Missed connection

[RESTONTODC]

Dear Handsome White Toyota Landcruiser,

We’re doing paceline on the Westmoreland St McLean this morning. You’re too heavy for me to pull. I do mind that you’re drafting behind me. I’m sorry that there wasn’t enough room for you pass me. Please stay back when you see me next time.

Red Orbea Bike,

[elcee]

You: two urban riders on K street late last night.

Me: driving in the right lane, waiting for the light to change.

The light turns green, and the SUV to my left and I both start moving. The two of you suddenly appear, crossing from left to right, having not bothered to heed your red light. Only my spidey-sense allows me to brake and simultaneously observe your deer-in-headlights stares.

I can’t save you if I can’t see you. (Remember the SUV? Big vehicle.) Try not to blow through intersections when you see traffic.

[DCAKen]

Me: Heading north on Connecticut Avenue at S Street

You: Driving a black Jeep Cherokee

There I was, stopped at the light for S Street, in the right lane but in the middle to give space to those who wanted to turn right at the light. A quick glance in my rear view mirror just showed a Toyota Rav4 behind me. Once the light turned green, I started moving to the right and climbing the hill, and you suddenly appeared in my life. You were close to being the last thing appearing in my life as you laid on your horn, passing me on the right. It’s not that you wanted to turn right on Florida Avenue…you just wanted to get by the long lines of traffic in the other lanes to flirt with me until you zoomed left across two lanes to continue northward on Connecticut.

[creadinger]

Dear guy pushing the baby stroller across Anacostia River Road near the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge about 5:30pm Wednesday.

You need to look both ways before crossing the street! Especially when you’re pushing a baby in a stroller. Looking at the ground will not tell you if the road is clear for you and your baby to cross. You’re lucky it was just me on a bike coming at you. I was able to see what you were going to do before you did it and safely went around you. A driver might not have noticed….

[KelOnWheels]

Me: outside Caribou Coffee in Shirlington looking sweaty on my Fredly MTB.

You: looking cool on your Pinarello with your full Cervelo kit and a Bike Arlington reflective band.

Me: “Hi, Bike Arlington person!”

You: “…”

Me: , slinking away all rejectified.

[Certifried]

@KelOnWheels 23852 wrote:

Me: , slinking away all rejectified.

Oh that’s terrible! I’m comforting my little kitten now because that almost killed him. (on the upside, little kitten tears are tasty!)

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[KelOnWheels]

@Certifried 23853 wrote:

Oh that’s terrible! I’m comforting my little kitten now because that almost killed him. (on the upside, little kitten tears are tasty!)

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

LOL!

It’s true, my delicate and flowerlike feelings are crushed. I will probably never speak to anyone in public again.

WOE.

Actually the woe came right after that, when my chain fell off on That Damn Hill AGAIN. Fortunately my phone battery died while I was making the final ascent in the Death Zone, so Strava will not know my shame.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@KelOnWheels 23855 wrote:

LOL!

It’s true, my delicate and flowerlike feelings are crushed. I will probably never speak to anyone in public again.

WOE.

I felt the same way after my one and only Friday coffee club visit.

[KelOnWheels]

@ShawnoftheDread 23857 wrote:

I felt the same way after my one and only Friday coffee club visit.

Oh no, is it like that? I was thinking of going next week. Although probably no one will be there next week, come to think of it, since everyone will take the week off. Then all the people that aren’t there won’t talk to me!

[rcannon100]

Friday Coffee Club is a lot like the Bike Arlington crew, only its the DC crew. A lot of the twitter #bikedc people show. I have thoroughly enjoyed both. I think there was a #fridaycoffeeclub hash tag. Peter goes. I go. VVill goes. Who else from Bike Arlington?

No, next friday July 6 will probably be lightly attended.

I am thinking we should start a regular 😡 > “Attitude Adjustment Hour” > :p on Thursday evenings somewhere that works for the DC/Arlington crowd. Personally, Shirlington is marvelous. Maybe Crystal City. Maybe rotate it through a set of standards?

[dbb]

@rcannon100 23861 wrote:

Friday Coffee Club is a lot like the Bike Arlington crew, only its the DC crew. A lot of the twitter #bikedc people show. I have thoroughly enjoyed both. I think there was a #fridaycoffeeclub hash tag. Peter goes. I go. VVill goes. Who else from Bike Arlington?

I am planning on going tomorrow. My off day so I have a bit more flexibility.

[bobco85]

I got a twofer in a stretch of about a minute along Fairfax Drive (how lucky of me)!

You #1: Coming off of I-66 eastbound onto Fairfax Drive in your silver pick-up truck
Me: Coming off the Custis Trail and waiting at the light. It turns red for you and green for me.
You #1: One Miss-iss-ipp-i after your light turns red and you don’t even bother to slow down as you run the red (it wasn’t even close).
Me: Halfway across the intersection, stopping to avoid being struck by you, yelling “Hey!” and bowels beginning to loosen in the process (I didn’t need the help, as I was bringing dinner home from Taco Bell).
You #1: Not flinching and not turning your head, Terminator-style, but luckily stopping for another biker (motorcycle) at the light at Glebe.

You #2: Pedestrian at Stuart/Fairfax waiting to get your beloved 7-11 goodies.
Me: In the bike lane crossing through the intersection. My light turns yellow midway through the intersection.
You #2: Probably thinking, “Yellow for cross traffic is a green for me, right?” as you step out across the bike lane with the kind of timing that would have gotten your foot run over by my back tire only if it hadn’t been for me seeing you and moving out of the bike lane to avoid you.
Me: Thinking that two white headlights (flashing on handlebars, solid on helmet), two red taillights (blinking on seat stem, blinking on back of helmet), two amber spoke lights on my front wheel (they make it look like a bright amber circle), front/back reflectors, and my cool Bike Arlington bracelet wrapped around my seat stem make me completely invisible when riding in the middle of the bike lane at 9 o’clock at night.

[vvill]

@rcannon100 23861 wrote:

Friday Coffee Club is a lot like the Bike Arlington crew, only its the DC crew. A lot of the twitter #bikedc people show. I have thoroughly enjoyed both. I think there was a #fridaycoffeeclub hash tag. Peter goes. I go. VVill goes. Who else from Bike Arlington?

americancyclo, essigmw, jrenaut

[TwoWheelsDC]

@rcannon100 23861 wrote:

Friday Coffee Club is a lot like the Bike Arlington crew, only its the DC crew. A lot of the twitter #bikedc people show. I have thoroughly enjoyed both. I think there was a #fridaycoffeeclub hash tag. Peter goes. I go. VVill goes. Who else from Bike Arlington?

No, next friday July 6 will probably be lightly attended.

I am thinking we should start a regular 😡 > “Attitude Adjustment Hour” > :p on Thursday evenings somewhere that works for the DC/Arlington crowd. Personally, Shirlington is marvelous. Maybe Crystal City. Maybe rotate it through a set of standards?

I was planning on coming, but wedding issues may preclude it. Negotiations with the future wife are ongoing.

[Certifried]

@KelOnWheels 23859 wrote:

Oh no, is it like that? I was thinking of going next week. Although probably no one will be there next week, come to think of it, since everyone will take the week off. Then all the people that aren’t there won’t talk to me!

I’ll go and buy you a coffee, if you promise to speak to me in public. I’ll bring some kitten tears to sweeten your coffee.

[Author]

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