Bad cyclist – yards are not for riding on

[DrP]

I know this is supposed to be about the problems that cyclists encounter, this is a case where a cyclist did something completely inappropriate, although apparently a car did the same day too. I was not present, but my neighbors who were watching it all, let me know what happened. My road was temporarily closed while Arlington County was working on the fire hydrant. A cyclist decided that it was unacceptable to turn around and go to another block, or walk the bicycle through the area. Apparently the cyclist decided that my yard was an appropriate bike route and off-roaded to get around all the workers. That is not cool. How do we get people to at least be reasonable.

[Apparently a car decided the same thing too and did a bit of damage. ]

Topic

[lordofthemark]

@bobco85 129450 wrote:

I know I’m nitpicking here, but wouldn’t having a shared space where it is safe for pedestrians and vehicles to coexist (like a woonerf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf ) be a hallmark of a livable people-centric community? Btw, I do somewhat agree with you that sidewalks (both sides if possible) should be standard in most communities, but I do not feel as strongly about it as I used to. I’m more open to the shared space idea than I used to be and think they can actually work when properly implemented.

The general rule, I think, is that woonerfs have speed limits of under 10MPH (or is it 15? I forget) Speed limits below what Va law will allow localities to set except in school or hospital zones (private property, like Reston Town Center, or that little street thing by Penrose, can get away with lower) and lower than what DC is discussing as their new default residential street limit.

But in many American suburbs people feel it is safe to walk in a street that is posted at 25MPH without sidewalks. This leads to hostility to through streets (since outsiders may not be as careful as neighbors)

[dasgeh]

@vern 129447 wrote:

The question we all need to consider here is: Would it have been appropriate for the Elf to travel through the grass in the situation described above?

Only Elf on the Shelf.

[jabberwocky]

There was a house on a small road on my old commute that was obsessive about watering their lawn. All seasons, all hours of the day. They would sometimes set up sprinklers that sprayed into the road. I would occasionally ride through the lawn to avoid the sprinkler on cold mornings.

[dasgeh]

@bobco85 129450 wrote:

I know I’m nitpicking here, but wouldn’t having a shared space where it is safe for pedestrians and vehicles to coexist (like a woonerf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf ) be a hallmark of a livable people-centric community? Btw, I do somewhat agree with you that sidewalks (both sides if possible) should be standard in most communities, but I do not feel as strongly about it as I used to. I’m more open to the shared space idea than I used to be and think they can actually work when properly implemented.

As a parent of small kids who like to ride bikes and run up and down the sidewalk, I don’t know if I could ever get comfortable enough with driver behavior to let them bike and run in a woonerf.

Of course, I also let them bike through the neighbor’s grass (cyclocross!), so maybe I’m just a bad mom.

[DrP]

In trying to respond to many of the posts:

I was not actually there. My neighbor described the situation as a cyclist coming up the road seeing the blockage deciding that my yard and my neighbor’s yard were a fine alternative to the street. No slowing down or checking if there were other issues or even if the route would work. I do not know if there signs, and if there were not, the street isn’t long and you can tell pretty quickly when it is blocked like that (there have been quite a few things recently on the block like this and a driver/cyclist looking ahead would notice an issue) and decide to take another route – and the detour would not be huge.

The ground was not hard. I still have the tracks from the car and the bike days later (I had wondered what the smaller tracks were until the neighbor mentioned the cyclist), that won’t go away easily, meaning the dirt has been compressed. I have been working hard on that part of my lawn to remove the weeds and grow grass.

I agree that there should be sidewalks everywhere – I grew up with that and find this area odd that way. I have no choice in walking to and from my house to be in the street. My neighbors have commented in the past that the county has an easement on the other side of my street for a sidewalk that has never been put in (70-some-odd years after the houses). So, technically, they could have done that on the other side of the street, not mine.

What would I expect the cyclist to do? I know when I have seen blockages, I usually either go up close (slowly) to see what is the status and either walk my bike around on the smallest non-public area possible, or just go another way. And usually it would be the latter. The person could have walked over a smaller area and not done as much damage as on a bicycle itself. I doubt the road blockage was on the curb itself and walking along that would have been better – riding in the middle of the lawn is disregard for personal property. Note that the car had not known about the cable on the ground and ended up yanking down cable from the telephone poles because it got caught somehow on the car. Cyclist could have done the same. I know I occasionally trip over it and I know it is there (it isn’t mine). My neighbor was shocked at the behavior that appeared to be completely disregarding the fact that it was private property.

[Crickey7]

I’m kind of unclear on what you expect us to do here. If finger wagging toward the offending cyclist is the goal, then consider it wagged.

[DrP]

@Crickey7 129472 wrote:

I’m kind of unclear on what you expect us to do here. If finger wagging toward the offending cyclist is the goal, then consider it wagged.

I did the wagging – don’t feel like riding on someone else’s private property is your right (and I liked the original suggestions to keep it from happening again) – and then I was answering questions folks had. Nope, not much else expected.

[dkel]

@dasgeh 129468 wrote:

Of course, I also let them bike through the neighbor’s grass (cyclocross!), so maybe I’m just a bad mom.

No, just a bad neighbor.

[Vicegrip]

I weigh 180 and ride a 25X700c tire on my road bike. I sometimes leave lingering ruts-O-damage in my own yard when I have to ride around Dear Wife’s at times poorly parked car if the soil is soft from moisture. A smaller rider on a fat-er tire-d bike more than likely would not leave a track. (I suspect that Wheels&Wings tracks make the grass grow better and little flowers pop up as she passes) I would be a bit ticked if someone damaged my yard regardless of how they did it. Your non life threatening needs do not eclipse my property. When was a young kid and even now that I am a old kid I have been known to ride my non skinny tire bikes on lawns. Happy kids in a family format neighborhood constitutes valid reason for non damaging use in my book.

Land mines are so impersonal. A comfortable chair on the porch and a paint ball gun for the full “Get of my lawn!” enjoyment.

[consularrider]

@Vicegrip 129487 wrote:

…Land mines are so impersonal. A comfortable chair on the porch and a paint ball gun for the full “Get of my lawn!” enjoyment.

I was thinking more of a water balloon mortar, but the paintball would leave a more lasting impression.

[DrP]

My lawn is STILL not a cyclocross trail. Yes, Arlington Co closed my road again (and likely will do it again) – with cones and signs at both ends so you had warning to take another route. I return from a walk to find a 1 inch deep rut from a bicycle tire deep into my yard.

Yards, especially damp ones are NOT for riding on.

I presume you are returning to fix the rut. Tomorrow morning would be a good time to do it, while I am out riding on a TRAIL, not someone’s lawn.

[Author]

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