BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Where do you ride that you need a condom?

Not sure, but if you find that place let me know!!

you're missing the link, but i bet its this:

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/mans-throat-slashed-south-side-attack/nR4cx/

Man's throat slashed in South Side attack

PITTSBURGH — A man was rushed to the hospital after police said his throat was slashed during an attack in Pittsburgh's South Side.

Investigators said the victim was attacked on Josephine Street.

According to police, the victim was on his bicycle when a group in a car accused him of cutting them off.

Police said one of the people in the car cut him from his ear to the front his neck, causing a gash in his throat.

The victim said he ran down some steps to Mary Street where he was able to get help. He was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital and had to undergo surgery, police said. There is no word on his condition.

Yeah. Unbelievable.

@chris a sadly inappropriate response to jungle dave. i truly hope that the cyclist is ok.

for everyone else, what kind of protection would you use to ward off someone attempting to slash your throat? this is probably a good reason to get back in the habit of carrying my u-lock.

In Chris's defense I botched linking it, and there was only the text of my saying Glad I carry protection.

In my case, I took many years of martial arts and carry a blade with me. Sometimes, when I know I am not going to be in a bar drinking or going to any kind of large social gathering I carry a small firearm with me. Legally of course.

Wow -the person who did this is just sick!

Gotta say that while the injured was a cyclist, I would think that no-one would be safe from a f'er like this.

In fact, what a coward!

Hope the cyclist recovers fully and that the person/individuals are aprehended!

So when do we think Pittsburgh could finally roll out a well funded, massive campaign aimed at talking sense into drivers?

I’m a little skeptical of the situation as stated. The video appears to be by that club at the bottom of Josephine. They have had violent issues with patrons in the past leading me to think that this may not be as random as reported. All the same, please be aware of your surroundings out there.

So when do we think Pittsburgh could finally roll out a well funded, massive campaign aimed at talking sense into drivers?

Shortly after airborne swine can buy season tickets to an infernal skating rink.

Via facebook, the victim works at a local bike shop.

It was my co-worker and friend that was attacked. He lives there and was on his way home from work. He does not go to bars at all. No reason to be skeptical, it was a random attack, attempted murder on someone who is non-confrontational, who is a polite and skilled rider and a really nice guy.

Wow, I hope the victim recovers, to say the least. I must have biked through the South Side and up 18th Street just after this happened. I was just above Pius Street when two police cars came down the hill at about 70 miles per hour, lights and sirens on.

and is by all accounts a super nice guy and polite, knowledgeable cyclist.

Sorry, I stand corrected.

I hope the rider is ok & that they catch the bastards who did this!

So terrible. This completely blew my mind. I really hope that the victim recovers quickly.

WHISKEY

TANGO

FOXTROT

?!?!?!

all hopes for A speedy recovery and arrest.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Are there any leads on for a suspect?

Here's wishing for a speedy recovery. Is there any possibility this incident was caught by a camera?

WTAE had this on the noon news. They said the cyclist claims he cut off a car near the hot metal bridge and water street. They claim he’s not sure if the car involved is the same.

There are definitely cameras on the hot metal bridge that would show the car. I’m not sure if those are Penndot or City, but someone should check before the images are lost.

This makes me sick and I hope the victim is okay.

I have felt dangerously close to such an encounter before when I was 19. Why is it unacceptable for us to carry pepper spray for situations like this? I recall a cyclist being yelled at by this whole forum for pepper spraying someone who confronted him. There is no time to determine if someone jumping out a car is going to stab you, shoot you or punch you in the face. Any encounter in my opinion is enough for me to want to find out where to buy such a weapon and use it if someone comes within 3 feet of me in such an aggressive way. It's unfair for anyone to have to wait to be stabbed first and maybe even having to ask permission to pepper spray your attacker.

I'm starting to see the importance of having a helmet camera. Getting these things on film might help catch some of them.

> The video appears to be by that club at the bottom of Josephine.

The bar in the WPXI video is the Birmingham Bridge Tavern, at Sarah & 29th. The club you refer to is, according to Twitter, long closed.

Marcel, that too but, what good will it do if you're not breathing anymore besides justice? Assuming the attacker doesn't take your camera, helmet or even your head.

I'm going to invest in a cheap helmet cam for city riding and just take my chances on longer rides. Something is better than nothing.

I moved to the states because of escalated violence in Africa. If I wanted to deal with violence like this I would move back to my family.

What would a helmet camera have done for this person?

Without hearing the victims side, or more details, it is tough to know if he tried to ride off or not. Or if he plead his case to the drivers. Stuff like this happens, don't let the time when it happens be the first time you try to figure out what to do. Develop a plan now, today, and you will be more readily able to solve the problem at hand.

Remember that PA is an open carry state. I mean, I can TOTALLY understand why my best friend in alaska carries a loaded .45 on his hip whenever he goes biking around Anchorage — since a hungry "Grizz" can outrun even a fast sprinter...

But I never really thought I should be carrying my piece just to bike to and from work around here, but it is looking more and more like a good idea every day. I would just be afraid of it going off accidentally or in the event of a crash and doing more harm than good...

But if I have to worry about getting my damn THROAT SLASHED to get to work and back then... I guess the risks should be re-evaluated!

