Cape Town danger areas

[Jan D]

On 1/23/2023 at 6:54 PM, tedza said:

So looking to use wifes car, bicycle & bus on different days, for a while. Not really sure I want another car to spend +/- 2 hours in the daily commute. Will see when winter arrives 🙂

So the question then, my commute is from Milnerton to Woodstock, around 6:30 am and return 5pm ish. I am considering using the route as follows:

I stay in Woodstock, and often want to use my bike to go to Milnerton side. The "best" (read least bad) option for me personally is to take the T01 MyCiti between Civic Center and Zoarvlei stations. That way you skip the section of dedicated cycle lane through Paarden eiland (accidentally ended up there a few weeks ago, and it is to be avoided at all costs), as well as the highway section.

I know many prefer riding that part on the N1, but personally I dislike it. So I just "skip" the entire section by riding Woodstock to Civic center (about 6 minutes, over the Christiaan Barnard St bridge), and make use of the bike-friendly MyCiti buses to get past Paardeneiland.

[RatX]

I had a happy excuse to make a trip from Mowbray back home in Milnerton area on Saturday, when I was collecting my new ride.  I seized the opportunity to try check out my plan to cross over at Ysterplaat Station next to Paarden Eiland, but it's a no go.  Fun riding (MTB mandatory - unpaved + sandy stretches) and industrial scenery which I like, but very isolated and I wouldn't go near it early or late in the day.  Seriously, the Woodstock bike path feels safer by comparison...

Also the station is either dilapidated and/or undergoing construction and you can't get to the ramp from the Maitland side without lugging your bike part of the way.  Not even sure if you can get all the way over once you do.  That part of Voortrekker Road also sucks for cycling (junkyard mile) - I had a speeding taxi zip by extremely close, and agree with the other comments about trucks.

Pushed on through Maitland/Kensington and had a good time - felt safe and did the Century City railway crossing for the first time.  It was great and opens up a whole bunch of new routes from Milnerton side to Southern Suburbs and back - bit of a detour for me but looking forward to exploring.  Will try the reverse route to work, but through Pinelands instead of desolation alley.

[RatX]

Another update - this morning I was running a little late, so thought I would try the recommended route Milnerton to Southern Suburbs side against the traffic along Marine Drive (from the market parking lot) - had an absolute blast!

Traffic in that direction is minimal (town to Milnerton) - I had to go into the roadway in the wrong direction once or twice where trucks blocked the path, but had ample opportunity to do so safely.  Minimal foot traffic to dodge.  Spot of gravel and sand on the path, you couldn't do this route on a roadie, but MTB or even gravel bike should handle it without a sweat.

On the Woodstock bridge/flyover, do you guys just go up the side and lug your bikes over the railing?  I went around the bottom on the harbour side and passed right by 3 little makeshift homes.  No sense of danger but that little section is also quite secluded so might just hop the railing next time.

[odon]

6 hours ago, RatX said:

Another update - this morning I was running a little late, so thought I would try the recommended route Milnerton to Southern Suburbs side against the traffic along Marine Drive (from the market parking lot) - had an absolute blast!

Traffic in that direction is minimal (town to Milnerton) - I had to go into the roadway in the wrong direction once or twice where trucks blocked the path, but had ample opportunity to do so safely.  Minimal foot traffic to dodge.  Spot of gravel and sand on the path, you couldn't do this route on a roadie, but MTB or even gravel bike should handle it without a sweat.

On the Woodstock bridge/flyover, do you guys just go up the side and lug your bikes over the railing?  I went around the bottom on the harbour side and passed right by 3 little makeshift homes.  No sense of danger but that little section is also quite secluded so might just hop the railing next time.

Either up and over the guard rails, along the right next to the dwellings and fence (I avoid this), or under the bridge (soooooo much glass!!)...does anyone go on the road against the traffic here? seems a bit too risky

[RatX]

3 hours ago, odon said:

Either up and over the guard rails, along the right next to the dwellings and fence (I avoid this), or under the bridge (soooooo much glass!!)...does anyone go on the road against the traffic here? seems a bit too risky

Gotcha, tnx, will try the "inside line" next time - I scoped it on Google Maps today and see it.  Definitely wouldn't recommend going against the traffic in the road along that stretch - very narrow and from a driver's perspective there is too much going on at that point to have to worry about kamikaze cyclists as well.

[RatX]

Thanks again @Hamstring and @odon for your suggestions - combined them on my way home from work today from Obs to Milnerton area.  Went Mowbray, Pinelands, Mutual Station over the tracks, Kensington, Century City station over the tracks and made it home in one piece.  Much nicer ride than battling with Albert Road in the afternoon, great success.

[marko35s]

There was an attempted bikejacking near Peddlers on the Bend section of the greenbelt yesterday at roughly 07.45hrs.

Luckily it sounds like the thieves were the reincarnation of the three stooges and it ended up with the bike recovered and two of them arrested.

I wasn't there so this isn't a first hand account but but what transpired was roughly - Female cyclist was cornered when a car drove straight at her down the dirt road that passes the stables. Three pieces of human excrement got out and one grabbed her bike and tried to ride off. It was an ebike and it wasn't charged... He was going nowhere slowly at this point, and from this point on their elaborate plan began to unravel somewhat.

The rider screamed her lungs out and POS 2 & 3 promptly jumped back in their car only to stall it. The car then refused to start so they panicked and got out. At this point another rider grabbed the car keys.

Around this point the guy on the bike was discovering just how heavy an uncharged ebike was and gave up trying to ride it away and attempted to hide it in a hedge, which he was apparently too weak to manage so he gave up and ran away.

