Firecrackers!

Karen M. said:

Hi folks--
This really takes the cake...some teen weenie threw a strand of
firecrackers at me Thursday evening.

I was riding up Wayne Road in Westland (Detroit 'burb). A small red
car passed, and I saw something sail out of the passenger's hand. It
was smoking, so I guessed a cigarette. Then it landed in the lane as
my front wheel rolled past, and I realized that it was a cluster of
short red paper sticks. The brain said "pour it on before it
explodes!" and I did; it went off as the car behind me passed it.

The driver had to slow for a traffic light, enabling me to
**almost** get close enough to see the tag. But they were watching me,
and did an emergency turn down a side street.

Yes, I called the cops.

Of all the stupid, bonehead, malicious things to do...I'm sure it
was a spur of the moment idea, but I could have been hurt. Another
driver could have been hurt, Heck, if the passenger hadn't tossed them
far enough, he could have been hurt (in my dreams).

I have buddies who are reporters for the two Detroit newspapers,
but I am reluctant to tell them about this incident (although it would
make them a great story) because of copycat ramifications.

Geeze louise.

--Karen M.
PO'ed at teenagers

First of all, glad you weren't hurt! Great reaction and subsequent
response. Too bad you couldn't catch up to 'em, but maybe your description
to the cops will help bust them down the road (so to speak).

Bill "no real second of all, I guess" S.

"Karen M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks--
This really takes the cake...some teen weenie threw a strand of
firecrackers at me Thursday evening.

I was riding up Wayne Road in Westland (Detroit 'burb). A small red
car passed, and I saw something sail out of the passenger's hand. It
was smoking, so I guessed a cigarette. Then it landed in the lane as
my front wheel rolled past, and I realized that it was a cluster of
short red paper sticks. The brain said "pour it on before it
explodes!" and I did; it went off as the car behind me passed it.

The driver had to slow for a traffic light, enabling me to
**almost** get close enough to see the tag. But they were watching me,
and did an emergency turn down a side street.

Yes, I called the cops.

Of all the stupid, bonehead, malicious things to do...I'm sure it
was a spur of the moment idea, but I could have been hurt. Another
driver could have been hurt, Heck, if the passenger hadn't tossed them
far enough, he could have been hurt (in my dreams).

I have buddies who are reporters for the two Detroit newspapers,
but I am reluctant to tell them about this incident (although it would
make them a great story) because of copycat ramifications.

Geeze louise.

--Karen M.
PO'ed at teenagers

I was run down by a teenager talking on a cell phone. Bad enough we allow
them to drive at all. But we allow them to drive AND talk on cell phones
while the car is full of their crazy, screaming buddies. Eight days in the
hospital and six months in rehab and I never got so much as a call of
concern from her, either. In my case, it wasn't a malicious act ... just
stupidity. But it's shameful that a 17 year old can be legally driving a
car full of other kids and be talking on a phone. For that matter, I don't
think ANYONE should be allowed to drive and talk on a phone ... but that's
OT.

Bob C.

[email hidden] (Karen M.) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks--
This really takes the cake...some teen weenie threw a strand of
firecrackers at me Thursday evening.

I was riding up Wayne Road in Westland (Detroit 'burb). A small red
car passed, and I saw something sail out of the passenger's hand. It
was smoking, so I guessed a cigarette. Then it landed in the lane as
my front wheel rolled past, and I realized that it was a cluster of
short red paper sticks. The brain said "pour it on before it
explodes!" and I did; it went off as the car behind me passed it.

The driver had to slow for a traffic light, enabling me to
**almost** get close enough to see the tag. But they were watching me,
and did an emergency turn down a side street.

Yes, I called the cops.

Of all the stupid, bonehead, malicious things to do...I'm sure it
was a spur of the moment idea, but I could have been hurt. Another
driver could have been hurt, Heck, if the passenger hadn't tossed them
far enough, he could have been hurt (in my dreams).

