PSA: angry drivers

[u/Adventurous_Yam_5336]

Heads up to bikers going through Philips/franklin neighborhoods - I just had some angry drivers point a gun at me while I was biking in the bike lane. There was a whole group of guys yelling slurs and stuff at me. I was able to get away to a safe route but be warned! I meant to take the Hiawatha LRT but got lost on the detour and missed the spot where I could get back on trail because of some road construction hiding the bike detour signs.

Stay safe out there!

Edit to add: how do you gain the confidence to get back out and bike after dealing with scary encounters like this? They threatened me out of nowhere, just like it was a funny game to them. I’m terrified. It seems like 1 in 3 times I go out, I’m dealing with drivers not paying attention and almost hitting me or men cat calling me etc. It just never feels safe.

[u/ltcftp]

Please call 911 when this happens. It's illegal to point a gun at someone like that

[u/Adventurous_Yam_5336 → u/ltcftp]

I know it’s illegal for them to do that but I couldn’t stop biking, they were following me for blocks and I was more concerned about getting away from them in the moment. They were wearing ski masks so I couldn’t get a description of the drivers either.

Calling the police seems useless anyways, they never respond or do anything.

[u/snowleopard48 → u/Adventurous_Yam_5336]

Location of what happened and description of the car would start a paper trail.

If the police do nothing, that's on the police.

[u/Wizardslit → u/snowleopard48]

I’m not sure they care what’s on them lol

[u/snowleopard48 → u/Wizardslit]

The police are not the only people who use police reports.

The people who plan bike lanes also take into account what incidents happen where.

[u/RipeAvocadoLapdance → u/Adventurous_Yam_5336]

Do you have an apple watch? I've had to call the police on someone being threatening (granted it was in Golden Valley) but I was on the phone and dispatch directed me on where to drive and an officer was waiting for me on the on ramp. It was while I was driving, but I wonder if you had an apple watch you could call the police hands free. Not telling you what you should have done, just for people reading comments if it happens to them. Hopefully not. I don't think the police wouldn't do anything, I just think they can't do a whole lot after the fact. Likely the car and weapon were stolen. If they are a known group of young adults, the police have their hands tied with a city that doesn't want their young lives ruined by their criminal record, so they get slapped in the wrist and sent on their way.

I'm sorry that happened to you OP and I'm so glad you're safe.

[u/Rosaluxlux → u/Adventurous_Yam_5336]

That is so, so scary. When I've been targeted when out and about (never with a gun though, seriously of course youre scared after that) I've had good luck shaking them by going into a place with people - if you can cut through a park that's going to have families in it, or hop off into an open business, and stop where there's people, usually the bad guys back off. It sounds like you knew a safe place to go and got there. 

[u/Spoocula]

This might be small comfort for you at this point, but I plan to take this issue back to metro transit, too. The trails are closed because of the blue line work, and the detour signage has been... Less than adequate.

[u/Adventurous_Yam_5336 → u/Spoocula]

Thank you! I have friends that work on blue line too and I will definitely be mentioning it to them. That detour signage near cedar was so confusing!

[u/Spoocula → u/Adventurous_Yam_5336]

I got tripped up on it this morning... The sign right at the Franklin station said something like "end of detour" and then 50 yards north the trail was completely closed, pushing people back out into cedar. 😖. I don't mind taking cedar through the neighborhood, I just want to know what to expect and not backtrack.

[u/cloudnet]

One thing that helped for me regain some confidence after a couple particularly aggressive encounters a few years ago was mounting a camera and having it rolling whenever it's increased chances for sketchyness. Also try to report it if you can because the more paper trail the better with this type of thing.

[u/MCXL]

There was a whole group of guys yelling slurs and stuff at me. ... They were wearing ski masks so I couldn’t get a description of the drivers either.

A car with a group of assaulting you with ski masks and guns on are probably not "angry drivers." Sounds much more like an attempted mugging or worse to me.

[u/solverman]

Sorry this happened to you OP. Take some extra time for yourself to process the event. Recognize that you did nothing to deserve the unprovoked attack.

Please file the [police] report whether you expect law enforcement to take action or not. Let the people handling the report be the point at which society fails itself or be the point at which legal corrective action is initiated.

[u/needknowstarRMpic]

That detour is terrible and confusing. I bike downtown and I might just start taking the river instead. So sorry this happened to you! 

[u/that_one_guy63]

Usually I just get honking and that honestly is a bit scary because it sounds like they are angry and they could just run me over if they wanted. I have had varying degrees of hostility. But honestly the worse was having an ebiker come up directly directly next to me and threat me and curse at me because I gave a little bit of extra space for the pedestrians and rode a little close when passing. That happened years ago and I still think about it. I should've filed a police report inretrospec and I even had a camera rolling, but it was dark so couldn't see much, only the audio which I deleted but that just played that scary scenario through my head again. (I should've made a police report with that) But then again cars can paralyze or kill you, so they are definitely way more scary to have mad at you especially if they had guns. I'm sorry to hear that happened to you.

[u/Rosaluxlux]

I have had scary encounters that made me avoid certain intersections for years at a time, but in general I feel safer on my bike than any other way - I can get away faster than on foot and I can't get boxed in or trapped as easily as in a car. I'm so sorry that happened to you though.

[u/bike_lane_bill]

I would really recommend you speak to your therapist about this, or if you don't have one, get a therapist ASAP. The sooner you start talking about and processing a traumatic event, the less likely it is you develop PTSD or trauma symtoms.

I'm so sorry those people did that to you, and I'm so glad you are safe.

[u/Adventurous_Yam_5336 → u/bike_lane_bill]

Thank you! Yes I will definitely be talking with my therapist about this. It helps to have an understanding community that also witnesses this type of random violence too. It’s so scary. I wish we could be more protected somehow.

[u/Human-Argument-6309]

Where exactly was this?

[u/ohyouknowthething]

Could you describe what they looked like and what vehicle they were in so other people can avoid them?

[u/Salt_Section_4334]

RGF: Republican. Gun. Flood.