[DrP]

@bentbike33 139696 wrote:

And the truck can’t park on the grass because…?

It can’t possibly be that the truck would cause more damage than the several hundred cyclists and pedestrians that would be diverted onto the grass while the truck blocks the trail.

Better yet, have the truck arrive with boards to drive on. A week ago Saturday, with the ground quite wet, there was a lift being used on a building across from the Falls Church Farmer’s Market. The quite large and heavy vehicle needed to be on the lawn to access the outside of the building. They had large boards down on the grass and drove the vehicle on the boards. When they needed to move the vehicle, someone laid down more boards, ran to the back and pulled up the boards it rolled off and ran to the front to lay them down (it was not moving quickly). The ground was not all torn up in the process. I was amazed that they did this.

So, the truck and staff should be able to do the same and not damage the grass.

[DrP]

To be fair, this is kind of how the county treats cars too. With the wind storm about a month or so ago, a tree came down along Washington Blvd and they closed the road from about 7:30am until nearly 9pm for ~7blocks. No detour signs, at least not at the cross streets, and there were not signs at the block before for the cross streets (a neighbor talked some cones out of a county worker and put up a hand made sign to at least stop everyone from speeding down the road and then having to do a U-turn at the end of the road when they couldn’t get to Washington Blvd). Some may also recall my rants about people driving and biking across my lawn when similar signs have gone up on my block.

[DrP]

@mstone 139447 wrote:

Speaking of which, jogging with your left arm out has really become a thing on the W&OD. I didn’t realize the density of assholes passing too closely had gotten that high.

I have been wondering about this. I ring my bell and an arm sticks out. I thought it might be to make me keep my distance, but I wasn’t sure. At least I know they are paying attention to the bells. I have considered doing something like this on roads when cars are too close, but I wish to keep my arm.

[DrP]

@bentbike33 139431 wrote:

Or bladed spokes.

Wouldn’t scythed wheels or spikes on the wheels be more effective? One could call them old fashioned, but they worked well in ancient times and I think for James Bond or the like. This might also help with clearing the trail of other people who tend to take up too much space and/or move too slowly. Can’t make them too wide, or going through the tunnel under Memorial Bridge won’t work at all.

[DrP]

Goslings are out!
Geese are being protective!

Both yesterday and this morning I noticed that the geese on the MVT were being quite belligerent near the trail. This morning I saw why – a small fuzzy gosling. Please be aware that this is what the geese are up to and keep some distance.

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Race on Custis Trail 14 May

Signs are not well placed and curling so hard to read while going past on a bike (and oddly none at my entrance to the trail). However, I think that it indicated that there was a race or some kind of school event on May 14 in the morning on the trail, at least from about Glebe and west. If anyone has more information, please post. Probably best to avoid since the trail is quite curvy and narrow, so passing lots of people will be difficult and/or dangerous.

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@VA2DC 139151 wrote:

I believe that I saw a few of the youngsters on the way in this morning. Great to see them out there!

There is one I see almost every morning somewhere between the ponds and going up the easternmost of the two sisters. I am impressed that he is cycling every day, even in the rain (and I presume he is going to W-L, although perhaps it is a middle school; hard to tell with some kids).

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@Steve O 139122 wrote:

HA! Waited it out. Blue sky’s a comin’

I should have ignored wunderground again – it predicted rain from a little after 5 until almost 7, and the radar showed huge rain clouds coming our way. weather.gov show possible rain all evening, so wasn’t of much use. So, I left in the rain, and it stopped about where it started to rain on me the day before. At least I wasn’t rained on the whole way home.

Maybe they were just showing me data from the day before each time, like their clocks were 24hr off. That would make more sense to me than what they were showing.

[DrP]

Well, that was timed with great luck.

I checked the weather before leaving the office. According to wunderground, I had just under 2 hr before thunderstorms were predicted and the radar showed nothing in the immediate area. Should be enough time to bike to the gym, work out and maybe get home again – depending on how accurate the two hours were – before the storms started. Ha! It was bright and sunny upon leaving the office, but 20min later I see clouds and occasional rumble in the distance. Then it starts to drizzle and continues for the last 1/2 hr of my trip to the gym, thunder getting louder. Noticed big storms just upon us on the TV weather report, ugh. Worked out. Towards the end of the workout, I can see that it is pouring out and the TV is going on about possible tornados in La Plata. Mention nothing in Arlington – glad I wasn’t over the river. Suit up in all my rain gear, and head out to look and listen for lightning/thunder to see if I can attempt the trip home. And it wasn’t raining! Quick on the bike and hope I can make it the <2miles in this brief lull because there is lightning elsewhere. Started drizzling for the last mile, but I made it home before it started pouring again, less than 10 min upon returning home. A bit of drizzle isn't bad, considering what I saw through windows.

