# Encounter with military impostor on yesterday's ride, plus ride videos



## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

*Encounter with military impostor on yesterday's ride*

I want to thank BikeForums member spingineer and his excellent Low Key Hill Climb sufferfest video for the extra motivation on yesterday's climbs. Unfortunately, what happened after the ride put a damper on the post-ride euphoria, and creeped me out!

I climbed Bucks Bar Road and Grizzly Flat Road in El Dorado County. While looking at the map for this ride the other day, I noticed a Moody Road off of Grizzly Flat Road. I wanted to see if it compared to the Moody Road in the Bay Area (that I've never climbed) that spingineer posted a sufferfest video of back in July.

At 4/10ths of a mile long, it's not quite as long as the one in Palo Alto, but it definitely matches it in steepness, at least until the last part of the climb where it levels off to single-digit grades instead of the 11%-15% stuff earlier in the climb.

At the beginning of the descent I encountered yet another loose dog. This time I found that slowing down to walking speed until past the dog's territory avoided a chase situation.

Here's the creepy part. After my ride, I stopped recording on the helmet cam, but didn't turn off the power. I stopped at the store on the corner of Bucks Bar and Pleasant Valley Roads for a snack. A heavyset older male and a teenaged boy left the store as I pulled up. They got in a dark metallic green SUV. They didn't leave right away, and I noticed the boy eyeing me as I removed the Kodak Playsport from the handlebars. They made me nervous, so I brought the bike in the store with me. 

While I was picking out a snack, I heard someone say "Excuse me ma'am, can I talk to you a minute?" It was the boy from the SUV. He asked if that was a camera I had on my helmet. When I said yes he asked if it was recording. I said no. Then he said that if it had been recording he would have to get my name, address, and phone number because he's in the military and "not supposed to be documented". I told him he was full of it and that there was no way in hell I would ever give my information to a stranger with no credentials who claimed to be military or law enforcement. I reminded him that anyone can claim to be anything and it doesn't mean sht.

I also reminded him that there is no expectation of privacy in public, so if anyone did record him no laws were broken. He claimed that a buddy of his was killed in Afghanistan because he was recorded here in the US. 

I had to repeat the no expectation of privacy line several times during this bizarre conversation, and I noticed him getting red in the face and more agitated. He told me I needed to be careful with my helmet cam and that some people may "get enraged" if they are recorded. I told him that anyone who attacks me for having a camera on my helmet will go straight to jail, as I will contact law enforcement asap.

He finally gave up and said "God bless" before leaving.

On the drive back down Pleasant Valley Road I spotted an El Dorado County Sheriff's deputy sitting in his SUV in an empty parking lot, so I pulled in and told him what happened. He asked if there was anything missing off my truck. I said no. He thought they may have been trying to distract me while they stole something.

I asked him if real military personnel would say the kind of stuff that kid did. He said no.

First descent on Bucks Bar Road.









Second descent (on the way back). By this point the traffic was starting to get on my nerves, so I lost the motivation to push hard on the final climb and just took my time at 3-4 mph.









Moody Road


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Moody Road!


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## MiniVanMan (Jun 3, 2011)

I'm trying to fathom the motivation for the boy and man in approaching you that way. The only thing I can think of is extreme paranoia. 

I know, when deployed, military personnel are taught to pay attention to your surroundings, and to avoid being filmed or photographed. You look for consistency in being filmed or photographed to show a pattern of being followed, or having your habits, and schedules tracked. Very important overseas, and can be life threatening. 

Here? It's just paranoia. 

There's also the, "I'm a Navy Seal, Special Forces, Marine Recon, etc" lie to get into women's pants. One of the tactics with that is to make false, stupid claims like you can't be filmed. Just like fake spies (i.e. True Lies movie). 

