Citizen vs City on the Bike Lane

This morning I was meeting some people for work at the McDonalds at 6100 N. Milwaukee.  This is at the "other" intersection of Milwaukee and Elston on the far northwest side of the city.  As we're sitting, a Water Management sewer evactor truck parks out front in the bike lane.

This is a really bad place to park in a bike lane because riders and drivers are coming around a curve at this point.  A rider is forced into the "car lane", and a speeding car coming around the curve might not react in time.

The three in the evactor startled and took off when they saw me snapping pictures.  I drove to our worksite, but returned to the same intersection ten minutes later, where there were three Streets and Sanitation garbage trucks lined up in the spot of the bike lane, eating their McD's.

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Permalink Reply by Juan Primo on March 19, 2013 at 5:02am

I parked and started taking pictures of the trucks.

Permalink Reply by Juan Primo on March 19, 2013 at 5:10am

This guy had words with me when I photographed his truck

He asked me what my problem is, and I told him that he was parked in the bike lane.  He gave me the typical "where do you think I'm supposed to park this truck?"  I said that sounds like your problem.  He said "I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, you should do what you're supposed to be doing.  Get back in your car and go to work."  He was trying to be intimidating but we're the same size on a really busy street.

"I don't like people like you" was his last word.  I really don't think it was a racial thing, but a thing against people who tell him he can't park in a bike lane.

Dude, you have the crappiest government job available, but it doesn't mean you can break the law and tell me I'm wrong for telling you that you're wrong.

I called 311 even though the convoy left.  Nothing happened.  So who won in citizen vs City?  Probably a draw.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on March 19, 2013 at 5:31am

Juan, depending on how far you want to take it, there is an e-mail "contact us" button for Streets and San:  http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/streets.html

Water Management does not seem to have one.

Permalink Reply by Davo on March 19, 2013 at 7:13am

That crappy job gets paid quite well.

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on March 19, 2013 at 7:49am

That would be a dangerous thing if you had to ride around that truck at the curve....but in all honesty, I thought I was the only one to ever use the BL that far north.  I have NEVER seen another biker on it in that particular corridor. 

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on March 19, 2013 at 8:52am

You should have had a tazer pointed at him, like in Men at Work.

Permalink Reply by Mike Fiasco on March 19, 2013 at 9:53am

I live in that area and I see that happening all the time.  That portion of the BT doesn't get a lot of bike traffic during the week but a lot during the weekend.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on March 19, 2013 at 10:24am

hmm... I'm all for enforcing the bike lanes. Cagers or cabs driving in or parking in a bike lane - if I could call down meteors to smash their cars I'd do it (providing no-one would get hurt of course).

But I think we have to make some reasonable exceptions. Are we gonna get upset when say, an ambulance is parked in the bike lane while its EMTs are hauling an old lady out of her apartment?

I think a similar exception should be made for Streets and San garbage trucks - at least when they are just stopping briefly to empty a garbage can.  

Permalink Reply by yai danche on March 19, 2013 at 2:00pm

Totally.  City jobs are way cushy and secure.  I'm assuming this McDonald's doesn't have a parking lot.  If they do have a parking lot, that makes parking in the bike lane even lazier!

Davo said:

That crappy job gets paid quite well.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on March 21, 2013 at 3:51am

Even if there is a parking lot none of those trucks would probably fit into it very well.  The things I learn from playing Euro Truck Simulator 2...

Permalink Reply by jen on March 22, 2013 at 7:14am

Gabe Klein with CDOT is on twitter and is a real stand-up guy. I've RT'd something someone posted about a CPD SUV in the Dearborn lanes downtown and he responded that he would follow up. When stuff like this happens, send it out far & wide.

Permalink Reply by Tom Z on March 22, 2013 at 3:27pm

I live in the area and ride my bike in that bike lane.  There is always something parked in that area in front of the McDonalds.  It is a very bad area because of the blind curve.

There is a "No Parking" "Tow Zone", so you can't say you thought it was a parking spot.

I think when they re-paint the bike lane in the spring a bicycle image should be put in that exact spot, there would be no excuse for parking there.

I'm going to start taking pictures.

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