Used my e-board to escape while being assaulted, TSG Pass saved my head from a few punches too, I owe my safety to a few people on here

General Discussion
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Title is basically it, I was out in Venice Beach shooting with my new Osmo gimbal just enjoying the evening right after sunset. I pull off the bike path for a bit here https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9979674,-118.4833023,3a,75y,172.38h,102t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTWQea0oqQg1Xruc_t2A-oA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Im watching some of the footage when this big dude rolls up to me on a metro bike and starts yelling “look at you pussy ass bitch ■■■■■” and starts saying he’s gonna beat me up, which honestly he probably would have if I didnt have my helmet from the recent @JLabs group buy. This guy just starts throwing punches at my face! I put the visor down and was like, dude knock it off, which incited him to actually get off his bike and start coming at me for real. I stay facing him and pick up my board and remote while he’s punching my helmet and for a split second considered using my board as a self defense weapon (outward-mounted machined aluminum motor mount) https://esk8content.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/uploads/db2454/original/3X/c/7/c71b876e0ddec9f964113e4cd9c7622b0fd2a56c.jpg

but thankfully I was able to actually distance my enough to set my board down on and get a grip on my remote.

I start heading up Barnard Way, which is a pretty long smooth street that I take every day to get to work.

This dude gets back on his bike and ends up following me! I start cautiously gunning up my speed, I dont normally go more than 15mph but this guy was freakin nuts and was seriously trying to catch me and started saying he’s gonna kill me. . I lose him for a bit, then get back on the bike path to get back home and he finds me AGAIN and keeps aggressively shouting that he’s gonna kill me. At this point I floor it and (shout out to Ronin trucks) was able to make a sharp turn down a sidewalk that threw him off for a second, here: https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9963286,-118.4820962,3a,75y,52.72h,97.74t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s_sRjuhigmDWm2W3wkDwVHg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D_sRjuhigmDWm2W3wkDwVHg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D38.327805%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

then I turn around and head back up the bike path to Barnard and turned off of a sidewalk that connects with Main Street. https://www.google.com/maps/@33.998305,-118.4833581,3a,75y,73.83h,89.21t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sjGG1WWUDdX4WYoszKQ8z-A!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DjGG1WWUDdX4WYoszKQ8z-A%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D285.03802%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Main street is not a good street for going fast because of all of the cracks and potholes to I figured that if he could still see me and follow me, I should start going up this big hill https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9995035,-118.4811371,3a,75y,68.55h,104.51t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1sxU8RLL7oXTni2M1z7rQwQA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!9m2!1b1!2i44

because there’s no way he could keep up with me on these hills and it would give me time to breath and think of the fastest/safest way to get home on a Saturday night through Venice, which has some GARBAGE roads for e-boarding. I eventually make it to whats actually one of my favorite restaurants, Cafe Gratitude

, and just hung out there for about an hour while I cooled off and waited for my legs to stop shaking. After I was able to think straight again I headed back home and now here I am. Really freaky night, I feel like I definitely owe my safety and well-being to all things e-board related in that moment.

I attribute every aspect of my safety in that situation to my e-board and also to @JLabs for the generosity with the group buy that finally pushed me to buy a full face helmet and use it for EVERY RIDE. Shout out to @chaka for the invincible VESC that flew my uphill to safety, plus his insane drivetrain for not coming lose like my others routinely do and for handling the wild acceleration I was pulling, AND for the Ronin trucks for not being a wobbly mess at speed and allowing me to confidently maneuver while going ~20mph on some narrow paths.

Just a few weeks ago I didnt have full face protection, my motor mount would NEVER stay in place and was COMPLETELY unreliable, plus going even a little over 15mph on my cheap trucks was horrifying because of speed wobbles. Situation would’ve ended differently had I not recently made the investment in high quality reliable parts.

Im still a bit shook, not sure how to end this, but everybody please take safety seriously! It doesnt matter how “safe” YOU are, its the OTHER people around you need to worry about!

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I remember like maybe 8 years ago there was some longboarder who got assaulted at a skate park by a bunch of skaters there in front of his kids.

He was fully geared up. Helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and wrist guards, but if I recall correctly he still had to go to the hospital to get stitched up.

I can think of one other instance where a person was able to get away safely from some goon thanks to having his board and his safety gear, but I don’t remember any details.

