[MCL1981]

I’m just not seeing how me wearing headphones makes me a hazard. I’m in my lane moving along in a straight line. I don’t make turns or moves without looking behind me first whether I’m wearing headphones or not. I can hear bells. I can hear people saying “on your left”. If someone is going to plow into me, the status of my ears doesn’t really have anything to do with the other person’s careless and reckless operation. The crash would happen whether I had headphones on or not.

Now, if some ped or cyclist makes moves without checking where they’re moving to, they’re going to cause a crash. This will be the case with or without headphones. The ninjas do it all the time because they’re zoned out. I see cyclists do it all the time while zoned out. No headphones. Just not paying attention.

[MCL1981]

From my experience on the tow path (which is only between Swain’s Lock and Georgetown), BUG SPRAY. And do it when there aren’t bugs. Forget the heat. The bugs will kill you before the heat does. They don’t bite or anything. But picture your car after driving through a huge swarm of knats. That will be your face and frankly the rest of your body too. When you get home, plan a decon shower with a garden hose outside.

[MCL1981]

I hate sidewalks. I’d rather ride into opposing traffic in the snow at night with no lights. I feel like its safer.

[MCL1981]

My earbuds are loose fitting. I can hear you coming up behind me quite fine. And also, you have nothing to avoid while I”m wearing earbuds because I don’t wildly swerve around the trail. I’m going to be going straight ahead in my lane. If you hit me, it isn’t because I wasn’t paying attention.

[MCL1981]

Asking people not to listen to music while jogging, running, or cycling is unrealistic. If someone is careless and zoned out, they are going to be that way with or without headphones. If I couldn’t listen to music while out riding, I wouldn’t be riding at all.

[MCL1981]

Monthly inquiry. Any news?

[MCL1981]

Prior to biking, I used the red line. It still do in bad weather. However, I live right by the Grosvenor stop. Every other train on the red line starts/stops at my station. Which means every other train into DC from my stop is EMPTY when I get on it. On the way home, a lot of people pack onto the trains that go all the way to Shady Grove leaving the trains that turn-back at Grosvenor much thinner. The front two cars outbound on the Grosvenor trains in the afternoon are usually all open seating. For this reason, I LOVE my red line compared to any other line. If I lived elsewhere and didn’t have that advantage, I might hate the red line more.

[MCL1981]

@CCrew 13025 wrote:

Then the 40mph headwind they’re calling for this afternoon will make your life a bundle of happiness

I am trying to relish in my joy from this morning by not thinking about that. It’s out of the west 21 gusting 37 at DCA right now….

[MCL1981]

The sun was rising, only partly cloudy, and it was 36 degrees. Sounds lovely to me. However, the 15mph tailwind may be skewing my perspective.

[MCL1981]

Looks like a lovely morning now at 6am.

[MCL1981]

You think it’s damp now… try it when it is 90 in august. You think it smells now…. try it when it is 90 in august after a big marathon downtown.

[MCL1981]

It was a great morning to ride. Looks to be an even better ride home. Once again, packed the shorts and tshirt despite being dressed for winter in the morning. So strange.

[MCL1981]

@pfunkallstar 12912 wrote:

5. Why do Metro trains just randomly stop all the time now? I don’t remember that.

When they get bunched up, that’s what happens. The tracks are divided up electronically into blocks of several hundred to several thousand feet depending on the location. The electronic track circuits detect the presence of a train and communicate speed limits to it’s automatic train control and protection systems. A block can only be occupied by one train. The block the train is occupying and the block behind it will have a speed limit of 0. The block before that will have lower speed and so on. This is what prevents trains from plowing into each other (when it is not broken…). The brakes will automatically apply a full service rate which is about 3mph per second deceleration which is pretty quick.

So, if two trains are following within a minute or two of one another, the one behind is constantly going to be running into block behind the lead train. Get a train behind that one and it cascades for however many trains are bunched. If you’ve ever wondered why a train pulling into a station stops 1/4 of the way down the platform, then proceeds the rest of the way slowly, that is why. If a train has just departed the platform, it will be in the track circuit block just passed the station. So when the next train comes into the station block, they get a 0 speed limit and have to stop. Once they’ve come to a complete stop, they can slowly creep along at a few mph.

When the train gets held for spacing at a station, it is to undo the bunched up mess that’s been created.

[MCL1981]

Same for the ride from Bethesda. CCT and roads were mildly damp. ramp up to the bridge of the water company was iced up, that’s it.

[MCL1981]

Downtown, the CCT, and Bethesda were all just wet. Snow was sticking the grass and some bridges but that’s it. HOWEVER, tonight is supposed to be 30-32 degrees. That wet can probably become ice pretty quick. Depending on how early you leave in the morning, it could be a problem. I plan to wake up a little early to throw the studded snow tires on the bike if its slick.

Tomorrow’s forecast during the day…. Sunny and 55. Wierd.

[Author]

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