Missed connection

[baiskeli]

@bobco85 91628 wrote:

#3
You: 2 cyclists on 15th St heading north near the Washington Monument chatting away
Me: Cyclist riding in front of you who stopped at the red light at Madison
You: Continued chatting as you run the red at Madison, somehow dodging through the group of pedestrians that were crossing
Me: Embarrassed at your actions, trying to avoid eye contact with some of the pedestrians who then stared daggers at me as they appeared to be reaffirming their negative stereotypes of cyclists
You: Continuing your conversation, filter on both sides of cars waiting at the red light at Constitution and then run the red to save 10 “precious” seconds
Me: Sighs, thinking, “At least they’re consistent.”

I think I witnessed this! I was just across 15th.

[KWL]

@bobco85 91628 wrote:

#1
You: Definitely-looking-inexperienced cyclist flying around on the outside (your left, my right) of the concrete curve headed from the MVT to 4MR
Me: Approaching from 4MR about 20 feet from the bottom of that curve.

Added to riding too fast, inattention and general foolishness is that this is a decreasing radius coming down from the MVT, which seems to catch a lot of people out.

[jrenaut]

Me: “You have a red light!”
You: cab driver turning left on red who said some things that were mostly unintelligible but one really nasty bad word came through loud and clear

You drive a car for a living. It would really be awesome if you tried to learn how to do it. It’s not hard. Many 16 year olds figure it out. You maybe not so much.

[sjclaeys]

@jrenaut 91699 wrote:

Me: “You have a red light!”
You: cab driver turning left on red who said some things that were mostly unintelligible but one really nasty bad word came through loud and clear

You drive a car for a living. It would really be awesome if you tried to learn how to do it. It’s not hard. Many 16 year olds figure it out. You maybe not so much.

Plus, it is a great example of why we should only have “properly trained” taxis rather than services like Uber.

[mstone]

Actually, I think their current argument is that real cabs have better insurance, so you’ll get paid off quicker when one of the professional drivers gets you into an accident. (As a passenger; as a pedestrian you’re on your own–should have taken a cab.)

[creadinger]

@jrenaut 91699 wrote:

Me: “You have a red light!”
You: cab driver turning left on red who said some things that were mostly unintelligible but one really nasty bad word came through loud and clear

You drive a car for a living. It would really be awesome if you tried to learn how to do it. It’s not hard. Many 16 year olds figure it out. You maybe not so much.

Why do I get the feeling that increasing numbers of law abiding cyclists who may or may not call out illegal behavior by drivers and peds will only increase the hate towards cyclists? Ugh.. I mean if we take away the only (rational) reason to hate us – scofflawing(?) – then they’ll have to come to the realization that they really just don’t like or respect us at all – possibly because their own caged lives are unfulfilled. And that’s a tough pill to swallow.

[AFHokie]

@bobco85 91658 wrote:

That sucks that it happened to you, man. Considering the situation, I probably would have been the one dialing 9-1-1 due to my size/weight advantage or because he could have gone over his handlebars (he was wearing a helmet, at least).

I think they need to have a stripe painted on that section to remind users to stay on their side of the path since it’s so easy to just pick up speed without looking for oncoming traffic.

I’ve had so many near misses at that spot anymore I essentially come to a stop before taking the corner. Between the railing and the rocks on the opposite side, people tend to take the corner in the center of the trail. A stripe would certainly help, but I wish they could widen the track. It’s not narrow, but the turn, the incline and the railing combine making it feel narrower than reality.

[Drewdane]

You: the pleasant-looking older couple out for a ride in Falls Church this morning. You DO know the intersection of Park Ave and N. Oak (I think) is a four-way stop, don’t you?

Me: Gasping in horror and yelling at my student driver daughter not to move forward even though she had the ROW. It’s a good thing I did, as she is still learning the nuances of defensive driving and driver awareness, and probably would have plowed you over if I hadn’t told her to stop.

[rcannon100]

(Upon greeting a flock of Phoenix Riders on the WOD with a volunteer I had yet to meet before)

YOU: Hi, I am Some Guy

ME: Oh, hi, I know you from online! Good to meet you in person. I am ‘Bob Cannon’

YOU: Oh yeah, you’re The Kid’s father! I’ve ridden with him on several rides.

ME: (great, just great…. I have been relegated to a reference of The Kid)

[cyclingfool]

You: DB in a DHS van on 17th near E/NY NW around 2 PM.

Me: Riding my bike.

You: Honking, then as you entered the right turn slip lane and passed me said, very condescendingly, “You gotta ride in one lane or the other, OK, buddy?”

