Need some moral support

[mimitabby]

good grief, there are creeps everywhere. A lot of us LOVE horses, you're safe here.
report him to the administrator!
and the admin can give you personal info (if he's actually threatening you!); you shouldn't have to be afraid to ride your horse!
stalking is against the law

[Natural Beauty]

Laura, That is horrible. Report him and when you have his info. call the police. They may not be able to do anything but at least you will be on file. Is there someone you can ride with?
Maybe you could post a fib. Something about your brother coming home from special teams ops. and you are so excited to ride together again. My own brother came home from the war nutier than a fruitcake but I wouldn't want to meet him in a lit alley.
There are things you can do....good luck!

[horsemom]

Thanks girls. It is my mt bike I ride up there - that is the stupid part, I have never ridden a horse anywhere near those trails (though they are not strictly bike trails and on state land).

The admin comes on the thread several times and simply says that he deleted the worst of the attacks and that the man is really mild mannered.

I started as a really gungho member of this group -- going to fests, swaps, and trail work days, but really feel as if they would rather have this cokehead disturbed guy than a good volunteering member.
L

[horsemom]

Actually I see where all the personal attacks have been deleted....so I guess you can't get the real gist of the problem from the thread.

At any rate, the joy of riding my bike on the best trails around has diminished....

Oh well, guess I'll get over it....

Thank you for being such a good group!

[Irulan]

Well, I've been attacked on line in some serious ways, one of which was someone impersonating me and posting really offensive porn on usenet....It felt, really, really awful, a huge personal violation....

I'm glad your moderators are doing their job. My POV is just to take a deep breath and mutter "it's just the internet, it's just the internet"... Some people feel compelled to act like total dicks because they think no one will know who they are. Looks like you've got plenty of local support, too.

Don't let this guy "win" by letting him run you off your trails, your forum, or have you thinking he's out to get you. When people come after me online ( and they have) I just tell myself they are really small people, miserable, unhappy and they have their small, miserable lives to live. Most people who post attacks online do so to get a reaction, so don't give him what he wants. Chances are this guy would never have the balls to act in public like he does online.

Mountain biking needs committed volunteers, so don't let it get you down, sounds like you've got a lot of friends in the community.

I hope as a horse owner who specifically states that she doesn't use the trail in question, you can let the horse comments slide. It goes without saying that horse bike conflict is a pretty hot topic, but, having read the thread it seems like there were two different things going on.

[Zen]

wanna borrow my dog?

[Irulan]

addendum:

I was cruising your board, and they are pretty clear about expected behaviour, and what they can/cannot control.
They linked to this, which is a very good article.

How To Keep Jerks From Taking Over Your Forum

[Mr. Bloom]

Don't let this guy "win" by letting him run you off your trails, your forum, or have you thinking he's out to get you.

+1


But, if you feel any discomfort, carry mace or something (like Zen's dog) for peace of mind.