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I was pretty upset and got a little attitude with them saying they were putting me in danger, ect, ect. Thank you to the riders who knew the route on the main streets and took me with them up to Fullerton. They told me the whole trail was closed but one officer said it was only blocked to North Ave. I was able to hop back on the trail at the Diversy/Belmont underpass.

They kept saying that the trail closes at 9:30pm. I know the parks close but it is really a thing that the trail closes as well? If so, that is just not OK... 

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I don't think you've been paying attention to the flash mob situation and have apparently not witnessed it in action.

We've posts here from cyclists who got caught in the middle of it in the past (I think North Ave coincidentally) and thugs had formed a line across the lakefront path to block it and not let anyone through.

You do realize that mechanisms are in place to keep details out of the media?

Tricolor said:

Oak Street Beach can be a little dodgy any given summer afternoon.  I can't say it's been any better or worse this year so far but there are usually a decent number of police around when the high school set is hanging out.  North Ave Beach is chock full of bro-dogs playing volleyball.  They're a hazard, sure, but not cop-worthy.

I'll give you a mechanism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-0TEJMJOhk

h' 1.0 said:

I don't think you've been paying attention to the flash mob situation and have apparently not witnessed it in action.

We've posts here from cyclists who got caught in the middle of it in the past (I think North Ave coincidentally) and thugs had formed a line across the lakefront path to block it and not let anyone through.

You do realize that mechanisms are in place to keep details out of the media?

Tricolor said:

Oak Street Beach can be a little dodgy any given summer afternoon.  I can't say it's been any better or worse this year so far but there are usually a decent number of police around when the high school set is hanging out.  North Ave Beach is chock full of bro-dogs playing volleyball.  They're a hazard, sure, but not cop-worthy.

I just know what I see.  I would have remembered posts about the trail being blocked by kids.  Plenty of them just wander around not caring about who's way they're in but I thought all the flash mobs were hitting Michigan Ave stores, which is why all the police are around there.

It's happening both on Michigan Ave. and along the lakefront. Don't kid yourself and think this stuff is limited to the Mag Mile. I know cops who work in that district and I hear about what's happening along the lakefront. If they're blocking the path and not letting folks through, disregard whatever BS line they're giving, but don't doubt that there's a cop-worth incident going on and a good reason why they're not letting you pass.

Tricolor said:

I just know what I see.  I would have remembered posts about the trail being blocked by kids.  Plenty of them just wander around not caring about who's way they're in but I thought all the flash mobs were hitting Michigan Ave stores, which is why all the police are around there.

I wouldn't doubt the police have a good reason for closing down parts of the trail when something does happen, I've just never seen any mob action on the trail myself.

What Anne said-- she has good sources that most of us don't.... and this is not the "kids" that are swarming downtown stores-- those tend to be younger teens.  These are fully grown thugs out for the thrill of violence, in numbers large enough to occupy an entire stretch of lakefront.

If you're still picturing 'kids wandering around not caring who's way their in' I don't think anything is going to help you understand what the problem is.
 
Tricolor said:

I just know what I see.  I would have remembered posts about the trail being blocked by kids.  Plenty of them just wander around not caring about who's way they're in but I thought all the flash mobs were hitting Michigan Ave stores, which is why all the police are around there.

Consider yourself fortunate. Hopefully you will never experience it.

Tricolor said:

I wouldn't doubt the police have a good reason for closing down parts of the trail when something does happen, I've just never seen any mob action on the trail myself.

I'm honestly having difficulty understanding what's being described. I get that there are these mobs "occupying" the lakefront - what are they doing? What threats are they posing to passers-by? When are they typically doing this?

I haven't heard about this phenomenon before, so the comments here are hard for me to parse. Is there a reason we're talking about it in a circumspect fashion? We're not a propaganda wing of the CPD, are we?

Try this:

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/north-avenue-beach-assault...
 

With special attention to Anne's post on page 3 quoting an Evanston Bicycle Club member.


Simon Phearson said:

Is there a reason we're talking about it in a circumspect fashion?

I am trying my best not to express skepticism about it. I honestly don't know what's going on, and I believe the people here who are saying that something's going on. BUT NO ONE IS DESCRIBING WHAT'S GOING ON. They're just saying things like you are, like, "Well I can't help you if you don't know, bro." 

I mean, you're here calling it "a pack of unpredictable teenagers," while others are describing them as thugs "out for the thrill of violence" that we're lucky if we never have to experience. I'm happy to believe either description, but these are not consistent pictures. I'm sorry to have to point this out; I'm not being skeptical. 

I take the trail all the time, but I'm not usually on it after dark, and I avoid the northside segment after the early morning.


rwein5 said:

Summer evenings (mostly after dark) have been rife with them in the past. Do you not take the trail? The city definitely suppresses news about things like mob activity downtown in efforts to promote tourism. Riding back from Blues Fest last year was my first experience with them, but I haven't seen anything nearly as rowdy this summer. 

They usually saunter slowly, taking up the entire path, edge to edge. I've seen some with at least 40 people in it. They aren't necessarily doing anything other than walking, but I've had first hand experience with them taunting cyclists with what looks like the goal of intimidation and probably a crash.

It's unclear why you are being so skeptical. It's not like UFOs are cruising the trail. It's a pack of unpredictable teenagers that have displayed historically rowdy and unsafe behavior. CPD is trying (and maybe succeeding) at getting a grip on the issue. 

What did the "very detailed eyewitness account" say, in short?

h' 1.0 said:

Yes, because the chainlink search feature sucks. There was a very detailed eyewitness account here which did a good job of painting a picture of what was occurring, but I doubt it can be found.
 
Simon Phearson said:

Is there a reason we're talking about it in a circumspect fashion?

Just gave up part of my lunch hour searching for an old discussion to help you understand, Simon. Follow the link above and read that thread.
 
Simon Phearson said:

I am trying my best not to express skepticism about it. I honestly don't know what's going on, and I believe the people here who are saying that something's going on. BUT NO ONE IS DESCRIBING WHAT'S GOING ON. They're just saying things like you are, like, "Well I can't help you if you don't know, bro." 

I mean, you're here calling it "a pack of unpredictable teenagers," while others are describing them as thugs "out for the thrill of violence" that we're lucky if we never have to experience. I'm happy to believe either description, but these are not consistent pictures. I'm sorry to have to point this out; I'm not being skeptical. 

I take the trail all the time, but I'm not usually on it after dark, and I avoid the northside segment after the early morning.


rwein5 said:

Summer evenings (mostly after dark) have been rife with them in the past. Do you not take the trail? The city definitely suppresses news about things like mob activity downtown in efforts to promote tourism. Riding back from Blues Fest last year was my first experience with them, but I haven't seen anything nearly as rowdy this summer. 

They usually saunter slowly, taking up the entire path, edge to edge. I've seen some with at least 40 people in it. They aren't necessarily doing anything other than walking, but I've had first hand experience with them taunting cyclists with what looks like the goal of intimidation and probably a crash.

It's unclear why you are being so skeptical. It's not like UFOs are cruising the trail. It's a pack of unpredictable teenagers that have displayed historically rowdy and unsafe behavior. CPD is trying (and maybe succeeding) at getting a grip on the issue. 

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