"An open letter to bicyclist in Chicago"

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ash L. on October 23, 2011 at 1:30pm

Is this person saying that we cannot queue up to a stop light in the right lane? Those aren't right turn only lanes, they are both for straight moving traffic and right turn bound vehicles. Talk about misdirected anger.

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Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on October 23, 2011 at 2:25pm

"I have nothing of real substance to say, so I will repeat some hackneyed sensationalist thought so that I can keep stealing money from Chicago Now, and preserve my coveted irrelevant post of Queer Guy (Hey, it's another "cyclist" just like one of us, only he see's things from the regular guys point of view.  We need a lot more of these!) at an utterly insignificant news outlet". 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on October 23, 2011 at 4:25pm

Pure Trollism, no question about it.  This guy is taking a page right from Scott "Suburban SickList" Rowan's playbook: write a bunch of stupid, sensational, death-dealing threats and nonsense, try to whip up everyone on all sides to a mouth frothing frenzy and--ka-ching!--collect some dough and notoriety from the click throughs to your site or book sales.  I considered leaving a "friendly" rebuttal on his blog site but thought better of it, on the off chance that he might collect a few pennies from my post.  I don't want to encourage his bad behavior in any way.

The ONLY statement of his that even piqued my interest was "If you are blocking me from turning right at a stop light, though I have right of way, I will hit you."  Even though this bullying, asinine, incompetent driving statement is only so much drivel, this does point up a small flaw in many current bike lanes: if you, on a bike, are properly in the bike lane along the curb at an intersection, waiting for the light in order to go straight, you have the problem of the cars on your left wishing to turn right, across your bike's path.  Bike boxes, where cyclists assemble in the center of the lane ahead of the first auto, are the obvious solution to this dangerous situation.  But until that's rolled out across the area widely, I can only think of three possible solutions: (a) hang back in the bike lane and allow the right turners to cut across your path, then proceed straight alongside the first car to go straight--a not very satisfying solution and the possibility of a constant stream of right turning cars could prevent you from entering the intersection at all. (b) Try to jackrabbit straight ahead before the right turning car on your left gets going--a very dangerous solution, if the turning motorist happens to stomp on the accelerator in order to get past YOU, or if a late turning left turner takes you down halfway into the intersection.  And (c), what I've been doing more of lately: merge left into the cars at the intersection, take the lane by planting youself centered behind the car in front of you and going straight; even if the car in front of you and behind you turn right, they won't run you over.  This maneuver on my part is often accompanied by car honks and high speed "I'll show you cyclists who's boss" car passing, but it seems to me the only way not to get right hooked.  Anyone else have some better ideas I can use?

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Kellie on October 23, 2011 at 4:35pm

Dear "Queer Guy" (your words, not mine),

Ditto on every single point.  

Except, (1) I think you need to revisit the concept of right of way and (2) when I say that I may hit you it IS a threat.

-Kellie

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on October 23, 2011 at 4:54pm

I learned to ignore this brand of "I need to share my perspective as a driver with these stupid cyclists" condescension long ago . . . but I wish this guy would stop giving queers a bad name.

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Permalink Reply by DanGer 8.2mi on October 23, 2011 at 8:09pm

if you hit me i will scratch your car and bleed on your soul.

Jeff Schneider said:

This is exactly what I do.  I've only had one jerk yell at me, and lots of happy right-turners smile at me.

Thunder Snow said:

Pure Trollism, no question about it.  This guy is taking a page right from Scott "Suburban SickList" Rowan's playbook: write a bunch of stupid, sensational, death-dealing threats and nonsense, try to whip up everyone on all sides to a mouth frothing frenzy and--ka-ching!--collect some dough and notoriety from the click throughs to your site or book sales.  I considered leaving a "friendly" rebuttal on his blog site but thought better of it, on the off chance that he might collect a few pennies from my post.  I don't want to encourage his bad behavior in any way.

The ONLY statement of his that even piqued my interest was "If you are blocking me from turning right at a stop light, though I have right of way, I will hit you."  Even though this bullying, asinine, incompetent driving statement is only so much drivel, this does point up a small flaw in many current bike lanes: if you, on a bike, are properly in the bike lane along the curb at an intersection, waiting for the light in order to go straight, you have the problem of the cars on your left wishing to turn right, across your bike's path.  Bike boxes, where cyclists assemble in the center of the lane ahead of the first auto, are the obvious solution to this dangerous situation.  But until that's rolled out across the area widely, I can only think of three possible solutions: (a) hang back in the bike lane and allow the right turners to cut across your path, then proceed straight alongside the first car to go straight--a not very satisfying solution and the possibility of a constant stream of right turning cars could prevent you from entering the intersection at all. (b) Try to jackrabbit straight ahead before the right turning car on your left gets going--a very dangerous solution, if the turning motorist happens to stomp on the accelerator in order to get past YOU, or if a late turning left turner takes you down halfway into the intersection.  And (c), what I've been doing more of lately: merge left into the cars at the intersection, take the lane by planting youself centered behind the car in front of you and going straight; even if the car in front of you and behind you turn right, they won't run you over.  This maneuver on my part is often accompanied by car honks and high speed "I'll show you cyclists who's boss" car passing, but it seems to me the only way not to get right hooked.  Anyone else have some better ideas I can use?

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on October 23, 2011 at 9:46pm

Ahh... eh... I'm perhaps a bit unclear regarding right-of-way but ah... if someone's stopped in front of you you don't have right of way I don't think, ah? Eh... hmm...

 

Thundersnow: I've taken to keeping toward the left side of the right-hand lane. If the car behind me is signalling a turn, I'll get out of his way. If they're going straight, they've at least seen me and generally get around fairly civilly when the light turns.

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