Got freaked out this morning

[Sharla]

Wonder if that other motorist got his number down?
Or anyone else around?

Hire car,
Cops would check those and local gas stations and epos cards used throughout the day by guys matching his description.

The other car didn't hang around long. I suspect it was not occupied by a large guy or someone who felt able to handle themselves physically because it was like "she's not being murdered is she, she got away - good - ok I'm outta here! No I won't go and ask her if she's alright - she's cyling away in a hurry"

It wasn't a hire car. It was old. I suspect he lives here. I never assumed for a second he'd just arrived. His culture is obviously different to mine and I said he may have cultural reasons for being instantly angry at the sight of me before I even saw him. I don't know why that's so hard to believe when I didn't have a chance to do or say anything or even notice his car before he reacted so aggresively just to the sight of me!

I never said he was a terrorist I think I said he could be an extremist or a fundamentalist - I wouldn't think that was the same thing. If it is I used the wrong words for what I was trying to say.

Although while I would say terrorists are definately the very small minority from his instantly angry yet thought out behaviour I wouldn't put it past someone like that to target particular groups of people. He's not setting bombs in buildings but he's stalking and raping women.

Also his attempt at getting me was in a secluded area on a quiet road after driving past yelling loudly, thinking about it and then coming back. He didn't make noise on his way back until I'd seen him and gone off road. He didn't intend to attract attention to himself. He intended to come up behind me quietly. I'm sure with a thought out plan of attack like that he knew what he was doing.

Also if I have to hot foot it away from a guy who apparently fits the description of a rapist and I say I'm freaked out I'm not overreacting!!!!!!!

I'm a transport cyclist - I get hassled on the roads every day and usually don't get freaked out - I can tell the difference between I'm out to scare you for fun because I'm a wanker and I'm going to try to hurt you!

I can't believe how I'm the bad over-reacting, racist one out of this! Of course I was actually there but other people here somehow KNOW better than me that this guy didn't have and opinions he might have been brought up with that caused him to have that unprovoked attitude towards me!

[Julius Rain]

Sharla dear, maybe you should drive from now on. That is scary for a women to go through something like that then later find out a men with similar description fit a men reportedly raped another women. To me a Liar is a lower form of a coward but a rapist now that is just not human. Damned animals and should be treated like animals!

I hope for your safety sharla, hopefully you can figure out a better and safer way. Maybe a tazer can come in handy, or an ice-pick something sharp but small. I prefer you start driving then riding though, its safer and you can hide a little suprise shotgun if another animal comes after you.

[Sharla]

Yes you are right Julius. I really should buy a car soon. I'd rep you for that suggestion but I have to spread it around. I try to catch the bus sometimes but on weekends they don't run as often and there is no bus that travels directly from my house to the gym.

Here we need 50 hours of driving logged as a learner with someone else before we can drive by ourselves. I've got about 15 or 20 hours left but I'm paying to get most of them with an instructor since I don't live with my parents or anyone who can give me lessons regularly - especially since I train most nights and other people in my family fill all their spare time up with sport as well.

I'm thinking about paying someone in my club petrol money to pick me up on weekends to drive me even though it's only a 10 minute cycle away and a really nice suburb!

I don't think it's easy to get a gun here. I thought about knuckle dusters but I still couldn't see me winning an arguement with a car on a bicycle just because I'm wearing knuckle dusters. I might get them for when I'm running on the local jogging tracks though. Maybe I can just leave them on while I run and it'll look like I'm just wearing a lot of jewellery?

I'm wondering if I should also go and warn people at the local tennis courts and the big commercial gym which is just about 500 m down the same road. I often see young tennis players warming up by going for a jog along there. Maybe print out a flyer they can stick on their notice board?

[Julius Rain]

Not a bad idea, they could help. I think it is good to send out the word so others can be aware. Maybe everyone will start to watch eachothers back more. Hopefully things work out best for you.

[Sharla]

Thanks Julius

I'm going to do up a flyer today but I'm not sure of how specific to be. I could just say beware of motorists along that road in general and encourage the teenage tennis players along there to be careful in general and to only run along there in groups carrying a phone etc.

Or I could put out a more specific warning about this guy describing the car and aying he has a 'heavy accent' which is the way the crime watchers report described this guy looking for info from the general public.

I don't think it's neccessary to be specific about what the accent is. If people see his car and he yells at them they'll realise he could be dangerous immediately rather than just some guy being a wanker as he drives past.

For me it's a toss up - warn them about all possible nutters in general or just make sure they pay extra attention to someone matching his description so they are more alert if they see him?

[Julius Rain]

sounds good, description of his car and details about that person will be great but an overall cautious of potential assclowns driving will be fine. I'd go with the description more, so they will pay extra attention. Instead of just thinking yea its just another assclown thinking im a hottie LOL. I think it'll be a good idea to leave out his race, but do give out a clue. Heavy Accent will help, dark hair, beard? dark men, clothes? let the public have a good idea what he looks like. Its best they instantly are aware that a men that fits the description may be dangerous, rather then unaware of what the men looks like and it could result in them being to late to respond or get away when danger those occur.

[Sharla]

sounds good, description of his car and details about that person will be great but an overall cautious of potential assclowns driving will be fine. I'd go with the description more, so they will pay extra attention. Instead of just thinking yea its just another assclown thinking im a hottie LOL. I think it'll be a good idea to leave out his race, but do give out a clue. Heavy Accent will help, dark hair, beard? dark men, clothes? let the public have a good idea what he looks like. Its best they instantly are aware that a men that fits the description may be dangerous, rather then unaware of what the men looks like and it could result in them being to late to respond or get away when danger those occur.

Yeah I think you're right. To be honest his voice was what I noticed more than anything else because he was so instantly angry so I didn't think I'd need to describe more than that and the car. Still he only yelled when he was coming towards me, not when he turned around and tried to come up behind me until I saw him. He might not make any noise when approaching people from behind.

I'm generally thinking it's not a good idea for parents and tennis instructors of those tennis players to let them run down there alone at all anyway though. The more I think about it if I was on foot rather than on the bicycle I could have been in a lot more trouble. That's one of the things that bothers me the most. It's 10 am, daylight in an area parents let their kids run around without supervision all the time.

My flatmate was telling me last night when I got home from training that she saw something on the news about a guy they caught in Adelaide who'd abducted a girl.

He's in critical condition in the hospital because he crashed his car while she was in it and she escaped. That's what I call karma! They didn't give out details of the guy though and the area was a little farther north than I'd expect so odds are it's not the same guy.