I have buddies who are reporters for the two Detroit newspapers,
but I am reluctant to tell them about this incident (although it would
make them a great story) because of copycat ramifications.

Geeze louise.

--Karen M.
PO'ed at teenagers

You say this was in Detroit? Then you're lucky to be
alive...regardless of the firecrackers or your bicycle.

I've been thinking about picking up some of these to deal with dogs.
Of course trying to light an explosive while dealing with traffic and
dogs doesn't sound like too good of an idea, but I doubt it's much
harder than trying to aim a can of Halt at 20mph.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(John) said:

I've been thinking about picking up some of these to deal with dogs.
Of course trying to light an explosive while dealing with traffic and
dogs doesn't sound like too good of an idea, but I doubt it's much
harder than trying to aim a can of Halt at 20mph.

I think Jenkinson's Law would apply. Just keeping
a Bic light lit at 20 mph sounds impossible.

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

"S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Karen M. said:

Hi folks--
This really takes the cake...some teen weenie threw a strand of
firecrackers at me Thursday evening.

I was riding up Wayne Road in Westland (Detroit 'burb). A small red
car passed, and I saw something sail out of the passenger's hand. It
was smoking, so I guessed a cigarette. Then it landed in the lane as
my front wheel rolled past, and I realized that it was a cluster of
short red paper sticks. The brain said "pour it on before it
explodes!" and I did; it went off as the car behind me passed it.

The driver had to slow for a traffic light, enabling me to
**almost** get close enough to see the tag. But they were watching me,
and did an emergency turn down a side street.

Yes, I called the cops.

Of all the stupid, bonehead, malicious things to do...I'm sure it
was a spur of the moment idea, but I could have been hurt. Another
driver could have been hurt, Heck, if the passenger hadn't tossed them
far enough, he could have been hurt (in my dreams).

I have buddies who are reporters for the two Detroit newspapers,
but I am reluctant to tell them about this incident (although it would
make them a great story) because of copycat ramifications.

Geeze louise.

--Karen M.
PO'ed at teenagers

First of all, glad you weren't hurt! Great reaction and subsequent
response. Too bad you couldn't catch up to 'em, but maybe your

description

Quoted message said:

to the cops will help bust them down the road (so to speak).

Bill "no real second of all, I guess" S.

Stupid little brats! I bet they probably just thought it would scare you,
they probably didn't even think of it hurting anyone. THey probably just
wanted to scare you with the noise. Most teens aren't really malicious, just
reckless and heedless and they don't think of consequences. Lucky you
weren't hurt, but too bad you didn'tget their license number.

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Karen M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks--
This really takes the cake...some teen weenie threw a strand of
firecrackers at me Thursday evening.

I was riding up Wayne Road in Westland (Detroit 'burb). A small red
car passed, and I saw something sail out of the passenger's hand. It
was smoking, so I guessed a cigarette. Then it landed in the lane as
my front wheel rolled past, and I realized that it was a cluster of
short red paper sticks. The brain said "pour it on before it
explodes!" and I did; it went off as the car behind me passed it.

The driver had to slow for a traffic light, enabling me to
**almost** get close enough to see the tag. But they were watching me,
and did an emergency turn down a side street.

Yes, I called the cops.

Of all the stupid, bonehead, malicious things to do...I'm sure it
was a spur of the moment idea, but I could have been hurt. Another
driver could have been hurt, Heck, if the passenger hadn't tossed them
far enough, he could have been hurt (in my dreams).

I have buddies who are reporters for the two Detroit newspapers,
but I am reluctant to tell them about this incident (although it would
make them a great story) because of copycat ramifications.

Geeze louise.

