The Chainlink

You blew the red light east bound on Lawrence at Damen at 5:26 pm this evening.

 

There was enough time for the biker in front of me to make it half way into the intersection, northbound on Damen, before you came whizzing past my front wheel.

 

I yelled "You're an idiot!" at your big haired chick, self, and you looked back at me. I meant it!

 

I woulda testified for any of the cars, that managed to not kill you, if they had.

 

Keep riding like a tard!

love,

gabe

 

Witness bad behavior during your commute? Feel free to post. Maybe that lovely human can read it and think they are famous. Maybe you can also inspire the whole generation of kids to shower but we can start with small things.

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But does the person doing all three of those things at once diminish you opinion of drivers in general?  I know it does mine,especially those who do thing on purpose.  Personally I believe that one or two negative interactions have the power to strongly influence a person far beyond hundreds of interactions of a nuetral persuasion.  Think of retail and service industry situations. People will frequently stop patronizing an establishment they have gone to time and time again over one or to instances of poor service; now amplify poor service with outright aggressive and threatening behavior. 

There is an old maxim regarding the impressions we leave people from the service industry that I have always liked and I think it applies here: 'People who have a negative experience will go out and tell people about it of their own volition, those who have a positive experience will recount it only when asked.'  People very rarely go out of their way to tell others when good things happen, even less to nuetral things (nobody ever tells a story about how average an interaction was) but they are always willing to share the bad.  When things like this happen the victims, and those girls in that car were indeed victims, will tell the story of the 'crazy cyclist' over and over to all of their friends spreading the ill will.

We can argue all we want over the issue of how much damage it does to the image of cycling but I think we can both agree that it does some measure of damage.  I also hope we can both agree that the actions in question here are not appropriate regardless of the effects on cycling's image.

MagMileMarauder said:

You didn't read my whole argument notoriousDUG.  Like I said, the actions of a few DON'T reflect on a group at large. Would it be reasonable for me to say that the actions of a few drivers reflect horribly as the entire group of drivers? For example, a person texting on an SUV and cutting me off, honking and flipping me off (un unlikely scenario all at once, but for the sake of argument) Also, why is the opinion of an ignorant minority of drivers (i.e. "bikers are all assholes")  trump the opinion of an ignorant minority of bikers (the counterargument?  Both opinions  are just as ignorant. Do you see that?

we all see that. on some level, everyone sees that. a thought's ignorance rarely stops it's creation or spread. to think otherwise is more than a little naive. a person can be thoughtful, insightful, and reasonable. people, together, rarely exhibit any of those qualities.

also, i tend to suspect that someone who reacts to honking so violently likely wasn't riding along, completely innocent of any cycling wrongdoing, exhibiting an obvious awareness of his surroundings, and a gentle disposition to those with whom he shares the road, with songbirds alighting on his shoulders and small mammals scurrying about his frame at every stop light. seems a touch more likely he gave them some kind of reason to honk, as we all have to some degree or another.

MagMileMarauder said:

snip

Both opinions  are just as ignorant. Do you see that?

Douchebag hippie riding a bike that is louder than most cars, that called me a racist for saying the West Side (where we were) was a bad area, and "if I wanted to see a bad area i should go down to 120th and Halsted." It wasn't an either/or ya fuck face. Now get a job and buy a bike that isn't banging around like your pulling cans for your new stinky hippie bride.

The drivers probably don't realize why you are where you are and just think you're slowing them down for no good reason.  When driving a car, it's really easy to ignore potholes and rough surfaces unless it's really bad. 

Also, and this touches on Zoetrope's experience, it seems like there's a sizable percentage of drivers that think they they need to honk to warn you that they're passing.  I guess they figure you can't hear them and want to make sure that you don't end up drifting in front of them.  That may actually be a valid concern if they're driving an all electric vehicle or a hybrid that's running on battery power only.



Jeff Schneider said:

The few times drivers lay on the horn at me, it's usually because I am not where they think I "belong".  Example - sometimes the right side of the lane is full of huge potholes, and I have to ride in the middle of the lane for a stretch to get around them.  Most drivers have no clue with what I am doing, and it does annoy me that they are so dense.  But I don't have any illusions that I can educate them, so I let it be.

Nick Butterfield said:

we all see that. on some level, everyone sees that. a thought's ignorance rarely stops it's creation or spread. to think otherwise is more than a little naive. a person can be thoughtful, insightful, and reasonable. people, together, rarely exhibit any of those qualities.

also, i tend to suspect that someone who reacts to honking so violently likely wasn't riding along, completely innocent of any cycling wrongdoing, exhibiting an obvious awareness of his surroundings, and a gentle disposition to those with whom he shares the road, with songbirds alighting on his shoulders and small mammals scurrying about his frame at every stop light. seems a touch more likely he gave them some kind of reason to honk, as we all have to some degree or another.

MagMileMarauder said:

snip

Both opinions  are just as ignorant. Do you see that?

