Cape Town danger areas

[DJR]

9 hours ago, DuncanCT said:

This should probably be here too…

 

Very concerning - that has been a very safe route for a long time, used by multitudes of dog-walkers, families with kids  as well as cyclists.????

[Robbie Stewart]

20 hours ago, Hairy said:

So it would seem that the inevitable criminal element resultant from the Du Noon Covid expansion is starting to move into the area...what next...

 

[DieselnDust]

12 hours ago, justinafrika said:

If you’re referring to bike thefts, Amsterdam is the ultimate sh*thole.  If "one day is one day”, don’t move to the Netherlands.

Ask any local or anyone who’s lived there, it’s so bad that every bike is expected to be stolen.  Amsterdam solution?  Steal one yourself.  Bike theft has been the number one crime in all of the Netherlands every year for a VERY long time.

Yeah but thats not violent crime. They steal your commuter when its locked., they don;t rip you off the bike at knife point.

The UK has seen a rise in bike jacking lately and they get pretty violent at it

[justinafrika]

2 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Yeah but thats not violent crime. They steal your commuter when its locked., they don;t rip you off the bike at knife point.

The UK has seen a rise in bike jacking lately and they get pretty violent at it

This thread is echoeing.  Wait, is this Groundhog Day, again?  ????

[Jbr]

Some seem to be idealising europe. Having left France 6 years ago to come live here I can tell you that I worry a lot less here on a day to day basis about getting stuff stolen (wether it's a wallet/phone or my wifes' handbag at the restaurants/bar or my bike on the bikerack, etc). It is pretty terrible in europe you constantly have to hide all your stuff.

When it comes to violence, it also exists there obviously, but you are indeed a lot less likely to be violently assaulted for nothing or hate crime even though england and some places in italy are probably a bit more dangerous. But for sure it is becoming out of hand in Cape Town at the moment, especially around Du Noon, and we more and more feel trapped in Table view, we just can't cycle anywhere else than to town (that means cycling on the N1 because the cyclepath is a death trap) or to Melkboss now, Durbanville is almost off limits, or you have to go struggle in traffic and get hooted at on potsdam/platekloof road...better than being stabbed, but even then, you can't go ride contermanskloof road to malans, so you are pretty much stuck to the sub 4 mins climbs by loverslane or Hillcrest...

But I still feel it's worth it, in France the roads are narrow, the drivers are idiots (imagine if every car was driven by a taxi driver), it's hard to find nice places to ride your MTB like we have here in Cape Town, and when you do there are other idiots that put traps to kill you (wires, boards with nails...)... It's almost like it's forbidden to enjoy life and be happy, other people will always find a way to spoil it for you. Just thinking about it comforts me I never want to go back to live in this country, it's great for a 3 weeks holidays but I can't stand all the negativity and anger longer than that.

The main thing that would make me leave here to go live somewhere else is the never ending loadshedding crisis.

Edited November 22, 2021 by Jbr

[DieselnDust]

32 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Some seem to be idealising europe. Having left France 6 years ago to come live here I can tell you that I worry a lot less here on a day to day basis about getting stuff stolen (wether it's a wallet/phone or my wifes' handbag at the restaurants/bar or my bike on the bikerack, etc). It is pretty terrible in europe you constantly have to hide all your stuff.

When it comes to violence, it also exists there obviously, but you are indeed a lot less likely to be violently assaulted for nothing or hate crime even though england and some places in italy are probably a bit more dangerous. But for sure it is becoming out of hand in Cape Town at the moment, especially around Du Noon, and we more and more feel trapped in Table view, we just can't cycle anywhere else than to town (that means cycling on the N1 because the cyclepath is a death trap) or to Melkboss now, Durbanville is almost off limits, or you have to go struggle in traffic and get hooted at on potsdam/platekloof road...better than being stabbed, but even then, you can't go ride contermanskloof road to malans, so you are pretty much stuck to the sub 4 mins climbs by loverslane or Hillcrest...

