Retiree From Sindh Was Tired of Cyclists Cutting Through His Yard—So He Designed the Perfect Trap

Clarence Briggs stood at the edge of the lawn, surveying what had once been a neat flowerbed. The tulip stems were crushed, the soil torn up, and the petals scattered like confetti across the grass. Straight, confident tire tracks ran through the center of the flowerbed.

This wasn’t just any flowerbed. His late wife, Helen, had planted these tulips fifteen years ago.

Since Helen’s death eight years ago, the silence in the house had become almost tangible. This yard had become his memory, his space.

But everything changed when the old trail behind the property was suddenly added to a popular bike app. The path, long unused, came alive again. At first, Clarence didn’t mind. However, the nearby bike path was undergoing renovations at the time. Bright orange barriers appeared, and a sign read: “Temporary Closure – Detour.” However, the directions were unclear, and cyclists began searching for a shortcut. His lawn became that shortcut.

The tire tracks were getting deeper. People were no longer going around the flower beds, but riding right through them.

He put up a new, bigger sign: PRIVATE PROPERTY – KEEP OUT. By morning, someone had cut the rope and knocked the sign down.

Clarence stood up, walked into the garage, and turned on the light. Under some old boxes was a container labeled IRRIGATION – BACK YARD. Inside were old sprinklers, tubes, motion sensors, clamps, and a weather-resistant timer. He knew how to use it.

Behind the barn was a small pond – it had once been an ornamental pond. It was unfiltered, but that didn’t matter to Clarence. He didn’t want perfection. He wanted to be remembered.

He hooked up the pipes to a pump that drew water directly from the pond. The system led to the edge of the mulch, where cyclists most often rode.

At the far edge, he installed a motion sensor. When triggered, a sprinkler hidden at the edge of the flower bed would turn on for four seconds.

To be on the safe side, he put up another sign, this one on reflective plastic: “WET AREA – MAINTENANCE IN PROGRESS – KEEP OFF TRAFFIC.”

The next morning, at dawn, he stood up and waited.

At 8:17 a.m., the first cyclist showed up. She didn’t fall, but she rode out dripping wet, looking around like a ghost was chasing her.

A few minutes later, two more arrived. One took a jet of water right in the chest, while the other took it in the side. Neither stopped, but their expressions made it clear that the fun was over. The next day, one of the cyclists returned — and brought the police with him. A car pulled up with two officers — an elderly and calm one, and a young one with a tablet.

The cyclist started shouting:

– He has traps! Water from the pond! It’s cold and dirty! He’s deliberately pouring water on us!

The young officer walked around the area, returned, and confirmed that everything was in order. Standard elements and warning signs are in place. No violations.

– You crossed private property. You will be fined for this. Mr. Briggs has every right to sue.

That same evening, a young man named Jordan posted a video titled “Retiree outsmarts cyclists with water.”

The video went viral — 2 million views overnight.

They opened a GoFundMe collection: “Fix the bike path — leave Clarence’s yard alone.” In a week, they raised $42,000.

Two weeks later, the path was repaired and official signs were installed. Cyclists no longer entered his property. Clarence went out onto the porch, poured himself a cup of tea, and watched as the first wave of cyclists rode along the new path, leaving Helen’s flowerbeds untouched.