runners vs cyclists

[Mutt]

How about a description of said lowlife! BIke? Kit? Specially the gloves! ... Get a tazer and shock the bejesus out of him! Sorry' date=' I mean 'it' [/quote'] +1 What section of the spruit? Maybe a group ride is in order?

Group rides to find him and have a word. Threatening a woman is not on and I despise cruelty to animals as well. Im not advocating a beating here just a word or two that if he dosent wise up a beating may be on the way.

 

?

 

I think a good ol fashioned beating is all this guy will respect.

 

 

 

Initial reaction is yes - a beating is called for but then upon reflection it brings us down a level and it is sort of illegal. Best to simply explain his actions are out of line and he best get help if he needs it. He is clearly badly bred and this is not acceptable in any society.

[scotty]

Courageous and brave comments, of course there's no telling what his reaction is going to be, surprising him by macing him the 1st time will work, 2nd time he will be much angrier and expect it. True he is unlikely to confront you if you are not alone, but the next time you might be.

[ActiveC]

I'm not normally a scared person, but this oke is psycho, so I've been rather worried - I'll be able to outrun him, but my old Boxer will be left to his mercy!

 

I run almost daily around 7 or 7.30ish with my old dog running behind me, the same route every day. We run down Cowley Road in Bryanston and enter the spruit from Devonshire road, where there is a small wooden bridge. I've encountered him on the same stretch twice now, about 1km from this bridge: it's that part of the spruit where you have garden boundary walls on your right and no tar road in sight before you get to the Riverside Spar. Jhb City Parks haven't cut the grass in that section yet - the reeds outside the boundary walls are also very high.

 

We run to where there is a small MTB technical section going uphill quite steeply, with an easier and more difficult option over some rocks - that's our turning point!

 

It would be great to get a bit more sane MTB presence in the area. The irony is that I have been warned of the vagrants who greet me every day, who sit along the footpath opposite the Spar. Yet it is these people I would've run to this morning to help me when this arly rode into my dog... Howz that for a sick situation - one sportsperson running away from another sportsperson towards the homeless for protection. I was always under the impression we sportspeople should make an area safer by our presence...

 

[Danger Dassie]

You know Mutt and Scotty make a very good point, based on a level head.

 

I reckon most of us would like to give this thing a proper hiding, but the best would be to give a description of this tool to the SAPS.

 

There is an article in the latest Tread where they interview the two main guys from SAPS who patrol the Spruit.

 

ActiveC, I'll pull the mag and post the details on here for all to see later.

 

 

 

But please, post a description on here as well.

[firewolf]

Whenever something negative happens on a ride I try to remind myself that He who anger's you controls you, and let it go.  Getting angry and shouting just makes me feel worse.  But keeping a blank face and staying in control as the motorist/runner,dog/whatever goes off or apologises is the best.  I heard about an incident here in the cape where a female cyclist tazered a motorist, then calmly tok out his car keys and rode away.

[Danger Dassie]

Okay, so I checked up the Tread article. (Issue 5 pg 38)

 

The six person patrol unit is headed up by Inspectors James Swann and Hein van Heerden, sector heads of Randburg and Sandton precints.

 

Unfortunately I don't the contact details, but I'm someone at Tread's editorial could pass on the relavent contact details.

[SwissVan]

 

ActiveC take Pepper or mace spray for protection and a cell phone with camera or a small camera so you can take a photo of the little jerk.

Give the photo to the cops and post it here.

 

 

[firewolf]

peper spray is assault even if in self defence.. it is a situation that might have a vey bad outcome  - like he comes back next time with a gun. 

and after you have sprayed him you might not actually feel that comfortable having done such a violent thing to somebody.  its not like in the movies - you need to be pretty emotionaly tough to deal with it.

use the legal resources at your disposal to deal with him. 

[Nancy Drew]

ActiveC... I cannot actually believe what I'm reading. That you can be intimidated like this and the moron has the audacity to intentionally hurt your dog too?!

 

I can't place exactly which part of the spruit you're referring to but just be careful out there..

 

good on you for the shin kick... I would've aimed a bit higher

 

but then, I'm from the south

 

 

[cat-i]

 

The saga continues :

 

get some pepper spray .... and be careful!!

 

[GreyOwl3.0]

Whenever something negative happens on a ride I try to remind myself that He who anger's you controls you' date=' and let it go.  Getting angry and shouting just makes me feel worse.  But keeping a blank face and staying in control as the motorist/runner,dog/whatever goes off or apologises is the best.  I heard about an incident here in the cape where a female cyclist tazered a motorist, then calmly tok out his car keys and rode away.[/quote']

 

She tazered him and took his keys?! Thats priceless! I love it.

