Missed connection

[baiskeli]

To the guy in the giant black SUV who did a U-turn right in front of me on the Penn. Ave. bike lanes, in between lights:

Thank you.

Thank you for stopping, rolling down your window, and apologizing repeatedly after I yelled at you.

[bobco85]

To the guy who was relaxing in his own hammock off the side of the Bluemont Junction trail in Bluemont Park, his bike lying on the grassy hill underneath:

1) That’s an awesome idea.
2) I want that hammock!

[mstone]

To the people along the W&OD who seemed strangely excited to see me riding along and kept cheering and waving signs: it was nice to see you, too, and I hope you had a nice day.

To the cops who kept stopping cars at crosswalks instead of trying to ticket me: keep up the good work.

To whoever spilled what smelled like a gallon of cheap gin at the fairfax county parkway overpass: I hope you managed to trade up.

Overall, a very nice quick trip out to Purcellville, with great weather.

[GuyContinental]

@mstone 31241 wrote:

To whoever spilled what smelled like a gallon of cheap gin at the fairfax county parkway overpass: I hope you managed to trade up.

I meant to give a HUGE shout out to the runner (possibly cyclist) with the broom and dustpan cleaning up the glass on Friday (from this?… it might have been the Reston Pkwy underpass, but no matter). The guy saw the issue, ran home, grabbed a broom and came back. Awesome! It was a heinous, awful sidewall destroying mess and I was making no progress with my cleats.

To the guy that couldn’t hear me scream “GLASS!!!” because of the double earbuds who then rode right through the middle? Well…

[TwoWheelsDC]

To the woman in Westover Park with a snapped derailleur hanger (broke clean off!)…I’m sorry that the only thing I could offer was my sympathies. Hope you were able to make it back to your house okay!

[baiskeli]

Hey guy walking two dogs and jaywalking:

Use your eyes, not just your ears. Some vehicles don’t make noise like cars, until you are about to cross right in front of us–then we make noise.

[eminva]

To WMATA’s NextBus System:

1. I usually don’t complain about Metro. I use it for only 20% of my commutes, but I understand how it plays probably THE most important role in our regional transportation network and don’t expect perfection.

2. I accept that an accident at the beginning of the bus route can prevent a bus from making its appointed rounds.

3. But WHY did the NextBus feature keep ticking down as if all were well, telling me a bus was 30-29-28-27 . . . . 5-4-3-2 minutes away when no bus was even moving on the route?? I waited through three cycles of this (yes, I am a slow learner — but I didn’t really have another option, besides my feet).

To my commuter bike:

Please save me!

Liz

[birddog]

Me: Following right behind you on the MVT at a pretty quick pace (22-24)
You: Passed me slowly without warning coming off the W&OD to Four Mile Run at Shirlington (was it really worth it?)
Them: A group of 10-15 riders riding 2×2 slowing us down by the Airport
What you did: You squeezed by them without warning and said “You guys are clogging up the trail”.
What they did: Rightly accosted you ‘asshole’, ‘poser’.
Even worse: You screeched to a halt without warning at the tunnel by the airport. I guess you saw someone entering the tunnel at the last minute that I didn’t see from behind you. I had no choice but to hit the wall and then your tire. Still my fault – but you should have known I was behind you (since I’d been right behind you for miles) and slowed down easier – there was no danger of a crash with the oncoming traffic. I offered help, but you just pedaled away while I was fixing my chain (which fell off when I collided with the wall) and my turned handlebars.

Why don’t you call out when passing?
Why did you say that to the group?
Why didn’t you accept my help or even acknowledge the collision?

I feel bad that I hit you, but not as bad as I would if you were a polite cyclist.

[jrenaut]

To the guy who turned illegally through the PA Ave cycle tracks and rolled down your window to ask me what I said – I said, “Stay out of the bike lane. You’re going to kill someone.” I don’t know what else you said to me, but I’m sure it was lovely.