Your instincts were good, and you handled it very well. Very odd though.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

MiniVanMan said:


> I'm trying to fathom the motivation for the boy and man in approaching you that way. The only thing I can think of is extreme paranoia.
> 
> I know, when deployed, military personnel are taught to pay attention to your surroundings, and to avoid being filmed or photographed. You look for consistency in being filmed or photographed to show a pattern of being followed, or having your habits, and schedules tracked. Very important overseas, and can be life threatening.
> 
> ...


Thank you.  I was thinking of their motives also. The older man never got out of the SUV. Only the boy came in the store and approached me.

Possible motives that crossed my mind: ID theft, burglary, rape. If I had been dumb enough to fall for that kid's BS and given him my personal info, it would be very easy to do those three things, or at least attempt to.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

MiniVanMan said:


> I'm trying to fathom the motivation for the boy and man in approaching you that way.


Meth.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Meth.


I wouldn't be surprised. I'm sure if I'd left my bike outside, it would have gone up their noses.


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## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

One or both could have active warrants, or any of the above items mentioned. There are probably at least as many whack-o's in rural areas as in the city. Maybe more.


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## MiniVanMan (Jun 3, 2011)

What's really funny is that I'm thinking of things to say for the "next time" this happens. Like this is a common occurrence. Sometimes I amaze myself with how ridiculous I can be.

I didn't think of meth, but probably a pretty good bet. If anything, and whatever purpose, it's pretty clear they were looking for a "victim". Victim of what would be speculation at this point, and thankfully is just speculation. If we knew for sure, it would be a tragedy.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

Indyfan said:


> One or both could have active warrants, or any of the above items mentioned. There are probably at least as many whack-o's in rural areas as in the city. Maybe more.





MiniVanMan said:


> What's really funny is that I'm thinking of things to say for the "next time" this happens. Like this is a common occurrence. Sometimes I amaze myself with how ridiculous I can be.
> 
> I didn't think of meth, but probably a pretty good bet. If anything, and whatever purpose, it's pretty clear they were looking for a "victim". Victim of what would be speculation at this point, and thankfully is just speculation. If we knew for sure, it would be a tragedy.


I really wish I could have gotten their license plate number to give the sheriff's deputy I talked to. They beat a hasty retreat as soon as it became clear that I wasn't falling for the kid's BS.

A friend of mine told me there are some really deranged people up in the mountains, which is why I won't continue the ride up Foresthill Road past the town of Foresthill. There aren't any houses or businesses much further up the mountain, and I don't feel like ending up a statistic. 

That road is also where I saw a huge mountain lion standing in the middle of the road while in a friend's car. If my friend hadn't kept slowly driving, I probably could've gotten video of it.

I sincerely hope that these two wackos don't succeed in victimizing anyone. I shudder to think of the results.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

freighttraininguphill said:


> I want to thank BikeForums member spingineer and his excellent Low Key Hill Climb sufferfest video for the extra motivation on yesterday's climbs. Unfortunately, what happened after the ride put a damper on the post-ride euphoria, and creeped me out!


Sorry about your freaky experience. There are plenty of nuts trying to live off the grid in more remote parts of the state. I think they are mostly harmless, but you can never be too careful out there.

Here's some more low-key hill climbing footage from Sierra Road. I'm thinking of getting an upgraded ContourHD so that I can use the 1280x720 60fps mode to reduce the "rolling shutter" effect like you recommended on another thread.


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## kjdhawkhill (Jan 29, 2011)

Not to put this in the overly political vein, but the "Sovereign Citizen" movement is filling the paranoid role on the extreme fringe the way the "militia" movement did 12-16 years ago. That could be their/his motivation. Claiming military service doesn't quite fit, though. Whackjobs everywhere.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

kjdhawkhill said:


> Not to put this in the overly political vein, but the "Sovereign Citizen" movement is filling the paranoid role on the extreme fringe the way the "militia" movement did 12-16 years ago. That could be their/his motivation. Claiming military service doesn't quite fit, though. Whackjobs everywhere.


