Missed connection

[cvcalhoun]

@streetsmarts 149437 wrote:

That definitely is the sign of getting older .. picking up specialist physicians.
it’s surprising how quickly the talk amongst friends my age goes to “ailments”.
and we’re not even that OLD!

I believe those are called “organ recitals.”

[OneEighth]

@Vicegrip 149416 wrote:

Shifting + born in the 1960s = Working knees.

Knees make the rhythmic noises that help me maintain a consistent cadence.

[creadinger]

While driving up PA Ave SE eastbound in the vicinity of 30th St. SE

To the dude riding on PA Ave… you’re a beast to be riding up those hills toward Suitland. Especially on such a chilly, wet morning. I wasn’t tough enough to ride on days like today, even when I was commuting to Suitland a few days/week. I also didn’t feel comfortable enough to ride up PA Ave. I went up Mass Ave (bike lane) or Good Hope Rd (much wider lane). However, I have to say that no amount of toughness or determination will help you on a dark, rainy morning such as today when a driver hits you because you’re wearing dark clothes and have NO lights! I really hope you read this because on a busy commuter artery like PA Ave it’s only a matter a time before you get hit by somebody. Seriously.

Please PLEASE get some lights and reflective gear. I don’t understand how people think it’s a good idea to be on a bike in the dark with no lights!

[bobco85]

It’s useful to have cameras running while riding, especially in groups, because you tend to catch all sorts of interesting things!

On the Zoo Lights ride yesterday, we encountered an SUV completely blocking the 15th Street NW cycletrack at H St NW. I was unable to get the license plate # because it didn’t have either front or rear license plates! Note how we had to squeeze between the parked cars and flexpost just to continue on our way. There was even a person moving around in the back while we passed by, so I have no idea what was going on.

Luckily, on our return trip down 15th St, the SUV was no longer there, but the pics tell the story. First 2 are from my front camera, second 2 are from my rear camera.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12941[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12942[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12943[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12944[/ATTACH]

[bobco85]

While Part 1 was humorous, Part 2 was a little scarier. I did not review my footage until this afternoon, so I was able to see the full story using both front and rear cameras.

On our way back from the Zoo Lights, we were heading east on T Street NW when we came across a lost and aggressive Land Rover driver. Luckily, I did manage to get the license plate # as shown here (front and back of Land Rover on either side):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12949[/ATTACH]

As we approached T St/New Hampshire Ave, the driver of the Land Rover proceeded to drive through the stop sign without stopping, turn left onto New Hampshire Ave which is one-way the OTHER way (note the Do Not Enter sign), stop, go into reverse, and nearly hit the pedestrian who was in the crosswalk.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12946[/ATTACH]

After crossing 16th St NW, we encountered another driver who had parked (hazards on) in the bike lane, so one-by-one the members of our group started going around. As we did this, the Land Rover driver came up fast and would have hit Nadine had Judd (behind her) not yelled out, “hey, Hey, HEY!!!” which caused the driver to stop and Nadine to move back to the right out of potential harm’s way.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12947[/ATTACH]

The Land Rover driver then waited for the rest of us (Nadine, Judd, and myself in back) to pass the bike lane blocker car (I did not get the license plate #), and as we prepared to turn onto the 15th St NW cycletrack, as a final “yes, an idiot is in control of this vehicle,” the driver proceeded to stop almost completely in the crosswalk at the red light.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12948[/ATTACH]

To the driver: Look, I understand the stress and embarrassment from driving in a city with which you are clearly not familiar especially after making stupid mistakes. However, that does not give you the liberty to act aggressively at nighttime towards other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians just so that you can get where you want to go that much faster.

[Judd]

@bobco85 150258 wrote:

After crossing 16th St NW, we encountered another driver who had parked (hazards on) in the bike lane, so one-by-one the members of our group started going around. As we did this, the Land Rover driver came up fast and would have hit Nadine had Judd (behind her) not yelled out, “hey, Hey, HEY!!!” which caused the driver to stop and Nadine to move back to the right out of potential harm’s way.

I truly thought Nadine was going to get plowed over, since he was not only going fast but showed no signs of slowing when I began yelling. I didn’t connect that all three instances were the same driver until we were talking afterwards. Unfortunately, it was a rough week for bad behaviors or close calls.

I was on my way to Jones Point on Saturday morning to work on the Bicycle Campus. I was traveling down the Pike and had a car start to pull out in front of me (I’m accustomed to this). I was stopped at the light at the ramp to 395 and all of a sudden there was a guy pulled up behind me and started losing his shit screaming at me to get the fuck out of the road. Light turned green and I didn’t move and waved him around since I had no interest in the inevitable 6 inch pass. He pulled alongside and rolled down his window. I said, “I’m legally allowed to use to the road and this is the only option I have to get to Pentagon City.” He gave me the expert advice that “Just because I can doesn’t mean that I should.” We exchanged mutual go fuck yourselves and went along on our ways.