I am going to be looking into pepper spray, honestly. It's becoming pretty clear how bad the climate is for cyclists. I'd prefer to make it home alive.

really hope your friend has a speedy and full recovery, demigod.

I wish I typed that sentence less.

sigh. I am all too aware of my own personal dexterity and judgment abilities to believe that I'd either 1) remember that I had it, 2) get it out in a timely manner during the appropriate situation, AND 3) get it pointed in the correct direction. I'm far more likely to pull a deer-in-headlights reaction, or to spray myself (or provide the na'er-do-well with a weapon to use against me). One must not only arm oneself, but practice with the tools one chooses.

anybody who would actually slit someone's throat in public is not going to be free for very long, but while they are will not be doing a tremendous amount of good. I hope they catch them before they can do more harm.

eta another link, no new news but video: http://news.yahoo.com/video/pittsburghwtae-28863332/south-side-attack-leaves-man-s-throat-slit-30515280.html

The camera would help identify the assailant. http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/jackalope/2012/05/cycle_bike-mounted_cameras_bec.php

(Edit) It wont save your life but how many hit and runs will it help solve.

terrifying. hope the victim gets well soon and also hope they get the f'er that did this.

Just before opening this thread, I had ordered pepper spray to carry when I ride. Things are just getting more ridiculous by the day.

@Adam... A proper holster will prevent it from falling out and going off. Just as you buy the right gear to ride (helmet, blinky, etc) you buy the right gear to carry a firearm. I would forgo open carry and conceal on the bike. Most commuting attire can do the job with the right holster.

Sucks that it comes to this but having an option is better than not.

Also, many pissed off men do not respond well to pepper spray. Quite a few friends of mine work in LE and do not carry it anymore. Use of pepper spray gets it on everyone, including you. A pissed off old man on his way home from work will just keep coming at you as you also get some spray on yourself.

My obligatory $0.02, whenever this topic arises: whatever means of self-defense you choose to carry, please be sure that you know how to use it safely and in a controlled fashion.

As a secondary concern, please also be sure to educate yourself with regards to the legal issues surrounding your choice of weapons.

I'll take my chances with using pepper spray in an emergency versus having nothing other than my good looks and charm...

I pray that my commute never puts me in a situation like this. Whether in my car or on my bike, I do not have a plan to outwit an attacker.

My thoughts are with all of us as we utilize our bikes and specifically for those of us that are or have been attacked or injured.

Somehow I'm just hearing about this now. Had meetings most of the morning and into early afternoon... I'm absolutely stunned. I hope the police find this person, he's prosecuted, convicted and he goes to jail for 20+ years. This type of behavior bicyclists have been subjected to this summer is abhorrent.

From the Post Gazette.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburgh-police-search-for-south-side-bicyclists-attacker-652179/

I hope they get this maniac asap. Too many have been getting away with (attempted) murder lately.

@reddan thanks for putting your thoughts out there. Feeling like one has to arm one's self is bad enough. Arming one's self with something you aren't really skilled at using is potentially just as dangerous as the attack against you. I don't know if even being able to access my u-lock would help me in such a situation. This is incredibly scarey!

@scott yes, the events this past summer have been stunning and enraging!

Now about that massive campaign to talk some sense into drivers....

From another forum:

"My coworker's daughter is friends with his wife and my coworker just got off the phone with her (wife). He apparently is doing OK, in ICU, did not lose consciousness. Apparently the guy was driving a sportscar and tried to grab the bike (hopefully fingerprints?) and that's all they have to go on. The guy stabbed him five times and slit his throat. F that guy forever. I hope he gets caught and gets a huge prison sentence. That guy is one inch away from being a murderer"

@TonyP: A great start is to make an effort to have an escape each and every time you stop or begin moving slowly. Just this alone has been enough to prevent what I felt were going to be two incidents along the Riverfront Trail. I'd rather look weird suddenly changing my course than any other alternative.

Wow, this is very disturbing. I hope the victim of this senseless attack has a speedy recovery.

City Paper weighs in: http://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2012/09/06/cyclist-knifed-in-road-rage-incident

There are cameras on hot metal bridge and along carson street. why would the police only have fingerprints on a bike as a lead? Who uses the cameras - which were installed with Homeland Security/Stimulus funds - if not the police, because they're not for PennDOT?

Scott said it: "We’re not going to educate the sociopath out of people."

I wish the mental health services in this country were what they should be. If our health care is at the bottom of the Industrial Country barrel, our mental health care is even lower.

Absolutely horrific.

@Nick D.

Didnt you have a road rage incident on the hot metal bridge with a sporty silver/gray car trying to kill you? Could this be the same perp? I'd call it in to the TIP line. Even if it's not the same guy, maybe the cops showing up to that a-hole's door asking about an attempted homicide will make him think twice before pulling the shit he did to you.

I thought Nick's guy drove a Civic.

http://www.inpax.net/default.html

This incident makes me mad, sad, and angry. What a disgusting and arrogant act! It feels like an extension of the US torture culture endorsed by our government and military leadership (across both major parties).

We are lucky that most people still hold themselves and each other in higher regard.

Wishing us all the safe and undisturbed rides we need and deserve.