I've heard of those nutjobs. I think this guy was someone craving power but too lazy to go through the training required to actually be what he fantasizes about. Kind of like the wannabe cops you hear about in the news who pull people over for kicks. I love hearing about them getting busted when they pull over real cops!


ukbloke said:


> Sorry about your freaky experience. There are plenty of nuts trying to live off the grid in more remote parts of the state. I think they are mostly harmless, but you can never be too careful out there.
> 
> Here's some more low-key hill climbing footage from Sierra Road. I'm thinking of getting an upgraded ContourHD so that I can use the 1280x720 60fps mode to reduce the "rolling shutter" effect like you recommended on another thread.


Thanks for that! I'm subscribed to your YouTube channel, but I never got the update on my home page telling me that you uploaded a new video. You got some "YouTube rep" (thumbs-up). :wink5:

I love the telemetry display. I might have to change the colors on my heart rate and distance displays for future videos, as they seem harder to read at 360p, which is what all embedded videos are by default.

I think I saw a picture of you from the Sierra Road LKHC. I followed a link on the LKHC home page and found a page full of pictures from several cycling events. The one I think is you is of a rider wearing a Roadbike Review kit with a Contour on the handlebars secured with a rubber band to stabilize the camera.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

freighttraininguphill said:


> The one I think is you is of a rider wearing a Roadbike Review kit with a Contour on the handlebars secured with a rubber band to stabilize the camera.


That's me! The rubber band is low-tech but it works pretty well. I got fed up with having the extra weight on my helmet and feeling constrained to looking straight ahead. The handlebar mount works fine for me, and the vibration isn't too bad even descending at up to 50mph.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

ukbloke said:


> That's me! The rubber band is low-tech but it works pretty well. I got fed up with having the extra weight on my helmet and feeling constrained to looking straight ahead. The handlebar mount works fine for me, and the vibration isn't too bad even descending at up to 50mph.


Yup, I remember you mentioning the rubber band in a previous thread, and of course the Roadbike Review kit was a dead giveaway! 

I wish I could train myself to stop moving my head around so much with the helmet mount. I'm not even aware I'm doing that while I'm riding. I only do it while climbing, not on flat ground or while descending, so maybe it has to do with suffering or effort.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

freighttraininguphill said:


> Yup, I remember you mentioning the rubber band in a previous thread, and of course the Roadbike Review kit was a dead giveaway!
> 
> I wish I could train myself to stop moving my head around so much with the helmet mount. I'm not even aware I'm doing that while I'm riding. I only do it while climbing, not on flat ground or while descending, so maybe it has to do with suffering or effort.


I'm a tall guy in the Navy (really) and over the years I have developed a head tilt to one side from walking through spaces with low ceilings. I would have to use a handlebar mount, a video shot from a helmet mount could never be used by someone riding on rollers.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

bigbill said:


> I'm a tall guy in the Navy (really) and over the years I have developed a head tilt to one side from walking through spaces with low ceilings. I would have to use a handlebar mount, a video shot from a helmet mount could never be used by someone riding on rollers.


That's another thing I notice I do on climbs-tilt my head to one side. Like the moving around, I don't do it while descending or riding on flat ground, so that's probably another side effect of effort and/or suffering.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

freighttraininguphill said:


> That's another thing I notice I do on climbs-tilt my head to one side. Like the moving around, I don't do it while descending or riding on flat ground, so that's probably another side effect of effort and/or suffering.


A camera would have been awesome during my time in Hawaii. I'm going to get a camera with a big SD card before we leave the PNW and video my favorite rides. I can make my own Sufferfest video with music I actually like.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

bigbill said:


> A camera would have been awesome during my time in Hawaii. I'm going to get a camera with a big SD card before we leave the PNW and video my favorite rides. I can make my own Sufferfest video with music I actually like.


