What started out as a generic commuter path in Madison has now been described as a potential ‘deadly death trap’ due to rogue kids who control the area. According to locals, these kids have set dogs on passersby, as well as setting booby-traps out on the path with the goal of making cyclists crash. Sadly, this behavior has been going on for a while and has been backed up by multiple residents who shared their stories of using the path.

The location in question is the SW path that runs through Madison and is a key commuting route for those who travel without vehicles. According to one local, this has been going on for years and is nothing new. Speaking on social media, they said, “Yep. Several years ago there were kids hiding in the bushes throwing rocks at cyclists. This went on for weeks.”

While the above image may not look particularly intimidating, it can be quite isolated at times and if there’s feral children plotting against your health and safety, then it’s understandable that Madison residents have become fearful of this journey.

Another person wrote, “Unfortunately this is a relatively common occurrence in that section of bike path. There’s broken glass all the time and there was that crazy guy stringing cords across the path.”

However, this sentiment wasn’t shared by all. Some argued that these claims were vastly sensationalized and in their experiences, the SW path was fine and safe to use with no issues. This brings us to our final question – as to whether the path is genuinely dangerous, or whether it’s just local busy bodies over-reacting to high jinx.