+1 Pseudacris

This incident really has me saddened and disturbed.

Now about that massive campaign to talk some sense into drivers.... (h/t JulieB)

At what point do "we" declare there's a Driver-On-Bicyclist Violence problem in Pittsburgh? Call attention to it, generate media, make a Big Thing about Driver Violence?

If we don't, who will? How many does it take?

There are answers. We can address this. It takes action by the (political) District Attorney's office - in other words, pressing charges aggressively, seeking convictions with significant penalties and time.

But if the DAs aren't charging all the violations of the law they can (cue: 4 foot rule, hit-and-run law, etc) then nothing will change. We need perp walks and convictions with major time.

New York City, for instance, has completely changed their gun culture. "Get caught with a gun, go to jail" and they mean it and it happens.

The biggest challenge is getting the power brokers to decide to fix it. The techniques are available.

sidebar: by the way, who's out there searching for the slasher? Pittsburgh Police. (related)

*resolves to have that helmet cam attached to me, one way or another, before the weekend is out*

@Vannevar together with Lou F. i'm addressing this stuff with my students in a sociology class. It's a class. It's school. But, it's the one place where I do have a captive audience; where several of us can talk about what it means to us, and what it feels like when cyclists are threatened and/or harmed, physically AND emotionally. And, where some of the inane things that people believe about cyclists will no doubt come out and be voiced. We're addressing the issue(s) as a social justice issue, and my hope is that we can engage in a real dialogue about the issues, and not turn it into a proselytizing or debate scene. I'm not involved in government or the police. But I am trying to do what I can where I am involved. Seems that many on this discussion board are doing this. Thank you to everyone. It doesn't help when we're out there being stabbed by some crazy, enraged human being. But, it does help knowing that we have this community, on the message board and out on the streets. Just my thoughts tonight.

@JulieB, I really admire that. I worked for a while in a career that people thought was "really stressful", but I always thought that being a teacher was the most stressful gig there is. (followed immediately by the health care professions) I couldn't do it.

I've been sick about this all afternoon. Seems to me that these psychos have taken note that if you hit and run in Pittsburgh, you're probably going to get away with it. The city needs to go all out to track these scumbags down and bring the full force of the law down on them.

And I'm starting to think that all the losers at the P-G and in real life who "joke" about running down people on bikes are accomplices, morally if not legally.

Healing thoughts to the victim.

The news does seem to have good coverage of any events involving cyclists this summer. While I agree that this is a problem for vulnerable cyclists, the media needs to make a big deal about cars hitting cars.. Or anything involving vehicles and unnecessary death. It seems like most of these things are preventable even if they are "accidents" or Something as a result of an aggressive, crazy, pissed of motorist.

@vannevar lots of stessful jobs out there. More stressful however when people aren't talking. People start joking about treating people badly (ie @joanne) then turn to stabbing people! This is truly sickening. And if i can get even one 18 year old to see this inanity and insanity...well, at least that's one. Thanks a bunch!

There are all these statistics about how, when there more cyclists on the road, cyclists in general are safer.

I have a theory that this isn't a smooth linear plot. I suspect that there's a phase change of sorts that has to go on, wherein drivers go from thinking "there are never cyclists on the road" to thinking "there are cyclists all over the place." Once drivers are generally in the second mode, cyclists are generally safer.

I think we're in the middle of that phase change. There are a lot more cyclists on the road but drivers are slower to learn that we're out there. Another few (months|years) of higher cyclist traffic and drivers will know how to coexist.

OK I have to admit that my theory has some holes in it. It doesn't explain INSANE KNIFE-WIELDING PSYCHOPATHS, for instance.

I want the mayor + police chief to have a press conference where they demand that the attacks with cars and knives , and the verbal assaults on cyclists STOP. , or else.

People seem to do whatever they want when they drive, whether it is dangerous behavior, harassing or intimidating others, etc. I think they have a feeling that they won't get caught or that they are protected in their cage and are somehow anonymous and can just speed off. I wish that the police would enforce laws more often. I know that they can't be everywhere at once, but I don't see why they don't bust people and make easy money. I never see cops sitting at 4 way intersections. Most drivers roll stop signs. That is dangerous and even that isn't enforced. A less dangerous thing, but easy money, would be to ticket cars parked facing the wrong direction. When little things like this aren't even enforced, people take the more serious, more dangerous things not seriously either.

A question- if someone buzzes you, I know it is probably not legal to take a ulock to their vehicle. It is not a nice thing to do in return anyway. But when does that become a self defense thing? I know that I feel like my life is in danger when A car passes me at speed within a foot.

You could probably shoot them under the castle doctrine but you'd do time for using the u lock.

paging edgar snyder?

You may not want to defend yourself from a driver and passenger that gets out of their car and comes after with your lock. Unless you have the money to defend yourself in court. I'm learning this the hard way

Yeah I know. But it makes you wonder where the line is. Can a vehicle be considered a weapon? How about if that vehicle clearly buzzes you on purpose (as in th driver swerves closer to a cyclist on purpose)? There are lots of objects that can cause harm to another person.. Does it have to be a gun or knife? I remember going to concerts and being told that wallet chains could be a weapon. Sorry. This is getting a bit off topic, but really, what can you do legally if someone has intention of or threatens to cause bodily harm?

