Attacks on cyclists in the area

[xuth.livejournal.com]

About an hour ago a friend of mine was pelted with eggs and beer cans while riding her bicycle on Boston Ave. While this isn't specifically Davis Square, this sort of thing has happened to me and several of my friends in this area over the past couple of years, typically at night but not exclusively. Usually it's just eggs (but even those can do damage or cause you to wreck) but I've second hand knowledge of significantly worse.

So among other things, this is a warning to cyclists in the area.

But I wonder if people can do things about this.



I'm guessing that if people were to call the police immediately after this happened there would be a decent chance of the perpetrators getting caught. Especially if they're in a car that can be described. But normally people wait until they get home and are less wound up before calling the police at which point the people involved are typically long gone.

There are many really cheap digital video cameras around, some are even waterproof, that can be attached to a bicycle or helmet. It might be worth doing so.

Anybody else have any ideas?

Comments

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

Oh, if only that were true. Worked in a Fundie summer camp. Way too big on the forgiveness thing.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Maybe that's how they lure you in as a kid. Make you think that they will forgive you, so that you're more likely to do something really sinful and they can guilt trip you into pledging all your money to clear your name from God's shit list.

Funny, that's the same thing that most government courts do, too...

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

You have no idea just how much you and Christian fundies have in common. Modern protestant fundies are methodists who allowed themselves to be influenced by the same pop-psych nonsense you bought in secular packaging.

[turil.livejournal.com]

If my theories of psychology were popular, there wouldn't be so many problems in the world. Alas, real healthy, scientific, rational psychology is rare and unpopular. There simply isn't any money in it, and so it's up to those who don't care about money to do the research. Though I imagine that some religious folk are indeed aware of the need for real healing, as opposed to allowing oneself to be subjected to authoritarian control in the hopes that God, or his buddies will take care of them.

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

You know, I really think you need some help. Your assumptions seem to stem from part socialism (and not always the good kind, more like a true nanny state where you know better than all) to the somewhat Ayn Randian "oh whoa is me I'm so misunderstood" mantra. I also don't think you get the whole you need to take responsibility for your own actions (or inactions). The government has its place - its place is to provide you with a helping hand when you need it, help ensure the safety of the air we breathe, the water we drink et al but it is not there to provide for all your basic necessities. Its also there to ensure health care (< tangent > though you still need to pay for it. Consider this a plug for single payer with option insurance. < / tangent >). I think the fact that I see you going between those two extremes explains why you can't explain your position

If something doesn't cost you, you don't value it and from your posts here, and in other areas, its clear you are missing that basic idea. So getting off the couch and say getting a catering job to make ends meat is something that provides more than just the bare needs (shelter, clothing, food) but it also provides some degree of accomplishment and self worth. You may not like the job, but its still a job. You may have reasons you won't do it, but at the end of the day that is fully your choice to make. Just like its your choice to drive a car, or a bike, or not wear a jacket in the winter, etc. The state isn't supposed to save you from stupid choices. It supposed to make you well informed and we could argue a failure there (pretty easily sadly). You don't want to work, hey fine. Hope you have a good tent.

Finally, as for the original post's topic: sometimes people are just schmucks. For all you know, these could be Tufts or Harvard kids being jerks (note, I am a Tufts Alum so I feel I can rag on my school). Or it could be some prep kid, or some person fed up with their 'hood changing - or pretty much *anyone*. Also sometimes people don't need to heal, they need to be punished. Sometimes the road to hell really is paved with good intentions. In fact, one could argue most of the time.