| Washington motorist oints handgun at cyclist...
My name is Tim Ellis and I have been a competitive cyclist for nearly 15 years and what I am about to tell you is very serious and is not a joke or hearsay. Please forward this email to any website, blog, bulletin board or other publication as you see fit.
On Sunday, July 22, 2007 at approximately 8:30pm, I was riding by myself in the bike lane near the “Cannery” Furniture Store in Sumner Washington. I heard a racing engine behind me and I turned to see a small white car approaching me at a high rate of speed. The stop sign was only 40 meters ahead so I knew he was going to cut me off, and he didn’t disappoint. He was making a right turn, maybe heading toward Pacific or Auburn and I was heading straight on West Valley. I was kind of pissed off that he cut me off and said to him, “wow that accomplished a lot” as I proceeded past him and towards the stop sign. He was stuck behind a couple of cars, but I was able to proceed through the stop sign. Pissed off that I ignored his ranting, he cut off a car and flew through the stop sign. He drove next to me yelling at me the whole time, I laughed and told him to buzz off and to start respecting cyclists. He drove ahead at a high rate of speed and pulled over at the 167 over pass area and flagged me down to ostensibly have a brawl. Of course, I passed him by and told him to go home. He got back in his car and was driving next to me telling me how he was going to give me a beat down, blah, blah, blah. After riding on rural roads for 20 years I’ve heard all the threats and generally they get it out of their system and move down the road with a flip of the finger.
Not this guy! When I told him to beat it, he pulled out a large caliber pistol, ****ed it and pointed it right at my head. I was so shocked to be staring down at the barrel of a gun that as he pointed the pistol at me, my only reaction was to slam the breaks and try to lay the bike down. I am not sure what happen after that, my adrenalin began the fight or flight numbing process of my brain. I don’t know if he actually pulled the trigger; I don’t think he did. The people who let me in their house as I was calling 911 said they didn’t hear a shot, the good Samaritan in this house is a retired cop from Alabama; so hopefully a credible source.
Anyway, I was able to get the **** head’s plate number and a very, very good look at him. He is a white male possibly Italian or Latino approximately 5’-11”-6’1”, he is in his mid to late 20’s and he was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans with a black baseball cap. The cap had a white stitched “Hurley” name brand trade mark “H” on the front of the hat. Hurley’s design looks exactly like this )( He has no or minimal facial hair and I noticed shorter possibly buzzed, dark colored hair under his cap. He is thin and his face is sort of sunken and gaunt and he comes off like a real punk. The license plate number is Washington 499-uti but the police said that number is registered to an out of state rental car company so either I screwed it up in my haze of fear or it was a stolen plate. I could not see a make or model on the car he is driving but it appeared to be a late model non-descript white “Toyota Camry style” car that had no other significant markings.
Please be careful!
This guy is for real; I could see it in his eyes. He is probably a career criminal and/or a gang banger or want-to-be suburban gang banger. Do not confront him! If you notice this plate on a white car, or if someone with his description or car style is trying to egg you on turn around and call the cops. I told the cops that if they catch the guy I will fly to Bora if I have to in order to press charges.
The lessons I learned tonight are ride carefully, keep your mouth shut no matter how pissed you are because you could be out gunned….quite literally. If you do get into a confrontation, don’t alter your route onto a more rural road to avoid the jerk. In really serious confrontations, stay calm; memorize every detail of the car and person(s) in the car. Stay on, or find busy roads or find an open business or home. Always pay attention to your surroundings and always, always, always bring your cell phone. It is your only link to the authorities in an instant (well sort of, the closest cop to the scene was at 72nd and Canyon and he never did show up at the scene; I rode home in the dark, scared ****less that the guy was waiting for me down the road). When the cell phone comes out, most of the ass clowns out there stop harassing you because they know you’re dialing 911.
Moral of the story: We are out-sized, out-paced and now, apparently out gunned. Don't mouth off to the car crazed, traffic insensed, couch jockies. They hate cyclists because we are moving faster through traffic, look and feel better and have a higher more productive purpose in life. |