The victim of yet another senseless act is Colin Albright. He works at Pro Bikes in Squirrel Hill. New article up on Post Gazette: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/s-side-bicyclist-stabbed-in-road-rage-incident-652272/

Sounds like as unlikely a victim/target as any out there.

I do not think it would be a waste of time to dig back through the online news articles about cyclists, and make a list of names of those who have made threatening comments.

A vehicle could definitely be considered a weapon. I think you'd have a very hard time proving that it was an act of self-defense because for it to be self-defense I believe you'd have to prove the driver was doing this with malicious intent. And given the way shit like this goes in PGH all they would have to say is they looked down to turn up the Penguins game and swerved at you on accident.

PA has both a castle doctrine and a stand-your-ground provision.

The problem with a vehicle as a weapon is that you are a good lawyer away from a "stuck gas pedal." Have a plan now, stick to it.

I know very well about the castle dosctrine. Just because you feel threatened isn't going to cut it. You have to prove that you're life was in danger and you were therefore justified in use of deadly force. Note: It says DEADLY force. If you attempt to just injure someone you will likely not be protected and can still face civil/legal repercussions.

I carry pepper spray, since I got punched off my bike in Wilkinsburg. I figure it might come in handy if I get stopped by a person or a dog. But I doubt any kind of weapon would have been much use in this situation. It sounds like Mr. Albright was higher on the steps than the motorist, carrying his bike, and if he knew the motorist was coming at him with a knife he could have turned and at least fended him off. Most likely he didn't realize what was happening until after he was stabbed. The problem in a situation like this is the victim has no idea of what is about to happen, while the perpetrator knows it exactly.

My thoughts are with Mr. Albright. Best wishes for a fast and complete recovery.

It might just be my browser, but it seems like the P-G coverage has reader comments suppressed.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/s-side-bicyclist-stabbed-in-road-rage-incident-652272/

Not sure about that. You are protected, as explained to me by an attorney, in the act of defending yourself. That means stopping bad things from happening. It is my understanding that if someone is under attack or rape and they gouge out the guys eyes with a spoon because that is all they have they are still protected from civil lawsuits from the rapist. If the rapist then dies the family cannot sue the real victim either.

Previously the woman who the bad guy was trying to rape was not protected from a civil suit and good people have been sued this way.

@Jonaweb: Most likely. People are entirely too oblivious to their surroundings. Pair that with the action/reaction gap favoring the criminal and someone who is task fixated is an easy target. That is why ATM's and people near their vehicles are favored targets. They simply don't care.

The often repeated interviews of criminals viewing video footage and selecting their next victim shows this. Simply being observant and aware is one of the best things to do.

From this what people should try to do is when they stop have an "escape route" or plan of action for when something bad happens. If a car can't stop, if someone gets out and tries to go after you, just have a place to go. This might mean altering, slightly, where you stop. No big deal. Have your house keys ready to go.

Does it say "deadly force?"

§ 505. Use of force in self-protection.

(a) Use of force justifiable for protection of the person.--The use of force upon or toward another person is justifiable when the actor believes that such force is immediately necessary for the purpose of protecting himself against the use of unlawful force by such other person on the present occasion.

Further down, it actually defines when deadly force may or may not be permitted. IANAL, but my reading of this seems to limit deadly force to "castle" portion, and not the stand-your-ground portion?

Up to deadly force is permitted anywhere you are legally allowed to be.

U-locks, if properly wielded, seem like they could be used in good defense against a human - the physics works.

As far as I can think and do the physics though, there is no weapon that a cyclist can carry to provide good self defense against a motor vehicle. Escape and avoidance seem to be the only options if a driver uses his vehicle as a weapon against a comparably unarmed cyclist.

When these psychopaths get out of their cars, they actually are evening the playing field (relatively).

I'm hoping, from the description of the car as being the same one, that means they've found video and are in the process of identifying the car and locating the driver. Is it too much to hope for a pending arrest?

The Trib has a better article than the PG. It actually describes the suspect, so pass it around, etc...

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/2553129-74/albright-police-car-cowan-cyclist-throat-bicyclist-bikes-neck-road#axzz25iDjA44n

Ahh guilty of just thinking in terms of firearms when discussing castle doctrine. The way it was explained to me is that if I feel threatened and intentionally shoot the person in the knee cap it might not be protected.

So the only small 2-door Mercury I know of is the Cougar? They stopped making them in 2002. Should be pretty easy to find, they never sold well to begin with and like all Fords from that era, fall apart rather quickly.

@Alan, thanks for posting the Trib link.

@boostuv

In the past that was the line of thought. Currently you are allowed to defend yourself anywhere you are legally allowed to be with whatever means necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm.

I am 5'6". In the past if I walked down Carson Street on a Friday night and wore the wrong teams shirt and was challenged by a 6'6" drunk man who was furious my only option would have been to leave unless cornered with no means of escape. Now if he pushes me to the ground I can legally defend myself and am not required to have no other option. I can stand my ground so to speak. Fear for my life or bodily harm is subject to some interpretation though.

The popular opinion is that with CD/SYG people can just go out and blast away, not the case. Do stupid shit and you go to jail.