To the BMW who cut off the cabbie to pass me (riding legally in the right lane at 18-20mph) rather than slow down for two seconds – you got honked at by a CAB DRIVER. Do you realize how bad a driver that makes you? And all so you could wait at the exact same red light I did. But I shouldn’t have flipped you off. Sorry. I had just finished yelling at the guy on PA Ave, and you DID nearly kill me.

[Certifried]

To the 2 gentlemen cyclists around Metro Center last night – thanks for graciously giving me directions to Metro Center. Then again when I was close and didn’t see it. Then again when I’d passed it up and you gave me directions like I was a 2 year old, which is EXACTLY what I needed at that point since I couldn’t seem to follow any signage or my Garmin 800 that I spent too much money on. I did find Metro Center, finally. Without your specific “2 blocks back, one block up”, I would’ve spent another 30 minutes looking LOL

to the same 2 gentlemen about 5 minutes prior to the aforementioned directions giving – thanks for not calling me a complete idiot when I turned out of the cycletrack like I did. I’ve only ridden in them twice, and had no idea how to turn left from them. In my defense, I WAS wearing my Poseur/Charlatan kit!

You guys were ultra cool to this city-noob cyclist.

[vvill]

@birddog 31808 wrote:

Me: Following right behind you on the MVT at a pretty quick pace (22-24)

Not that I haven’t gone > 15 mph on the MVT, but this doesn’t sound like a good idea for a crowded trail like the MVT on a morning commute…

And after what that rider did past that group, I would not be following, both for safety and because I wouldn’t want to be associated with them.

Glad to hear the collision was only minor.

[Terpfan]

To the tourist walking down the sidewalk on 15th St Cycletrack who decided to randomly jump into the cycletrack without looking, you’re lucky I anticipate such idiocy and had my hands on the brakes skidding to a near stop (folks were coming the other way on cycletrack so nowhere else to go). And to the tourist’s buddy who grabbed him half way into this idiotic move, you’re obviously the far wiser one in your group street sense wise and helped prevent him from taking down what would have been three of us.

To the guy heading south on MVT last night who kept passing between every group of people–runners/cyclists/strollers, you did call your passes, but really that doesn’t mean you should be jutting down the middle in tight spots.

[txgoonie]

To the two different cyclists who passed me as I sat red lights: it really kills our criticisms of drivers who do dangerous and unnecessary things in the name of saving 3 seconds when we do the same thing.

[Certifried]

@Terpfan 31832 wrote:

To the guy heading south on MVT last night who kept passing between every group of people–runners/cyclists/strollers, you did call your passes, but really that doesn’t mean you should be jutting down the middle in tight spots.

crap, I hope that wasn’t me! I had a hell of a time getting down to the happy hour last night Honestly, I’m sure it wasn’t me, but I did have a pass sort of like that. Sometimes they’re so hard to avoid on crowded paths. I also blew the stop sign at the airport spot where people stop to watch the planes land. Honestly though, I didn’t see the stop sign! (well, until after I went through it) After riding quite a bit on the crowded CCT, then riding on a ghost town that is Sligo Creek trail, I’m amazed how quickly I forgot how to properly navigate busy trails

[JorgeGortex]

A Friday twofer:

To the lady out on her bike on the WO&D near the Rt. 50 trail bridge: thank you for going around the 3 runner (going almost abreast) and squeezing between them and me (going the opposite direction) so that you nearly clipped the runners, me, and me the metal railing trying to dodge you. Either jam around them earlier, or wait a few more seconds for me to pass. Mumbling “I didn’t see you.” does not win you an award of kindness.

and

To the Baby-Mamma Ninja and Granny Companion: I am all for allowing pedestrians to make it across intersections and such, but when you don’t even look up while pushing your SUV size baby stroller across the crosswalk as I am coming down the down hill path (4MR at the street grade before the sharp uphill in Shirlington, not far from Weenie Beenie) directly into my path and then turn so you are headed up the hill I need to climb! Extra points to your mother/grandmother/tia pushing another cart who looked at me as I approached, but didn’t stop, continued across the path, stopping so as to block the other side of the path. Your husband should send my brakes your kid’s community college tuition.

[Author]

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