Stuff like this happening isn’t unheard of, but in general I’m definitely a lot more wary of cars than people.

I’d hate to have to try and gun it during such a tense situation, thats the absolute worst mental state for staying on your board, holding your lines, and not getting wobbles.

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You had every right to stand up to him and defend yourself! That’s why it pays to learn some sort of self defence,I was lucky enough that my dad took me to karate at an early age and became a black belt by 14. I get not every one wants to fight or can but that’s the world we live in these days some people just want conflict,glad you were able to get away safely though and had no inflicted injurys that you obviously didnt deserve! Isn’t venice beach renowned for people like this off there heads on drugs?

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This is probably not good advice, but this situation is part of why I carry a sharp knife at all times and ESPECIALLY when out riding. Not that I would necessarily pull it in a conflict, but because I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. But I would cut a bitch

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Pretty sure @b264 mentioned riding with a 9mm.

Was it in the thread about what you do when people ask to ride your board? Maybe.

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I guess he really wanted your expensive looking equipment.

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I agree, im gonna look into knife handling/self defense classes because honestly knowing how i get in those situations. if i had pulled a knife it that situation it might as well have been his!

Ive commuted through this part of Venice for 3 years and havent witnessed ANY violence, but there are for sure a community of druggies but they usually stick to themselves. This guy seemed like he was actually wealthier and just on something like coke or whatever makes some people irrationally angry. He looked very well put together and taken care of besides his insanity. Other parts of Venice are some of my favorite places to be though! Rose Ave and Abbot Kinney are almost daily hangouts for me, first friday was last night with a ton of food trucks and it was a good time!

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:joy::joy: thatd be hilarious, this is the phone i was shooting with!

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Ive also been almost at my wits end with the new Osmo so maybe this is a sign…i wouldnt have been a sitting goose out there if I wasnt playing with my new toy :thinking::thinking:

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Since you mentioned gimbal I thought you were shooting with something expensive…but yeah, I guess you can’t even buy a gram of coke for that (didn’t say that, would not even know what it costs).

I guess a drug addict with half a brain left would know that an esk8 will sell for a bit more than a car radio though :stuck_out_tongue:

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that story about the longboarder is so heartbreaking…just a dad trying to have a fun time with his kids…

Im not sure about carrying weaponry yet, only because without training, it might as well be the other guys. i also think if i wasnt standing still for so long, the situation wouldve never happened. such a wild night, it was definitely a sobering realization of how much eboarding has changed my relationship with the city. I just get where I gotta go, Im never not moving and having encounters with anybody really except for the people at my destinations

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Basics of self defense are a must! Also consider getting a military grade pepper spray so if he decides to call the cops or anything you didnt hurt him Or you can spray him and then break his ribs lol

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Glad to see you made it out in one piece, physically. Did you at least report what happened to the police?

I would recommend self-defense classes for sure…one of the unfortunate consequences of living in California is really strict weapon laws for non-law enforcement peeps, like most of us here.

But basics are, aim for breaking the nose, the collarbone, or dislocating the knee caps. The third is probably the very last thing, since it takes more force than the first two.

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i had a similar experience last night with 3 drunk guys, around 10.30pm it was pretty dark… i was walking my 2 dogs which i do every night with my board. They started coming at me but luckily thought better about it after they finally noticed i had dogs with me!

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Sounds like your addiction is a lot better than his… glad the helmet helped out!

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I don’t carry(firearm) when I ride, but I do carry a legal length sheathed knife in a plastic thigh strap. Mostly for safety in case someone’s helmet or backpack needs cut off.

But in those situations like yours…Arm pits or kidneys. If someone ever grabs you.

Glad you are ok. Also as @Acido said, get a gel pepper spray with colored coating. So it marks the Person and call law enforcement. They’ll find the. With dyed skin lol

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I got one military grade, and the only person i sprayed is myself lol :smiley: Its the easiest solution, in 2 seconds hes on the floor trying to breats while his lungs eyes and nose is being burned in a Siemens-Marten oven i just watched a video about carrying knives in US is illegal (some type, ones that can be opened with gravity bla bla)

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Wish we had a picture of this guy

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It is state dependent. For example my state is Non folding, maximum blade length of 5"

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Is a crusader sword considered a knife?

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