Lead by example

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  • June 21, 2012 at 4:20 pm #911569
    jrenaut
    Participant

    This morning, as most mornings, I stopped at the red light at R St heading south on 14th NW. I waited. About 6 other bikes came up behind me. All of them proceeded into the crosswalk. All of them proceeded through the red light as the northbound traffic got the green/green turn arrow. This is not so unusual, though today was an awful lot of bikes.

    However, so many of them did it today the the car in the right lane heading southbound also ran the light. It did not appear that he had any idea he was doing it – he saw the bikes all go, so he went.

    This is why I obey (most) traffic signals. When one person is an idiot, it makes the next person more likely to do the same idiotic thing. And with each additional idiot, the chance that the next person will also be an idiot increases exponentially.

    Please, stop being idiots.

    Also, I caught at least three of the idiot light runners before we hit Q St. So you didn’t even save any time.

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  • June 21, 2012 at 4:59 pm #943763
    GuyContinental
    Participant

    I saw a version of this last week at Gallows Rd on the WO&D- two cyclists ran the light WB at a tight gap and an elderly man next to them just shuffled out in turn- he got stuck in the middle of Gallows for an entire interminable light cycle at 5pm. Baaad news. Lots of wild gesticulating form those of us on the EB side…

    News- if there are a cluster of people patiently waiting for a light you are guaranteed to look like a jerk if you run it.

    June 21, 2012 at 6:45 pm #943782
    5555624
    Participant

    I’ve been stopped for a red light and had one ro two ride by and run it, but never that many. All too often — not in this heat, though — I use it as an incentive to try and catch them.

    This morning I did see 7+ CaBi riders not bother stopping for a red light. They were crossing the intersection I was approaching and it was red for them when they were at least 100 feet away. One did apologize when I pointed out that my traffic signal was green. (A car in the other lane, next to me and behind me, had to stop for the last of them.)

    June 21, 2012 at 7:00 pm #943786
    jrenaut
    Participant

    If cyclists want to Idaho-stop the light when it’s safe, I just tend to groan and forget about it. But this wasn’t even going when it was clear, it was going when the cross traffic got the red, even though there are almost always left turners (with a green arrow) waiting to cross right through the path of the idiot cyclists. The traffic pattern here hasn’t changed in at least a year or two, probably longer, so there’s no excuse. Idiocy is an explanation, not an excuse.

    June 21, 2012 at 7:25 pm #943788
    dasgeh
    Participant

    Heading WB on the Custis from Rosslyn in the afternoons, I’ve come to accept that I’m the only one (wheels or walking) who’s going to wait through entire reds, especially at the little streets (Oak, Quinn, etc). When I see that the light is turning, I stay right, even coasting behind peds, then I pull all the way right while I wait at the intersection. The way lights are timed, I usually hit at least one light red.

    It’s been 3 weeks of commuting on the Custis. I don’t think anyone’s following my lead. Though I agree that the design of the trail there (timing of lights, length of reds, lack of Idaho stop) is stupid.

    June 21, 2012 at 7:31 pm #943789
    TwoWheelsDC
    Participant

    @dasgeh 23067 wrote:

    Heading WB on the Custis from Rosslyn in the afternoons, I’ve come to accept that I’m the only one (wheels or walking) who’s going to wait through entire reds, especially at the little streets (Oak, Quinn, etc). When I see that the light is turning, I stay right, even coasting behind peds, then I pull all the way right while I wait at the intersection. The way lights are timed, I usually hit at least one light red.

    It’s been 3 weeks of commuting on the Custis. I don’t think anyone’s following my lead. Though I agree that the design of the trail there (timing of lights, length of reds, lack of Idaho stop) is stupid.

    I usually just use the Custis to head EB in the evenings…I stop for all the lights as well, so we can wave at each other from across the intersection if we both stop at the same one.

    June 21, 2012 at 8:07 pm #943793
    eminva
    Participant

    @dasgeh 23067 wrote:

    Heading WB on the Custis from Rosslyn in the afternoons, I’ve come to accept that I’m the only one (wheels or walking) who’s going to wait through entire reds, especially at the little streets (Oak, Quinn, etc). When I see that the light is turning, I stay right, even coasting behind peds, then I pull all the way right while I wait at the intersection. The way lights are timed, I usually hit at least one light red.

    It’s been 3 weeks of commuting on the Custis. I don’t think anyone’s following my lead. Though I agree that the design of the trail there (timing of lights, length of reds, lack of Idaho stop) is stupid.

    I do this, too, and like you, I pull as far to the right as I can lest someone behind me run right into me.

    But isn’t Quinn a stop sign rather than a light?

    Liz

    June 21, 2012 at 8:21 pm #943797
    DismalScientist
    Participant

    Going up the hill, the lights are at Nash, Oak and Scott. I don’t think there is even a stop sign at Quinn.

    June 21, 2012 at 8:35 pm #943799
    eminva
    Participant

    @DismalScientist 23078 wrote:

    I don’t think there is even a stop sign at Quinn.

    You are right; I was thinking for the cars coming from Quinn onto Lee Highway.

    Liz

    June 21, 2012 at 8:54 pm #943801
    KLizotte
    Participant

    I think a lot of this behavior is due to people thinking like peda. Let’s face it, who doesn’t jaywalk? If the coast is clear, no one even notices if peds walk against the light at intersections. There’s a slightly more negative reaction to those who cross mid-block. I think cyclists are continually swapping ped and biker hats depending on the situation.

    June 21, 2012 at 9:08 pm #943807
    dasgeh
    Participant

    @eminva 23073 wrote:

    But isn’t Quinn a stop sign rather than a light?

    Oh, that’s right. But it reminds me something I’ve been meaning to post since I noticed it. There IS a stop sign for EB (only) Custis riders at Quinn — it’s WAY up high on the light post a bit before you get to Quinn. It’s little – just like the one before you get to the Marriott entrance. There’s no stop line. It doesn’t even make sense to stop where the sign is (not that it would make sense to stop at that intersection, but still).

    I keep meaning to ask the Arlington engineers what’s up with that sign.

    June 22, 2012 at 1:26 pm #943868
    jrenaut
    Participant

    @KLizotte 23083 wrote:

    I think a lot of this behavior is due to people thinking like peda. Let’s face it, who doesn’t jaywalk? If the coast is clear, no one even notices if peds walk against the light at intersections. There’s a slightly more negative reaction to those who cross mid-block. I think cyclists are continually swapping ped and biker hats depending on the situation.

    Yeah, this is definitely part of it. And, in fact, just the other day I jaywalked across a large-ish road and a bunch of clueless people went right behind me without even looking. They were just lucky the road was clear for more than just me.

    Also, I guess I just admitted to not always practicing what I preach.

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