rant/ Lynn Street – "Going to blow through" – Why sweet god why?

[pfunkallstar]

I was riding in this morning and came upon the Lynn Street and Lee Highway intersection of “FLAMING HORRIBLE DEATH.” Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you look at it, the red hand of stoppage was shining a solid color so I slowed down to wait for the next chance to dart across the intersection. Just as I slowed down a rider flew by from behind gently whispering “I’m going to try to blow through.” Awkward has one name – that guy.

First, it is pretty simple, especially at an intersection as craptacular Lynn Street and Lee, red means STOP! Just because I’m a fellow biker doesn’t mean I’m going to vouch for you when that semi permanently plants you in the pavement because you wanted to shave 20 seconds of your commute. Second, the three pedestrians looked at me “normal biker” and you “crazy biker” and quickly reasoned that we are all a bunch of scofflaws.

So chill out, stop creepily whispering in ears, and get checked for color blindness (I’ve got it and apparently I have a hard time coordinating ties – whatev).

Pfunk

/rant

Topic

[baiskeli]

The fact that he felt the need to comment on his dumbassity – especially by saying he was going to “try” to blow through – says alot.

[acc]

Wait! Whispering creepily into ears is my best move. What’s left?

Agreed. I hate that intersection. There are too many moving parts, and not just mine. It is foolish to blow through there.

ann

[vvill]

I’d say between the area of the Custis I hop on at, and the end of my commute on 19th/K St NW there’s on average 2 cyclists that blow by me on a red each morning. Either one of the Lee Hwy pedestrian lights or one of the many red lights in DC (I will go on red lights in DC but I guess I’m more cautious than most).

[Dirt]

I’m at the point where I treat rude/dangerous drivers and pedestrians. I don’t get angry anymore… I kinda point and laugh…. Maybe I’ll give them a kitten.

We all make mistakes now and then… and do something based upon the information we have at the moment that proves to be foolish, or ill advised. Hopefully nothing bad happens as a result. What this dude did is a very different thing. He’ll either learn or not. Hopefully he’ll learn the easy way, rather than the hard way. Until then, the best we can do is set a good example.

Rock on, folks.

Pete

[creadinger]

On my way to the AM sweatfest called yoga I have to drive through that intersection. And considering that a good 36% of all forum posts are about how much people hate the Lynn St death trap, I get anxious every time. I usually come up form the 66 ramp around 6:15, then make a right toward the Key Bridge.

I fortunately haven’t seen many peds or cyclists out, but I think today I creepingly kinda cut off a jogger who came up the intersection then turned left to go south on Lynn St. I stopped, then crept up to turn right on red, and he went behind me. So how guilty should I feel? Heh. In my defense, I’m almost certain I got to the corner before he did.

Anyway, at least you know there’s at least one driver who tries to be hyper vigilant while going through that intersection.

Side note – On Monday I believe it was, I saw a girl on a CaBi bike riding in a traffic lane on the Key Bridge heading toward VA. It was dark and a little foggy, she didn’t have a helmet, and the lights on those bikes are NOT bright. She kind of had the look on her face like, I should have taken the sidewalk.

[Terpfan]

I rarely go up that way and have always been in a car so I was trying to mentally picture the intersection. I figured, I’ll just google map/image it. Ironically enough in the google image of the intersection there are two cyclists stopped and waiting: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=N.+Lynn+Street+Arlington,+VA&hl=en&ll=38.898014,-77.07068&spn=0.000033,0.022638&hnear=N+Lynn+St,+Arlington,+Virginia&gl=us&t=m&z=16&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=38.898257,-77.07088&panoid=HY6OdSZoa2mYefSKI0eh9w&cbp=12,140.05,,0,20.13 . Just interesting/ironic given the discussion here.

[americancyclo]

I think the intersection in question is a block north of that google link. It’s at Lynn and westbound Lee Highway where the Custis crosses Lynn St. At least that’s where I see the most issues.

[off2ride]

If he felt like Stupidman, I mean Superman when he did it then more power to him. That Kryptonite hurts though. Esp long term exposure.

[baiskeli]

@americancyclo 11445 wrote:

I think the intersection in question is a block north of that google link. It’s at Lynn and westbound Lee Highway where the Custis crosses Lynn St. At least that’s where I see the most issues.

Yes:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=N.+Lynn+Street+Arlington,+VA&hl=en&ll=38.898815,-77.070765&spn=0.010571,0.022724&hnear=N+Lynn+St,+Arlington,+Virginia&gl=us&t=m&vpsrc=0&layer=c&cbll=38.898951,-77.070762&panoid=aJfCt6HlqL5dN9yOiQ0KuQ&cbp=12,355.4,,0,16.14&z=16

BTW, turn left on Lee there and go about 20 yards and suddenly it’s winter.

[Author]

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