Tonight I came across on young girl that was sitting down on the bike path shooting up her drugs and looking up with bloodshot eyes just as I came by her. Totally out of it and not more that 12 or so. Needle in arm, backpack open with some papers flying away and all. This is the usual junkie area just off of Airway, where all the bike path signs are vandalized or gone. Then just before I got to Burkhardt I came across a frequent alcoholic that was rather spaced out on this hot day. She too not in good shape today. Now the reason I am bringing this up is because they are both on the bike path and both have been seen before throwing their finished paraphernalia, one with her bottles and the other her needles on to the bike path. I would like to see rangers patrol the area around 6:30 PM. I have cleaned up glass and needles in both areas on my way to and from work and feel that they are getting away with it more than not.
I could have called the rangers but I was to saddened and socially lazy to really do something at that time. I am glad that I soon I will be going to the Reynolds by my house I then will have time to get home and hop on the tandem with my wife and ride the streets.

It is unfortunate that the bike path is considered secluded enough for people like that to feel comfortable doing that kind of thing.  You’re right; more patrols are the answer.  Since I started riding the bike paths various people have recommended that I stay out of the Dayton area and stick to Greene and Warren county paths for this very reason.  I think more people would commute to and from work on bikes, using the Montgomery County paths, if they were confident they wouldn’t run into those kinds of things going on.

The day I met you oldshacker I saw 2 cop cars on the bike coming towards right before the creekside intersection where I turned right going towards Beavercreek.  If I would have gone straight I would have had to get off of the path.

Park Bear - 01 August 2008 08:35 AM

The day I met you oldshacker I saw 2 cop cars on the bike coming towards right before the creekside intersection where I turned right going towards Beavercreek. If I would have gone straight I would have had to get off of the path.

Have you noticed that the when the bike path is patrolled that it appears that all the crime and vandals have a sense of it and only come out when they are way out of their way. How do they do that? Other counties have vast areas where broken glass is to be avoided and yet it appears that no cop or ranger ever see it happen. The glass just magically appears. Or dose trouble just follow only me?

I have been commuting the Dayton area for a long time now and the problems are few compared to other areas.
What I have witnessed just in the Dayton area and it might just be the same in other areas as well.
1. Young male on a bike heading right for you with his head turned away talking to his friends purposely clipping your bike.
2. The vandals
3. Teens simply blocking the bike path and taunting the cyclist.
4. Teens throwing either a stick or rocks at you.
5. the graffiti of various vulgarity on the bike path
6. broken glass in the same areas
7. busted up bike path signs
8. Stolen cars driving down the bike path
What have you witnessed?

>> What have you witnessed?

* Deer crossing
* Beautiful scenery

~Randy

What we have here is the vast difference between urban and rural riding!  I rode once through Springfield and felt like one of those plastic ducks floating in a shooting gallery…......never again!  Once, in Dayton I was confronted by a few young punks that decided to stomp me just because I was there.  I calmly got off my bike and informed them that I was indeed 3 times as old as they were and because of that fact, I was 3 times as mean and didn’t play by any rules.  One of them recognized that fact and decided to exit stage right with the others in close pursuit while muttering something about crazy! 
I prefer to dodge opossums and deer (owls at night) rather than bottles and rocks and arrogant punks. 

I wonder, how many of these, things go, unreported? The only palce I have
had a problem, was at the “T” connector north of Linden Ave. Had a few young
unwashed,dirty pants and Shirts. They was staning on top of the old bridge
stone pillars. They had big rocks in thier hands,and yelled at me. “watch out old
man, or we will mash you. I yelled, “lets not”,and they started laughing. That was
enough for me to get, out from under there, drop zone. I have had water bottle
thrown, but they were empty. I have seen logs,and one fairy sized rock, on the path
just west of the apartment turn off on the bikepath. A rock late at night could, do
some real damage, if the person didn’t have lights to see it.

I have read if you are attacked, and your bike is not real heavy, take it by the rear
wheel, and spin, in a circle. If you hit anyone it would, probley, knock them down
or out. Or maybe we should, all start carrying heat, with us.

I have seen, a lot of people, during the week days, hanging out at Xenia station, that
seem to be young adults. I talked to one, and he said he and some other, was just
passing hur, on thier way south. Don’t know if they were summer fruit pickers, or
what, but they seem, not to have cars, just backpacks.

I hope the problems of Dayton, don’t spread to the other, parts of the bikeway. I would
hate to have to be scared to ride on the bikeways, for fear, of being hurt.
Take care out thier,it’s suppose to be a great week-end to ride.

It’s always a tough personal decision to get involved, but most parasites in society left untreated spread. A young person with a needle stuck in their arm has an entire life in front of them, call the authorities and provide the location, and a brief description of the person. Or their next needle may leave them attracting flies on your trail.