[JorgeGortex]

@dasgeh 71026 wrote:

Out of curiosity, why do you run reds on the Custis? We talk a lot about that here, too, and we don’t hear often from people who run them.

I can only speak for myself, but I will run a red if no one is around. I’d call it a “orange light.” I slow way down, look all ways and if there are no approaching vehicles within a block I will consider it. This only works if I have a clear view in all directions. If I can’t clearly check off each of those points I stop and wait for the light to change. Maybe it goes to the “if a tree falls in the forest…” way of thinking.

JG

[JorgeGortex]

Virginia Hospital Center is located at N. George Mason Drive and N. 16th St. and encompasses a number of blocks to the north and east.

I also hope the cyclist is OK. People haul up and down George Mason Drive from beginning to end. This intersection is pretty busy despite being on “side streets.”

PS- if you are a local, it will always be Arlington Hospital, much like it will always be National Airport.

[JorgeGortex]

@baiskeli 68416 wrote:

Mayor of my town caught on video smoking crack? Big deal. Been there, done that.

And he knows who set him up, too…

[JorgeGortex]

@Tim Kelley 68407 wrote:

Any plans to do one of these in Arlington?

Yeah, I’d be interested given that I was scratching my head last night trying to figure out the best gear for today given the wide temp range between 7am and 5pm. Unfortunately I can’t make the event on Thurs. Drats! Foiled again. Another opportunity perhaps?

PS- Dirt, 22mm slicks? I’d have figured old steel trash can lids hammered to fit. Who needs rubber on the road?

[JorgeGortex]

Ha, my dad did a similar thing while in 1st grade, except in his version of the story he came home after having the cast removed and was jumping on my grandparents bed when he fell and broke the same arm again. There is a reason my dad writes left handed and does everything else with his right…

ps- at least one of the times they reset the break without pain meds.

@KLizotte 65620 wrote:

Glad to hear it though I must admit you’ve had an unusual amount of bad luck. Since trouble comes in threes I think you are finally out of the woods now.

Hopefully this little story will make you feel better:

My uncle broke his arm when he was a kid; he was in a cast for many weeks. On the day he got his cast off he was so excited when he got home that he dashed out of the car to run to the backyard to play. Unfortunately his older brother heard the car pull up and came walking around the side of the house and they collided. My uncle broke the same arm. So they got back into the car to revisit the doctor who had taken off the cast that morning to put on a new one. Family lore has it that the doctor was furious.

P.S. I still think you should wear a pumpkin for a helmet.

[JorgeGortex]

LoM,

Well, to each their own. I didn’t read the piece that way, and didn’t see any reason to take great offence over it. Its easy to read a lot of things into it that aren’t there. With respect… I think you take the piece way to seriously, and sorta make his point. Its just riding a bike. Everyone does it for their own reason and in their own way. I don’t think anywhere did he disparage anyone doing these other things, but indicated it wasn’t his preference. Maybe he’s saying that you don’t have to do all these things, which for some might be intimidating or daunting, to get out and do your thing.

PS- no need for the dislikes (a feature I, uhm, dislike). It seems petty in an arena of open discussion and sharing of ideas amongst bike happy people.

G.

[JorgeGortex]

Funny, I clicked the link expecting some loud mouth disparaging cycling in some fashion or making light of those that take seriously… but I found neither. Frankly I thought it was pretty well written and from an interesting point of view. Seemed pretty honest, level, and not a statement of defacto reality, but one of personal opinion lending to worthy discussion.

G.

[JorgeGortex]

@GuyContinental 65086 wrote:

Good Kickstarter video set too- I love that he’s wearing a Pebble watch… Form factor isn’t there yet but a proper injection-molding tool (mold) would cost $20K on it’s own.

True, but that’s why the price is lower. I personally don’t mind. I don’t need everything I own to be “Apple round.” To me, the reason I’m willing to back this (and, yes, I decided to) is because of the quality of thought going into it. If it works and performs like he’s advertising, it will be a rock solid unit. You have to applaud him getting this project from idea/concept to almost production. That is some seriously smarts.

Yeah, I saw the Pebble watch to. Love mine. (OK, I swear I am not a Kickstarter junkie! …hello, my name is George, and I am addicted to Kickstarter…)

[JorgeGortex]

@MattAune 64968 wrote:

This kickstarter project looks pretty promising for this type pf thing.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rideye/rideye-the-black-box-camera-for-your-bike

Nice catch on this one. Like the looks of this one and great for this sort of purpose: durable, long lasting, and easy to use. Sweet.