Now for the popular "swing a u-lock at them" scenario. I agree, a 12" steel bar with a handle is great if it can be deployed. Say you are at an intersection and a passenger gets out and tries to attack you. Previously your option would have been to get hit or ride off. Now you are not obligated to ride off, you can swing your lock at the attacker.

KDKA has great coverage (watch the video)

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/09/06/bicyclist-stabbed-in-apparent-road-rage-incident/

It's amazing how far up the steps he was when he was attacked. This is so F'd up.

“He may have inadvertently cut off a motor vehicle in traffic,” Lt. Kraus said.

What a load of BS. While that may have been the case why even try to blame anything at all on the guy who got stabbed and was not fucking crazy?

orionz - because if they can't explain it, it can happen any time, with out warning, to anybody. the same reason any victim blaming happens, fear.

most of the articles I've read don't allow for much of that though, I'm surprised they went there in this one. I guess they're trying to tell "the whole story", though their efforts would be better served delving in to the reasons our society thinks death by motor-vehicle driver actions are inevitable.

At least the coverage is not getting into the "was he wearing a helmet?" territory.

@ Orion

I understand that. But the way a lawyer had had explained it to me is that shooting someone in the knee intentionally is not a shoot to kill shot which is what the castle doctrine covers.

@Boostuv

Not really sure on that. Without getting into more than I have to you don't shoot/react with intent to injure.

If I have to use my gun or any other weapon in self defense it will not be with the intent to kill or injure, it will be with the intent to stop whatever act is happening. Injury or death to me is a byproduct of the actions I wish to stop and injury or death may be a byproduct of my response. You should wish to kill or injure no one but never place the value of a criminals life above yours.

Not sure if that is too ambiguous or not.

In most cases here a U-lock to the knee won't do much, a U-lock to the face is an effective stopper. It is also easy to give a deadly blow with.

Ok, I'll throw caution to the wind here.

Would Colin NOT have possibly and indavertantly cut off a driver as he made the transition from Hot Metal Bridge to Water Street if he could have stayed on the sidewalk/trail that extra half block as he made his way around the AE corner?

I just know I am going to regret even bringing this up, but something in the back of my mind is shouting "maybe....."

PG updated, too.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburgh-police-offer-description-of-south-side-bicyclists-attacker-652299/

Ok Swalfoort I’ll bite. If he stayed home from work that day he wouldn’t have been attacked either. Yeah I know that’s not what you meant…

There is the new trail section behind AE, so I think those that ride on the sidewalk in front of AE are showing poor form- if you’re not comfortable riding in the street please use the trail. That being said, that is a dangerous intersection of cars/bikes/pedestrians that could be made much safer by not allowing cars coming off the bridge to turn right onto Water Street.

@Marko: Thanks for reminding me that the trail segment is finished--I've been home that way recently, and while I'm perfectly comfortable transitioning from street to sidewalk at the intersection (during rush hour, that intersection is pretty well grid-locked), it'd be nice to avoid it entirely.

Sarah, there are signs saying something like "bicycles are not allowed on sidewalk". So one has to cross the road or stay on the road.

Btw does anyone know how Colin is doing today?

I just visited with Colin this morning. He's doing pretty well considering he was nearly murdered. By "cut him off" all he meant was due to using the pedestrian infrastructure mixed with the green light on Water St he was able to go from the bridge onto water and turn right to continue south on Hot Metal Street on a yellow light. The motorist (if it was indeed his attacker) was at the red light waiting for it to turn green. He DID NOT cut him off any more than any vehicle turning right would have cut anyone off going straight. All he did was turn right and ended up in front of the car that moments later got a green light.

Sarah, there are signs saying something like "bicycles are not allowed on sidewalk". So one has to cross the road or stay on the road. (Mikhail)

IANA-Militant, but I've always thought those signs have no authority. So somebody printed up a sign. BFD.

To paraphrase a sage, if I posted signs that said Vannevar is the Queen of England, would it be true?

There's no municipality or authority named on those signs. I think it's just a sign that AE wanted to put up because they didn't like bikes on "their" sidewalk - which is, by the way, a public sidewalk that they have no right to restrict.

I don't know that that little sign has any authority or sway over me.

Would be kind of interesting if that made AE a party to the downstream litigation. Just karma for making up your own rules and imposing them on others.

Sorry, totally unrelated to the tragedy at hand. Look, a squirrel!

Uh, there was Nick D's awful not-so-long-ago experience with a small silver coupe:

"The driver was a 20-something white male, muscular build, very short hair, sleeveless shirt--many would consider him a "meat head".

The car was a 6th gen Honda Civic coupe (1996-2000), silver, license plate: HVM-2878. The photo below shows the car at the intersection at the bottom of Greenfield at Saline/Irvine. It has been enhanced to show what little detail is available."

http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/warning-extremely-agressive-driver

top the AE thread if anyone else wants to talk about that, this isn't the place.

seriously. we have no idea if that intersection even has anything to do with this case. in fact i'll just do it because i hate those signs and i want to complain about them.

the last thing we want to do as a community is talk about that intersection, we have no idea if that car has anything to do with what happened, and even if it did Colin said he didn't do anything out of the ordinary there. This was a random crime that had nothing to do with anything but Colin being in the wrong place at the wrong time. to me this is very suspiciously similar to gang initiation violence, unless Colin had some back and forth with these people (which it seems like he didn't) it seems to me this was a group of people who were motivated and prepared to hurt or kill someone and it just happened to be a cyclist. whether or not he did something on his bike to provoke this doesn't matter, it's totally irrelevant. Colin was stalked until he was isolated, run down, and then someone tried to murder him.

