Riding along, minding my own business a few nights ago, I ran into a few teenagers who apparently have something against motorcyclists. (For those of you that are from anywhere near Pittsburgh PA, this happened on Grandview Ave - the place with the inclines and lookouts - so watch your back in the area) Crusing down a very public street at about 30 mph, 3 guys on the sidewalk started poining and stared at me as I approached. Suddenly the one let something fly out of his hand at me, and the others soon joined in suite with rocks, bottles and things of the like   . Luckily I didnt hit my brakes or dump the bike after being pelted as I had a car right on my tail, but I did express my anger with a nice hand gesture  :nana: as I rode by.

After coming to the next stop sign a few blockes down the road I realized I was not able to succesfully take out m anger  :x with a simple :nana: . I simply felt the guys needed some additional discipline.  So, I casually pulled onto a side street, turned around and headed back in the opposite direction to look for my new friends. Riding up the street I noticed they began to take off down a side alley so I pulled a U turn in the middle of the street and headed back the other direction. By this point, I think you can tell, I was beginning to get a little miffed.

Soon I began down the side street slowly and saw the three walking away. As I got closer, they turned and realized they may have bit off a lil more than they could chew and they began to run. How frustrating  :x . So I gave pursuit and was able to get inbetween them. I cut the bike up on a sidewalk and pinned one of them against a fence as he stradeled my front tire  :mrgreen: After realizing he was only a minor ...about 17 was my guess... I was quite sad I could not phsyically express my anger and so I settled for explaining to him nicely   the ignorance and dangers of his actions. Then, I noticed something in the distance....oh know, the other two were getting away.

I pulled off the sidewalk, and proceeded down the alley only to see them running towards a gas station on another main road. Just as they were jumping into a car at the pump, I pulled up and grabbed one of them through the window and explained myself nicely    to both of them  just as I had to their friend. Satisfied that I had made my point quite clear, and most likely scared them shitless, I then resumed my ride home with a big grin and luckily only a few knicks in my helmet from the whole ordeal.

I guess in hindsight though, I now realize how dangerous what I did was (not mentioning how out of character) so please dont follow my example. I am quite thankful that nothing worse resulted, but maybe next time I should control my temper :guns: ...what do you think???  :mrgreen:

Punks...

But yeah you were lucky they didn't have a gun or knife. Can't be too careful these days....

very stupid.
you were very lucky.

Best to walk away next time . Try to find more constructive ways to deal with your anger.

yes, one of the said punks could have been packing. wouldnt be the first time someone was shot over something stupid.

I'm glad you're okay man.  I can't honestly say what I would have done.  99% of the time I'm a pretty nice, calm guy but when I get mad (I mean really mad), things aren't as rational as they once were.  I probably would have introduced that guy's face to my carbon fiber knuckled glove for endangering my life.  I probably also would not have been thinking "what if this guy has a gun".  Yes I probably would have thought about calling the cops but I probably would have gone after them like you did.

Is it a bad idea?  yes.  I'm just being honest though.  I would most likely be so mad that I'd be shaking

:nana: Do I have anger management/rage problems?  No and its never been a problem (i.e. doesn't interfere with everyday life, never been fired, etc)

My friends say my contrasting character is related to me being a Gemini  

I hope my post did not give everyone the wrong idea about my personality. I was simply having a really bad day that day, and had some other issues on my mind. 99% of the time I am also a very calm, nice guy. But for some reasons, such  senseless act by a complete stranger attempting to cause me hard got me a lil upset that day.

Trust me, anger management is not a probelm here. If anything I squelch my feeligns too often in hopes that I do not hurt anyone elses feelings. Often a no win situation though.

Yes I was lucky, no I do not have anger management issues, but thank you all for the advice and listening to my random ranting. I will be more careful next time.

What happened to the old times when people did publicly discipline others? I mean, if anybody did something wrong, and somebody else was around there was a verbal disciplining of the wrongdoer. The wrongdoer was never threatened, but given the admonishment that if it was a stranger that they had done that to, the stranger may not be as forgiving. You learned to respect others. There was no fear back then, from children on the street, to the parents not worrying about the fact that their children were playing outside!

Hey I stay in SF, Cali... I'm not sure if you heard about this but K-1 kickboxing champion Alex Gong was gunned down in a similar situation....Next time keep a cool head man it might save you more than you think..

Apparently a guy hit his car while he was doing a work out session (Basically getting ready to defend his K-1 title) at his gym, his receptionist witnessed the accident and told him... He took off after the guy in his Kickbixing shorts, Gloves and barefeet... When he caught the guy at the next light they exchanged words and shots were fired... needless to say if Alex would have kept a cool head he would still be fighting today....

I work down town and came upon the incident after it happened...Its surreal to see someone laying in the street with a yellow sheet ofer them that you've watched on TV...You never know what these idiots are thinking so don't give them a reason to  :guns:


Article link posted below!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/08/02/state1804EDT0089.DTL

Ride safe you guys...