--Karen M.
PO'ed at teenagers

I was run down by a teenager talking on a cell phone. Bad enough we allow
them to drive at all. But we allow them to drive AND talk on cell phones
while the car is full of their crazy, screaming buddies. Eight days in

the

Quoted message said:

hospital and six months in rehab and I never got so much as a call of
concern from her, either. In my case, it wasn't a malicious act ... just
stupidity. But it's shameful that a 17 year old can be legally driving a
car full of other kids and be talking on a phone. For that matter, I

don't

Quoted message said:

think ANYONE should be allowed to drive and talk on a phone ... but that's
OT.

Bob C.

OMG! I think I remember your story, it sounds familiar.

A friend of mine was actually nearly INTENTIONALLY run down recently. He was
out on a road in a sort of remote, semi-burb-rural area frequented by
cyclists, when a teenager or young guy, maybe 20, yelled out the window 'get
off the road, [censored]!' My friend flipped him the bird, and then the stopped
and backed up, and tried to run him down! My friend jumped off the road
into a ditch, and then the van zoomed off. My friend got back on his bike
and continued on, then sees the same van coming straight at him in the
opposite lane, then swerved into the oncoming lane and tried to run my
friend down again! Once again, he ran off the road into a field. THe morons
sped off. No damage,no injuries but also no license plate number. I did say
earlier that most teens aren't malicious, but these guys obviously were!

On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 21:00:29 -0400, "Marlene Blanshay" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Karen M. said:

Hi folks--
This really takes the cake...some teen weenie threw a strand of
firecrackers at me Thursday evening.

I was riding up Wayne Road in Westland (Detroit 'burb). A small red
car passed, and I saw something sail out of the passenger's hand. It
was smoking, so I guessed a cigarette. Then it landed in the lane as
my front wheel rolled past, and I realized that it was a cluster of
short red paper sticks. The brain said "pour it on before it
explodes!" and I did; it went off as the car behind me passed it.

The driver had to slow for a traffic light, enabling me to
**almost** get close enough to see the tag. But they were watching me,
and did an emergency turn down a side street.

Yes, I called the cops.

Of all the stupid, bonehead, malicious things to do...I'm sure it
was a spur of the moment idea, but I could have been hurt. Another
driver could have been hurt, Heck, if the passenger hadn't tossed them
far enough, he could have been hurt (in my dreams).

I have buddies who are reporters for the two Detroit newspapers,
but I am reluctant to tell them about this incident (although it would
make them a great story) because of copycat ramifications.

Geeze louise.

--Karen M.
PO'ed at teenagers

First of all, glad you weren't hurt! Great reaction and subsequent
response. Too bad you couldn't catch up to 'em, but maybe your

description

Quoted message said:

to the cops will help bust them down the road (so to speak).

Bill "no real second of all, I guess" S.

Stupid little brats! I bet they probably just thought it would scare you,
they probably didn't even think of it hurting anyone. THey probably just
wanted to scare you with the noise. Most teens aren't really malicious, just
reckless and heedless and they don't think of consequences. Lucky you
weren't hurt, but too bad you didn'tget their license number.

Yeah thought they'd scare the biker. Just like the guy who put down 4 large
logs across the bike trail, around four blind corners - any one of which
could have caused serious injury. (He didn't like the fact that I blessed
out his large rottwelier for chasing me.) He 'claimed' the dog put the logs
on the trail - yeah right at four exact right angles. Geometry dog.

He's lucky I was feeling charitable and resisted the urge to spray his dog
and throw him in the river. ;-p

-Badger

Marlene Blanshay said:

A friend of mine was actually nearly INTENTIONALLY run down recently. He was
out on a road in a sort of remote, semi-burb-rural area frequented by
cyclists, when a teenager or young guy, maybe 20, yelled out the window 'get
off the road, [censored]!' My friend flipped him the bird, and then the stopped
and backed up, and tried to run him down! My friend jumped off the road
into a ditch, and then the van zoomed off. My friend got back on his bike
and continued on, then sees the same van coming straight at him in the
opposite lane, then swerved into the oncoming lane and tried to run my
friend down again! Once again, he ran off the road into a field. THe morons
sped off. No damage,no injuries but also no license plate number. I did say
earlier that most teens aren't malicious, but these guys obviously were!

