Missed connection

[kcb203]

The blue minivan I saw this morning seems to think that a left turn on red from a two-way street to a one-way street is as legal as a left turn on red from a one way to a one way.

And to the woman with the nice helmet in her rear basket–they’re much more effective on your head (the helmet, that is, not the basket).

[kcb203]

And another missed connection: I was in an UberX car today that made an illegal u-turn on Pennsylvania Ave. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten about this by the time I gave a 5-star review for the ride. Oh well, at least I can vent here.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@kcb203 93004 wrote:

The blue minivan I saw this morning seems to think that a left turn on red from a two-way street to a one-way street is as legal as a left turn on red from a one way to a one way.

It is just as legal. That is to say, they are both illegal.

[cvcalhoun]

@ShawnoftheDread 93097 wrote:

It is just as legal. That is to say, they are both illegal.

That depends on your jurisdiction. In Virginia, a left turn on red from a one-way street to a one-way street is legal. Apparently, the same is true in Maryland, but not DC.

[Terpfan]

Me: Cautiously approaching the exit ramp from GWMP that leads to Key Bridge.
You: Fellow cyclist on a mountain bike who with no warning decides to pass me on the right and then swerve left in front of me to avoid hitting the homeless man seeking money.
Me: Loudly says you ___ insane?
You: Make a weird face and hold up a fist.
(Note: then I couldn’t tell if you actually were insane)
Me: Annoyed at your stupid move and then more annoyed that after doing so, I easily leapfrog you because you’re slow.

You were only matched by the woman nearly driving into me after realizing a light was green at the bottom of Belle View/Beacon Hill at Ft. Hunt. No surprise she was on her cell phone and literally starts driving at a 45 degree angle because she is still texting away as she moves toward the light. Coming within 9″ of me, she finally realizes she’s occupying half of the right turn lane and half of the street lane to correct.

Thankfully I can brush both idiots off because it’s Friday .

[bobco85]

This is from Saturday afternoon/evening

Me: Having biked to East Falls Church, I took the Silver Line to Wiehle-Reston East (yes, it was pure transit tourism), then proceeded to walk back along the W&OD (about 12 miles) while listening to podcasts (easier to hear people around me because I keep the volume at normal conversation-level)
You: All the cyclists on the W&OD that I encountered
Me: Thank you, as the rate of cyclists calling their pass to me was recorded by myself at above 50%

Another note: It was weird walking on the trail with very few other trail-users, even though the rain was off and on (I had my rain jacket and backpack rain cover).

[Phatboing]

You: person in the Jeep behind me, honking and yelling at me to “get out of the way”, 10 seconds before you finally turned into your place of work.

It was maybe a quarter mile from the Gallows light to your place of work. If you’re getting worked up about a maybe 30-second delay on the last quarter mile of your commute, at 8.30am, how bad do you think the rest of your day’s going to be? I pity your co-workers.

Meanwhile, I got to ride in excellent weather, had a pleasant commute aside from knowing you exist, and will spend the rest of the day in the smug self-satisfaction that comes from “hey, at least I’m not that jerkstore”.

[consularrider]

And I was having such a pleasant ride in until “THE INTERECTION OF DOOM.” For a change I got to the light just as it changed giving crosswalk users a “lead.” Of course, the first car in line decided to go ahead and make a right-on-red while there were two cyclists half way through the intersection. Then a car in the middle lane on the I-66 off ramp swung wide into the left turn lane on Lynn to try and beat the other crosswalk users and then went back into the middle of Lynn to Key Bridge instead of making the left turn.

My morning joy was not complete. As I crossed the N Ft Myer/Lee Highway (eastbound) intersection, the driver of a car with Virginia plates tried to left hook me from one of the center lanes on N Ft Myer. The driver continued to turn right onto the slip road, then right on N Moore St before rolling through the N Moore/19th St crosswalk and making a right-on-red without stopping, going around two buses taking on passengers and in front of a taxi proceeding straight on 19th with the green just to turn right again onto the slip road before N Ft Myer.

But wait, there is still more! Crossing through the clusterF**k that is N Moore by the Rosslyn Metro Station, it was another game of Frogger with the pedestrians who seem to think N Moore is a pedestrian only zone. Remind me that I really should pick my Express up in Shirlington instead. Sigh, only four more mornings to deal with this. :rolleyes:

[baiskeli]

@cvcalhoun 93103 wrote:

That depends on your jurisdiction. In Virginia, a left turn on red from a one-way street to a one-way street is legal. Apparently, the same is true in Maryland, but not DC.

