My Morning Commute

[Certifried]

sucked I drove today, despite knowing the weather would be nice. I ate at the “Original Pancake House” in Bethesda yesterday, and by afternoon was feeling pretty nauseous. I’m not sure it was the food, nor do I really have any idea what the issue was really. Still feeling a little “blech” today, and woke up way too late to ride.

Just another manic Monday.

Topic

[oldbikechick]

@ShawnoftheDread 78690 wrote:

Are those equestrian goggles or lab goggles? Where did you get them?

They are skydiving goggles. I got the idea from another bike forum. I ordered them online for about $20

[oldbikechick]

@oldbikechick 78770 wrote:

They are skydiving goggles. I got the idea from another bike forum. I ordered them online for about $20

The brand is Kroops

[oldbikechick]

@Arlingtonrider 78687 wrote:

Ski goggles are pretty amazing for biking in extreme cold when combined with a partial face mask or balakava, and while you might have to be a little more cognizant about peripheral vision, I haven’t found that to be too much of a problem. I think I compensate by looking around a little more. Also, they’re vented on top and designed not to fog up. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how comfortable they are when riding. I might have sprung for a good pair when I bought them several years ago (for skiing), but it was awesome to have them in yesterday’s temps.

Thanks. I have used ski goggles, but with my glasses underneath, I have a problem with fogging up. Also, they seem so bulky and silly looking I thought I’d try something else. Unfortunately, these fogged up just as much. Ski goggles are definitely the warmest though and after trying the skydiving ones, I think they are equally silly-looking. At least with the ski goggles on (plus balaclava) no one would recognize me

I should use this as an excuse for getting some more expensive ski goggles. Although it’s risky since they will inevitably end up as part of someone’s superhero costume.

[jrenaut]

Pretty crappy of the President to invite a bunch of students to visit and not provide a safe place for them to exit and re-enter their buses.

[rcannon100]

Yeah, that is one of my thoughts too. I find it hard to understand how the White House could not have a true ADA drop off point. It seems to be a violation of, well, the ADA.

[jrenaut]

ZOMG terrorism trumps the ADA.

[ebubar]

Why was disabled children even a salient point here? It seems their goal in mentioning that was to 1) absolve themselves of blame and 2) somehow make you feel guilty for complaining about the situation. The real problem is that bike lanes are CONSTANTLY blocked (whether for good reason or not) and nothing is ever done about it. Cars complain when we ride in the roads and then take the few lanes that are set aside for our use. I find it VERY hard to believe that there was no alternative to accommodate the situation.

[rcannon100]

From the Superintendents point of view, he has a group of students, with impaired mobility – who are attempting to get to the White House. Collaborating with the SS, he was directed to park the buses at a point that would facilitate their getting to the WH.

Okay, so

* I think we need the POC at SS so that maybe DDOT, WABA, and DCBAC could meet with them and talk about the bike lanes and safety
* Did APS really not have a legit ADA destination for dropping off the kids (or was it always planned that they would do this)
* Does APS understand that this created risk not just for the cyclists, but for the students as well. Right or wrong – if you block the bike lanes, the bikes will seek an alternative path – and one of those alternative paths is on the sidewalks where the students can be seen.

At some point, as an Arlington citizen, I think we need to reject the my-convenience-is-more-important-than-your-safety mind set. If we take APS at its word, they were in a difficult situation. But it is also not clear (a) what steps APS took to make the situation safer or avoid the situation and (b) that APS acknowledges what it did was dangerous.

If APS has been invited by the WH to visit with students with impaired mobility, seems like one of the first questions is how those students would safely enter the WH. Blocking the cycle track on a highly busy street does not seem like an appropriate option.

[eminva]

I think this would be a fascinating topic for a Washington Post article. Who will contact Ashley Halsey?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ShawnoftheDread]

I think the primary problem is the Secret Service and their general Whatever We Say Goes because SECURITY attitude.

The secondary problem is how everyone in the region (and really the whole country) kowtows to whatever the SS demands without question.

[consularrider]

The answer to the SS and APS is that for the mobility impaired visits of this type, APS & the SS should prescreen/preclear the buses and they should go through one of the E St NW entrances (15th or 17th) and park behind White House. Until 2002, this was an open road. That puts the visitors even closer to the entrance, and from google maps that section of road appears to be wide enough for the buses to park and still allow passage for emergency vehicles. Of course, that might spoil photo ops of the South Lawn.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Strangely enough, for tomorrow AM I’m planning on taking what I think will be the snowiest/least-maintained route…no ice and narrow-plowed roads!

[consularrider]

Let’s see a two hour delayed opening, so that gives me time for exploring, right?

[83b]

The Penn Ave lanes and the 15th St cycletrack were both nasty this morning. Intermittent patches of good dry pavement that could lull you into complacence, the expected nasty plow bumps at intersections, and intermittent sections of packed snow and glassy ice that were the real danger. I just took the right lane.

[consularrider]

@ShawnoftheDread 78787 wrote:

I think the primary problem is the Secret Service and their general Whatever We Say Goes because SECURITY attitude.

The secondary problem is how everyone in the region (and really the whole country) kowtows to whatever the SS demands without question.

In the Tuesday afternoon WaPo feed abou the poor automobile drivers inconvenienced by the Secret Service road closures.

[Author]

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