Missed connection

[Alcova cyclist]

Me: Riding in the rain on the sidewalk / “bike path” along Washington Blvd past the Pentagon on Friday afternoon
You: Cyclist in a yellow rain coat coming up behind me
Me: Moving to the left of the 2-foot-wide sidewalk to avoid a gigantic puddle
You: Calling “on your left” after you’d already started your pass
Me: Yelling “No!”
You: Being either oblivious or a total jackass or both
Me: Swerving back to the right to avoid getting plowed into by you, and straight into the 4″ deep 30′ long puddle

I guess it was really important for you to go 17 mph instead of 15 mph. Meanwhile I got to ride the rest of the way home with soaked feet. On the bright side, it could have been worse — Had the puddle been concealing a hazard, I’d have crashed. Had I held my line, we probably both would have crashed. Given how close the path is to the highway traffic there, things could have been really bad.

Calling a pass does not give you right of way over the person you’re overtaking. Executing a safe pass is on you.

[elwbikes]

Me: In the far left lane on Connecticut, South (?) bound, planning to turn left onto the Duke Ellington Bridge.
You: Seemed to be sneaking up behind me, on a red trek, wearing a black baseball cap and no helmet.
Me: Worried about collision.
You: Shared the lane, started a conversation, communicated your plans.
Me: Happy to let you pass when we both turned left to the bridge.
Thanks for being safe and respectful!

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Yesterday evening. Road closed from Arlington Cemetery to Jefferson Memorial.
Them: Afghan delegation and a security brigade big enough to conquer Rhode Island
You (hundreds of you): dead stopped in your cars for over a mile
Me: puttering west splitting the lanes on Independence along the Tidal Basin.
You (and only you): As I passed, yelled out your open window (F*** yoooooou)
Me: Registered. Stopped. Turned. Eye-contact. Mouthed, “What did I do?”
You: Sarcastic thumbs up.

Can you blame me when I believe, in the age-old question of whether drivers hate us because we “break the rules” or are jealous of us, I think its the latter. They’re trapped, frustrated and jealous. It’s that simple.

[Crickey7]

@Brendan von Buckingham 112143 wrote:

Me: puttering west splitting the lanes on Independence along the Tidal Basin.

I confess to an unseemly glee at splitting the lane in just that kind of situation, fully aware of the impotent outrage it causes.

[dasgeh]

@Crickey7 112144 wrote:

I confess to an unseemly glee at splitting the lane in just that kind of situation, fully aware of the impotent outrage it causes.

I call those the “Schadenfreude commutes”. I love them, though I don’t want to love them.

[scorchedearth]

@Crickey7 112144 wrote:

I confess to an unseemly glee at splitting the lane in just that kind of situation, fully aware of the impotent outrage it causes.

I can only hope that it serves as inspiration…

[americancyclo]

@Crickey7 112144 wrote:

I confess to an unseemly glee at splitting the lane in just that kind of situation, fully aware of the impotent outrage it causes.

Left lane is all yours, and the right lane is all mine!

[mstone]

@americancyclo 112157 wrote:

Left lane is all yours, and the right lane is all mine!

yikes, I’d just be waiting for a car to jump out to move up 100 feet

[consularrider]

@mstone 112171 wrote:

yikes, I’d just be waiting for a car to jump out to move up 100 feet

Well, they do that maneuver all the time.

My missed connection this morning:
You: gray haired gentleman in a black GMC Terrain (DC plates noted) who just had to pass a line of traffic on R St NW at he red light at 7th St NW using the right turn lane and then cut in front of me in the bike lane.
Me: Still beat you all the way across DC to Mass Ave NW, na na na, good bye! :p

[creadinger]

I Street NW, heading westbound about a block east of South Capitol Street. Cars are seemingly always double parked in the bike lane in front of the apartment building there.

Me: taking the lane to go around a car parked in the bike lane.
You: going around me in the turning lane, and making the universal sign for get in the bike lane.

You are not smart, and I know you did not get the irony of the situation – me, in the “car” lane because a car was in the bike lane, and you in a car tell me to get in the bike lane…. I gave you the finger, and a few lights later when I caught up to you I explained a few reasons why a cyclist may not be riding in the bike lane. You still didn’t get it, confirming my suspicions that you’re definitely not smart.

[bentbike33]

ME: Riding to WFC Metro east on the official “Bike Fairfax Primary Trail (Shared Use Path)” for that section of Route 7, a.k.a, the sidewalk on the westbound side of Route 7.

YOU: In your BMW (what else) blocking the crosswalk AND hugging the curb cut and Idylwood Road while waiting to make an impossible (at that hour) right turn on red to westbound Route 7.

ME: Daring to lay a hand on your precious while squeezing by behind you to cross Idylwood Road.

YOU: Shouting out the window as I rode off, “You’re going the wrong way!”

ME: ?!?

[Crickey7]

@bentbike33 112778 wrote:

YOU: Shouting out the window as I rode off, “You’re going the wrong way!”

It was metaphorical. Clearly an invitation to have a protracted discussion about life choices, possibly including the age-old fixie or fender debates.

[lordofthemark]

@creadinger 112427 wrote:

I Street NW, heading westbound about a block east of South Capitol Street. Cars are seemingly always double parked in the bike lane in front of the apartment building there.

So Eye Street SE, right, not NW? Plus what you observe is what I also observe at Eye Street SE on a regular basis. I have gotten used to carefully switching to the general travel lane there. And then when I get back in the bike lane, being prepared for odd turns by motorists going to McDonalds. It is a relief when I get to South Capitol, even if I have to wait for a long light.

[creadinger]

@lordofthemark 112791 wrote:

So Eye Street SE, right, not NW? Plus what you observe is what I also observe at Eye Street SE on a regular basis. I have gotten used to carefully switching to the general travel lane there. And then when I get back in the bike lane, being prepared for odd turns by motorists going to McDonalds. It is a relief when I get to South Capitol, even if I have to wait for a long light.

Yes, you are correct. I forget that the Capitol Streets divide the directional sections of the city.

Yeah, the McDonalds doesn’t help either. Also, the other day at S. Capitol, a driver pulled up to my right in the RIGHT TURN only lane, but then proceeded to go straight by quickly shooting ahead of everyone to merge back onto I st. on the green light.

It annoys me that I have to do all of this extra crap on my commute because Water Street no longer exists, but I guess it’s for the sake of progress. And let’s face it, the waterfront there did really suck. In the mean time though, it would be nice if the construction crews down there actually gave a shit about the condition of the supposedly open roads and sidewalks in that area. Those are torn to hell too.

[W Odie]

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