The Chainlink

Just wanted to give people a heads up:

This morning (5:30am Sunday) I was taking my usual route to work (straight down Milwaukee - Desplaines)  when I ran into some trouble.

 I had just crossed over Division  when I noticed a group of guys walking North on the West side of Milwaukee, one of them started walking at me in the bike lane.  I just assumed he was either avoiding the snow on the sidewalk, or trying to hail a cab.  He wasn't moving out of the way as I got closer so I rode into the car's lane.  As I was about to pass him  he said "Give me that bike bitch" and then went after me. I tried to speed past him, but he managed to push the rear of my bike which made me loose balance an veer off to the other side of the road.  I fell off my bike once it tried to hop the curb and he grabbed me and pinned me up against the iron fence.  I was screaming and he was choking me and telling me to "give me what you got".    I kept telling him I didn't have anything, but remembered I had a $20 in my pocket and asked if he wanted that.  He took it, told me he loved me and then kissed me on the cheek a couple of times and took off running.

F'd up!

so F'd up

I just want to give you all a heads up of what happened in an area I usually feel safe in and maybe keep an eye out for each other.  A few cars passed as I was pinned against the fence, but no one stopped.  Maybe they didn't see, maybe they did.  

I was lucky and managed to keep everything that mattered to me and came away just really shaken up. 

A report has been filed

It was a group of 4 or so guys, but only one guy chased me down.  He was an african american probably early 20's wearing a dark green jacket (waist length and not "winter time poofy" ) with some sort of white character on the back of it.  He had shoulder length dreads and was wearing a dark colored knit cap.

Let's look out for each other!

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Lauren:  I somehow ran into your blog post yesterday.  Really well done.

lauren eg said:

I do agree the city changes block-by-block and it's good to know the nuances of your neighborhood.

As a person employed as a social worker, it may not be my job to police language on a bike-related forum, but since it's so closely related to my actual job: may I *suggest* not implying that just because people live in subsidized housing that they are bad people? 'cause they aren't, and I work with solid evidence indicating that every single day. Ain't trying to troll; I just have feelings about these things. /soapbox

Anyway, Allison's story inspired me to write a blog post earlier this week in which I talk not only about assault, but street harassment in general as a woman on a bike. 

I'm going to be writing a follow up post to it and have been using suggestions here as help (nod to Eric Roach's glove suggestion--srsly awesome!) and am really into women leaving comments about personal experiences and/or anyone's suggestion of additional items used for self protection.

Thanks!

So sorry this happened to you. Don't be surprised if you have a little PTSD fear months from now. I was robbed on the L in 2001 and was afraid for a long time after. It takes time to recover; give yourself permission to take the time you need. 

I commuted to downtown from Austin/Roosevelt on Roosevelt Road in Oak Park two or three times in broad daylight last year and was nervous the whole time. K-Town, Lawndale, those aren't good areas. I know another Oak Parker woman who bikes to UIC every day on her own and I think she must have nerves of steel. Groups of people on street corners make me especially leery. I wouldn't drive Roosevelt Road from Oak Park , so I must be crazy for biking on it, I was thinking to myself the entire time. I'm really out of shape and biking into the wind tires me out. I wouldn't have been able to get away from someone if they went after me. I'm not giving up on the idea of being able to bike to work, but reading  your story gives me pause.

How would you know Howie, you only ride one mile and just when group rides form...

h' 1.0 said:

Neither-- I seriously doubt Juan's "primitives" are going to be frightened off by an air horn or anything else if they truly are intent on attacking him.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

Do you think it is the air horn or the get-up?

Untrue, sorry.

Would be nice to have a forum where people of various backgrounds would feel comfortable participating-- any chance we can keep the racist crap off of it?

Juan 2-8 mi. said:

How would you know Howie, you only ride one mile and just when group rides form...

h' 1.0 said:

Neither-- I seriously doubt Juan's "primitives" are going to be frightened off by an air horn or anything else if they truly are intent on attacking him.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

Do you think it is the air horn or the get-up?

Dawn, there are a few lists out there that Near W. Suburban folks use to share tips and coordinate group commutes. Have you tried them?

There's the Oak Park Area commuters list:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/opacc/

And also one that split off specific to Harrisson street (hosted on UIC and I can't find any info-- Kelvin who posts here may be the owner IIRC).  I'd ask about the latter on the former, since it's more active.

DawnW said:

So sorry this happened to you. Don't be surprised if you have a little PTSD fear months from now. I was robbed on the L in 2001 and was afraid for a long time after. It takes time to recover; give yourself permission to take the time you need. 

I commuted to downtown from Austin/Roosevelt on Roosevelt Road in Oak Park two or three times in broad daylight last year and was nervous the whole time. K-Town, Lawndale, those aren't good areas. I know another Oak Parker woman who bikes to UIC every day on her own and I think she must have nerves of steel. Groups of people on street corners make me especially leery. I wouldn't drive Roosevelt Road from Oak Park , so I must be crazy for biking on it, I was thinking to myself the entire time. I'm really out of shape and biking into the wind tires me out. I wouldn't have been able to get away from someone if they went after me. I'm not giving up on the idea of being able to bike to work, but reading  your story gives me pause.

Who got racist?

h' 1.0 said:

Untrue, sorry.

Would be nice to have a forum where people of various backgrounds would feel comfortable participating-- any chance we can keep the racist crap off of it?

You've got to be the most interesting troll the chainlink has...

h' 1.0 said:

Untrue, sorry.

Would be nice to have a forum where people of various backgrounds would feel comfortable participating-- any chance we can keep the racist crap off of it?

Juan 2-8 mi. said:

How would you know Howie, you only ride one mile and just when group rides form...

h' 1.0 said:

Neither-- I seriously doubt Juan's "primitives" are going to be frightened off by an air horn or anything else if they truly are intent on attacking him.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

Do you think it is the air horn or the get-up?

WOW!!! UNREAL!!! Glad you're physically alright.  I'm sure you're still dealing with this mentally.  Super unfortunate that people are so absurd sometimes.  Makes me want to go crazy for a while.  My girlfriend and I had our bikes jacked by that intersection two years ago.  We live a few blocks away but had been out and just stopped to grab a bite.  30 minutes, two u-locks.. no bikes.  No nearby business (which have cameras outside) could help out.  It's stupid frustrating!

Again, glad you're alright.  And thanks for sharing.

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