 

Dude, Firewolf you seem to have this whole Zen/Buddha/Pacifist thing going...teach me, please!

Hell, I lose it for no reason and you seem to have the patience of the Easter Island heads...

[ActiveC]

I've decided to leave the spruit. I met a couple on the spruit after my run on Saturday. They are dogwalkers and he was attacked a week back by a black chap with a screwdriver and lost his watch. I remember running past this black guy holding the screwdriver in his hand and still thinking "I have the same red-handle scrrewdriver at home" and also thinking this dude is very open about his intentions. He didn't follow me though, but must've attacked the dogwalker that morning. They also told me about this couple that was MTBing and was attacked and thrown off their bikes. She ran and shouted for help and fell and fortunately a Coin Security vehicle heard her and saved them.

I didn't see my friendly attacker on Saturday, so I guess he must be riding with some of you with the groups from the area such as Fritz Pienaar or the Paulshof Mugg and Bean. I kept on looking back and clearing th epath for the MTBers that did come past in case it was him coming to run me over. It's no fun always covering your back. It's such a pity as the grass is nice and short now.

Pity I don't remember his bike or kit. All I remember was kicking black shorts and a full black gloved hand wagging at my face. He was short at 1.7 odd metres and had a flat Zuma-ish (for lack of a better description, chicken-ass shaped) shnoz. It's one-love to him. For now. Unless someone wants to come running with me at about 7 during the week. We're sure to run into him...     

[Mutt]

Very sad but is probably the best decision - not because you are running from an idiot but rather the fact that you should not be out there unless in a group in our lawless, dangerous and uncivilized home! Be thankful you don't now have 2 red handled screwdrivers. One at home and one embedded in your body somewhere.

[Piernas Flacas]

 

 

ActiveC take Pepper or mace spray for protection and a cell phone with camera or a small camera so you can take a photo of the little jerk.

Give the photo to the cops and post it here.

 

 

 

... and Facebook.

 

[firewolf]

@GreyOwl3.0.  It is because I lost it that I know it's better to stay in control.  Experiance is a good teacher.

[ActiveC]

Well, as I told you I had changed my running route away from the spruit. Today was the second time I ran that route and was quite happy with the change as it meant more hills. Until I met that jerk on the way home again. As usual I was running with my dog, this time on a leash as we were in the suburbs and she was next to me. (I feel obliged to give her an outing every day as I stay in a house with a small garden and she loves running too. It would be a whole lot easier to tackle this situation without her, but I'm endebted to giving her a good life.) We were coming along Cambridge Road the road that crosses the highway before Rivonia offramp) on the left hand pavement running towards the garage. This is when I looked ahead and couldn't believe who was coming towards me. I could see the thoughts going through his head as he was crosssing a small road and had no option but to join me on the pavement or else he would be facing the oncoming traffic on the bridge. "I have to ride with her on the same pavement and I'm putting myself into the precarious situation of being pushed over by her for having been such a bastard at the spruit". (on second thoughts he wouldn't have used the word "bastard" when referring to himself.) As he came past me I gave him a small push on the shoulder. I knew he would loose it and already planned to cross the road with my dog. He followed me, always hurling threats such as "now you've had it", "now I'm going to get you". When he crossed over too I told him to f off and crossed back to my original side, when he vowed that I'd really had it coming for me.  He threatened to ride after me when he must've remembered coming past a stationary police vehicle with a policeman standing next to it (in the bend just before the garage). As I ran past curious pedestrians who had been watching this crossing/attempted catching this dude was doing to get me I warned them that this dude was mad. When I got to the cop I asked him if he couldn't go after this guy on his MTB because he's been harassing me since last week and I've even changed my running route away from the spruit where this harassment started and he intentionally rides into my dog,- all with one breath. He went after him in his vehicle. This lady I had told she must be careful he's mad had also made it to where the police van was and I was now waiting for the cop to return. She told me she sees this MTBer every day on this pavement.

 

The policeman came back saying the MTBer had gone into the veld so he couldn't get him. He did say I should lay a charge at the police station, which I will do.

 

I still didn't see any branding, but he is always dressed in the same dark kit, has sunglasses that are not mirrored on his flat, broad-on-the-end nose.

 

Is there anybody who would be willing to help me give this guy a good talking to by giving his collar a twist and lifting him so that he's forced to  listen to some sense? I'm serious about this. It's ludicrous that all this started from absolutely nothing, - I was not and am still not breaking any law running with my dog, just that this guy's aggression levels are out of control and I'm a good scapegoat for his anger. He rides along this said Cambridge road at about 7.50.