The Chainlink

I rode Dearborn today...anyone else?

I just missed the press conference and just hung out at lunch to see how it would all work. It seemed easy enough, so I took Dearborn as my starting route home to Roscoe Village. Normally I hit Franklin to Orleans then north to Lincoln.

I have to say, it was pretty easy and relatively safe. The ambassadors were helpful with the the auto traffic. The walkers were easy enough to avoid. I had to chuckle at two riders riding side by side in the lane.

What I didn't see was any oncoming traffic; southbound riders. I am guessing that will come in time or at other times during the day.

Way to go Mayor RE! This is really making a statement.

Who else rode the new path?

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl on February 13, 2013 at 2:10pm

I rode the full length southbound yesterday evening. All in all I liked it - definitely not speedy, but I did enjoy the relative feeling of security. I was however surprised that after being in place for this length of time, I still observed 4-5 cars blowing the red turn arrow. 

Permalink Reply by WillG on February 15, 2013 at 8:10am

FedEx truck and Sysco semi truck taking up the lane and the buffer strip this morning just north of the Randolph intersection. I told the Sysco driver (civilly) that he was parked in the bike lane, he gave me a thumbs up.

Is there anything, at all, that can be done when we encounter things like this?

Permalink Reply by Jenn_5.5 mi on February 15, 2013 at 8:22am

My problem with the Sysco truck/driver is that someone had to physically move the 2 orange cones that are normally 'blocking' off the lane (and/or warning about that terrible grate in the SB lane).

Who did that??? 

Permalink Reply by Duppie on February 15, 2013 at 8:32am

Never done it myself, but would contacting the company be helpful? I think that reputable companies are sensitive to this kind of attention, but maybe I am just naive.

Will G - 10mi said:

FedEx truck and Sysco semi truck taking up the lane and the buffer strip this morning just north of the Randolph intersection. I told the Sysco driver (civilly) that he was parked in the bike lane, he gave me a thumbs up.

Is there anything, at all, that can be done when we encounter things like this?

Permalink Reply by Julie M. on February 15, 2013 at 9:09am

I reported a Sysco truck blocking the lane previously to their company website by email, but never heard anything back.  They have a Des Plaines phone number on there which was probably a better route for me to try.  

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 15, 2013 at 10:54am

Some companies are very responsive to this type of feedback.  It's worth a try.

Permalink Reply by WillG on February 15, 2013 at 11:52am

So, I went to the Sysco website this morning and filled in the general "Contact Us" form linked from their home page (http://www.sysco.com/contact-us.html). I simply wrote:

Your driver making a delivery near the 150N block of Dearborn St. this morning was illegally and dangerously parked in a pedestrian and bicycle lane.

After my morning meetings I returned to my desk to find this email from Mr. Rick Leonard @ Leonard.Richard@chi.sysco.com:

Dear Sir you left a message to the wrong contacts. If you have an issue with our driver and his parking please contact me at 847-795-2564

It takes less time to do it right, then it does to explain why you did it wrong in the first place.  "GET INVOLVED " R.L.

Rick Leonard

Manager of Safety and Security

250 Wieboldt Dr, Des Plaines, Il 60016

Office 847-795-2564

Cell 847-873-7993

Fax 877-824-9558

I never expected a response and I am uncertain whether it will do any good to give him a call. That email sounds a tiny bit confrontational, am I being overly sensitive?

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on February 15, 2013 at 11:57am

Wait, so his response was basically, "don't email me, call me instead"?

Will G - 10mi said:

Dear Sir you left a message to the wrong contacts. If you have an issue with our driver and his parking please contact me at 847-795-2564
Permalink Reply by Jenn_5.5 mi on February 15, 2013 at 12:03pm

Did anyone happen to get a picture today or last week when the same truck was parked in the same spot?

Also, how is one to know how to contact specifically about the drivers if there isn't an option on the contact list?! I am guessing someone with a higher pay grade seen this email and wasn't pleased... Or this guy is just that nice?

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on February 15, 2013 at 12:03pm

Yes you are being overly sensitive. He invited you to call him, so call him, and report back please.

Will G - 10mi said:

So, I went to the Sysco website this morning and filled in the general "Contact Us" form linked from their home page (http://www.sysco.com/contact-us.html). I simply wrote:

Your driver making a delivery near the 150N block of Dearborn St. this morning was illegally and dangerously parked in a pedestrian and bicycle lane.

After my morning meetings I returned to my desk to find this email from Mr. Rick Leonard @ Leonard.Richard@chi.sysco.com:

Dear Sir you left a message to the wrong contacts. If you have an issue with our driver and his parking please contact me at 847-795-2564

It takes less time to do it right, then it does to explain why you did it wrong in the first place.  "GET INVOLVED " R.L.

Rick Leonard

Manager of Safety and Security

250 Wieboldt Dr, Des Plaines, Il 60016

Office 847-795-2564

Cell 847-873-7993

Fax 877-824-9558

I never expected a response and I am uncertain whether it will do any good to give him a call. That email sounds a tiny bit confrontational, am I being overly sensitive?

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on February 15, 2013 at 12:14pm


My guess is that companies with significant retail exposure will be the most responsive.  Sysco is definitely not in that category.  As the note by Will G. suggests, they might be more than a bit defensive.

My suggestion is that everybody hang onto that phone number.  Whenever you see a Sysco truck illegally parked (no matter the situation), call our good friend "R.L"

Anne Alt said:

Some companies are very responsive to this type of feedback.  It's worth a try.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on February 15, 2013 at 12:16pm

That's just some signature he has added to every email that gets sent out.  I think they're pretty silly for interoffice communication and certainly not something that should be used externally.

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