More Trouble on the Metropolitan Branch Trail

“Dear PoPville,

Last night I was biking along the Metropolitan Branch Trail just south of Rhode Island Ave when two young males tried to force me off my bike with a taser. When I was first approaching them I scolded myself for thinking that two young black males were acting suspicious because they were just sitting on the trail (one on each side) and appeared to be just waiting for someone to come along. It turns out that heightened suspicion may have saved me because I spotted the taser in the assailants hand and swerved enough at the last second to avoid being jolted by it. I heard it and saw the “spark” but he just about completely missed me, I’ve felt a larger shock when I was plugging in a lamp.

As soon as I was out of sight I called 911, and give props to the cops there were two squad cars there on the trail within a few minutes. Of course by then the perps were gone, I wasn’t expecting them to be dumb enough to stick around. After the cops took my report they told me this is not uncommon on this part of the trail, especially between the hours of 2 and 9 pm (after school hours) and it is probably a good idea to avoid that part of the trail between NY Ave and Rhode Island Ave completely.

The cops said this was the first they had heard of a taser being used, and that normally it is 4 or 5 assailants that will just knock bikers off their bike and rob them. I just wanted to try to spread word to bikers/runners about this part of the trail, had I heard this warning before last night I would’ve thought twice about riding there alone. I guess it’s back to the overcrowded VA bike trails for me.”