Read the post more carefully though – this involved a left turn from a TWO-way street.

[elbows]

Me: Pedaling east on Columbia Pike during rush hour, counting the seconds until I pass under 27 and can breathe again.
You: Middle aged man in car. You beep several times at me until I finally crane my neck around to learn your complaint or compliment. “You don’t have a motorcycle,” you chide, admonishing me for my lawlessness in temporarily taking the lane when I am almost at the speed limit and to avoid 4 inch bumps and holes on the right side of the lane, and the brutish necessity of navigating around cars zipping right and cutting me off as I careen over 8+ metal plates in the road.
Me: Sorry I didn’t have time to explain the rules of the road to you. Sometimes drivers don’t take too well to that.

Dear ACPD, please join us on a bicycle ride on the Pike someday. While most drivers are not my nemesis, I suspect you would find a violator or two during each ride, and could even model the appropriateness of cycling for drivers.
If you are afraid to do so, as you have previously indicated, perhaps your presence would be all the more warranted.

[Steve O]

Me: on Saturday riding home from LBS in a light rain
You: Group of six riders standing under trees near EFC Park for shelter from the rain
Me: Waving and admonishing, “Hey! Rule 9!”

[Steve O]

@baiskeli 93252 wrote:

Read the post more carefully though – this involved a left turn from a TWO-way street.

Read the whole thread more carefully, and you will see the response to the analogy is correct.

[Sunyata]

Well, my streak of drama-free commutes has ended…

Me: The cyclist (riding in the right lane on George Mason and not in the bike lane just before Route 50) that is more concerned about her safety than causing a 2.5 second delay if someone needed to change lanes to pass me.

You: The woman who felt it incredibly imperative to scream at me while pointing to the bike lane, “This is YOUR lane”.

Me: Had I not been running a couple of minutes behind, I would have stopped and chatted with you about safety and why I was in the lane of travel and not the bike lane. I would have loved to point out to you that the vehicle you were getting out of had two wheels and an open door IN “my” lane. I would love to be able to safely ride in the bike lane, but I would need everyone else to understand that the bike lane is for bike travel and not to park in, stand in, stop in, or open doors in… :confused:

[Supermau]

Oops, wrong thread.

[Supermau]

@Emm 92635 wrote:

WTF was up with the cyclists on the MVT by the airport this morning?!?!? I have never seen so many unsafe passes within a minute.

There were probably about 5 riders going up the bridge by the airport heading towards gravely point. This bridge includes a couple of curves with really bad sight lines for those who don’t ride it regularly. All of the bikes were about ~1 “cycle-length” behind the other. I came up to the end of this pack at the base of the hill. I think most of us wanted to pass the riders at the front since they were going slow, but recognized the bridge wasn’t a safe place to do this because of the limited sight lines. As I’m starting the hill, a guy passes me. At that moment, a cyclist comes the opposite way, so the passer has to fall back and cut into the line. Except there is no room for him to cut in, so he nearly hits me as he swerves right into my bike. I hit my brakes, curse, and watch as moments later he cuts back out, passes the guy in front of me, and the whole process is repeated since he still can’t see far enough ahead of him to safely pass and cyclists are coming the other direction at a steady rate. Moments later, a tandem bike comes by, and does the same thing. Which is even more terrifying because it’s much larger and going much faster. I hear some angry yelling as they cut back in between the riders at the front of the pack, almost knocking 2 cyclists into the side of the bridge.

On the way down the hill I see this repeated 2-3 more times, all with the people getting passed barely staying on the trail. At one point a cyclist kept passing, even though another cyclist was coming the opposite way and was ~10 feet away. I won’t repeat what the cyclist said as she narrowly avoided getting knocked into the highway by the cyclist who was in the dead center of her lane…all so he could pass another bike that wasn’t even going that slow.

All of this was added onto the fact I nearly got doored on commonwealth ave right as a truck was passing me, and was shoaled at every light on Jefferson Dr by significantly slower cyclists. Bleck. Today was just not a good morning for being on a bike. While on Jefferson Ave I seriously considered turning around, biking home, and going back to bed.

I began commuting to DC from Franconia last June. I love the ride, and as it takes place on Saturday mornings before the sunrise it’s all the more special. I’ve practically got the MVT to myself.

I hate to admit that I made one of those boneheaded passes last Saturday afternoon in the same spot on my way back when the trail was busy. Thankfully nobody was hurt or crashed but after the fact I felt really stupid for being so impatient. I do actually know better. I hereby issue a public apology and vow to practice safe passing and exercise great patience in the future. Lesson learned. It’s not worth it.

[Author]

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