Missed connection

[gibby]

@Amalitza 159824 wrote:

… people just translate that habit to the trails either without giving it much thought or thinking of bikes as fast and scary things like cars that should be treated similarly.

I’ve figured that was the logic also, but I’ve noticed this when there are other joggers and walkers all on the right side, so I’m befuddled as to why someone wouldn’t think “hmm, maybe I should be on the same side as everyone else”

Several years ago, before there were many bike commuters, I used to take the Wash Blvd sidewalk path along the Pentagon to Memorial Bridge and almost all the joggers (who I assumed to be military types) would be of the left side. I figured this was a military or overseas thing and gave up my fuming. Altho taking it a few times recently, it seems most everyone is on the right side, so maybe habits are changing…

[lordofthemark]

You: riding, without a helmet, I think with only one hand on the handlebars, backwards baseball cap, riding southbound in the northbound PBL on Eads this AM.

Me: riding with a helmet and hands ready to brake, but right hand ringing bell wildly, northbound in the NB PBL on Eads.

I called “Wrong way! There is a lane on the other side!”

Usually this is met with shrugs by confused CaBi riders, etc.

Instead your response was “Why? Dumba$$”

I could have explained why, but you were gone.

I usually don’t post issues with cyclists, as opposed to drivers. But this kind of riding is a lot more likely to lead to collisions and problems of all kinds than the cautious Idahos that provoke letters to the editor. And I am not at all sure how we reach these people.

[GovernorSilver]

I was wondering if anybody ever rides the wrong way on a bike lane.

It would be a test of my patience for sure if encountered another cyclist barreling head on towards me in a bike lane. Might need to start carrying another “tool” if this becomes a widespread “thing”

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14743[/ATTACH]

[KLizotte]

I dunno. Maybe stop, dismount, and place your bike perpendicular to the lane so the salmoning cyclist has to make an effort to go around you?

Perhaps we should be happy such folks aren’t driving cars?!

[GovernorSilver]

Nah I’ll just lob the Holy Grenade of Antioch at him.

Or a rubber chicken.

[MFC]

@GovernorSilver 159919 wrote:

Nah I’ll just lob the Holy Grenade of Antioch at him.

One, two, five.

Three, sire.

Boom.

[Brett L.]

Then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it!!

[huskerdont]

@Brett L. 159921 wrote:

Then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it!!

I always heard that as “being *not in* my sight.” I like naughty better.

[cvcalhoun]

@huskerdont 159922 wrote:

I always heard that as “being *not in* my sight.” I like naughty better.

It’s definitely “being naughty in my sight.” It seems to be more a British thing than an American one to refer to anyone but children as “naughty.”

[cvcalhoun]

@Amalitza 159824 wrote:

I don’t actually know for sure that this is true, but I’ve always assumed it’s because we’re generally taught that if we have to be pedestrians in the road, we should walk (or jog) on the left, facing traffic http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/program-tools/when-walking-road-do-you-walk-against-or-traffic and people just translate that habit to the trails either without giving it much thought or thinking of bikes as fast and scary things like cars that should be treated similarly.

Yeah, I once watched a father carefully instructing his children that they should always walk to the right on the trails, based on this theory. I tried to correct him tactfully, but I’m not sure whether I managed either the correction or the tact part.

[Birru]

@GovernorSilver 159914 wrote:

I was wondering if anybody ever rides the wrong way on a bike lane.

It would be a test of my patience for sure if encountered another cyclist barreling head on towards me in a bike lane. Might need to start carrying another “tool” if this becomes a widespread “thing”

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14743[/ATTACH]

This happens more often than I’d prefer, especially on the two lane 15th St cycle track. And last night I was riding up 29 from DC. Nearing Spout Run there was another cyclist salmoning in the bike lane heading directly toward me. After dark. I kept checking over my shoulder to see if I could take the lane, but cars were there and continued to pass me. Luckily said salmon finally detoured to the sidewalk. Good times!

[scoot]

@GovernorSilver 159914 wrote:

I was wondering if anybody ever rides the wrong way on a bike lane. It would be a test of my patience for sure if encountered another cyclist barreling head on towards me in a bike lane.