And people ask me why I pack whenever I come back to the US.
Michael J. Klein [email hidden]
Dasi Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
---------------------------------------------

(John) said:

[email hidden] (Karen M.) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
I've been thinking about picking up some of these to deal with dogs.
Of course trying to light an explosive while dealing with traffic and
dogs doesn't sound like too good of an idea, but I doubt it's much
harder than trying to aim a can of Halt at 20mph.

I'm not suggesting anything, mind you. I'm just going to play a game
of word-assocation with you, ok?

Dog
Chasing
Bicycle
Water Pistol
Ammonia

How did you do?
Michael J. Klein [email hidden]
Dasi Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
---------------------------------------------

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 12:22:41 +0800, Michael J. Klein <[email hidden]>

from DCI HiNet said:

I'm not suggesting anything, mind you. I'm just going to play a game
of word-assocation with you, ok?

Dog
Chasing
Bicycle
Water Pistol
Ammonia

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying ammonia
on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on a
chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to make
it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

--
Kevan Smith
[email hidden]

"Kevan Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying

ammonia

Quoted message said:

on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on

a

Quoted message said:

chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to

make

Quoted message said:

it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

Self defense is self defense, be the attacker a dog or a man. I don't carry
weapons -- I'm on a bike, I can escape easily enough -- but if the dog is
biting you, it's not against the law to do whatever it takes to make it
stop.

RichC

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 00:49:15 -0500, Kevan Smith <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 12:22:41 +0800, Michael J. Klein <[email hidden]>

from DCI HiNet said:

I'm not suggesting anything, mind you. I'm just going to play a game
of word-assocation with you, ok?

Dog
Chasing
Bicycle
Water Pistol
Ammonia

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying ammonia
on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on a
chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to make
it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

I'm very reluctant to do anything to the animal, b/c IMO, it's the owner's
fault 100% for failing to keep control of their pet. In fact in I fantacize
spraying the owner! <g>

But are you saying that ammonia would harm the dog? Is it not equivalent to
skunk spray (only less oily)? I'd doubt that 1/2 clear ammonia and water
would harm the dog, but I don't know - perhaps you have some experience?

OTOH, I can't see the police prosecuting someone who sprayed anything on a
dog that was chasing them such that they feared for their safety, unless
the cops witnessed it and found the dog and found injuries. What makes you
think they would. Just asking.

-Badger

Quoted message said:

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying ammonia
on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on a
chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to make
it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

--
Kevan Smith
[email hidden]

What about cruelty to humans? Get your head out of your rear end.

Kevan Smith said:

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 12:22:41 +0800, Michael J. Klein <[email hidden]>

from DCI HiNet said:

I'm not suggesting anything, mind you. I'm just going to play a game
of word-assocation with you, ok?

Dog
Chasing
Bicycle
Water Pistol
Ammonia

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying ammonia
on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on a
chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to make
it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

You're making assumptions. What works best is firing the ammonia
directly down which puts a spot of foul smelling stuff between
whatever is chasing you, and you.

Another assumption is that a chasing dog is someone's pet. Depending
upon where one lives, that may or may not be the case. Where I live,
the wild dog popluation frequently overtakes, kills and eats humans.
Water doesn't "shock" wild animals very much.
Michael J. Klein [email hidden]
Dasi Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
---------------------------------------------

(GABIKE) said:

Quoted message said:

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying ammonia
on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on a
chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to make
it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

--
Kevan Smith
[email hidden]

What about cruelty to humans? Get your head out of your rear end.

