The Newest Driving Hazards in West Michigan are Bows and Arrows?

Driving around West Michigan, you'll encounter a lot of hazards - potholes, construction, jaywalkers, people who run red lights, but there's a new, unexpected, kind of bizarre hazard to be on the lookout for.

Bows and arrows.

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A recent post on NextDoor by a neighbor on Grand Rapids' northeast side sparked a lot of comments from others in the area.

The poster, John, said that he was driving along the other day when he "heard a thump".

He thought nothing of it and went inside when he got home. When he went out to the car the next morning, he noticed that there was an arrow sticking out of his bumper.

Neighborhood violence is getting back to its medieval roots in the NE side.
byu/NeatoAwkward ingrandrapids

READ MORE: 7 Weapons That Are Highly Illegal to Own in Michigan

Now, John didn't think that it was malicious, but he made a good point,

Should You File a Report if Your Car is Hit By an Arrow?

Many in the comments were quick to tell John that he should file a report.

One commenter even shared that she had seen something recently about someone in the area finding an arrow stuck in the roof of their home.

The People of Grand Rapids Reddit Chime In on Cars Being Shot With Arrows

Leave it to the people of the Grand Rapids subreddit to bring some levity to the situation. The first comment on a thread about his topic made me laugh out loud.

I used to be an adventurer like you, and then I took an arrow to the bumper.

(That's a nod to the video game Skyrim, if you weren't familiar.)

Someone else, who lives in Standale, chimed in and said that they recently found an arrow in their yard. Then they wondered aloud if they should get a crossbow for protection.

But several people brought up a point that I hadn't considered... the legality of shooting a bow and arrow (or crossbow for that matter) within the city limits of Grand Rapids.

Can You Legally Shoot a Bow & Arrow in the City of Grand Rapids?

In short, it's complicated.

The City of Grand Rapids has a weapons ordinance. And they even have a part that specifically addresses "pneumatic guns, bows, crossbows, and other devices capable of expelling a projectile."

It starts out making it sound like you can't use them at all.

No person shall discharge any bow, crossbow, pneumatic gun, or other device capable of expelling a projectile in the City of Grand Rapids.

When It's Legal to Use a Bow & Arrow or Crossbow in the City of Grand Rapids

There's an "except" at the end of that part of the ordinance. Turns out, there are circumstances under which you can use these types of weapons in the city.

• If you're at an authorized target range.
• If you are on "other property where firearms may be discharged." (Whatever that means.)
• If you are on private property and have permission from the owner of said property.

That last one makes it sound like you could do it on your own property if you so wished. And you can, but... Use needs to be,

conducted with reasonable care to prevent a projectile from crossing the bounds of the property.

Which to me means not letting an arrow fly into your neighbor's yard (or some passerby's bumper), probably.

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You're also not allowed to "brandish" the bow or crossbow, so you can't live out all of your Robin Hood fantasies throughout the city streets. Sorry.