Worst Possible Thread

Edit: Thanks to Peenologist for the Worst Thread Ever crown.

Edit edit: D'oh! he said Worst Possible Thread, not Worst Thread Ever.

7/17: "was Fight with Gabe" removed from subject line for the sake of beauty, privacy, and security. Representative images added (too bad threads can't have their own custom avatars):

Picked up on OPCC listserv per Bill W; presumably posted today.

I don't know why Active Trans didn't put a warning out about the previous incident mentioned here.

===

Authored by Tom McGee and posted on the Oak Park Cycle Club facebook page. :

Tom McGee

LAKE STREET WARNING: With the warm weather, and newly added bike lanes on Lake Street, there have been more bike commuters heading into the city...unfortunately, there are some rough neighborhoods people need to cycle through and area street punks see the increase in riders as well.

On my way home from the city to Oak Park last night I was jumped by 2 male teens in an attempt to steal my bike. This occured at Lake & Lavergne. One guy was on the sidewalk, the other hidden behind an L pillar. As I was approaching, I sensed it was bad, but it was too late to react. They came at me from the left and right and pushed me off the bike. I was clipped in and went head first over the handlebars, landing on the right side of my face and shoulder. They did not go for anything but the bike, so when I realized that, I wrestled with them and kept my bike. A motorist stopped to help me, and seeing this they ran.

A number of good samaritans stopped to help me, called 911, and paramedics were on the scene within 10 minutes to get me to the ER. I'm stitched and bumped and bruised, but it could have been a lot worse.

I strongly suggest that riders get the word out to friends who commute, try to ride w/others (there are a number of group rides to/from the loop from what I've heard), and try not to ride too early or too late when other people may not be around to help.

I've already spoken with John Lankford, Bikeways Campaign Coordinator w/Active Transporation Alliance. He said there was a similar incident on Lake the morning of Bike The Drive. So they are aware of the problem, and will be approaching people @ CDOT and the city to try and address it.

Ride safe,
Tom McGee

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 11.5 on June 29, 2012 at 4:07pm

Very excellent point Serge, and I should be a little clearer if I going to make statements like this.

I ride everywhere, at all times, and I'm very serious about the on-road safety differences between Wrigleyville and Englewood, as in Engelwood is safer on the road. I am absolutely not commenting on the level of crime or the presence of folks hanging out on the corner.

As for cat-calling, my experience with cat-calling (and witnessing it) has been far greater in those two neighborhoods. To be specific, the west-side streets I've used with regularity (all west of Pulsaki) are: Chicago, Augusta, Division, Lake, Warren/Washington and Roosevelt. The only time I was ever hassled was when I was riding on Chicago several guys kept telling (laughing and yelling, really) me I was going to break my bike riding on all of the potholes.

Jim S said:

I understand that you need to get your point across, but my eyes squinted in disbelief a little bit. As a resident of Andersonville, I ride Uptown and Rogers Park a whole lot, and would have to say that I've never had trouble at any hour of the day or night. I have ZERO reason to ride in Englewood, but I'd hazard a wild guess that it's probably a lot more treacherous than RP/Uptown.

Charlie Short said:

I will take Garfield Blvd over Clark and Addison every day of the week and twice on Sunday. And I think you get just as much catcalling in Uptown and Rogers Park as you do on the West Side.

Anne Alt said:

This is why I often find riding Halsted through Lincoln Park and Boystown much more stressful than riding Vincennes or Cottage Grove - prevalence of the "entitlement mentality" vs. a distinct lack thereof.

MagMileMarauder said:

From experience, I find around 90% of Audis, BMW's and Porsches; people updating the Facebook status, taxis, and doors in the "safe" parts of town more threatening than any potential attack from a thug in the rough parts of town.

Permalink Reply by Cameron 7.5 mi on June 29, 2012 at 4:12pm

Based purely on the the number of replies (at this moment 61 vs 13), it appears arguing with Gabe is much more popular than discussing attacks on cyclists. I guess the title really does matter.