That doesn't count man. Animal "rights" come before all human rights
(just ask PETA). Remember that next time a wild animal attacks you
and thinks it likes the taste - God gave it the right to eat you.
lol

Michael J. Klein [email hidden]
Dasi Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
---------------------------------------------

"Rich Clark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Kevan Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying

ammonia

Quoted message said:

on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on

a

Quoted message said:

chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to

make

Quoted message said:

it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

Self defense is self defense, be the attacker a dog or a man. I don't carry
weapons -- I'm on a bike, I can escape easily enough -- but if the dog is
biting you, it's not against the law to do whatever it takes to make it
stop.

RichC

I've tried water, but since these are Labradors they seem to like it.
I've also tried my fists, my shoes, and an ultrasonic device. There
are 2 of these dogs, both capable of chasing me down at 20mph, and
then pacing me for nearly a mile while barking and growling all the
time.

The dogs have bitten me. I confronted the owner after that happened
and was told that since they lived in the country they weren't going
to chain their dogs...which I guess I can understand. But there are
dozens of unchained dogs around here that don't chase me and have
never bitten me.

After talking to the owner some more, I decided to try Halt spray. I
managed to hit 1 dog with it. That dog immediately stopped chasing,
went to the side of the road, and started rubbing its head on the
ground. But the dogs have continued to chase despite that instance
and further use of the Halt.

I regard the owner's negligence in training and controlling his
animals, which is leading towards the dogs being put down, as a far
greater example of animal cruelty than ammonia, firecrackers, or a
gunshot to the head.

"Michael J. Klein" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Marlene Blanshay said:

A friend of mine was actually nearly INTENTIONALLY run down recently. He

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out on a road in a sort of remote, semi-burb-rural area frequented by
cyclists, when a teenager or young guy, maybe 20, yelled out the window

'get

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

off the road, [censored]!' My friend flipped him the bird, and then the

stopped

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and backed up, and tried to run him down! My friend jumped off the road
into a ditch, and then the van zoomed off. My friend got back on his bike
and continued on, then sees the same van coming straight at him in the
opposite lane, then swerved into the oncoming lane and tried to run my
friend down again! Once again, he ran off the road into a field. THe

morons

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sped off. No damage,no injuries but also no license plate number. I did

say

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

earlier that most teens aren't malicious, but these guys obviously were!

And people ask me why I pack whenever I come back to the US.
Michael J. Klein [email hidden]
Dasi Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
---------------------------------------------

Well,. this was actually in Canada. Idiots can live anywhere. Packing isn'nt
a good idea,we have gun control laws.

"Karen M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks--
This really takes the cake...some teen weenie threw a strand of
firecrackers at me Thursday evening.

This story made me recall how someone threw a firecracker at my while I was
on my bike when I was about nine or ten years old. I was *so* frightened
from it. I rode to my friend's house which was only four more houses down
the street, and basically stepped over their threshold and burst into sobs.
Her mom was really nice to me, and helped me feel better. It's mean to throw
firecrackers at anyone, but at a kid is even worse. I had completely
forgotten that incident until reading this posting.

Karen, you don't have a friend's mom to give you hugs, probably, so I'll
give you some of my virtual ones.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 02:47:07 -0400, "Rich Clark"

from said:

"Kevan Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cruelty to animals is against the law. If I ever see anyone spraying

ammonia

Quoted message said:

on a dog, I will report you to the police and follow the case through the
courts to make sure you are punished. There is no need to spray ammonia on

a

Quoted message said:

chasing dog. A surprise shot of plain water shocks the animal enough to

make

Quoted message said:

it give up the chase. I have seen this work time after time.

Self defense is self defense, be the attacker a dog or a man. I don't carry
weapons -- I'm on a bike, I can escape easily enough -- but if the dog is
biting you, it's not against the law to do whatever it takes to make it
stop.

You're going from chasing to biting. If a dog is biting you, sure, defend
yourself. Spraying a chemical that could blind or poison on a dog that is
merely chasing is cruelty to animals. Most chasing dogs just do it for play,
not to commit harm. And, as I said, a simple spray of water stops them. I have
seen it work many times.

--
Kevan Smith
[email hidden]