This is definitely not the first time the wunderground predictions have been so wrong and storms were not on the radar when I left the office, but appeared within 20 min. Oh well. Adds to the fun of the commute.

[DrP]

@dasgeh 139064 wrote:

To bobco’s video: did anyone else notice the ACPD cruiser that was just in front of the offending red car (though through the next intersection at that point)? *sigh*

Yes, I did notice that and shook my head.

@dasgeh 139064 wrote:

2) Yes, he intentionally drove his car. If he did so in a distracted or over-tired state, than he should completely be held responsible, just he would be held responsible if he drove drunk. Driving a car is an intentional act and is a big responsibility. Our society has diminished the responsibility by calling crashes “accidents” and letting people off the hook for getting behind the wheel when they really shouldn’t be. We have successfully shamed drunk driving – we need to do so with dangerous driving.
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Everyone seems to forget that a motor vehicle is a weapon. It’s main purpose is not that, but it can injury, maim, and kill if used incorrectly. I do avoid driving if I am overtired or and very distracted. Admittedly, one can become tired and distracted while driving, so when I am driving and this occurs, I know that it is my responsibility to wake myself up (or just stop until I am good again) and refocus my attention on the road. I find that lots of people feel that they “have” to be somewhere or to have driven themselves. Being late and not dead (or a killer), is okay. In this area in particular, there are many other options to get around – and not just via bicycle – but people seem to forget that. Yes, they might take longer, but perhaps it will give you the rest you need or a chance to focus on whatever is distracting you (like that phone call you need to make or text/e-mail conversation you need to have).

@dasgeh 139064 wrote:

But I still find enormous value in this thread.

Yes.

[DrP]

Today was a lovely commute.
Weather bad enough to keep most people off the trail (and the two people who passed me, called/dinged their passes), but it was not actually raining, the material on the ground was not excessive so that I did not end up covered in grit (unlike my commute home last night), the temperature was great since I would wear the rain pants to protect from the grit but not sweat from lack of air flow, and the wind was really quite low so no fighting it from the 14th st bridge to the airport. I hope the ride home is as lovely.

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@Steve O 138940 wrote:

I don’t think signage works. Particularly those signs that list the 97 “rules” that have, like, 1000 little tiny words on them.

I think the best we can do is model the behavior we want to acculturate and keep smiling.

There are signs along the W&OD, I think Reston and points west, that do state things like “slow traffic keep right.” Do these help? Are signs like these or “Burma Shave” style ever useful? They aren’t too much clutter and do remind folks of some of the rules in a style that isn’t a tome.

I have considered attempting a “hard” left turn signal when I can tell someone is passing and not telling me. I can smile when I do that, if you think that will help.

[DrP]

Me: cyclist on curvy bits of 4MR just north of the water treatment plant
You: very quiet cyclist coming up from behind
Me: swerving slightly to avoid something on the trail and I look to my left as I start the maneuver to see you starting to pass me – no call or bell – and I say “If you announced yourself, I would have known you were there”
You: deciding to stay behind me until well after we go under Mt Vernon Ave. Then pass – still no call or bell, but rocking some headphones.
Me: “Please announce your pass in some way!”
You: keep riding, yet barely faster than me.

Really? An accident nearly occurred and I tell you why, but you do not correct yourself at the next opportunity and barely stay ahead of me? Why were you even passing me then? Take the f’ing headphones off Dude!

[DrP]

Well, with the drizzly weather today, there were fewer people and a higher percentage of those who passed me actually announced their passes in some fashion (other than my hearing/sensing a bicycle) – earlier this week, I would have put it at something like 1 in 20 people announced passes. From this I conclude that the non-year round riders are more likely not to know the “rules” of the trails.

How do we get people to learn to announce passes and the like? More signage on the trails (and not just at a few entrances)?

[DrP]

@Raymo853 138825 wrote:

As someone who 10 years ago got into fisticuffs while riding here in DC, and before that, knocked people down in MTB races on purpose…. this thread makes me guilty, sad and ashamed. If I ever did anything like that, or this, today, I hope I would get arrested. And if I did it in front of my child, I hope the police or a citizen would call child protective services.

So, what got you to stop fighting and knocking people down? Just getting older and more mature (which do not always go together)?

[Author]

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