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dbb, I can verify that that is – in fact – a bra. Good work.

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@skrippy11 14600 wrote:

I’ve always driven to work, but I’m ready to take the plunge and start biking. I searched maps high and low for any route from the Capitol Hill area to Blue Plains/DC Water and cannot seem to find a safe route. I can take either the S. Capitol bridge or 11th St. bridge across the river. Getting to Blue Plains, I can take S. Capitol to Overlook, but Overlook is one-way in a section so I cannot use it on the way home. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. looks like the only other alternative, but it seems a little intimidating. Does anybody have any experience doing this route and suggestions on the best way to get to Blue Plains? Thanks much!

Skirppy11, I used to do this exact commute – Capital Hill to NRL – when the satellite I was working on was going through thermal-vac testing at NRL.

Going to NRL I did just what you’ve described – S. Cap Street Bridge to S. Cap to Overlook. There is one slightly scary area but it is actually pretty safe.

Coming home I used MLK (via Chesapeake). It may look sketchy, but I never had any issues. You can avoid MLK a little bit by taking some side streets – but I never found it to be worth it, and eventually you have to get on MLK. Maybe you could take a ride with someone on the weekend and see if you feel comfortable or not. But I’ve done that commute often and lived to tell the tale. Alternatively, you could bike one way and take Metro bus the other.

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@Usern Ame 10144 wrote:

Just thought I’d chime in –

I agree with Roscoe that that it is rude to block traffic like that.

I’d compare it to those occasional jackasses in the far left lane that won’t let you past even though slower traffic is meant to stay right. Share the road. It cuts both ways, and I don’t think that phrase was meant to mean that cars should just slow everyone else down by taking up the whole lane.

It’s rude to intentionally and unnecessarily block traffic.

It’s impossible to prove that it’s intentional and debatable as to what is necessary.

Thus you can never know if they’re being rude or just more cautious than you’d like. I guess we need to change the saying “You can never be too safe” to “You can never be too safe, unless it inconveniences drivers. Then you can be too safe.”

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@Roscoe 9895 wrote:

First of all, close observation should reveal that I actually AM trying to figure out why these cyclists are riding 2-abreast. Does your post indicate that you believe I should somehow “ask them” why they’re doing it ? It would interest me to learn some reason why they acquire some great safety advantage when the single cyclists appear to be just fine, as do the ones who ride together but following eachother as I always do unless I’m in a residential area with no traffic.

No, you aren’t. You’ve made up your mind. They’re doing it out of rudeness as far as you’re concerned. You’re sick and disgusted by it, and anyone who sees things differently is just trying to justify rudeness.

I don’t believe you should ask people – though you’ve asked a lot of people here and they’ve given reasons. Reasons you don’t like. Again, you don’t want to hear anything other than “Yeah, cyclists here are rude.” If so, head to WTOP, you’ll hear more agreement there.

@Roscoe 9895 wrote:

As far as being free to stay behind people riding 2-abreast, for what frequently appears to be only to chat, and going 15mph in a 25 mph zone frequently in a backlog of traffic…..it’s pretty annoying. But I’m sure that since going 15mph in a 25mph zone “never killed anyone” you must do it all the time, in addition to voluntarily going 10 miles under the speed limit most or all other times in standard conditions. Right ?

I do it when safety requires it. And I don’t assume that the people making it required are doing so out of selfishness.

@Roscoe 9895 wrote:

But then again, inconveniencing (frequently many) other people for what appears to be no good reason pretty much defines the term “rudeness.”

How do you know it’s for no good reason? People have given you good reasons. But you won’t accept them.

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@Roscoe 9938 wrote:

What I’m saying is that it disgusts me that I see so many cyclists that I am absolutely convinced take the road with the deliberate intent to flex their ego by riding 2-abreast, and inconveniencing the traffic, when they could just as easily show others a little respect by riding single file to enable traffic to pass more easily.

And this, I think, is the fundamental problem. You’re coinvinced that you know WHY they are doing what they do. Think about that for a minute. That requires amazing insight. Empathic, mind-reading like insight. The fact is that you don’t know why they’re doing it.

Perhaps it is for their own safety or the safety of others. Whether they are correct or not wouldn’t matter, because that wouldn’t be rude.

Perhaps it is blissful ignorance. Again…not rude.

But you CHOSE to be “absolutely convinced” that it is with “deliberate intent to flex their ego” which frankly I find to be the least likely explanation. I’ve talked with a lot of cyclists and NO ONE talks about doing. Perhaps you could cite some evidence to the contrary?

What you’ve not yet heard is someone say “I do that, ride two abreast to flex my ego, all the time.” Doesn’t that tell you something? This is a classic case of the fundamental attributioin error.

Here’s my advice. Stop taking it personally. They are not doing this TO YOU. Just assume that they aren’t trying to be rude and that they are trying to be safe. You asked me about line-cutters, I assume that they don’t realize there is a line and politely point them to the end of the line – and usually I’m right. And I’m a happier person for it.

If you would give people the benefit of the doubt – and there has to be doubt unless you’re a mind reader – you’ll be much happier.

Or you can decide that when people block your way, they are doing it as a personal attack on you. They are doing it to hurt YOU. They hate YOU. Not how I would go through life, but it is an option.

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I can’t say I’m surprised you got a bad reaction when you yelled at cyclists out your window. First of all, it’s hard to tell what someone is yelling at you thanks to wind, car noise and the doppler effect. I’ve been yelled at a few times in my life and about 95% of the time I have no idea what they shouted. But I usually assume that it’s not “keep up the good work.” So yeah, when you yell at someone out of your car window, it’s most likely going to be taken as an insult.

As for rudeness, it’s hard to say why these cyclists are riding two abreast. Perhaps it’s for safety reasons, in which case it isn’t rude. You don’t really know until you ask them why they’re doing it. To assume that it out of selfishness and a lack of concern for others is unfair to them.

Finally, no one is forced to change lanes. Anyone is free to stay behind the bikes in front of them and go 15mph. As far as I know, going 15mph in a 25 mph zone has never killed anyone.

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I have a little half-sized thermos that holds a little more than a cup and never leaks. Usually I put it in my backpack, but you could probably strap it in the holder. I’m still waiting for custom bags designed just for Bixi racks. I suppose when NYC has them, they’ll start to pop up.

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