According to recent statistics, there are approximately 15,000 homeless people living on the streets in Arizona, and around half of them are unsheltered. This often leads to many houseless citizens to seek shelter under bridges or underpasses to help keep them warm, cool, or dry. While this largely doesn’t pose a risk to the public, living under a bridge can result in blocked public pathways, which can sometimes be irksome for those trying to get from A to B, especially if you’re a cyclist. With that in mind, a biker in Phoenix, Arizona came across a group of homeless people who were living under a bridge, but were obstructing the public pathway, and a tense confrontation occurred and was caught on camera.
The footage is recorded from the perspective of the biker who is attempting to ride under the bridge, and accompanying the beginning of the video is a caption that reads, “Fentanyl users blocking the sidewalks.” As the cyclist approaches, you can see a trolley and a powerchair is blocking the path, which both presumably belong to the group of homeless people. “You gotta keep it open for us, okay?” states the biker, as one of the unhoused helpfully moves the powerchair out of the pathway.
As he passes by, he begins to say “Thanks” to the man, but his words are cut short, as another homeless person approaches him, wearing a red cap and a mustard-colored Chicago Bulls sweatshirt. It’s quite difficult to make out what this person says because the audio is very quiet, but it sounds like, “We shouldn’t always have to have it open, punk.” This instigates a tense confrontation between the biker and the guy sleeping rough.
“No, it’s not open. That’s why I had to stop.” declares the cyclist. “Next time we should have you move it, dog. You know what I’m sayin’” the man in a red cap fires back. “Are you for real?” the biker responds, surprised. “Yeah, homie. I’m for real, dog.” Abruptly, the homeless person then proceeds to take off his sweatshirt, and the words “Now he wants a fight.” flashes up on the video.
“I’m for real, homie. That’s my word, I’m for real. You get that f*cking move, but humanity, homie, humanity gets that road back for you, okay? I’m for reals.” fires the man in a red cap, as tensions continues to intensify. The cyclist, however, continues to reason with the homeless man, almost as if he doesn’t realise the danger that he could be in. “I’m rude? It’s a public street. No, it’s a public street.”
After a little back and forth, things begin heating up even further as the homeless man clearly appears angry. “I’m a military man. If I talk in f*cking proper f*cking language, I’m still disrespecting.” Again, instead of just moving on and leaving the homeless man to his own devices, the biker continues, “I don’t understand what that was.” Making it even more clear, the irate man threatens, “What don’t you understand? I believe in a higher source of power. If I feel your energy disrespecting me, I’m going to attack you. Get the f*ck outta here!” He then mockingly repeats the word “What?” in the cyclist’s voice.
“Hey, this is a public street. If you guys can stay, I can stay, right?” says the biker, who doesn’t seem to be getting the message. “You want to mock me like that, though, bro? Please, go. I’m asking you humbly. Please go.” the homeless person asks holding his hands in a prayer gesture. Getting even angrier, the man threatens, “I will destroy you and get away with everything. Go. I’m telling you, as an intelligent man.” In the background, you can even hear other homeless people asking the cyclist to just move on, and thankfully, after a brief to and fro, he finally understands and moves on.
As social media users begin poring over the footage, commenters took to the comments to share their reactions to the tense clip. On Reddit, many users were surprised by how patient the homeless person was with the cyclist, writing, “Worst sense of situational awareness I’ve seen in a long long time.” while another added, “Damn, 0 survival instinct on the biker.” Meanwhile, another chipped in with, “Not worth it. Just step/ride over whatever and move along. You don’t have the cards.” A fourth commenter penned, “Getting stabbed speed run.”
While it’s unclear where the incident takes place, some local residents chimed in who recognised the locale. “Looks like 35th ave and Grand in Phoenix, been like that for years and will continue to be like that no doubt” wrote one user, with another exclaiming, “Yeah this is grand ave. Lmfao buddy was out here rage baiting the tweakers on grand 🤣🤣🤣”
The video highlights the growing tension between concerned residents and the dangers associated with the country’s ongoing fentanyl crisis. Ultimately, we’d advise against doing what this cyclist did, as it can be incredibly dangerous to confront an addict on your own.