Me: I was riding in one lane and one lane only. If that’s all the better you can see, you probably need to have your vision checked if you’re working for DHS. I think there are several African leaders who are, in part, depending in you for their security right now, and I’m guessing they assume that American LEOs aren’t blind as bats.

[lordofthemark]

Me: The middle aged dude on the beater MTB, trying to cross Little River at Hummer vehicular style, from the general travel lane, just I like I do on my faster Dew – and then signalling, as usual, my right onto American
You: The woman who was turning right onto Americana – who pulled to my right to pass me. I am not sure if you were behind me and didn’t see me signal, or were in the right turn lane – if so, you should now that from that lane you are supposed to turn right onto Little River, NOT go through and turn on Americana. Its confusing I admit

I should have been further right, since I was turning right on Americana, and had I done so there would have been no room for you to go to my right – but its a bit awkward doing that smoothly right after proceeding through the intersection on the non – turn lane.

Thank goodness nothing bad happened.

Me: The dude on the aforesaid beater huffing and puffing up Connector Drive by the Pentagon
You: The multiple vehicles, including two cops on motorcycles riding abreast, who passed me in lane (and too closely) when there was a perfectly serviceable left lane to use. What happened to the Pentagon Reservation politeness I am used to? Is it A. Its a Tuesday B. I was going too slowly, compared to riding the Dew C. The change from two lanes at Connector and Boundary Channel to only one, means people are reluctant to stay in the left lane, which becomes turn only into the parking lot?

[Phatboing]

Me: going home on the little Wolftrap stream valley bike trail thing just off Old Courthouse road in Vienna.
You: cyclist going the other way, looking visibly annoyed.

And you were, too. You warned me to “watch up ahead … idiots!”, and I was worried I’d meet True Idiots. But no, only what looked like an old lady and a possibly developmentally challenged youth, out for a walk. This isn’t a well-travelled bike trail, so what you probably thought was idiot behavior was just that they maybe didn’t expect you.

From what I saw, they’re not idiots, you’re just a big mean meanie.

[dkel]

I know you’re on your zippy road bike, and you don’t want to be stuck behind the guy with the panniers and fenders with mud flaps, but shoaling me at the light so you could get ahead of me was a really presumptuous thing to do. That’s why I had to pass you in the long straight that followed. I’m sure you understand (your look of surprise upon hearing my bell was pretty gratifying, I admit.) Don’t feel bad, though, you got to draft me for the next couple of miles (which is also a bit presumptuous, but I’ll forgive you for attempting to make the best of your situation :rolleyes:).

[bobco85]

Some drivers are dumber than the rocks they try to drive over.

While riding on the Bluemont Junction Trail towards Ballston between Emerson and the Wilson/George Mason intersection this evening (just after sunset, so lights were on), about 200 feet away I saw a car who seemed to be really close to the trail at the end of a driveway at the end of Edison at the curve in the trail right before the Wilson/George Mason intersection. Two pedestrians were walking and looking back at this car, and I said out loud as I approached, “They’re not trying to drive on the trail, are they?”

The car was at the very end of this driveway: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.877477,-77.121511,3a,15y,28.32h,87.22t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sflsoZ94AyQ7VuzbeE5-YQA!2e0

I continue getting closer to the situation and see the car actually TRYING to get onto the trail! It was a 4 door dark-colored sedan, and I guess when I approached they decided to give up on trying to get through that way. I could see their front tires were unable to get over the rocks. I stopped at the spot where they were trying to get onto the trail and while waving my arm shouted (not in a threatening way), “Hey, are you guys lost? Do you need directions?” I stood there for a couple of seconds, and after repeating myself, the car backed up about 30 feet from its previous spot. Not seeing the driver side window roll down, it seemed clear that they had given up so I continued on my way.

Mind you, if you look at the street view, you’ll see that it’s pretty clear with a row of bushes and rocks that cars aren’t supposed to try and get onto the trail! My guess is that they wanted to get onto either Wilson or George Mason, but really?! There’s only one way (Edison St) to even get to that driveway, so it’s not like the driver was lost!

The bar has been set for this week; will anyone surpass this stupidity? (I sort of hope not, but if so, it better be a good story!)

[DismalScientist]

Bah… That’s nothing. Many months ago I was behind a driver that took the sidewalk along Fort Myers Drive between the GW Parkway and the Marriott.

And then there was the driver on the eastbound 4MRT from Eads the refused assistance that might have avoided her running into a rock when attempting a Y turn to escape.

[Author]

Posts