Missed connection

[creadinger]

@mikoglaces 56222 wrote:

Yeah, that’s happened to me too. It’s like the driver thinks, hey, I am driving a car, I have to pass that guy on a bike. It’s just the natural order of things. I can’t let him beat me to an intersection. Or something like that.

Not that I disagree with your point, but it’s generally how we feel with joggers and peds too right? Leads to the same type of interaction too with dangerous passes and near-misses on the trails.

[83b]

From now on instead of giving pedestrians the benefit of the doubt, I’m appending “and I was jaywalking while texting with my headphones on” to every “I almost got run down by a biker in the crosswalk” story that I’m forced to see or hear.

At three consecutive intersections along the Penn Ave lane yesterday I had jaywalkers step blithely into my path while entranced by their phones. Just because there are no cars coming that does not mean that you’re free to cross against a light without paying ANY attention.

I was hammering to make the green and doing 23mph+. A ~55lb bike and a ~200lb helmeted man moving at those speeds makes for quite a missile. And if my choices are to hit the poles in the median, move into traffic suddenly, or to ram a pedestrian? Then I’m holding my line and aiming for the squishy target.

For the forum, yelling “::UNPRINTABLE:: JAYWALKER!” seems to more effectively communicate that they’re in the wrong than my previous “Oi!” or “Heads up!” Some of these latest idiots actually seemed contrite.

[bobco85]

@mello yello 56218 wrote:

Maybe he thought you were pointing for him to go around you in the other lane?

Some drivers are just clueless, and dangerous.

Up to a few months ago, I used to look, arm-signal, and then start moving to the left side of the lane to prepare for a left turn. Now, I look, move to the left side of the lane, and arm-signal because I think it best communicates my intentions…

…even then, I’m getting the same result, except now the car illegally trying to pass me is completely on the wrong side of the double yellow instead of just 2 of its wheels. I mean, what else can I do to let cars behind me know I’m about to make a left turn?

Hmm, I just thought of this idea: I’ll turn my helmet camera backwards for the rest of this week. I’m interested to see what people do when they’re driving behind me, especially at this particular intersection. I’ll let everyone know if i see anything interesting.

[nikki_d]

@bobco85 56230 wrote:

Up to a few months ago, I used to look, arm-signal, and then start moving to the left side of the lane to prepare for a left turn. Now, I look, move to the left side of the lane, and arm-signal because I think it best communicates my intentions…

When my BF and I ride together on our commutes he gets mad that I signal saying it just confuses the drivers. I have not had the try to pass me on the left while signalling a left though. That is crazy!

[jnva]

I’ve had cars honk at me, pass me by crossing the double yellow like in this video and yell at me, and I’ll be going the speed limit. It happened to me last Friday on M street. I just laugh at these idiots because they always get stuck in traffic and I end up passing them again. It’s kind of amazing how many morons there are in the world.

[jabberwocky]

@83(b) 56226 wrote:

From now on instead of giving pedestrians the benefit of the doubt, I’m appending “and I was jaywalking while texting with my headphones on” to every “I almost got run down by a biker in the crosswalk” story that I’m forced to see or hear.

Am I the only one who gets seriously tempted to reach over and knock the effing phones right out of their hands as I go by? Seriously. Darwin would probably have something to say about people who step into traffic while texting, and it wouldn’t be “thats a survival trait!”

[NicDiesel]

@jabberwocky 56254 wrote:

Am I the only one who gets seriously tempted to reach over and knock the effing phones right out of their hands as I go by? Seriously. Darwin would probably have something to say about people who step into traffic while texting, and it wouldn’t be “thats a survival trait!”

You have no idea. I find that when I ride in traffic I usually have to yell obscenities and shake my fist at a minimum of five morons screwing around on their phones oblivious to moving traffic. Last year one guy (in a convertible no less) kept weaving over while texting and eating and almost clipped me three times in traffic before I finally had enough of his nonsense and got off my bike and shouted at him at the red light to pay attention before he kills someone. Is it really that hard to understand that if you’re driving a ton of steel you shouldn’t be distracted with Twatter or email administriva or texting?

[Xarici]

Thankfully a Missed Connection: My wife was taking a full lane this morning preparing to turn right (Penn&20th NW, I think) when a driver zoomed past within inches. When she caught up to the car at the next light and asked the driver to give more room next time, the woman replied that she should ‘get a cop or get a car.’ Ugh.
All she was able to get: black sportscar w/ soft top, temp tags 87818R (not sure about state), watch out if you see around.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Xarici 56288 wrote:

… the woman replied that she should ‘get a cop or get a car.’ Ugh…

The only just response to that is that the woman should get a new side mirror or taillight.

[NicDiesel]

@ShawnoftheDread 56294 wrote:

The only just response to that is that the woman should get a new side mirror or taillight.

I find laughing in their faces that we’re both at the red light to be sweet enough revenge.

[jabberwocky]

@ShawnoftheDread 56294 wrote:

The only just response to that is that the woman should get a new side mirror or taillight.

Yeah, seriously. PAL be damned, if someone pulled that with me, they’d be visiting a body shop.

[txgoonie]

BA rider walking his poor, flatted bike across the 14th St. Bridge: I recently had a flat myself, which is why I didn’t have a tube to stop and offer you. Hope it wasn’t too arduous a walk to wherever you were going or someone else stopped. It was a nice morning at least!

[Xarici]

Update: my wife called it in to 911 who said that they couldn’t (wouldn’t?) dispatch anyone because there were no witnesses around anymore. She then called the precinct who said that because she didn’t get hit and because the woman had temporary tags (apparently they won’t be able to trace them [????]) there was no point to filing and then proceeded to go off on how bikers do crazy things as well.

[dasgeh]

@Xarici 56301 wrote:

Update: my wife called it in to 911 who said that they couldn’t (wouldn’t?) dispatch anyone because there were no witnesses around anymore. She then called the precinct who said that because she didn’t get hit and because the woman had temporary tags (apparently they won’t be able to trace them [????]) there was no point to filing and then proceeded to go off on how bikers do crazy things as well.

Disappointing. In VA, you can call the non-emergency police number to report aggressive driving. There have been posts about it in this forum. If I remember correctly, we have some evidence that Fairfax County follows up; we’re not sure what Arlington does.

[consularrider]

To Westover, what was up yesterday? In a fifteen minute span around 6 pm:

First the woman in the white BMW (?) with VA vanity tag “TEL” or “TE1.” You really shouldn’t run the light at Washington Blvd and Longfellow at 40 mph when there is someone in the crosswalk, especially as you were just heading to the red light at Washington and McKinley. Luckily I could hear her engine racing as she accelerated through the light and was paying attention.

Then in the other direction at the same intersection to the “gentleman” in the gray minivan who had to squeeze by me with no more than six inches of clearance almost knocking me into the parked tow truck. It was only another 20 feet to the intersection where you had a red light! What was the big hurry?

And finally to the driver taking the curve too fast on Longfellow between 14th and 15th, please stay on your side of the road! 😡

[Author]

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