^agreed. Thanks for finding that thread edmonds, that's the incident I was thinking about.

EDIT: added pictures of vehicles

2000 Honda

2000 Cougar

I think we should add Scott's post about Colin to the good news thread. He is alive, and able to talk to a visitor. That is the best news I've heard all week.

from scott's description above, I'm not sure "cut off" could actually be applied. If a car does not have legal permission to move, how can one cut off that car through any actions? "Happen to be in front of" seems like a more accurate description.

I think Colin's improvement is indeed the Best News yet.

I don't know if anyone else has sent in a tip to the homicide detectives yet, but I just sent them to the Nick D story mentioned above. Same general location, similar descriptions. I'll let them decide if it's worth checking out.

thank you stan, I was just about to ask if anybody'd followed up. paging Nick?

yeah, I just re-read Nick's post and the incidents, location & descriptions are chillingly similar.

ya, originally when I read "clean shaven" in the description i assumed it also meant a shaven head, not that hair doesn't grow, but the lack of hair color made me assume he had a clean shaven head as well

Just the possibility that the board might aid in the apprehension of this human piece of filth has my spine all tingly.

If you can find a stolen bike via the internets, hopefully you can nail a psycho.

Go, cops, go.

It does sound a lot alike. Thanks for reporting it. Hopefully they take it seriously given Nick captured the plate #.

If anyone knows NickD and can ask him to check his messages here, that would be awesome. The Detective wants to talk to him about his incident. I have the contact information and sent it through private message on the boards... (I Don't know how that works. I only ever read the boards, never contribute)

@Stan

The PMs are sometimes flakey -

Check your outbox. If the "TO:" area is blank, it didn't go through.

I'll let him know

ETA: the trick to getting PMs to work seems to be clicking the "private message" link where it appears on a post someone has made, not the link from the person's account profile page

Cool. Thanks for the Tip. I checked my outbox and it looks as if the (TO) address is filled out. If for some reason, he doesn't get it or sees this. sshivell -at- gmail.com and I'll get the information that way.

Just to let everyone know, I did talk to the investigator about my incident a few months ago as well as the more recent one with Colin.

I'm not at liberty to say much more, but I will say that it seems the police are taking this investigation very seriously.

Thanks for the update Nick. I probably should have PM'ed you before posting.

Iron City Bikes are having a fundraiser raffle for Colin next Saturday at OTB. Details via Twitter:

@ironcitybikes: Throwing a raffle fundraiser for our friend, Colin Albright. Saturday, the 15th @otbbicyclecafe from 5-10pm. All money helps Colin recover!

@ironcitybikes: Top prize is a KHS aflight 100 from us. Other prizes are from @FatHeadsPGH @cwpress @otbbicyclecafe THICK, In the Blood Tattoo and much more

I'll of course be working during this, does anyone know if there is a way i can purchase raffle tickets before this benefit starts?

well, there's this:

a5> @BikePGH if people want to donate to the fundraiser, but can't make it. Can we set something up to where people can send donations to you?

h5> <@BikePGH> @ironcitybikes sure! it's easy. just click "donate" on our site, and then in the description type "Colin's fund"

(I am of course not affiliated with either ICB or BP, just passing the notes. I did ask if you can buy tickets in advance; I'll update if I get a response.)

Can we get some clarification on the instructions from the BP folks?

The Donate button goes to another page, from there you click on the "Click to Donate" banner but I don't see any obvious place to enter "Colin's fund". After you enter the amount there's an option to make a gift, but that requires an email address.

PGH police released a sketch of the assailant.

I'm hoping making the image a bit more accessible will help identify him. This is the guy who stabbed and nearly killed Colin Albright as he climbed the Josephine Street steps last Wednesday around 10:50 pm:



If you recognize this person contact the Pittsburgh police at 412-323-7161.

City Paper not only actually bothered to include the image in their post, they also included surveillance video from the steps.

FWIW, the image is there on the PG article, it's just completely non-obviously buried under "related media". No video though.

Anyways, that is totally f'd up... I assume that's edited and the attack took longer than 5 seconds? I really hope they get the prick.

On the vieo, what's most disturbing to me is 0:26- 0:30. The guy is bouncing to his car is a "Oh my gosh, that was fun!" kind of way.

MAN that sketch looks familiar, like I've seen that guy before! I wish I knew where/when though.

That's the first time I've ever said that about a police sketch as well. I'll remember that if I see a guy who looks like that on the street though...

You can see the video flash where they most likely edited it.

that video is horrifying.

Chilling is how I described it.

That video gave me the creeps.... I mean! The way he just strolls down the stairs -he just stabbed a man in the neck!!!