But I still feel it's worth it, in France the roads are narrow, the drivers are idiots (imagine if every car was driven by a taxi driver), it's hard to find nice places to ride your MTB like we have here in Cape Town, and when you do there are other idiots that put traps to kill you (wires, boards with nails...)... It's almost like it's forbidden to enjoy life and be happy, other people will always find a way to spoil it for you. Just thinking about it comforts me I never want to go back to live in this country, it's great for a 3 weeks holidays but I can't stand all the negativity and anger longer than that.

The main thing that would make me leave here to go live somewhere else is the never ending loadshedding crisis.

 

 

echoes what every no SA friend living here tells me. The only place I felt safe in Europe was The Netherlands but that could also be because my apartment was directly opposite the Police headquarters and adjacent to the queens summer palace in Den Haag...i.e. the place in the The Netherlands with maximum security. Cycle commuting was easy, 

As a tourist up till maybe 2011 cycling was easy in France albeit the cycle tourist spots. I'm sure its very different now under different economic circumstances

[Jbr]

if you go to Swiss you'll experience none of this, but you'll pay R200 for a beer.

for France my statement is the one of a local riding around his house or commuting to work in a big city. If you go cycle at the hotspots like Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux it's different, most people who are driving here are either used to it or also tourists so not in that angry/in a rush mood. My rides there were amazing and I highly recommend going to ride in the alps if you ever have the opportunity, it's the dream. Ventoux.... not as much,  it was just hard and not nearly as beautiful

Edited November 22, 2021 by Jbr

[MTBeer]

3 hours ago, DJR said:

Very concerning - that has been a very safe route for a long time, used by multitudes of dog-walkers, families with kids  as well as cyclists.????

where exactly is that?

[DJR]

1 minute ago, MTBeer said:

where exactly is that?

On the jeeptrack going from Constantia Neck through Cecilia forest to Kirstenbosch and on to Newlands Forest.

About 500 metres from the start at Constantia neck, going North, the jeeptrack splits. Left fork takes you up and over Kirstenbosch. Right fork takes you down and to the start of the cork oak trail along Rhodes Drive. Near the fork is a building that used to be famous / infamous painter Tretchikovs' studio, but was later turned into an art gallery. I don't know what it is used for now.

[DuncanCT]

3 hours ago, MTBeer said:

where exactly is that?

 

Roughly here...

https://goo.gl/maps/reD719XDLXXMrQYW8

[MTBeer]

19 minutes ago, DuncanCT said:

 

Roughly here...

https://goo.gl/maps/reD719XDLXXMrQYW8

jeez I ride there so often on my own. always felt completely safe - usually many walkers around

[Dadbod Racing]

WTAF @Oufy MTB (Roadie) when I come out of Hibernation we need to keep this in mind. 

[mazambaan]

16 hours ago, MTBeer said:

jeez I ride there so often on my own. always felt completely safe - usually many walkers around

On a visit to CT a month ago we took a walk up there to the dam at the top, plenty walkers, the odd cyclist, open but seemed safe. "seemed" is the operative word. SA crazy.

[guidodg]

Constantia Nek and surrounds are relatively safe considering the sheer volume of hikers\runners\cyclists that frequent the area...and the very low number of incidents that occur there...

[Bernard Horn]

Quick cycle around the hood late afternoon.Can see it was a good payday/ black friday weekend.Broken fences,broken car bumpers,broken bottles and rubbish dug out of bins.Hope all cyclists made it through the weekend in 1 piece

Be safe out there

[Oodles]

Eye witness account this morning.

so this am while riding up the Nek from Claremont side. about 3 turns from the top i see this taxi slowing down. a few seconds later I see this rider and I shout to him watch the taxi. ...... are about 500m behind me, out of sight. This rider decides to pass the taxi on the left. This is when they open the door and grab him bike and all. they take they bike and toss him out again.