After the zoo lights ride, we went to Bob and Edith’s for dinner. Komorebi and I were headed down the Pike, taking the right lane. Komorebi was a little behind me when I heard her gasp from a dangerous pass.

I’m hoping that a weekend full of dangerous/asshat drivers means that I’m due for a long stretch of non-asshats.

On the positive side, all of the pedestrians in Alexandria on Saturday morning were super friendly and I said hello to all of them and all of them said hello back.

[KLizotte]

Don’t you just wish you were a cop off duty sometimes? Sigh.

Too bad you didn’t have a rear view camera. If you had caught the license plate and photo of the driver the police could have pressed harassment charges.

Try to stay positive Whenever I get down about the jerks, I think of all the nice peds and drivers I’ve encountered. Fortunately they outnumber the idiots.

[Vicegrip]

Guy that thinks it is good form to turn on a high power flashing headlight and point it at me. Really? Did you not see that were both heading into 2 groups of joggers so there was going to be 2 bikes and 2 groups of joggers converging in the same place and unpredictability was on the menu?

[creadinger]

@bobco85 150258 wrote:

While Part 1 was humorous, Part 2 was a little scarier. I did not review my footage until this afternoon, so I was able to see the full story using both front and rear cameras.

On our way back from the Zoo Lights, we were heading east on T Street NW when we came across a lost and aggressive Land Rover driver. Luckily, I did manage to get the license plate # as shown here (front and back of Land Rover on either side):

As we approached T St/New Hampshire Ave, the driver of the Land Rover proceeded to drive through the stop sign without stopping, turn left onto New Hampshire Ave which is one-way the OTHER way (note the Do Not Enter sign), stop, go into reverse, and nearly hit the pedestrian who was in the crosswalk.

After crossing 16th St NW, we encountered another driver who had parked (hazards on) in the bike lane, so one-by-one the members of our group started going around. As we did this, the Land Rover driver came up fast and would have hit Nadine had Judd (behind her) not yelled out, “hey, Hey, HEY!!!” which caused the driver to stop and Nadine to move back to the right out of potential harm’s way.

The Land Rover driver then waited for the rest of us (Nadine, Judd, and myself in back) to pass the bike lane blocker car (I did not get the license plate #), and as we prepared to turn onto the 15th St NW cycletrack, as a final “yes, an idiot is in control of this vehicle,” the driver proceeded to stop almost completely in the crosswalk at the red light.

To the driver: Look, I understand the stress and embarrassment from driving in a city with which you are clearly not familiar especially after making stupid mistakes. However, that does not give you the liberty to act aggressively at nighttime towards other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians just so that you can get where you want to go that much faster.

Isn’t the city going to filled with idiots like this over the next year or so with the change in administration? Not to mention that many of the incoming people may be less likely to have ever heard of a bike lane, or realized that people do in fact ride bikes after age 8.

[bobco85]

@creadinger 150284 wrote:

Isn’t the city going to filled with idiots like this over the next year or so with the change in administration? Not to mention that many of the incoming people may be less likely to have ever heard of a bike lane, or realized that people do in fact ride bikes after age 8.

The way I see it is that the idiots have always been there. The difference is that with the increase in cyclists having cameras, we’re actually able to document and share footage of said idiots to make their deeds even more visible and hopefully make them accountable (still working on that aspect).

[Subby]

@Judd 150264 wrote:

We exchanged mutual go fuck yourselves and went along on our ways.

Happy endings are the best endings!

[DrP]

Me: cycling down the Custis just after the bridge to nowhere.

You: cyclist who passes me and then blows his nose off to each side, but mostly back.

Me: Eewww. Couldn’t you have waited until you were much further away? I think you missed me, but that is rude aside from being gross.

[dkel]

@DrP 150307 wrote:

Me: cycling down the Custis just after the bridge to nowhere.

You: cyclist who passes me and then blows his nose off to each side, but mostly back.

Me: Eewww. Couldn’t you have waited until you were much further away? I think you missed me, but that is rude aside from being gross.

I always check my six before doing that. Sometimes it’s a lot of checking my six. :p

[sjclaeys]

@creadinger 150284 wrote:

Isn’t the city going to filled with idiots like this over the next year or so with the change in administration? Not to mention that many of the incoming people may be less likely to have ever heard of a bike lane, or realized that people do in fact ride bikes after age 8.

Seeing that as cyclists we often have to deal with others making generalities about us, it doesn’t seem constructive to do the same.

[Judd]

@sjclaeys 150332 wrote:

Seeing that as cyclists we often have to deal with others making generalities about us, it doesn’t seem constructive to do the same.

I wish I would have taken a picture during the century I did last month in Florida of a jug of water with a “free water” sign right next to a large Trump campaign sign. Clearly one of the deplorables.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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