Horrible, horrible

He didn't even feel the need to RUN. Makes me wonder--how many times has he done this before?

between the cameras along carson and the hot metal bridge, as well as, the penndot traffic cameras, I cannot believe "they" couldn't release more information.

if they cant parse the data, then they should allow us.

Is it possible they have a positive ID, and are redacting info released to the public so we don't screw up their prosecution?

If this is indeed the same guy Nick ran into, and possibly also greasefoot (in the same thread), then this guy has been a walking/driving dynamite keg, and now that they have a good chance of nailing this guy, they don't want well-meaning vigilantes "helping".

It would be great if it turned out to be the same guy. But more likely not. There are lots of nuts out there, but few of them are cold blooded murderers.

I can't seem to get the video to play. it's just a big black box on the youtube page, no play button or anything.

do other youtube videos work? if not, try a different browser

I just got around to reading the article. That video is really disturbing. But, what struck me most was the 5:59 update that any information on this incident or this thug should be called in to Pgh HOMICIDE. We know Colin went home today, do is generally ok. What elevates it to homicide division? Deadly force? Attempted murder? Anyone have any ideas?

How many divisions does PBP have? It's worth a detective, but it's not a sex crime, a property crime, or a drug crime--so it's not the rape detectives, Robbery Div., or Narcotics. It's probably a case of 'nearest fit'.

(ed.: the Investigations Branch phone list shows more squads than I'd initially thought of, but still none this fits into better than Homicide...

ps., is it just me or is it weird Arson is the only one with its own email link?)

Helmet cam footage would be valuable considering the basically useless alternative.

If he picked up and threw Colin's bike after knifing him, presumably there would be fingerprints on the bike. I would expect the Homicide division would be able to trace prints via some database.

Someone told me that it can take 6 months to find a fingerprint match. It isn't instant like CSI.

Depends on the city and concern. I had a vehicle broken into in Erie and they had 3 sets of prints found and all three had hits within an hour of them leaving my apartment.

I sat on a jury trial where finger prints were a big part of the case. The expert told us they are VERY hard to lift off a surface unless it is clean and smooth, like a window. Almost all other surfaces are near impossible to get a usable print. I guess real life is a little different that TV.

Anyway, I hope they catch this jerk before he does this again....how many 2002 Mercury Cougars can their be in Pittsburgh?

I know I have seen at least one in the past 6 months on the road.. No issues at that time, and it was before this happened. But I remember this because I had thought to myself "cougars are still around?".. And well I snickered at what the term cougar means now.

A lot of people I work with seem to be concerned about my safety and that of other cyclists. Unfortunately, it takes something like this happening. I also noticed that I have been getting more room from motorists.

I was watching yesterday and didn't see a Cougar at all (the car, I mean) so that would appear to be a fairly good clue, if it can be relied on. But I don't know how good the vehicle identification was.

Honest to god Stef I said the same thing a few weeks ago when I saw one. The wife and I were out and she asked what it was.

@CPollack and others unable to make it to OTB Saturday evening: You can now buy raffle tickets at Iron City.

@ironcitybikes

The raffle buckets are up! If you can't make the event, stop in to the shop and buy some tickets! $5=1tix $20=6tix http://pic.twitter.com/HugUKfi8

I see cougars all the time @ work, but they aren't the one ya'll are referring too.

Driving the parkway then turnpike today, i found myself studying grey sedans. No cougar sightings.

Cougars are coupes.

I know, semantics.

thank you rice rocket, I thought I was missing something!

If cougars really are that rare, it may be a red herring of sorts. Unless it's not even a PA registered car. Crazies come from all 50 states, and some Canadian provences too.

Any update on Colin? Heard he was back home, but haven't heard much else.

I understand the diff between a sedan and a hatch. Never really understood what a 'coupe' is. My ignorance at fault, but sincere thanks for tge correction. I want people who know cars to be on the alert for the right vehicle, so i should use the right terms.

Colin is out of the hospital and doing amazingly well despite his severe injuries. He wants to come back to work hopefully in a few weeks. More than anything he wants people to not be afraid of cycling or let what happened to him make anyone scared.

I understand the diff between a sedan and a hatch. Never really understood what a 'coupe' is. My ignorance at fault, but sincere thanks for tge correction. I want people who know cars to be on the alert for the right vehicle, so i should use the right terms.

Biking home this evening, I glanced at every used car lot and every auto repair shop to see if they had or were working on a car that fit the description. Wouldn't surprise me at all if he's either unloading the car or "Hey I've always wanted a red car" or some such. Didn't see one.

Just like there are junk dealers that will take municipal storm sewer grates, I'm sure there are body shops that will redo your car however you like, no questions asked. Or maybe I watched too many cop shows when I was a kid.

Coupe *usually* means two doors.

However, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, etc. started making 4 door coupes, which stylistically means the roof impedes on the rear passenger headroom.

And you if REALLY want to nerd it out...

SAE standard J1100 defines a coupé as a fixed-roof automobile with less than 33 cubic feet (930 L) of rear interior volume. A car with a greater interior volume is technically a two-door sedan, not a coupé, even if it has only two doors.

Most of the news stories I've seen have referred to the car in question as a "two-door sedan". It was several of the first few questions on the original PG story, I think. As I said there, I think they were trying to make sure people weren't looking for a sports-car type thing.

