The Shoal Report

[83b]

I’ll preface this by admitting that my commute route and stickler-for-the-rules behavior provide perfect conditions for getting shoaled frequently. There are tons of lights along my route down the East Capitol St and Penn Ave lanes. And I stop at every red behind the designated stop line.

But the incidences of shoaling are starting to drive me insane. Today I was shoaled 10 times out of 13 possible interactions (i.e., only three times did someone stop behind me at a light–the same woman in each instance). That seems to be pretty representative for a late morning commute, but I’m going to start keeping track. It’s particularly irritating when the person is (a) someone you just passed and now have to wait to safely pass again, (b) a crap biker who does the awkward hop-shuffle start to get going, (c) someone who is obviously slow but was going to try to run the light and couldn’t find a gap in traffic, or (d) trying to maintain momentum and so tries to shoot past you right as the light changes. Having spelled it out, I realize just how irritating I find shoaling in all it’s infinite colors and variations.

My ire is particularly high today because I almost put (or maybe did put) someone into the barrier poles in the Penn Ave median. Three people in a tight line tried to shoot around me as the light at 14th had just changed to green. I’d already started going–but was still building speed–and things got crowded. The third guy in the line made contact with my bars and I leaned into him hard. He didn’t go down, but I did hear skidding as he stopped just short of (or went into?) the barriers. Enraged, I’m ashamed to admit, I immediately passed the other two shoalers in the intersection and exchanged nasty words about their behavior before speeding off to the 15th street hill. A total failure to channel Dirt’s zen on my part, which thankfully doesn’t happen often.

This latest incident riled me up/shook me enough that I’m thinking about ignoring the stop lines from now on and pulling up as far as possible so that people can’t pull that cute little maneuver. But I really hate obstructing the crosswalks in any way, especially on the Hill. Any other good strategies or options people employ?

Courtesy of the BikeSnob
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Topic

[Jason B]

^^^^^
Don’t worry, you don’t have a problem, we were all more worried about the bike.

[rcannon100]

@Steve O 116895 wrote:

So that I’m ready next time, what should I have said?

Either do like DIRT and start singing the next time you pass him – or say something about leap frog. Make the sound of RIBBIT! when you pass.

That – or be inspired by the photo that boomer created for the TAG game.

[Tim Kelley]

@Steve O 116895 wrote:

So that I’m ready next time, what should I have said?

[rcannon100]

So the answer is to tell the guy to start doping so he doesnt get dropped by a commuter?????

[ShawnoftheDread]

I think he means the “look him in the eyes just before you pull away” part, not the “get better drugs than the other guy” part.

[Tim Kelley]

@ShawnoftheDread 116942 wrote:

I think he means the “look him in the eyes just before you pull away” part, not the “get better drugs than the other guy” part.

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[AFHokie]

To the 6-8 guys sporting Juggernaut & Crosshairs Cycling kit who shoaled me at the 14th & Jefferson Dr light this morning…the shoal was poor form…boxing me (the guy on a hybrid w/fenders, a rack & a rather full garment bag) in when there’s zero traffic other than us…that was just a dick move.

It did make dropping you all well before 12th St so much better.

[Author]

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