My Morning Commute

[Crickey7]

It’s the constant struggle to be Zen in the face of provocation. I have a work buddy who got in a road rage altercation a couple of weeks ago. Cops called, broken bones, the whole bit. All because somebody cut somebody else off. In order to assert one driver’s right to be 3 seconds ahead, two guys ended up with thousands in hospital bills.

[rcannon100]

It’s the constant struggle to be Zen in the face of provocation.

No. It’s not. If it is “a constant struggle,” one has not chosen Zen. One has chosen aggression. We make our choices – but we must in fact choose.

[lordofthemark]

@rcannon100 119067 wrote:

No. It’s not. If it is “a constant struggle,” one has not chosen Zen. One has chosen aggression. We make our choices – but we must in fact choose.

Dude. That is so deep.

[Crickey7]

@rcannon100 119067 wrote:

No. It’s not. If it is “a constant struggle,” one has not chosen Zen. One has chosen aggression. We make our choices – but we must in fact choose.

Your Jedi mind tricks will not work with me. I AM Zen.

[Terpfan]

Near rear wheel, beautiful temperature, no wind….

I feel like it’s almost too good. So there must be an earthquake or something coming.

[mstone]

DC area had a foot of rain in June, I think the sky simply ran out.

[Vicegrip]

@mstone 119157 wrote:

DC area had a foot of rain in June, I think the sky simply ran out.

It is a trap!

Water, return it will.

[mstone]

@Vicegrip 119159 wrote:

It is a trap!

Water, return it will.

well of course–we’re just in the refractory period

[worktheweb]

I don’t think it gets much better than this morning. I got an early jump on the day and brought some coffee in my travel mug along with the paper I usually never get to read and took a detour to Columbia Island to read the paper with coffee overlooking the Potomac. Everyone was courteous on the trail, I saw Rootchopper on the way in, and the weather was just perfect. I too am afraid of imminent disaster as I sit at my office with a big grin on my face.

[GovernorSilver]

Question for those of you who commute from MVT to DC through the National Mall area:

I tried a partial test commute ride yesterday. Ok maybe it wasn’t a legit test because of heavy tourist pedestrian traffic, heavy vehicle traffic on Jefferson (mostly tour buses, occasional pedicabs, etc). Anyway, after I crossed the George Mason Memorial (14th St.) Bridge, I got a bit lost trying to get to the National Mall. Anyone have a favorite way to get through the Jefferson Memorial – Washington Monument area?

I was stuck on the sidewalk along Ohio Dr. SW because it’s a one-way road. The sidewalk is wide at some spots but pedestrians were everywhere, so by the time I got ot Maine Ave. I had dismounted and was walking my bike. I’m guessing the sidewalk is not like that on a typical morning commute.

Later on Jefferson, I followed a more courageous cyclist as he took the left turn lane, passing a bunch of vehicles to cross 7th St. and remain on Jefferson. We were both well within 3ft of the cars/buses. I don’t know if I’d do that on a morning commute.

[Mikey]

@GovernorSilver 119168 wrote:

Question for those of you who commute from MVT to DC through the National Mall area:

I tried a partial test commute ride yesterday. Ok maybe it wasn’t a legit test because of heavy tourist pedestrian traffic, heavy vehicle traffic on Jefferson (mostly tour buses, occasional pedicabs, etc). Anyway, after I crossed the George Mason Memorial (14th St.) Bridge, I got a bit lost trying to get to the National Mall. Anyone have a favorite way to get through the Jefferson Memorial – Washington Monument area?

I was stuck on the sidewalk along Ohio Dr. SW because it’s a one-way road. The sidewalk is wide at some spots but pedestrians were everywhere, so by the time I got ot Maine Ave. I had dismounted and was walking my bike. I’m guessing the sidewalk is not like that on a typical morning commute.

Later on Jefferson, I followed a more courageous cyclist as he took the left turn lane, passing a bunch of vehicles to cross 7th St. and remain on Jefferson. We were both well within 3ft of the cars/buses. I don’t know if I’d do that on a morning commute.

Mornings are quieter, but you are right there is no good connection between the 14th street bridge and the 15th street cyclotrack/national mall area. If you are looking to avoid pedestrians you can take a left at the bottom of the 14th street bridge, follow traffic (or stay on side path) to George Mason Memorial, Turn left, go past parking lots to Park Police head quarters, cut through the parking lot and get on the Case Bridge which will take you to L’Enfant promenade. From here you can ride up to the mall or down the hill to 9th and G. You can also access the case bridge from Ohio drive. Go right at the bottom of the 14th street bridge, follow the sidewalk around to the cross over near the tidal basin outlet bridge, then turn right to go down toward Hains Point. Their is a ramp on the east side of the last overpass that will put you up on the Case Bridge. Be advised, Maine Ave near the fish market is a wreck right now, and the promenade is a pre-ADA designed road so there are no curb cuts

Most mornings the mall doesn’t really wake up until around 10am when the Smithsonian museums open. it is fairly quiet in the mornings.

[bentbike33]

@GovernorSilver 119168 wrote:

Anyway, after I crossed the George Mason Memorial (14th St.) Bridge, I got a bit lost trying to get to the National Mall. Anyone have a favorite way to get through the Jefferson Memorial – Washington Monument area?

I get onto Ohio Drive at the curb-cut near the entry to Haines Point, however weekday mornings there is very little pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks around the tidal basin (except maybe during Cherry Blossom time). From Ohio, you can go around to take the right on 15th St. (Raoul Wallenberg) and straight up to the Mall @ Washington Monument (although I think you need a car to trip the Maine Ave. stoplight for you), or take the right onto Maine Ave. east, past the Fish Market and Zone of Perpetual Construction to 7th, or (to get away from the dump trucks) take a left onto 9th, take the right in front of the townhouses (G St.), then left on 7th and north from there to the Mall @ Hirshhorn / Air and Space.

[Crickey7]

@GovernorSilver 119168 wrote:

Anyone have a favorite way to get through the Jefferson Memorial – Washington Monument area?

Yes. Moving to Maryland.

[Tania]

I rode in that way with consularrider last week and we actually bailed off the sidewalk a little over halfway between Maine and Independence and just took the far right lane up 15th Street. There were a few other cyclists with us and that meant we could avoid the heavy tourist foot traffic right there by the monument. So we didn’t even use the cycletrack.

https://www.strava.com/activities/331910940

I’m usually in such a good mood though after riding in that the pedestrian traffic through there doesn’t really bother me, I just go slowly with one foot clipped out and take in the view. Plus the peoplewatching is top notch.

If you want I can meet up with you Wednesday am. I can’t say I know the way by heart but I think I can get you where you need to go.

[GovernorSilver]

@Crickey7 119171 wrote:

Yes. Moving to Maryland.

As a matter of fact, my MD-based colleagues were happier with the office move than us VA-based workers. Shorter commute for them, longer for us. They win there.

[Author]

Posts