I was making my way down Los Feliz to get home in Glendale. as much as I would rather bike in the street I'm just not up to braving Los Feliz blvd during rush hour. So, I take the sidewalk until I pass the 5 Freeway and get back on the street. I just started my new commute so I'm still figuring out what roads to take.
Overall I've had no problems, until Monday night when I got maced by a pedestrian, as if I were doing something to hurt him! He sprayed some aerosol into the air just as I biked through it, before I knew what was happening I had to stop. I couldn't open my eyes, I tried, it just made it worse. I was stuck rubbing my eyes for 5 mins, standing there helpless, on my bike. When I finally recovered, I looked around and he was gone.
When I made it home, I felt like crap. some guy just maced me for no reason and he got away. I figured it was a one time thing so I biked to work again the next day. so as I was coming home from the red line I biked a little slower down Los Feliz, paying attention to all the people, and I saw him again! And he had his aerosol can aimed at me, again! I biked onto the grass to avoid him, while wincing, cause I thought he was gonna spray me again. He yelled to me "GOOD...GOOD" as if I was his trained dog or something, like he was pleased that he had "corrected" me.
Now that I've gotten a good look at him, I've seen him walking on the blvd a few times before, and he usually saying something to me but I've never really heard what he says clearly. So I know what he looks like and I know where he is. so I went to the police Tuesday night and they actually were really supportive. I filed a report against him and I guess they're gonna get detectives on the case and have advised me to try to avoid this guy. so here's hoping they get him.
This guy is a white male, kinda old, in his 50s, has a small limp when he walks and talks to himself. He wears a black baseball cap with a Lion King logo on it (I think the broadway show logo), eyeglasses, salt and pepper beard, short and kinda fat. Dark colored/ black jacket, tan pants and an over-the-shoulder black bag. He walks on the southern side of the sidewalk on Los Feliz Blvd every night heading away from the 5 freeway towards Vermont around 7:30-7:40. He maced me Monday evening at Los Feliz and Rowena and threatened to mace me again Tuesday evening at Los Feliz and Lowery. Wednesday evening biked down the other side of the sidewalk and I spotted him at Los Feliz and Griffith Park Blvd. Thursday evening I camped at a friends house and saw him at Los Feliz and Wayne.
I called the police again on Thursday evening when I saw him walk nearby my friends place and I pretty much told them everything I said here. I've gotten nothing but support from LAPD, although I have yet to hear back from them so I have no idea if they confronted him or what.
If I were in a better state, I would love to illustrate the problems of biking between Los Feliz and Glendale, how there's only a few streets to choose from to get over the LA river, or how it'd be great to have frequent late night Metrolink trains for people that commute later than most people (in the mornings i take metrolink to LAUS and redline it to my job but when i get off work i bearly miss the 7:30 trains back to glendale and would have to wait till 9pm. so i've been biking home from the vermont/sunset station.) but I just want the Los Feliz cyclers to know this guy is out there.
