Missed connection

[slowtriguy]

(Sorry if this shows up more than once — my login timed out as I was hitting “submit post”.)

You: guy on a cream-colored fixie, wearing a backpack, going westbound on Fairfax in Ballston.

Me: rider you almost ran into twice in 15 seconds because you ran the red light at Ballston Metro.

Some thoughts, offered in the spirit of cooperation and getting along with my fellow biking folks.

(A) We both know you blatantly ran the red light. I know because it was green for 15 seconds before I could turn, since the bus in front of me was also waiting to turn after the green. You know because you stopped, looked around, went anyway, and darn near ran right into me.

( Thanks ever so much for the extra breeze as you blew past me unannounced in the space between the car to my left and me, when the driver and I both stopped for the next red light. I must say, however, that I am disappointed that you left three whole air molecules between us. Please do better next time.

(C) Oh, and by the way – the light I stopped for turned green about six seconds later.

(D) The fun continues! The whole next two blocks, I was waiting to see what you would do if the light turned red at Glebe and Fairfax before you got there. Which it did. No need for you in your ELITEness to stop simply because the light turned red – no, indeed. Why not just go halfway across and sit there stranded for the rest of the cycle, all to save maybe 15 seconds?

(E) I note that despite all the shenanigans I got to witness, and despite my actually STOPPING for the lights and my NOT weaving through all the other trail users, I ended up no more than 20 yards behind you by the time I turned off in Falls Church. Surely an ELITE rider such as yourself can do better next time.

Cheerfully exasperated, I remain yours truly,

Slowtriguy

[bobco85]

@KLizotte 45935 wrote:

Good god(!) on that video. Too bad you didn’t get the license plate (would the police follow up though?). And why was he driving so fast?!

OFN-3495 New York plate, though I’m guessing you mean when it happened.

So this guy completely passed the little sign at the end of Adahi Road that says “Motorized Vehicles Prohibited” and after driving for a bit didn’t think, “Hmm, maybe there’s something wrong here when the road is so small and I am driving over the yellow line?”

[jnva]

@KLizotte 45935 wrote:

Good god(!) on that video. Too bad you didn’t get the license plate (would the police follow up though?). And why was he driving so fast?!

The guy was either a good actor or he was really lost. It seemed like he was late for something and was frantically trying to take a shortcut. I told him that the trail ended up ahead so he had to turn around. I estimate he was doing about 40 mph. Craaaazy.

[Mikey]

@bobco85 45960 wrote:

OFN-3495 New York plate, though I’m guessing you mean when it happened.

So this guy completely passed the little sign at the end of Adahi Road that says “Motorized Vehicles Prohibited” and after driving for a bit didn’t think, “Hmm, maybe there’s something wrong here when the road is so small and I am driving over the yellow line?”

how did he get his car up the lip onto the trail without bottoming out? It’s rather steep there since they have repaved.

[chris_s]

Me: Struggling up the Walter Reed Drive Hill on my first bike commute after taking the winter off.
You: Passengers in a red car passing me who yelled “You can do it!” out your open window.

Thanks! I honestly don’t know if I would have stuck it out without the encouragement!

[Mark Blacknell]

@jnva 45966 wrote:

The guy was either a good actor or he was really lost. It seemed like he was late for something and was frantically trying to take a shortcut. I told him that the trail ended up ahead so he had to turn around. I estimate he was doing about 40 mph. Craaaazy.

If others encounter this, please:

1) Call the police.
2) Get in front of the car as it heads off the path and ensure that you moderate the driver’s speed, if you’re comfortable with that.

Thanks for the video.

[arlrider]

@Mark Blacknell 45975 wrote:

2) Get in front of the car as it heads off the path and ensure that you moderate the driver’s speed

Ah, right, because a person driving down a bike path at 40 MPH certainly couldn’t be, you know, INSANE and would surely allow himself to be paced by a bicycle riding in front of him. And he’s certain to be extra happy due to the fact that you just called the cops on him.

