Ugly INcident at Blue Hills

[ChainsOflove]

Did you guys all hear about that a lady was assaulted while hiking at Blue Hill Reservation yesterday??

Apparently it was a guy who was wearing bike gloves! This doesn't bode well for the trails...

[wavedancer]

Bummer Guess I won't be going there by myself!

Linda

[Imperfectstorm]

He was not wearing bicylce gloves he was wearing cutoff green gloves. I was mt bikeing there just after the incident occrred and ran into a brush fire and a creepy man. Unfortunatley the woman who was assulted did not get a good look at the guy. He was 5' 10" slender build curly med to light brown hair.

It supposely was an isolated incident according the the dispatcher I spoke with

[SandyGirl]

A few years ago a man assaulted a jogger on the Katy Trail....in Missouri. She was alone, jogging..Trail is a bike trail along RR tracks through wooded areas that goes across the State. Another reason to not be "alone" when biking, jogging, etc. Isolated case or not, who needs it?
Sandy

[DeniseGoldberg]

A few years ago a man assaulted a jogger on the Katy Trail....in Missouri. She was alone, jogging..Trail is a bike trail along RR tracks through wooded areas that goes across the State. Another reason to not be "alone" when biking, jogging, etc. Isolated case or not, who needs it?
Sandy

Well, if I followed that rule - I wouldn't be able to do much riding, since the bulk of my riding is done alone. This includes both riding near home and touring in other areas of the country (or the world).

I agree that as a solo rider I need to be as sensible (and careful) as possible - but I refuse to live my life in fear, and I refuse to stop riding (or walking, hiking...) alone. In fact, if we all started not doing the things we love to do - doesn't the attacker win?

That said, we all need to make this decision for ourselves - and if you feel more comfortable always riding with others, then that is probably the right decision for you.
--- Denise

[Grog]

I agree that as a solo rider I need to be as sensible (and careful) as possible - but I refuse to live my life in fear, and I refuse to stop riding (or walking, hiking...) alone. In fact, if we all started not doing the things we love to do - doesn't the attacker win?

I am all with you Denise. I am careful and safe, but I'm out there, and very often by myself. I do my best to look strong at what I am doing (especially walking). I avoid obviously dangerous situations, if only because I know I would have a hard time looking strong through some of them (like walking in unlit areas at night... I don't think there's a much higher risk of anything there - besides getting a twisted ankle - but I wouldn't feel like I could walk as assertively in such a situation). But otherwise I'm out there, and that's a statement in itself.

[Imperfectstorm]

I don't have people to ride with so I go solo. I have learned to trust my six sense and if a guy if quick to "offer assistance" that is a red flag.

Also I just got a permit to carry mace/pepper spray -people republic of massachusetts-and I keep it handy as well as my cell phone.

It sucks but one has to develop an assertive and proactive presence.

Stormy

[ChainsOflove]

I sometimes like to ride alone because I don't want to have to worry about my pace being too slow for someone else.

Regarding the creep in the blue hills, they had reported on the news that he had bike gloves on! That figures, it wasn't a cyclist anyway.