My Morning Commute

[consularrider]

Third beautiful morning in a row to be out riding (but then aren’t all of them?). I was coming in late after early morning PT when I came across the Torch Run as I merged onto the MVT from 4MRT. Interesting that there is nothing listed on their events calendar for today. It started with a few isolated walkers, and then at the north end of the airport there were two Arlington Sheriff deputies cycling behind a group of runners/walkers, then just before Gravelly Point there were four police/sheriff motorcycles blocking the trail at the 90% turn (I went around on the grass just as they started to make room for me), and finally a big pack of runners/walkers alongside the port-o-potties followed by two police officers on bicycles.

[thucydides]

I passed loads of the Torch “runners” today, too. They were mostly fine. But while I was taking the, ummmm, scenic route to work I stopped by a quite windy Hains Point for several laps. (The turn that takes me to work is around here somewhere, I know it.) There were a bunch of cops out there on bikes getting ready for a training exercise. Loads of them were noodling around beforehand in ones and twos. Would it be tacky of me to mention that not one, not a single one, that I saw ever stopped at a stop sign? Meanwhile a cop on a bike was stopping [civilian] cars and [civilian] bikes for running the stop sign at Buckeye and Ohio. Didn’t get me though.

[dasgeh]

@thucydides 54341 wrote:

I passed loads of the Torch “runners” today, too. They were mostly fine. But while I was taking the, ummmm, scenic route to work I stopped by a quite windy Hains Point for several laps. (The turn that takes me to work is around here somewhere, I know it.) There were a bunch of cops out there on bikes getting ready for a training exercise. Loads of them were noodling around beforehand in ones and twos. Would it be tacky of me to mention that not one, not a single one, that I saw ever stopped at a stop sign? Meanwhile a cop on a bike was stopping [civilian] cars and [civilian] bikes for running the stop sign at Buckeye and Ohio. Didn’t get me though.

Wow. Wish you had video of that one.

[consularrider]

Forgot to mention the four fighter jets (I don’t know enough to identify which F type) streaking over as I went around Gravelly Point. The second from the right separated up from the group and into the clouds.

[Tim Kelley]

@dasgeh 54367 wrote:

Wow. Wish you had video of that one.

It was a police sanctioned time trial.

Here’s the video: http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?5150-DC-Police-Recruits-Time-Trailing-at-HP!

[sjclaeys]

I came across this accident scene on the way in this morning: http://www.arlnow.com/2013/06/10/art-bus-driver-cited-for-crash-with-ambulance/. Good thing no cyclists or pedestrians were waiting at the Walter Reed and Four Mile Run intersection at the time.

[dasgeh]

@sjclaeys 54645 wrote:

I came across this accident scene on the way in this morning: http://www.arlnow.com/2013/06/10/art-bus-driver-cited-for-crash-with-ambulance/. Good thing no cyclists or pedestrians were waiting at the Walter Reed and Four Mile Run intersection at the time.

Wow. Very lucky no one was waiting. Could this have been an infrastructure problem (bus driver couldn’t see), or is this just a driver error issue?

On another note, I had a school bus pull out to block the bike lane on Lee Highway this morning. Luckily, I had time to slow, wait for the car beside me to pass, then move over to the travel lane to get past. Once that car had passed the bus (with me about 20 yards away), the school bus started to roll out of the intersection. I yelled, the driver stopped, I passed by without incident. I had made eye contact with the driver AND there was no one behind me (red light) so was surprised she would have tried to pull out.

I am disappointed that professional drivers don’t drive better.

[jabberwocky]

@dasgeh 54647 wrote:

I am disappointed that professional drivers don’t drive better.

I’ve found school bus drivers to be really impatient, for some reason. You’d think a class of driver who spends most of their time holding people up would be more understanding of slower traffic, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

[consularrider]

@sjclaeys 54645 wrote:

I came across this accident scene on the way in this morning: http://www.arlnow.com/2013/06/10/art-bus-driver-cited-for-crash-with-ambulance/. Good thing no cyclists or pedestrians were waiting at the Walter Reed and Four Mile Run intersection at the time.

Makes me glad I prefer the 4MRT in the mornings.

[ShawnoftheDread]

This morning I saw someone from my neighborhood at Annandale Rd and Arlington Blvd. I passed him again on the Key Bridge. Take that, car!

I also passed 4000 miles for the year this morning.

And with that, my bragging allotment for the week is spent.

[mello yello]

It’s been one week since my little fall, and my first morning commute since. My left side is still a bit sore, but the road rash has scabbed over. I enjoyed my 10 miles of sunshine and happiness. I pushed a little harder this morning, but it’s hard to ride for exercise when there’s a bunch of turns, speed bumps, and broken glass. Took 10 minutes off my time though. Out the door to changed and at my desk is an hour.

Looking forward to building up my commuting rig so that i can have water bottle bosses & rack. my ancient jansport soft briefcase isn’t cutting it as a mess bag.

[Dickie]

@ShawnoftheDread 54881 wrote:

I also passed 4000 miles for the year this morning.

And with that, my bragging allotment for the week is spent.

And I was feeling good about hitting 2000 this morning… thanks for sucking the jam out of my donut!

[baiskeli]

@jabberwocky 54649 wrote:

I’ve found school bus drivers to be really impatient, for some reason.

I’m impatient too when I’m driving a herd of kids around.

[culimerc]

@Dickie 54940 wrote:

And I was feeling good about hitting 2000 this morning… thanks for sucking the jam out of my donut!

Is *that* what the kids are calling it these days…….

[grandallj]

I got my new rain jacket in the mail yesterday but couldn’t quite muster the courage to test it out commuting today . . . .

So I drove.

[Author]

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