Not sure if you’re being serious here, but I see bike-lane salmons all the time. The worst location for this has got to be the westernmost part of the M Street PBL, from about 22nd to Rock Creek. When I go through there (usually late evening), I see a bicycle heading east in the cycletrack at least 1 out of every 10 rides. Between that, peds randomly stepping off sidewalks, the construction forcing peds into the PBL, and the sparse late traffic on a multi-lane street, I’ve stopped using that bike lane entirely. (Unless I happen to go through in rush hour congestion; in that case I will certainly use it. Otherwise it’s so much easier to just ride down the middle of the street.)

Other spots I recall having at least one such encounter: L St near Vermont/14th, R St near Dupont, Walter Reed between 5th and 9th, S Joyce near Pentagon City, N Lynn in Rosslyn, Beulah between Franconia and Telegraph.

Interesting: one thing those locations all seem to have in common is that they’re fairly flat. On the other hand, I ride Wilson/Clarendon very often between Rosslyn and Clarendon, and I have never seen a salmon bicycle on either of them. Several cars though…

[bobco85]

@Birru 159927 wrote:

This happens more often than I’d prefer, especially on the two lane 15th St cycle track. And last night I was riding up 29 from DC. Nearing Spout Run there was another cyclist salmoning in the bike lane heading directly toward me. After dark. I kept checking over my shoulder to see if I could take the lane, but cars were there and continued to pass me. Luckily said salmon finally detoured to the sidewalk. Good times!

That seems to be most of my experience with bike lane salmon. We approach, I hold my line (assertively, not aggressively), and (probably because of my size) the salmon will move out of the way. Sometimes, I will tell the salmon that they’re going the wrong way, and sometimes they will respond with an infuriating, “I know.” (I know? Then DON’T DO IT).

To be honest, I can slightly sympathize with the bike lane salmon in one way. In most cases, the bike lane (especially if it’s a protected bike lane) is the calmest space when compared to a sidewalk with pedestrians, dogs, poles, trees, mailboxes, drivers-leaving-driveways, etc. and a roadway with speeding/aggressive/distracted/oblivious drivers. I don’t condone salmoning in a bike lane, but I can understand how it could be a viable choice for someone looking to quickly and safely (in their mind) get somewhere for a short distance like a block or two.

[GovernorSilver]

@scoot 159937 wrote:

Not sure if you’re being serious here, but I see bike-lane salmons all the time. The worst location for this has got to be the westernmost part of the M Street PBL, from about 22nd to Rock Creek. When I go through there (usually late evening), I see a bicycle heading east in the cycletrack at least 1 out of every 10 rides. Between that, peds randomly stepping off sidewalks, the construction forcing peds into the PBL, and the sparse late traffic on a multi-lane street, I’ve stopped using that bike lane entirely. (Unless I happen to go through in rush hour congestion; in that case I will certainly use it. Otherwise it’s so much easier to just ride down the middle of the street.)

Other spots I recall having at least one such encounter: L St near Vermont/14th, R St near Dupont, Walter Reed between 5th and 9th, S Joyce near Pentagon City, N Lynn in Rosslyn, Beulah between Franconia and Telegraph.

Interesting: one thing those locations all seem to have in common is that they’re fairly flat. On the other hand, I ride Wilson/Clarendon very often between Rosslyn and Clarendon, and I have never seen a salmon bicycle on either of them. Several cars though…

Yeah, that was a serious question – asked out of simple curiosity, not intended to troll.

My old route was Alexandria->MVT->14 St. Bridge->15th to Nat. Mall->Louisiana Ave->N. Capitol St. I haven’t ridden much on the bike lanes you mention.

The only salmon I’ve encountered of late is somebody trying to ride up Jamison where it’s temporarily a one-way, but that’s a sharrow, not a bike lane.

[lordofthemark]

15th Street is two ways, so even if someone is on the wrong side of it, they are at least supposed to be in the PBL

M and L are one way PBLs, and the nearest PBL in the other direction is on a different street.

Eads has PBLs in each direction, on opposite of sides of the street. Going SB in the NB lane someone is totally in the wrong place, in a PBL not designed for two way passing. And the PBL in the correct direction is right there.

The person I encountered either was unwilling to cross the street to get to the SB PBL. Or they didn’t realize there was a SB PBL, and unlike the confounded CaBi riders, was a jerk about having that pointed out. Or they were high. Or some combination.

[Author]

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