McGrath Lexus/Acura Truck Driver Parked in Elston Bike Lane Chased Me with a Crowbar

So this was exciting! Riding home from work tonight I was surprised to see a vehicle delivery truck parked in the southbound Elston bike lane adjacent to the McGrath Lexus/Acura centers where previous issues have occurred and been discussed in the forum here.

When the driver saw me stopped behind his truck (myself in the bike lane, with my bike) he became immediately confrontational and charged at me with a long crowbar in hand, raised above his head, clearly indicating his intent to attack me with it. I made a prompt departure and have reached out to McGrath, including photos and license plate info. I’ll keep you guys informed if I hear from them.

Feel free to chime in if you have any thoughts, and be safe out there, folks!

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Permalink Reply by James on March 3, 2020 at 7:04pm

A photo is attached here.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on March 4, 2020 at 2:05am

My only thought is, "Wow..."

Permalink Reply by James on March 4, 2020 at 6:19am

The parking issue is one thing... it's that he knew he was in violation of the law, and that his first response was to threaten me with a crowbar that's my primary concern. Like, just ignore me if you think I'm a crazy; it takes someone who knows they're guilty to go after a short guy on a bicycle with a weapon!

Permalink Reply by James on March 4, 2020 at 10:32am

As of 3:30p, McGrath's representative, Matt Fenton (mfenton@mcgrathlexus.com), has requested the same photos provided three times already, and an email description. I have responded accordingly, providing some of the photos I have, and requesting a description of the evaluation process McGrath uses to identify delivery partners (assuming it goes beyond lowest cost), as well as any process McGrath has in place to evaluate and certify potential sub-contractor (e.g. Is there a statement of required qualifications, or a commitment to safety your partners sign?). No response or confirmation of email receipt as of 3:30p, Wednesday 3/4.

Permalink Reply by James on March 4, 2020 at 10:33am

Update: Matt sent a one-word reply just now via email saying "Thanks" (no punctuation).

Permalink Reply by ketoguychicago on March 4, 2020 at 12:08pm
Can you share with us your police report number so we can reference it while filing our own police report if we're ever in a similar situation?
Permalink Reply by Eric Pounder on March 5, 2020 at 7:14am

That sounds like he committed a crime against you, even if he didn't hit you.  File a police report. 

Permalink Reply by James on March 5, 2020 at 10:02am

Filled out and submitted. Thanks for chiming in!

Permalink Reply by James on March 5, 2020 at 10:00am

Police report filed. No follow-up from McGrath in any capacity. Alderman contacted. 

Permalink Reply by James on March 5, 2020 at 10:43am

I think it's time to wrap up commenting since some can't find constructive ideas to offer. Thanks for your questions and support folks. I'll continue to press McGrath and others for responses and collaborative actions moving forward. Here's hoping they're as eager to work with their community as they have been in the past.

PLEASE DM ME WITH QUESTIONS OR IDEAS MOVING FORWARD.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 9, 2020 at 10:13am

So I'm just going to say what it is. If you come on a thread and take a stance that sounds like you are taking enjoyment in someone being threatened or hurt, it's an easy choice to remove your posts. I apologize to everyone else's responses that came down in addition to CLP's posts but it needed to be deleted. 

James, sorry I was late to action. Just been super busy at work and after being told not to post by a number of people (yes, CLP included), I decided to take a step back and see how that would go. So now I'm going to chime in. CLP, I realize you tell me this site is not important to you, you don't care, etc. but I caution you to read the guidelines on posting. I do remove people from time to time and respecting others is part of the free membership. 

Everyone, have a great day and please continue your discussion. James, I'll keep an eye out and delete anything else like that. Just let me know if I missed anything.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 11, 2020 at 6:45am

It's a matter of taking complaints seriously. It was reviewed with the moderators so the comments were removed. As I mentioned, it's a good idea to read the guidelines if there's gray area for you. 

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