I gotta be honest, I probably would have let his face know my pain and frustration. I wouldn't have really considered the thought of weapons. I would have just went at him. Thats me though. I would never touch anyone unless they hit me, or in this case, possibly injured me for no apparent reason. If it be that case? It's go time.

 -Anti

Oh well...I have done stoopid stuff like that but only when there is a lot of people around...so usually there is not much chance of a gun being pulled. In D/T SFO I once saw a guy hit a parked bike...went after him on foot...well traffic...I caught him easy...made him back up 20 feet+ to the spot where he could park his car...made him write a note, give his home phone number and D/L and business card (yea he had a business card cos he was an electrician) and checked his name, number and all the details...and I took a copy in case he came back and took it off the bike...Oh yea he was 6ft 5 atleast and probably 300 lbs and looked pretty tough and was damn pissed that some random pedestrian is going to cost him a bunch of $$$...but I am used to dealing with people like these everyday (sorta). You dont cave in any situation...get beaten yes, but cave... no Yea but a punk kid...especially 3 of them that split up and ran...down a blind alley...pretty dumb and tells you about their friendship..or friendshit...
Cool.
Srinath.

I dont care how old they are. Kick the shaZam! out of the bastards. Ive had similar ordeals, and its much more fun to give someone the old beatdown to et the point acroos. what really gets em, is take there arm  or ahand to the exaust system. Give em a little tattoo. That way they have an ongoing reminder what not to do. Everyone says "deal with your anger more appropriatley", screw that. Is a calm talk gonne get through to these people? no, a beatdown will.

I guess I do live in Canada, and Michael Moore did a good job showing how good we are at not shooting eachother. So a beatdown is more appropriate in Canada I guess, where we dont have to worry so much of some punk ass packin a 9mm.

Geez...people are nuts!   What was these guys' malfunction?
Glad you are okay.
It's a shame what happened to that kickboxer...  

Now, I am NOT recommending this to anyone...just a historical note...there was a time that I and others would ride with, shall we say, creatively made implements of self protection,  that could easily be carried and concealed, for delivering devastating self-defense only.

Today, if I was the target of a couple of thrown bottles or stones, and not hurt, I'd just ride away...but,  try dealing with 2, 3, or 4 punks say, when leaving a club or bar....and they think it might be "cool" to rough up a biker.  That's when you need something fast, surprising, and devastating.  And, always take out the "leader".  

The other thing is, I try to remember faces...sometimes it's good to have a long memory.   Punks are much tougher in a group...but being alone is something they don't do too well.

Hope no one has any more incidents.

I guess chasing after those kids was dangerous but they deserved to have their ass kicked.  Unfortuneatly is probably wouldn't do any good because they are already punk asses and will just bring bigger rocks next time or bats or guns ...

Speaking of Anger mangement .. anyone see the movie?  Watched it last night ... damn funny!

Rob

craig man that's a bummer. If I had been with you I would hae run them down and dissected their asses before tossing them down the inclince tracks.  

for those of you not form around pittsburgh, it has IMO some of the rudest people on the planet.  People are assholes and driving with them is a nightmare in the maze that we call pittsburgh.  I just got back from diriving 4000 miles around the country and I can honestly say that my blood pressure went up as i pulled onto I279.
I've lived here for about half my adult life (school work etc), so it's home to me, but man you get the dirtiest looks from people when you're driving around here.  It's like everyone has road rage.  I was in a parking garage the other day and saw two geriatrics almost get into it over a parking space.  

I"m going back to Boulder where everyone was too stoned to care about being pissed off.

jake

ps... the cold medicine has impaired my ability to spell

jake

I had a less dangerous but similar experience when I was riding Suzi-Blue's predecessor the wild-blue Honda into Folkestone during the town's rush minute. I am waiting to get onto a busy roundabout intersection when a hatchback with two 17yrs olds, or thereabouts, drives past and the passenger chucks a half-eaten apple at me and it hits me on the right shoulder, apart from some mush splattered on the visor no harm done but boy did I get mad. Purely by chance about ten mins later I caught up with the tossers and did not deliberatly follow them but our routes took us in the same direction. I am not the biggest guy in the world but in full winter riding kit and black full-face helmet I suppose from their perspective I must have looked fairly daunting as they were clearly getting agitated, so much so that when they took a very late turn, mounted the pavement and nearly flipped the hatch I had calmed down to the point of passing with a cheery wave! I suppose If I had managed to stop them they would have come out with the I DID NOT SEE YOU crap.
Luckily no passers by were endangered and I had a laugh.

To answer the question about people hating motorcyclists, I thought from Hollywood films that all U.S. bikers were perceived as baddies, they don't get a good press do they? Marlon Brando has a lot to answer for!

Just in case anyone is curious, my bikes have to be blue, it's a soccer thing, Chelsea in England and Rangers in Scotland.