[JorgeGortex]

Don’t shoot the messenger people (or offer dislikes… really?). I only pointed out something I thought was interesting. There are a lot of options for doing the same thing, sure. These are one of many options.

One point to be made is that you can make your own studded tires using your favorite rubber. Not sure if dedicated studded tires use carbide cores for durability either.

In any case, enjoy your Friday.

[JorgeGortex]

I think mine these days is: “…huff huff huff, erk, hi, huff huff huff jackass! huff huff huff…”

[JorgeGortex]

@DismalScientist 64008 wrote:

JG:

Was traffic calming part of the Washington Blvd design, or was it just adding sidewalks?

(During this time, curbs were added. Later, bike lanes were striped. Now bike lanes have been temporarily unstriped.)

My impression is that auto behavior has remained relatively constant throughout all these reconfigurations. The most dangerous areas remain the 2 to 1 lane merges to the east and west of the lights at George Mason. I don’t think anything was done there.

No, traffic calming, at the time, was not considered as part of the project that included new sidewalks from Frederick and Jefferson streets. The bike lanes were added much later. They were there until the state stripped the pavement and resurfaced it this summer (rather poorly I might add). They only put some of the cross walk striping back recently. I’m frustrated that the bike lane lines were not replaced as it definitely made it safer for cyclists going East up Washington Blvd.

JG

[JorgeGortex]

A number of the kids on our W-L (you will note the “-” It is not a “&”) Crew ride to school. Some even ride from home to school to practice in DC to home after practice in the spring. As with anyone, it involves a number of factors as to whether it works for a given student and their family or not. I applaud them all. My instinct is that there are a lot more cycling students than you’d expect, and that the majority are boys. Just my observation.

JG

[JorgeGortex]

@dasgeh 63927 wrote:

I also think governments enable people to coordinate their efforts for the greater good. In this case, homeowners may want the traffic calming, but if were done only outside of individual houses, it wouldn’t be effective. By coordinating, they all benefit.

And I also used to live on a busy street. Some mornings, I had to muscle my way out into traffic (have you considered backing into the driveway? that helped us). It wasn’t a surprise though, and we planned accordingly (parked around the corner the night before, if we REALLY had to get out quickly).

In regards to the traffic calming point that people are discussing: if anyone thinks that traffic calming on this stretch of road is wise… I remember when the planning for the sidewalks along Washington Blvd. in Arlington was taking place, and my neighbors and I walked along with county planner discussing things. One of my neighbors piped up that we needed traffic calming at Harrison St because Washington Blvd was a neighborhood street. I had to politely tell him he was high, that Washington Blvd is a major artery through the county… as is King Street through all of Alexandria. It is a major thoroughfare for transportation. Traffic is bad enough, but “calming” it will results in even more of a nightmare.

Not to be rude, but, uh, yes, I’ve thought of backing into my driveway. My family has owned the house since the 1950’s, and I moved in full time in 1995. I am very understanding of what is possible… which is why I’ve backed into my driveway maybe a handful of times over the years. Not only would this maneuver be even more perilous, but the speed at which I’d need to do it puts at risk me not carefully watching for peds on the sidewalk, and, ahem, cyclists in the bike lane. I refuse to place my car on a side street (and inconvenience another home owner). As it is I’m about to do a very expensive yard project, just so I can turn around and pull out head first.

JG

[JorgeGortex]

Well, I can concede the logic of your points. I myself had the undeveloped shoulder in front of my home amended to be sidewalks. Annoying as it was, it did serve a public good. This… I am not so sure about. I think there are a lot of considerations and logistics involved, and that includes the consideration of the home owners and what they would like in their community, what they feel is safe for them, etc.

As a PS- I would “pitch a fit” all over again with my property if it were to happen. Why? Because the promises the county made to me about how things would be handled and how they would help make things right for the damage they did to my property never materialized. So I am skeptical in these cases.

@jabberwocky 63856 wrote:

Honestly? If they bought houses expecting free public spaces in front of their houses for perpetuity, screw ’em. I deal with people like that all the time (I’m an architect), and I’ve kinda lost patience with them. If you buy a house, don’t expect anything except what you actually own to stay the same. Vacant lot behind your house? Guess what, that lot is owned by somebody, and (given land values in the region) probably won’t be a vacant lot forever. Road easement along the front? Don’t pitch a fit when the county utilizes that easement for road widening. Parking lane? Don’t be shocked when a road redesign puts that to better public use. Etc, etc.

People definitely have a sense of entitlement to public resources that I find maddening. Its also common in the off-road world, where locals pitch a fit when a trail system is improved at a public park (that might bring more people to OUR TRAILS!).

[Author]

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