Living in said city, I can say that the neighborhood in question is...uh....tough. I'm not a gun advocate, but if I had to ride in that neighborhood at night...????

Many a year ago I did ride just outside that neighborhood at night. I worked second shift and commuted by bicycle. I had a strict route I would follow, sticking only to main roads....even got pulled over by a cop--he thought I'd stopped 1/2-way through an intersection (it had a large median island) because I'd seen his car (yeah, right--it is night time--all you see are headlights). When he found I was female and I explained that the middle of the intersection was the safest place to stop, he let me go (although he thought I was nuts--it was winter)

The cyclist could have been real, but in that neighborhood...the odds are not. Since the driver stopped, we could assume he was honest....now there are a few drivers in the area I *wish* would meet up with the gun packing cyclist....sigh....but things like this only make it harder for us cyclists....