My Evening Commute

[bentbike33]

@DrP 165775 wrote:

Yeah, I knew it was a code orange, but often that clears out enough by my commuting time to not be so painful. It just seemed particularly bad yesterday given the more recent clearer days. Or maybe because the humidity wasn’t as high as bad air days earlier in the season.

Yeah, maybe because it was 85 and Code Orange instead of 95 and Code Orange, you rode a little harder than you usually do on a bad air day.

[Zack]

Headed home on Monday, I was pleased that I spit out a bug that only partially made it into my mouth instead of swallowing it. Bike commuting certainly changes one’s perspective on winning!

[komorebi]

An amusing example of how unthinkingly car-centric our society is: on my way home this evening, I stopped by the mall to pick up something that I had ordered online. I was in full nighttime urban commuter mode — jersey, knickers, fingerless gloves, reflective ankle bands, screaming yellow safety vest — and was carrying my bike helmet. As I signed for my order, the sales clerk asked me, “Do you need your parking validated?”

[bentbike33]

@komorebi 166027 wrote:

“Do you need your parking validated?”

Maybe you can lock up in the garage next time.

[anomad]

@komorebi 166027 wrote:

An amusing example of how unthinkingly car-centric our society is: on my way home this evening, I stopped by the mall to pick up something that I had ordered online. I was in full nighttime urban commuter mode — jersey, knickers, fingerless gloves, reflective ankle bands, screaming yellow safety vest — and was carrying my bike helmet. As I signed for my order, the sales clerk asked me, “Do you need your parking validated?”

Did they laugh after they realized what they said? Or were they just reciting a customer service routine that will probably be automated?

[komorebi]

@anomad 166033 wrote:

Did they laugh after they realized what they said? Or were they just reciting a customer service routine that will probably be automated?

The latter. She didn’t even change expression after I told her that no, I didn’t need my parking validated.

Still, I’m surprised that this is part of their customer service routine. This was at the Pentagon City mall, which a lot of people get to by Metro. And there’s already a sign at the counter letting people know that they can get their parking validated with a $5.00 purchase, which should remind drivers to ask for parking validation if they need it.

[mstone]

@komorebi 166043 wrote:

Still, I’m surprised that this is part of their customer service routine. This was at the Pentagon City mall, which a lot of people get to by Metro. And there’s already a sign at the counter letting people know that they can get their parking validated with a $5.00 purchase, which should remind drivers to ask for parking validation if they need it.

You’re apparently unfamiliar with the level of rage people can attain when asked to pay for parking. This is a public safety initiative.

[DrP]

As my lights played on the water coming off my front tire, I thought ” I am a lighted fountain!” I thought this was cool. “I am a lighted rolling fountain!” and other such descriptions.

This was a good thought. Especially since there were four occasions that I was crossing roads, in the crosswalk, with the walk signal, and drivers somehow didn’t realize that I was there. I was lit. I was wearing a Bike Arlington reflective vest (along with other reflective items). I was headed towards them (except for the first case – they were making a left). In all cases I yelled at them and continued yelling, as I continued on my route, in the crazy person mode of “how can you not see me?! How can you not expect someone in the crosswalk?! Just because it is raining?! I am LIT!! I am Reflective!!” pause “I am a lighted fountain!” The last calmed me a bit as I chuckled. (I might still be a crazy person, but a happier one, at least).

Oh, and with all the rain, no deer popped out at me on the W&OD. But I had to cross Wilson rather than pass under it due to the water.

[Zack]

@DrP 167733 wrote:

As my lights played on the water coming off my front tire, I thought ” I am a lighted fountain!” I thought this was cool. “I am a lighted rolling fountain!” and other such descriptions.

This was a good thought. Especially since there were four occasions that I was crossing roads, in the crosswalk, with the walk signal, and drivers somehow didn’t realize that I was there. I was lit. I was wearing a Bike Arlington reflective vest (along with other reflective items). I was headed towards them (except for the first case – they were making a left). In all cases I yelled at them and continued yelling, as I continued on my route, in the crazy person mode of “how can you not see me?! How can you not expect someone in the crosswalk?! Just because it is raining?! I am LIT!! I am Reflective!!” pause “I am a lighted fountain!” The last calmed me a bit as I chuckled. (I might still be a crazy person, but a happier one, at least).

This driver didn’t see me either despite my reflective jacket, 1000 lumen headlight, and green wheel lights. Visibility does not work if people don’t use their eyes!

[huskerdont]

I left early and rode a little longer last night to reach the 5,000-mile yearly goal. After about 8 years of trying, finally didn’t fall short. And there was much rejoicing…

[cyclingfool]

Not sure where a 2:30 am ride home from work falls on the morning or evening commute spectrum, but here’s my startle from last night/this morning… A fox scurrying across the road no more than five feet in front of me as I was riding down Four Mile Run Drive parallel to the W&OD across the vacant lot from WETA. Near miss.

I was ready to fall asleep on my ride home despite the cool temperatures and being on my bike after a very long day at work, but the sound of running paws and the almost collision with a fox darting out from the parked cars and almost taking me out got my blood flowing in a jiffy.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

[lordofthemark]

It was very amusing to see a couple riding a tandem recumbent, whose “flag” was lit up like the proverbial Christmas Tree. I followed them across the 14th street bridge, and would have followed further but they turned north on the MVT.

[streetsmarts]

riding up 11th street. bikes ahead of me just blow past stop signs.
there was a pedestrian. waiting for someone to stop so she could cross.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[huskerdont]

@streetsmarts 169001 wrote:

riding up 11th street. bikes ahead of me just blow past stop signs.
there was a pedestrian. waiting for someone to stop so she could cross.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

This happens to me many days. And I yield and wave them through as politely as I know how, and even though I look like a Krampus most of the time, at least they have a chance of knowing that not everyone on wheels is a complete *sshat. I have no doubt you do the same (except for the Krampus part, of course).

[Emm]

Last Thursday was my first ever aborted commute, but I turned it into something positive. Multiple spokes broke on my rear wheel while I biked through Old Town, making it so that even when my rear brake was disengaged, the wheel was so out of true it still rubbed against the disengaged brake. I also didn’t have a bike lock with me, so I called the person I’m living with to pick me up, and after 20 minutes of not reaching him, slowly biked to Belle Haven park with the idea I could hide my bike behind a tree and Uber home. The last 2 miles of my commute have a big uphill and some downhill segments on a busy road, so I did not feel safe biking on a very untrue wheel with no rear brake. Luckily I got called back and picked up right as I opened the Uber app. The fix at Spokes Etc was fast too. They just installed my spare wheel since we decided this wheel wasn’t worth salvaging–this was not the first spoke issue I’ve had…

So this weekend I turned the broken wheel that ruined my Thursday night into a pretty Christmas wreath. It’s a little larger and heavier than your standard wreath, but still fits on a door.

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