Missed connection

[DCAKen]

You: Town Car driver

Me: Crossing Rock Creek Parkway

If the car ahead of you stops at the crosswalk, don’t honk and zoom around him. There’s most likely someone in that crosswalk.

[jrenaut]

How many laws did that guy break right there? But it’s the cyclists who are scofflaws.

[pfunkallstar]

Geez – it is always the Town Cars. I was walking by the White House yesterday, during your traditional rolling of eggs, and a Town Car drove through the crosswalk…almost taking out a double stroller. Of course the eight police that witnessed this did absolutely nothing.

[Dickie]

@DCAKen 47961 wrote:

You: Town Car driver

Me: Crossing Rock Creek Parkway

If the car ahead of you stops at the crosswalk, don’t honk and zoom around him. There’s most likely someone in that crosswalk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dCpElcte3Q

Holy crap, glad you are OK…. I think we need to make a site where we can collectively upload all our close calls caught on video, this could be really helpful one day I am sure… such as when all the new bicycle bills get shot down!

[Terpfan]

@pfunkallstar 47987 wrote:

Geez – it is always the Town Cars. I was walking by the White House yesterday, during your traditional rolling of eggs, and a Town Car drove through the crosswalk…almost taking out a double stroller. Of course the eight police that witnessed this did absolutely nothing.

I rode through the 15th St Cycletrack by WH in mid-afternoon to a meeting and several were parked in the lane (not where there aren’t bollards, but in the literal lane). One through his hand up at me as if I were crazy going so close to his precious car. Next time, I think I’m going to get out and just rest upright in front of one of their cars in the cycletrack. When they get loaded and honk to move, I’m just not going to move and I’ll point out they’re literally in the cycletrack.

Come to think of it. That may be a good strategy overall if folks have time. Civil disobedience except it’s not being disobedient by just standing there.

[jrenaut]

Me: riding somewhat slowly with Bilsko just before the Kennedy Center on the Rock Creek trail
You: Angrypants coming up behind us.

Look, I realize we were two wide on a trail that isn’t that wide to begin with. But when you announced yourself behind us, I moved into the grass so you could pass. There was then absolutely no reason for you to make smartass comments as you went by. Why are you so angry? You were on your bike. It’s almost spring. You should be smelling the two or three cherry blossoms and whistling, not grousing at your fellow bike commuters.

[vvill]

Me: riding in middle lane on M St going east in Georgetown. taking the lane. waiting with traffic in every light. not filtering. being a PAL. etc.
You (in a silver SUV): picking your ear for most of the time, except when you swerved into my lane without checking or warning, only to swerve back a few seconds later realizing there was no advantage. thanks for the brake test.
Me: yelling Hey! while next to your vehicle had no effect (you kept picking your ear) so i rode with you til you were stopped in traffic (all of 5 seconds) and tapped on your window to ask you if you saw me and let you know you almost hit me.
You: shrugging, looking surprised, not willing to wind down your window to actually converse.
Me: %!#$ing hell. riding off. it’s just another day on the Streets of DC.

[jnva]

@vvill 48022 wrote:

Me: riding in middle lane on M St going east in Georgetown. taking the lane. waiting with traffic in every light. not filtering. being a PAL. etc.
You (in a silver SUV): picking your ear for most of the time, except when you swerved into my lane without checking or warning, only to swerve back a few seconds later realizing there was no advantage. thanks for the brake test.
Me: yelling Hey! while next to your vehicle had no effect (you kept picking your ear) so i rode with you til you were stopped in traffic (all of 5 seconds) and tapped on your window to ask you if you saw me and let you know you almost hit me.
You: shrugging, looking surprised, not willing to wind down your window to actually converse.
Me: %!#$ing hell. riding off. it’s just another day on the Streets of DC.

Yep, just another day. I yelled at a silver SUV this morning on L street – wonder if it was the same one. He was speeding and almost hit a woman who had to move into the lane to go around a parked car. Then he obnoxiously laid on his horn for a good 30 seconds. I caught up to him and informed him that he was speeding. He then proceeded to make an illegal left turn. I though I had caught the whole thing on my gopro but it wasn’t on #^%+*!!!

[dasgeh]

I dream one day that I’ll make some stickers to stick onto cars that do dumba$$ s**t that could get people killed but won’t take responsibility for situations like these.

I’m thinking something like Mr Frumble from Richard Scarry’s books.

[Tim Kelley]

@dasgeh 48032 wrote:

I dream one day that I’ll make some stickers to stick onto cars that do dumba$$ s**t that could get people killed but won’t take responsibility for situations like these.

http://gizmodo.com/5714921/if-youre-a-cyclist-throw-this-magnet-at-the-next-car-who-endangers-your-life

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Terpfan 47997 wrote:

I rode through the 15th St Cycletrack by WH in mid-afternoon to a meeting and several were parked in the lane (not where there aren’t bollards, but in the literal lane). One through his hand up at me as if I were crazy going so close to his precious car. Next time, I think I’m going to get out and just rest upright in front of one of their cars in the cycletrack. When they get loaded and honk to move, I’m just not going to move and I’ll point out they’re literally in the cycletrack.

Come to think of it. That may be a good strategy overall if folks have time. Civil disobedience except it’s not being disobedient by just standing there.

I did this on the L Street track one morning. Sat in front of a car for three light cycles as the driver was trying to pull out into the intersection to leave the track. Not my best moment, but I had some time to kill and the passenger she was dropping off was a big-time jerk.

[vvill]

@jnva 48024 wrote:

Yep, just another day. I yelled at a silver SUV this morning on L street – wonder if it was the same one. He was speeding and almost hit a woman who had to move into the lane to go around a parked car. Then he obnoxiously laid on his horn for a good 30 seconds. I caught up to him and informed him that he was speeding. He then proceeded to make an illegal left turn. I though I had caught the whole thing on my gopro but it wasn’t on #^%+*!!!

I really doubt it’s the same guy a) this guy wasn’t going particularly fast b) he was too busy ear picking to use a horn c) these incidents are so common.

I’d say 3/5 commutes I have an incident or two like this, mostly on busier roads and closer to peak hours. I usually just ignore them and forget about them but in this case the driver wasn’t even remotely aware of what he did – and it was easy to catch up and try to inform him.

[MRH5028]

@DCAKen 47961 wrote:

You: Town Car driver

Me: Crossing Rock Creek Parkway

If the car ahead of you stops at the crosswalk, don’t honk and zoom around him. There’s most likely someone in that crosswalk.

Paused video at right moment: VA Plate – 683 HAC

Not sure who to report that to.

[baiskeli]

@MRH5028 48043 wrote:

Paused video at right moment: VA Plate – 683 HAC

Not sure who to report that to.

I doubt law enforcement will do anything, but you can google “bad driver sites” and find several websites where you can post it, for shame’s sake.

[DaveK]

@MRH5028 48043 wrote:

Paused video at right moment: VA Plate – 683 HAC

Not sure who to report that to.

DC Police. Send it out on Twitter to everyone in the world with the tag #bikedc, to DC Police (@DCPoliceDept), to WABA (@WABADC), your DC Councilmember (if you’re a DC resident), send it to DCist (@DCist) who may decide to run with it… I’d make this a big deal. Just as much as the guy who got hit on Rhode Island Avenue last year and only got a positive outcome because he taped it.

[Author]

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