

There is a big difference between a felony and a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor assault must be committed in the officer's presence to make an arrest without a warrant. A felony assault need not be committed in the officer's presence. At least that's the law in California.

The officer could take a crime report on a misdemeanor assault, detectives could investigate it, get a warrant (with sufficient evidence), and arrest the perpetrator. However, large city crime is such that misdemeanors are seldom investigated. A misdemeanor crime report (usually) is for statistical purposes, and it alerts officers to minor criminal acts.

A felony assault with a firearm, a felony, is a different matter.

[KSagal]

I agree with Ahoy and others...

Even though this is annoying in the extream, it is not ever going to be a driving force for social change...

After all, we are talking about a malicious juvenile act, not a major crime... I don't think the the police can be charged with the responsibility to make everyone act like adults...

That having been said, the victim is still going to be the motivated one to follow-up or take corrective action...

Even if the cops traced the plates, and went to the trucks owner, and said, "did you do this?" do we really think the response would be the responsible, "Yes, and I am embarassed by having been so sophmoric, please remove me from polite society for 30 days or so...", or would the response me more like, "No, I didn't do it and you can't prove it! Nah, Nah"

Let's keep this in perspective... I really don't want other crimes to go un-investigated so we can put a team of detectives on the case to find these idiots in a pick up truck...

As annoying as it was, respond in person, or thru the papers, or thru civil court, or whatever, but chock it up to experience and don't expect others to fight this battle for you...

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[terryp]

I expected that someone would contact the owner of the vehicle and warn them - nothing more, but at least that. Just a phone call to let them know that a report was filed might be enough to make them think twice about doing it again.

I found that the case number included a report of water balloons being thrown from the same vehicle at other people or cars. Next time it might be rocks or who knows what if they get away with this.

Segway - What's holding you up?

[yosgof]

Well, at least it wasn't Seg related hate crime.

- Yossi
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3365119-lg.jpg