[Mark Blacknell]

@arlrider 45977 wrote:

Ah, right, because a person driving down a bike path at 40 MPH certainly couldn’t be, you know, INSANE and would surely allow himself to be paced by a bicycle riding in front of him. And he’s certain to be extra happy due to the fact that you just called the cops on him.

I’d do it

[jnva]

Yeah, not sure i would go in front. He had a crazy look on his face, like a trapped animal. Now that I think about it, he was probably trying to cut through to park street. I think the only reason he stopped was because he saw me turn around and follow him and I had my work badge on my arm – maybe he thought I was a bike path cop!

[rcannon100]

Lacking the LIKE button, will chime in and say I agree w ArlRider on this one. If someone is driving on the bike path, there is a reason (such as DUI). Call the police, take pictures, provide directions if you can….. otherwise, “We must give this america a wide berth.”

[creadinger]

@jnva 45921 wrote:

Whats worse than almost getting run over on the street?

THIS.

Nice video! Excellent example of why riding with a camera can be a good idea.

I wish I could see the expression of the pedestrian in red at the crest of the hill by the old bridge abutment (~0:41). What was he doing? It looked like extreme flabbergastedness, but it’s hard to tell without super duper HD zoom.

[dasgeh]

@TwoWheelsDC 45942 wrote:

Pretty sure Dasgeh passed my wife and me near the S-curve this evening. You called your pass, but my wife, who was out front, thought I was talking to her and got confused. Today was her first day on the bike in a couple months (but yay, she bike commuted!) and she was struggling to get up the Custis, so I was just kinda goofing off while waiting behind her. I thought about yelling “DASGEH!?!?” but it was up the S-curve and would’ve confused my wife greatly.

Yes, that was me. I wanted to be encouraging, but I was late getting home to the baby (the very hungry baby – uncomfortable for both of us). Y’all really pushed it up the S-curve – nice work. Hope you guys had fun!

Wow! Two sitings in a day. Maybe the rest of y’all do exist (and I need to look out for y’all).

Oh, and my name is Gillian, in case “Das Geh” doesn’t seem like something you’d want to yell on the trail.

[dasgeh]

@Mark Blacknell 45975 wrote:

2) Get in front of the car as it heads off the path and ensure that you moderate the driver’s speed, if you’re comfortable with that.

It did look like the driver had asked for directions. If you had the time, saying something like “this is a pedestrian trail with lots of people, including children. You need to turn around and follow me to get off asap.” Then you could stay in front of the car.

Oh, and crazy video. Glad no one was hurt.

[creadinger]

@dasgeh 45989 wrote:

Yes, that was me. I wanted to be encouraging, but I was late getting home to the baby (the very hungry baby – uncomfortable for both of us). Y’all really pushed it up the S-curve – nice work. Hope you guys had fun!

Wow! Two sitings in a day. Maybe the rest of y’all do exist (and I need to look out for y’all).

Oh, and my name is Gillian, in case “Das Geh” doesn’t seem like something you’d want to yell on the trail.

I always thought “Das Geh” always sounded like a Jamaican saying “that’s gay”. Probably not something people should be yelling everywhere mon.

[jabberwocky]

@Mark Blacknell 45975 wrote:

2) Get in front of the car as it heads off the path and ensure that you moderate the driver’s speed, if you’re comfortable with that.

One of the more ballsy things I’ve ever seen a cyclist do was block a motorist who tried to use the W&OD between Maple and Church street as his personal “traffic escape route” (Maple was backed up, so he seemed to figure he could drive up the W&OD real quick to get to Church). A cyclist coming the other way refused to let him through. The dude was shrieking that he was almost to church, and it would be easier to go forward than back up, and mister ballsy cyclist flat out refused to move. After a few minutes of engine revving and yelling, impatient driver dude ended up backing up to Maple (he had quite a crowd at this point).

It was awesome.

[Author]

Posts