In the meantime the cops and security had arrived and they found and arrested the two that abandoned the car. The bike was returned to the rider and by all accounts she is completely fine.

A win for the good guys for once.

Edited January 31, 2023 by marko35s

[porqui]

Just when you think a route is safe.

 

[DuncanCT]

4 hours ago, marko35s said:

There was an attempted bikejacking near Peddlers on the Bend section of the greenbelt yesterday at roughly 07.45hrs.

Luckily it sounds like the thieves were the reincarnation of the three stooges and it ended up with the bike recovered and two of them arrested.

I wasn't there so this isn't a first hand account but but what transpired was roughly - Female cyclist was cornered when a car drove straight at her down the dirt road that passes the stables. Three pieces of human excrement got out and one grabbed her bike and tried to ride off. It was an ebike and it wasn't charged... He was going nowhere slowly at this point, and from this point on their elaborate plan began to unravel somewhat.

The rider screamed her lungs out and POS 2 & 3 promptly jumped back in their car only to stall it. The car then refused to start so they panicked and got out. At this point another rider grabbed the car keys.

Around this point the guy on the bike was discovering just how heavy an uncharged ebike was and gave up trying to ride it away and attempted to hide it in a hedge, which he was apparently too weak to manage so he gave up and ran away.

In the meantime the cops and security had arrived and they found and arrested the two that abandoned the car. The bike was returned to the rider and by all accounts she is completely fine.

A win for the good guys for once.

Can anyone with legal knowledge confirm whether these guys will have their vehicle confiscated?

Edited January 31, 2023 by DuncanCT

[RustyHWR]

5 minutes ago, DuncanCT said:

Can anyone with legal knowledge confirm whether these guys will have their vehicle confiscated?

A few years ago i blocked the getaway car of the crowbar gang in my driveway. All of them got away over the back wall. Took the cops about 24 hrs to come and take fingerprints and move the car to Table View police station yard. Two days later the car mysteriously disappeared from the police station's yard and nobody knows a thing after i asked what happened to the car. Not much hope that anything will happen with the confiscated car.

[Pure Savage]

1 hour ago, DuncanCT said:

Can anyone with legal knowledge confirm whether these guys will have their vehicle confiscated?

Probably not as its probably not theirs. The silver polo that ran be over to try and end my life was taken into police station for a day then returned as the person who tried to run me over borrowed his friends car to do his crimes. 

I asked, but if it was a gun he borrowed, would you give it back? Never they said...

My Cannondale that was found at cash crusaders went to police station and then never seen again, that was held as evidence in my case.

[Mamil]

2 hours ago, Pure Savage said:

Probably not as its probably not theirs. The silver polo that ran be over to try and end my life was taken into police station for a day then returned as the person who tried to run me over borrowed his friends car to do his crimes. 

I asked, but if it was a gun he borrowed, would you give it back? Never they said...

My Cannondale that was found at cash crusaders went to police station and then never seen again, that was held as evidence in my case.

Nauseating

[Jan D]

On 1/29/2023 at 9:57 AM, RatX said:

aitland/Kensington and had a good time - felt safe and did the Century City railway crossing for the first time.  It was great and opens up a whole bunch of new routes from Milnerton side to Southern Suburbs and back - bit of a detour for me but looking forward to exploring.  Will try the reverse route to work, but through Pinelands instead of desolation alley.

Pardon the ignorance, but what is the century city railway crossing? I've cycled in the vicinity but didn't know there was a dedicated crossing for us

[RatX]

7 minutes ago, Jan D said:

Pardon the ignorance, but what is the century city railway crossing? I've cycled in the vicinity but didn't know there was a dedicated crossing for us

There is a ramp at Century City station which crosses over to Kensington side.  Thus far seems to be one of the best ways of getting over the railway from north to south and vice versa without putting yourself at risk.

[FootballingCyclist]

On 1/31/2023 at 8:11 AM, marko35s said:

There was an attempted bikejacking near Peddlers on the Bend section of the greenbelt yesterday at roughly 07.45hrs.

Luckily it sounds like the thieves were the reincarnation of the three stooges and it ended up with the bike recovered and two of them arrested.

I wasn't there so this isn't a first hand account but but what transpired was roughly - Female cyclist was cornered when a car drove straight at her down the dirt road that passes the stables. Three pieces of human excrement got out and one grabbed her bike and tried to ride off. It was an ebike and it wasn't charged... He was going nowhere slowly at this point, and from this point on their elaborate plan began to unravel somewhat.

The rider screamed her lungs out and POS 2 & 3 promptly jumped back in their car only to stall it. The car then refused to start so they panicked and got out. At this point another rider grabbed the car keys.

Around this point the guy on the bike was discovering just how heavy an uncharged ebike was and gave up trying to ride it away and attempted to hide it in a hedge, which he was apparently too weak to manage so he gave up and ran away.

In the meantime the cops and security had arrived and they found and arrested the two that abandoned the car. The bike was returned to the rider and by all accounts she is completely fine.

A win for the good guys for once.

Having a good laugh at the 1 dudes Tshirt... Imagine wearing that Tshirt walking into Jail. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

On another note, he looks like he really needs a PROPER hiding, that face of his, with all his attitude you can sense, Yoh yoh yoh...

[sias]

Apparently initiation sites are also no-go areas? Stellenbosch, but still

https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/news/cops-probe-cyclist-for-pointing-firearm-at-initiates-dad-in-stellies-4b87ad14-2af6-4f1e-b9bf-52f0e50294db