Permalink Reply by Gabe on June 29, 2012 at 4:21pm

Worst Thread Ever?? Fuck that noise! I love how this keeps rollin on. It took longer than expected for someone to call me a racist. I laughed and laughed. It's not race related to say an area is a shithole if the folks in that area agree it's a shit hole and given half a chance would move. Decent folks leave the west side cause it's a shit hole and more decent folks would if they could. Fuck pc nonsense and be honest - makes the world actually better vs better on the internet. Someone else brought up Englewood- wanna say - Also a shithole :). Serge thanks for the Latin and grammar lessons and Craig love blasting Blackheron all day! Best sand box ever! :)

Permalink Reply by Gabe on June 29, 2012 at 4:22pm

And we've got nearly 1400 views to a lil under 500 on the legit thread. Lol :)

Permalink Reply by Serge Lubomudrov on June 29, 2012 at 4:23pm

James BlackHeron said:

No one wants to continue to be ignorant -or do they?

Of course they do. There is growing number of publications about just this phenomenon. It seems to me that many people take pride in being ignorant, to put it mildly. But some try to camouflage their condition by attempting to use Latin.

I feel that you really should branch out and start correcting everyone's mistakes on this forum. I'm sure it would do a world of good!

I believe that it is everyone's personal responsibility to correct one's own mistakes (or try to learn not to make them). No?

Permalink Reply by Gabe on June 29, 2012 at 4:35pm

Shit- i almost forgot Dug!!! Love ya Dug! :)

Permalink Reply by Gabe on June 29, 2012 at 4:48pm

who doesnt wanna argue with me? :) Cant wait for Cuban food Cam- hope packing is going well :)

Cameron Puetz said:

Based purely on the the number of replies (at this moment 61 vs 13), it appears arguing with Gabe is much more popular than discussing attacks on cyclists. I guess the title really does matter.

Permalink Reply by Bailey Gene Newbrey on June 29, 2012 at 8:24pm

You guys seen the mural on the liquor store on Kedzie, just South of Lake?

I think the bike lanes on Franklin and Lake are great. I love the community gardens in Garfield Park, the park, and the conservatory. Y'all know about the greenhouse on Fulton by Kostner? The West Side isn't a shithole by any means. Some folks just get shitty attitudes about things they're not familiar with.

Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on June 29, 2012 at 11:11pm

+1

h' said:

Fair question.

Orignially:

1) I personally feel it's important to get the word out about these sort of incidents

2) I personally would like to see people riding bicycles all over Chicago safely

3) I would like to see people able to ride a bicycle from Oak Park to the Loop safely

4) I would like to see people not give up hope that conditions in this city could be better

5) I would like to see our advocacy organization play a role in making sure potentially affected cyclists are aware of these sort of trends, rather than sit on info provided when someone contacts them, or learn why there is not an effort to get the word out if there is a reason
6) I would like to see cyclists exchange information in order to help each-other get from A to B safely, particularly suggestions for minor and specific route modifications that do not dismiss a wide swath of Chicago unfairly as not safe enough to ride through

After the "west side is a shithole and everybody knows that" response:

1) To provide our beloved Gabe with a little sandbox in which to get his internet slugfest fix.

2) See #1.

Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! said:

Howard, what were you attempting to accomplish with this thread?

Permalink Reply by Gabe on June 30, 2012 at 12:39am

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams 6.6 mi on June 30, 2012 at 8:32am

What I got out of the OP is that riding clipless in the city is a huge mistake.

Permalink Reply by h' 1.0 on June 30, 2012 at 8:42am

I had a dream. Crazy dream.
Anything I wanted to know, any place I needed to go

Hear my song. People won't you listen now? Sing along.
You don't know what you're missing now.
Any little song that you know
Everything that's small has to grow.
And it has to grow!