Missed connection

[creadinger]

Me: Hain’s Point west side, northbound with the wind trying to put the hammer down and getting a PR in the process (thanks wind… for once).
You: Came up from behind. I had passed you earlier on the east side, but you were clearly taking it easy. As you and your buddy pull up alongside me you say, “Your legs are like f*&king pistons man. Jesus Christ!”
Me: “Uh.. thanks!”

So even though all I could muster was a surprised thanks, after 4 straight days riding up Good Hope Rd and Suitland Rd and getting yelled at by some douchbag to “get out of the road” 30 minutes earlier, my energy was pretty low. Your comment pretty much made my day, and got my spirits back up to where they should have been, so thanks!

PS – I think you probably also indirectly meant my cadence is too slow. I’m working on it, but it’s tough for a big guy to spin real fast.

[ShawnoftheDread]

Hey, this is Missed Connection, not Humblebrag.

[Terpfan]

Dear Crossing Guard at 15th & Maine Ave,

I appreciate your courteous attitude, unfortunately you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about with cycling laws. For starters, I do not have to cross at a crosswalk. Second, there is no fine for me crossing at the intersection. Third, while you think this is for my safety, I’m actually much safer crossing the intersection rather than trying to navigate hordes of tourists crowding the narrow sidewalks by the Tidal Basin. As I said yesterday, feel free to ask a police officer to cite me for your fictitious fine for not riding across the crosswalk. And you’re welcome for me not making it that much harder by separating the tourism herd at a busy intersection in rush hour.

Moving right along….

Dear Fellow Cyclist at Slaters & E Abingdon this morning,

You are insane. The cars crossing the GWP on slaters heading west/north toward Buzz had a green light. I watched you wait as two went through and then you chose to dart right before the third car. The woman was alert and I could tell she hit her brakes fairly hard as the car dipped down slightly. But seriously, you could have waited the extra three seconds and not made us all look bad. I’ll crack it up to a mistake in judgment as I’ve seen you on the paths before and you’re good about calling passes and generally seem to follow the rules of the road.

[nikki_d]

@Terpfan 48418 wrote:

Dear Crossing Guard at 15th & Maine Ave,

Sounds like you should bring the crossing guard one of the WABA little blue books of bike laws!

[slowtriguy]

I’m not really sure where this one fits…it’s not really a missed connection, but a random funny bike-related moment.

This morning, I was unlocking my bike from a rack to ride home from an errand, and was wearing my usual gear: bright yellow top, black tights, and a black balaclava. Yes, the colors matter for understanding my bemusement at the rest of this.

A little girl walking by with her mom asked me, “Are you Santa?” I said, “No…but if I were, would I tell you?” She stared at me suspiciously for a moment and said, quietly but firmly, “Santa.” (I could hear the “A-HA! Caught you!” tone in her voice – she was certain.) Her mom and I laughed quietly as they walked on.

So I have learned that at least one little girl is convinced Santa spends April riding around the DC area dressed in yellow and black… Maybe next winter, I need to put Christmas lights on the frame for extra visibility…and get a Santa helmet cover.

[SerialCarpins]

YOU: The couple riding your bikes and pumping away to quickly blow through your red light on Maryland Ave across 3rd street heading towards the Museum of the American Indian.

ME: The guy driving down 3rd in his car (today I was a driver) watching the car in front of me slam on his brakes so he could avoid hitting not only the two of you, but the young child belted into the child seat on the back of the woman’s bike.

Ya know…though I usually avoid going through red lights unless I know I can and the road is completely clear in both directions, I sometimes make stupid decisions when it comes to riding my bike…but you know when I don’t do it? When I used to have my son strapped into the iBert seat on my bike. (He has since outgrown it) Both for common-sense safety, and to show him safe riding….

Besides, where were you two going in such a rush at 6:30am, when there was just two cars on 3rd Street (me, and the guy who almost wiped you out) that you couldn’t wait the 10 seconds for us to pass for you to cross?

:confused:

[PeteD]

You: Guy in White Nissan Maxima, whose license plate I have memorized and written down.
Me: Having just topped the hill in my neighborhood, just 1000 feet from my front door

Just wanted to remind you that I did call 911, and report your harassment, making sure to mention to the operator that you said you were in the employ of the police department. You coarse language and volume did nothing to convince me you actually knew the rules of the road, and your admonition for me to Stay On The Sidewalk(tm) was not unexpected. Thanks for being my first, I’ll always remember you.

[pfunkallstar]

You: Sunshine in a fricking bottle. On a red/black road bike, with matching red/black clothes, by Roosevelt Island this AM around 7:40am.

Me: Dude on black bike who looked like he rummaged through a donation bin for his bike clothes – orange stained jacket, weird shorts, seemingly unnecessary white wool socks.

I’m sorry I didn’t seem too chatty this morning, but I’m never that chatty. I could tell that you were out for a pleasure ride and that is awesome, it is a great day to do it on. I was humbled by your assessment that I was “a guy who had been riding all winter.” You got my number. I’m not sure what gave it away, maybe the grizzled look, bulging calves, or general bewilderment as to all the people appearing on the trail. I will try to transition from Winter Grime Biker to Sunshine Fun Biker, I just need more time.

[DaveK]

You: wearing a jacket on your ride at lunch today

Me: WHAT THE HELL?

Rinse, repeat a dozen times for all the bundled-up riders I’ve seen today thus far…

[vvill]

@DaveK 48659 wrote:

You: wearing a jacket on your ride at lunch today

Yeah I foolishly left the house this AM in long sleeved Endura. Under a collared shirt.

[consularrider]

Nothing wrong with a long sleeved shirt this morning, just not going to need it for the ride home. Somehow a jacket just seemed wrong.

[pfunkallstar]

You: Jogging GW lady with the earbuds on.

Me: Guy trying to get to work who you apologized to profusely having confused me for a long-forgotten childhood heirloom, Justin Beibert, or a large sack of money – proceeding to try to run into me not once, but THREE TIMES.

I fricking love Star Trek, love it. But there is no reason to order Evasive Maneuver Riker 1 by the Washington Monument on a crowded trail. It looked as though you were playing hopscotch. I dodged you once, but three times took all of my Vulcan focus skills. Your apology was heartfelt, but I don’t think you understood the extent to which that could have ended up as a bad game of three dimensional chess.

[creadinger]

Now we need a “Make it so” or “Engage” button.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2675[/ATTACH]

[Vicegrip]

@creadinger 48779 wrote:

Now we need a “Make it so” or “Engage” button.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2675[/ATTACH]

Photon torpedos for the win.

I think some of the mega watt LED headlamps are almost there. I ride west in the am and get a tan on the way in to work

[baiskeli]

Hey, guy on a bike crossing Glebe at Fairfax from median to median, and then salmoning through the turn lane squeezed between the median and cars, and then crossing left in front of traffic speeding off of 66 to get to the Bluemont Junction trail, interesting strategy.

[Author]

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