WARNING: Muggings on Ballona Creek Bike Path

There have recently been a series of muggings on the Ballona Creek Bike Path.  LAist, LA MetBlogs, LA Streetsblog, C.I.C.L.E. and Bike Girl have all written about it.  Essentially, we all have the same information, which is this excerpt from an email:

I was riding west on the BC path at a little after 1pm yesterday, when
there was actually fairly heavy traffic on the path.  Under the 405
two gang members (this is what the police believe) threw another bike
in my path, causing me to crash, and then sprayed me with pepper spray
and took my backpack.  I rode to the LAPD station on Culver Blvd.,
despite barely being able to see, and reported the incident since it
was clear that there would be more victims.  The attackers then used
my backpack (which had a heavy On-Guard lock in it as well as several
books) to assault at least two other cyclists (and possibly more,
according to the detective I spoke with), pulling a knife on one (this
is also what the police told me).  My backpack was recovered by one of
the victims who turned it in and called me.  It turns out this is the
second time he has been attacked in this manner on the BC path, this
first time being left unconscious for nine hours.  I did a search of
the CICLE and LA Bicycle Coalition websites and found other stories of
such assaults in nearly the same spot as recently as May and going
back to 2006.  The LAPD was helpful, but I got the sense that the BC
path was not a high priority, even though the crimes there are likely
related to gang activity in Mar Vista Gardens.  The officer who took
my report did not even know what I meant when I said I was riding on
the Ballona Creek bikepath under the 405 (he kept repeating the
question, “but what STREET were you on?”).

My advice?  First – don’t ride Ballona at night.  Second, when in doubt, turn around.  Third, ride with people if possible.  Particularly if you are a woman, or smaller, you can consider avoiding the path entirely.  It’s sad that size and sex are even a factor, but it’s definitely true that people will hesitate to assault big men where they won’t think twice about tackling a smaller woman.

Mostly, trust your instincts.  I ride the path a lot, and I have a pretty good feel for the people out there, but if I feel uncomfortable I’ll slow down and unclip, just the way I would if a car looked like they might turn across me.