I saw the trailers for the Sufferfest videos on YouTube, and I wasn't really into their choice of music either. I actually prefer to watch and make videos raw, as I like the sounds of a real sufferfest. Especially if the rider has the GPS telemetry display to complete the picture.


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## pigpen (Sep 28, 2005)

pepper spray!


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## Jeff in Texas (Mar 17, 2006)

You were smart to be wary. If something like this happens again, ask the person to show you their military identification. They are supposed to carry it with them.


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

I'm inclined to go with your first instincts. They made you nervous enough to take your bike inside because you thought they were thieves. I suspect you were correct and they were "casing" the store and became concerned that you got them on tape. When you learn that the store was held up a few days from now, you might think to offer your tape to the police. 

The "boy" was able to confirm that you were not recording, so mission accomplished as far as you were concerned. Watch the news for reports of a robbery. 

Scot


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

Jeff in Texas said:


> You were smart to be wary. If something like this happens again, ask the person to show you their military identification. They are supposed to carry it with them.


I will do that. I still won't hand over my personal information though. Only real law enforcement officers will get that.


Scot_Gore said:


> I'm inclined to go with your first instincts. They made you nervous enough to take your bike inside because you thought they were thieves. I suspect you were correct and they were "casing" the store and became concerned that you got them on tape. When you learn that the store was held up a few days from now, you might think to offer your tape to the police.
> 
> The "boy" was able to confirm that you were not recording, so mission accomplished as far as you were concerned. Watch the news for reports of a robbery.
> 
> Scot


That's a very good possibility. There were no other customers in the store other than me, so if they were planning a robbery my presence may have thwarted that.

Unfortunately I don't have a recording to give the police because I stopped recording before I got to the store. My truck was parked next door to the store.


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## Jeff in Texas (Mar 17, 2006)

freighttraininguphill said:


> I will do that. I still won't hand over my personal information though. Only real law enforcement officers will get that.


I wouldn't either. The only place military personell can ask for ID is on a military reservation or worst case scenario marshall law. Other than that tell them to get lost tactfully.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

"well, it wasnt recording, so we dont have a problem."


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

Jeff in Texas said:


> I wouldn't either. The only place military personell can ask for ID is on a military reservation or worst case scenario marshall law. Other than that tell them to get lost tactfully.





weltyed said:


> "well, it wasnt recording, so we dont have a problem."


During the conversation, I told him to stop being a wannabe. Of course he denied the fact that he was a military whacker. For more funny stories of public safety whackers and wannabes, visit hamsexy.com. There also used to be a website called exposedimpostors.com, but it's gone now. Too bad, because that site dealt with public safety and military impostors. It would be nice to know how many others have had encounters like this.

I am keeping my eye out for a stealthier camera that has the quality and features of the Contour. I'm not about to stop recording my rides because of weirdos, as I love looking at the scenery and re-living the ride later.


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## kjdhawkhill (Jan 29, 2011)

Jeff in Texas said:


> ask the person to show you their military identification. They are supposed to carry it with them.


Confrontation and winning the intellectual battle might not be the best bet with wanker wannabe. Especially when you have an 18 pound 1/3 horse power vehicle and they have a steel ram with 225+ horse power. 

Everyone came down the hill or finished the ride safely, so what the OP did worked. 

Maybe getting a tag number and keeping a list of weirdo's and aggressive drivers w/ brief descriptions of locations and actions will help a detective after something bad happens... but something bad already happened and won't do [the rider] much good.


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## Minnesnowtan (Sep 28, 2008)

First, nobody has to know that what you have is a camera. Tell them that it is a "prosthetic eye" (you can say that you are blind if you want to), or a meteorological sensor array. You can even say that it is your interactive audio visual interlink with headquarters (or the regional office) for your "government job". Nothing wrong with turning the tables.

If you really want to have fun, tell them that it is a helmet extension to protect your antennae. If they look shocked, simply add "everyone has one where I come from".


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