BTW the City Paper story says they're looking for a "small possibly silver or charcoal sedan similar to a 2002 Mercury Sedan like this:



The City Paper story doesn't positively identify the vehicle as a Mercury Cougar. So much for that clue.

@ Jonawebb similar to a 2002 Mercury Sedan

Indeed. And there are a helluva lotta cars "similar" to that one.

wow, so a coupe is really defined by its uncomfortableness. I always suspected passengers got the shaft, but never knew it was actually codified by the industry.

Good to know he's doing better and in good spirits, thank you for the update.

2002 Cougar has a strikingly similar body shape to newer Mitsubishi Eclipse, IMO

Now that you mention it, it does kinda.

A few months ago, I was at an event at OTB. I forget what, and can't even place the date anymore, but it was shortly after the onstreet corral opened.

I pulled out of the bike corral heading upriver on Carson and at 26th or the next light pulled up behind a silver car. I don't recall any specifics beyond that it was silver and had a pair of white mid-20s meatheads in the front; I don't think it was a Civic like Nick's incident, but it might've been an Eclipse. Driver apparently didn't like my headlight or perhaps just the fact I was in front of him. At the first light, he kept looking up in his mirror at me, and I could see him saying something to the passenger, but I couldn't hear what. At the first light he pulled out fairly slowly, then hit the gas, but the next light was already red, so I pulled up behind him again.

There were a couple other cars in front of him at the next light. When it turned green, he let them all go, then pulled up a little bit, then stopped short. Pulled up a little bit further, then stopped short again---like he was trying to somehow trick me into rear-ending him. Then just before the light started to go yellow, he stomped on the gas and raced the next couple blocks, then turned left on to Hot Metal. I entertained a brief fantasy of catching up to him yet again at one of the lights before the bridge, but it's probably for the best I didn't see him again.

Collin spoke at my church on Sunday. Pretty good stuff. Collin starts at 2:30

MP3 audio

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/lnv0eip0r97b0zx/9-16-2012%28Colin%20Message-1st%20service%29.mp3?m

that was nice, everyone who feels like this has affected their mindset about cycling (I don't feel this way, but it seems like lots of people do) should listen to it.

Anybody know a recent update on Collin's status? Is he back at work, up and about, still recovering, any permanent injury? This came up in conversation today and I'd like to ask. TIA, V.

Via the PG's traffic reporter, Jon Schmitz:

#Pittsburgh police have made an arrest in throat-slashing of a bicyclist on S Side in September. More later at http://post-gazette.com .

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/police-make-arrest-in-bicyclist-stabbing-659176/

Suuuuuch good news. Very interested to hear more details.

Also, @Vannevar, I see no one ever responded to your question about Colin — I don't know him and don't really know anything, but a couple of weeks ago, I did at least hear that he was back at work at Pro Bikes, which seemed like a good sign

Good.

Always a good thing to let them know when they've done something well. Hope this individual goes away for a very long time.

http://www.pittsburghpa.gov/police/contacts

Via City Paper's Lauren Daley, he was already in AC Jail for trying to burn down his stepfather's house a couple weeks ago: http://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2012/10/25/arrest-made-in-south-side-cyclist-attack

Interestingly, though there were a couple initially, the PG has apparently shut down the comment thread on the article since updating it.

Cripes. That man is not right. From the linked article, the guy tried to burn down his stepfather's home because he thought his dad was going to kill him and feed him to his pet alligator.

Man...

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/criminal-complaint-man-21-tried-burn-step-fathers-/nSZ3y/

It's interesting that one of Scholl's friends claims that he never got into trouble. Scholl has a fairly extensive criminal history, dating back to a simple assault charge in 2009.

In June, Sholl was charged with a number of serious firearms-related offenses (listed below), including altering the serial number of a weapon.

This guy sounds like the proverbial ticking bomb.

1 18 § 6111 §§ G4II F3 Makes Any Materially False Written Statement

2 18 § 6110.2 §§ A F2 Posses Firearm W/Manufacturer Number Altered, Etc

3 18 § 6117 §§ A F2 Alter/Obliterate Mark Of Identification

4 18 § 908 §§ A M1 Make Repairs/Sell/Etc Offens Weap

"When questioned, the alligator said he was determined to take a bite out of crime"

This almost goes without saying but it sounds like Scholl has a serious mental health issue. I hope he gets help in jail. Scary.

@Pearmask, I went and got to meet Colin last week. I was riding in SqHill w/ SR and stopped in ProBikes just to ask about his status, fellow at the counter said "go back and ask him". So we poked our heads into the back where he was wrenching.

What a very nice gentleman, clearly his faith is strong and his perspective mature, I kind of felt like a puerile Chav slug in contrast.

The scars are kind of horrific. The neck looks much better than the 1st-day photo, the back of the head still looks awful rough.

He's doing physical therapy three times a week. He's just about regained almost a full range of motion in the right arm; not much strength there yet, but at least the range of motion is returning. The capabilities of modern medicine are remarkable compared to even just twenty years ago.

He has a good sense of humor. He said, he's going to parent-teacher night when his kids get older and when the other parents and the staff get a look at his scars, nobody's going to mess with his kid.

Colin is a remarkable man.