Missed connection

[dasgeh]

Dear late-commute cyclists on the Custis,

Sorry for yelling, I was just looking for a multitool. You were all totally polite, so thanks.

Dear guy who had a multitool and stopped,

THANK YOU!!!! I made it in one piece. I will probably just replace that cheapo brake.

[Terpfan]

Dear Good Morning Man (McPherson Square),

You’re always a highlight of my ride. People may ride stupidly. Cars may act in the most bizarre and dangerous manners. Yet you consistently have the positive attitude that’s awesome to roll by in the mornings. So, thank you.

[thucydides]

I had a “nice” run-in with Sparky McSparkles today on H street in Foggy Bottom around noon. Green shirt and courier bag. Old enough to know better. Riding one handed while yakking it up on a phone. He blew through a stop sign (luckily for him the car with the ROW stopped in time), nearly mowed down a pedestrian in a cross-walk, and then swerved way across the road. He would have nailed me but I was pretty much anticipating anything he might pull in my direction. In other words, a poster child for why motorists and pedestrians (who also tend to be motorists) hate us all. I chastised him and got the exact reaction I expected. Oh well. It’s sure a nice day out, regardless.

[Terpfan]

Connection found: http://www.weather.com/video/video-cyclist-hits-deer-35056

(Note, not me–I only hit the squirrels and occassional snake).

[vvill]

I see incidents fairly regularly but I don’t usually bother posting about them anymore. Saw someone on a shiny gold/orangey Trek MTB (26″, slicks, v-brakes) speeding down the Custis close to peak hour, weaving between other trail users willy-nilly. Of course he didn’t actually get any further ahead than me by the end of the Custis. The icing on the cake was when he shoaled someone to cross Lynn St.

My other favorite today was a car on the section of Lee Hwy behind Lee Heights shops, going downhill in the one lane, where I took the lane. The driver decided it would be better to cross the solid double yellow lines, speed downhill on the wrong side of the street, and then within 5 seconds, line up for a red light that would take at least 2 cycles for him to get through (assuming he was going to be lawful).

That’s what I get for leaving after 8am.

[ShawnoftheDread]

[QUOTE=vvill;44832

My other favorite today was a car on the section of Lee Hwy behind Lee Heights shops, going downhill in the one lane, where I took the lane. The driver decided it would be better to cross the solid double yellow lines, speed downhill on the wrong side of the street, and then within 5 seconds, line up for a red light that would take at least 2 cycles for him to get through (assuming he was going to be lawful).

That’s what I get for leaving after 8am.

Did you wave as you passed him back?

[vvill]

@ShawnoftheDread 44838 wrote:

Did you wave as you passed him back?

No but I did take a good stare at him as I passed by. (Strangely, he decided to wait in the longer of the two lanes that open up towards the traffic light. Surely it would be faster to wait in whichever lane is shorter, and then just swerve over whenever the hell you feel like it.)

[baiskeli]

Hey, I’ve got the right-of-way when I’m using a crosswalk and you’re in a car, buddy.

[Steve]

@baiskeli 44862 wrote:

Hey, I’ve got the right-of-way when I’m using a crosswalk and you’re in a car, buddy.

Not necessarily. You don’t have the right-of-way until you are in the crosswalk, and only if you enter the crosswalk when there is ample time for the car to slow. This is why the stop sign law that was just passed (I realize local government still have to pass it for it to be active) is so useless. People crossing the crosswalk already have to stop and wait to enter the crosswalk until it is clear and safe.

[DismalScientist]

@Steve 44873 wrote:

. People crossing the crosswalk already have to stop and wait to enter the crosswalk until it is clear and safe.

Actually, people crossing the crosswalk only need to wait to enter the crosswalk until it is clear and safe (i.e. no approaching traffic [due regard standard, whatever that means]). They don’t necessarily need to stop. This is why the stop signs on trails are annoying and likely unenforceable, except in Loudon in the near future.

[Steve]

@DismalScientist 44877 wrote:

Actually, people crossing the crosswalk only need to wait to enter the crosswalk until it is clear and safe (i.e. no approaching traffic [due regard standard, whatever that means]). They don’t necessarily need to stop. This is why the stop signs on trails are annoying and likely unenforceable, except in Loudon in the near future.

Yea, my bad. I didn’t mean to use the term stop there. I meant it only if cars are coming thru. I was trying to highlight that the crosswalk itself does not give right-of-way, that the person entering it has the duty to ensure it is a safe crossing. The law seems to favor the car in that if both a bike/ped and a car are getting to the crosswalk around the same time, the car has the right-of-way.

I also totally argree that the fuzzyness of the definition of when you have enough space/clearing to cross makes it tough.

[Terpfan]

@Steve 44878 wrote:

Yea, my bad. I didn’t mean to use the term stop there. I meant it only if cars are coming thru. I was trying to highlight that the crosswalk itself does not give right-of-way, that the person entering it has the duty to ensure it is a safe crossing. The law seems to favor the car in that if both a bike/ped and a car are getting to the crosswalk around the same time, the car has the right-of-way.

I also totally argree that the fuzzyness of the definition of when you have enough space/clearing to cross makes it tough.

A lot of that also depends on if the car is turning or coming straight toward the crosswalk. For instance, many cars at Constitution and 15th don’t stop for cyclists in crosswalk (even those getting in before them) or pedestrians despite the fact that they’re the turning vehicle.

It’s trickier for cyclists and cars given speeds, but in regards to pedestrians it’s rare that they cite the pedestrian for entering the crosswalk, particularly in DC. And with good reason. I watched a woman get hit by a car on GA avenue several years ago at a crosswalk.

[baiskeli]

@Steve 44873 wrote:

Not necessarily. You don’t have the right-of-way until you are in the crosswalk, and only if you enter the crosswalk when there is ample time for the car to slow. This is why the stop sign law that was just passed (I realize local government still have to pass it for it to be active) is so useless. People crossing the crosswalk already have to stop and wait to enter the crosswalk until it is clear and safe.

I had the right-of-way when the incident I’m referring to occurred this morning, when I was already more than halfway into the crosswalk.

(My post was a very brief missed connection).

[Steve]

@baiskeli 44894 wrote:

I had the right-of-way when the incident I’m referring to occurred this morning, when I was already more than halfway into the crosswalk.

(My post was a very brief missed connection).

I figured that. I wasn’t trying to correct you. More just I saw it as a green light complain about the stupid stop sign law.

[dasgeh]

@Steve 44878 wrote:

Yea, my bad. I didn’t mean to use the term stop there. I meant it only if cars are coming thru. I was trying to highlight that the crosswalk itself does not give right-of-way, that the person entering it has the duty to ensure it is a safe crossing. The law seems to favor the car in that if both a bike/ped and a car are getting to the crosswalk around the same time, the car has the right-of-way.

In Virginia, the car driver’s duty is not fuzzy: it’s clearly to yield the right of way to pedestrians “crossing” at a crosswalk. There is a separate responsibility on pedestrians to not cross “in disregard” of traffic. That is pretty fuzzy, but I don’t see how, given the car driver’s clear duty, that requires waiting until no cars are coming.

In the District, the law says something like car drivers must STOP at crosswalks. No responsibility of pedestrians.

[Author]

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