Dear Pack of Fresh Young Things,

You four were heading south on Damen Ave., just about to hit Satan's waiting room at North/Milwaukee. I was pedaling hard to follow cars north on Damen and avoid left turning not-from-around-here drivers. The most sharply dressed of you, in flowing dress and lovely hair was flying at me, on the wrong side of the street. I looked back, after narrowly avoiding being killed and stopping my bike, to see your three playmates riding in the same direction IN THE CROSSWALK, nearly plowing down several parents with children. 

What the hell? Please call home and tell mom and dad they had it wrong: ride WITH traffic. 

Or else some old broad like me will be forced to chase you down to keep you from killing the rest of us.

Dear ***hole who ran in front of me, 

You ran out into the street against the green and then after I almost creamed you and shouted "watch out" you asked me if I wanted to go.  You are damn lucky I had enough self restraint not to turn around.  Way to keep it classy, threatening a girl in a skirt after you nearly cause an accident.  I hope next time you run into traffic its a car oncoming, and they don't stop in time. 

Sincerely, 

One Pissing off B****

Love you Liz- it's getting hotter and tempers on the road will only get worse- was passing whitney young high school today and they ha a passion period which means cross the street on a marked cross walk between 2 buildings- why was the post man leaning on his horn? Chick in front of him opened her door and yelled at him an he responded " I ain't got time for a parade." assholes everywhere- be safe!

To cab Blue Cab, 411 out of Forest Park... jerk

Thanks for pulling out in front of me across the bike lane after picking up a fare (in the city as a suburban cab company, not allowed)  causing me to hit the brakes while I was cruising south down Clinton on Tuesday PM. Despite my, admitted, lack of class when I gave you the finger you upped me with your left hand a hole and right hand fingers doing the part of the phallus out the window... No handed driving, you rule. Was even better when you blew through the light at Madison to go right and get away from me after I informed you I was going to call your cab company, those pedestrians you almost hit appreciated your eager need to flee the scene. You capped it off with a ballsy move across three lanes of traffic to get to the left lane on Madison to flee me the evil cyclist that SUV you almost forced onto the sidewalk I am sure appreciated your evasive driving skills.

Did your fare call to complain too?

If you did nothing wrong then why the crazy driving? BTW called your cab company and 311... hope you get pulled off the road for a while.

Had a similar issue a while back when an out of town cab picked us up. He overcharged us (rates in the 'burbs are apparently higher). Called 311 to complain. Got a letter back from the city saying that there is nothing they can do after the fact. Had we called 911 during the ride the police may have pulled him over and slapped him with a $1,500(!) fine.

Tim S said:

To cab Blue Cab, 411 out of Forest Park... jerk

Thanks for pulling out in front of me across the bike lane after picking up a fare (in the city as a suburban cab company, not allowed)  causing me to hit the brakes while I was cruising south down Clinton on Tuesday PM. Despite my, admitted, lack of class when I gave you the finger you upped me with your left hand a hole and right hand fingers doing the part of the phallus out the window... No handed driving, you rule. Was even better when you blew through the light at Madison to go right and get away from me after I informed you I was going to call your cab company, those pedestrians you almost hit appreciated your eager need to flee the scene. You capped it off with a ballsy move across three lanes of traffic to get to the left lane on Madison to flee me the evil cyclist that SUV you almost forced onto the sidewalk I am sure appreciated your evasive driving skills.

Did your fare call to complain too?

If you did nothing wrong then why the crazy driving? BTW called your cab company and 311... hope you get pulled off the road for a while.

Seems there is also a chance they just thought you were cute...

But I guess you know why they honked more than they do.

Zoetrope said:

Last night around 7 p.m. on Madison, you passed and honked at me because I guess you see cyclists as an inconvenience.  I was having a pleasant stroll on a gorgeous night, probably thinking about the IPA I was going to be drinking all night at my destination, and you had to go and ruin the moment with your rude and ignorant behavior.  Well, my wish was granted, and the light up ahead turned red.  

The shrieks of horror and look of genuine panic on your two trixie faces after I slammed my hand on your window (I'm surprised my hand or your window didn't break to be honest) and screamed at you with every obscenity I could come up with, is still providing me with belly laughs today.  Indeed, I have a big smile on my face right now, because I know you won't be honking at any cyclists EVER again, nor will you be causing any accidents or deaths because of it.  

Hope I see you around!

Love,

Zoetrope 

Thanks for stealing my saddle and wheel from my cheap bike you worthless piece of shit. Can't even own a worthless piece of shit bike without some asshole fucking with it.

Stop by Rapid Transit on North Ave. to get your replacement saddle and seatpost when I am there and I'll make you a free seat leash to keep the next one in place.

Minh said:

Thanks for stealing my saddle and wheel from my cheap bike you worthless piece of shit. Can't even own a worthless piece of shit bike without some asshole fucking with it.

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