Missed connection
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I probably should stop wearing that invisible cloak I sometimes wear in broad daylight, but because I didn’t, I got a double treat today:
[video=youtube_share;F7YFdkJAmIA]http://youtu.be/F7YFdkJAmIA[/video]
1st incident: drivers turning left from Carlin Springs Road onto Glebe Road get AGGRESSIVE. While I am glad that pedestrian islands were installed at the crosswalk, already someone has gotten hit by a driver who does not have the patience to wait for a break in traffic. In my case, I stopped and had to bike around him. I’ve had so many incidents like this that when going straight through that intersection I almost feel like the left-turn drivers have ROW!
2nd incident: I’m in the road (riding in the middle of the bike sharrows away from the door zone) when I see a truck getting ready to turn left onto Carlin Springs. As I approached, the truck started rolling into the street, it really looked like he was just rolling up to the edge of the street, but then he just. kept. going. Even if I had just stopped in place I might have gotten rolled over.
In both incidents, I was tired and hungry for lunch, so the only response the drivers probably saw from me was a look of disappointment and disapproval, but not a look of surprise.
Kids, don’t wear invisible cloaks when riding
@bobco85 96279 wrote:
I probably should stop wearing that invisible cloak I sometimes wear in broad daylight, but because I didn’t, I got a double treat today:
[video=youtube_share;F7YFdkJAmIA]http://youtu.be/F7YFdkJAmIA[/video]
1st incident: drivers turning left from Carlin Springs Road onto Glebe Road get AGGRESSIVE. While I am glad that pedestrian islands were installed at the crosswalk, already someone has gotten hit by a driver who does not have the patience to wait for a break in traffic. In my case, I stopped and had to bike around him. I’ve had so many incidents like this that when going straight through that intersection I almost feel like the left-turn drivers have ROW!
2nd incident: I’m in the road (riding in the middle of the bike sharrows away from the door zone) when I see a truck getting ready to turn left onto Carlin Springs. As I approached, the truck started rolling into the street, it really looked like he was just rolling up to the edge of the street, but then he just. kept. going. Even if I had just stopped in place I might have gotten rolled over.
In both incidents, I was tired and hungry for lunch, so the only response the drivers probably saw from me was a look of disappointment and disapproval, but not a look of surprise.
Kids, don’t wear invisible cloaks when riding
I felt the same way. Once in Old Town as I had come to a full stop. Unclipped and everything. Car to my left had ROW. Another car came up on right after I’ve been waiting for car on left. I start proceeding and car on right just comes right at me and then comes to a stop as if stopping in front of me is now suddenly the right idea.
Then the old woman running the light right before National Cathedral blocking the box. I swear people are just inconsiderate here. She had 7′ in front of her and I didn’t want to be pushed into the other travel lane on Wisconsin knowing full well a big construction truck was approaching there so I gave her a nice yell until she moved forward.
Sometimes, I swear.
@bobco85 96279 wrote:
Am I really invisible?
Rob a bank and find out!
That’s a crummy intersection because people don’t think of the mall parking deck as a source of traffic. Also, I avoid Carlin Springs like the plague. Which is a funny expression because, does anybody in the western world actively do anything to avoid the plague? Maybe it should be “…like I avoid talking to co-workers in the bathroom”, or “…like I avoid making eye contact with pan-handlers.”
@krazygl00 96319 wrote:
Rob a bank and find out!
Probably not going to do that especially since I work at one :p
@krazygl00 96319 wrote:
That’s a crummy intersection because people don’t think of the mall parking deck as a source of traffic. Also, I avoid Carlin Springs like the plague.
I continue to take Carlin Springs because it is convenient for me to get to/from my neighborhood/work/trails near me, but it can be very hit-or-miss on incidents with drivers. Most of the time I have no issues because I try to time it with the lights, and all of the issues go away once I reach the bike lanes after Thomas St because I am confident enough to take the lane once the bike lanes end before George Mason. It’s the first 2 blocks between Thomas St and Glebe Rd that give me the most problems. If I could, I would do any of the following 3 things: 1) remove parking along that stretch and make the bike lanes continuous to Glebe as it would make biking safer and would make the pedestrian crossings safer (a significant number of drivers do not respect the “yield to pedestrians in crosswalk” law), 2) put a 2-way cycletrack on the west side of Carlin Springs to avoid drivers approaching the Carlin Springs/Glebe intersection (I’m inspired enough to make an image of this after work today), or 3) put all-way stop signs at Carlin Springs/Thomas to slow traffic and provide a safer pedestrian crossing there.
@krazygl00 96319 wrote:
Which is a funny expression because, does anybody in the western world actively do anything to avoid the plague? Maybe it should be “…like I avoid talking to co-workers in the bathroom”, or “…like I avoid making eye contact with pan-handlers.”
perhaps “…like I avoid U-turners in the PA Ave cycletrack”?
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