Conversation with a Bike Lane Blocker

I preset to you a rough transcription of a lovely conversation I had
this morning with a chapping gentleman in Old Town.

<I pull up next to his Mercedes in my bike because he is blocking the
bike lane. I initially just was going to give him a dirty look and ride off, but he rolls down his window, so I decide to talk to him.>

Me: Excuse me, you're parked in a bike lane, would you mind moving your car?

Him: Fuck off.

Me: Hey man, I'm just asking nicely. You're parked illegally.

Him: Is it legal for you guys to run red lights?

Me: That's irrelevant, you're still illegally parked.

Him: I'm not parked, I'm stopped. My flashers are on.

Me: That's the same thing.

Him: Fuck off.

Me: Have a nice day!

 

 

Honestly, I totally expected this behavior and am in no way complaining about this. I actually was quite amused and it made my morning. I just wanted to share it with my fellow Chainlinkers.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 7, 2012 at 8:51am

I don't so much as take umbrage a Adam's actions but feel that

  1. it's not going to do any good -these entitled folks already have zero respect for bicyclists and their infrastructure and telling them anything is impossible.
  2. It will just raise your own blood pressure and waste your own time.  And afteerwards may leave you feeling angered and frustrated which may compromise your own safety on the road afterwards for a period of time.
  3. May lead to a confrontational situation with someone in possession of a 2000lb+ weapon.
  4. Isn't all that hard to drive around in the end.

 

But if Adam really wants to be the Goddamned Batman then by all means have at it.  I don't know about anyone else bu I'm just razzing him a little bit -but in the end I feel it is Goddamned Right to speak up to the car driver if he wants to and feels the Goddamned need to do so.  It may not be a good idea but everyone has the Goddamned Right to follow bad ideas.  It's the Goddamned American Waytm

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on August 7, 2012 at 8:55am

It's not that I do this to every single car that I see parked in the bike lane. I was completely calm the entire time, and it made me feel better to point him out, so what's the harm in that?

James BlackHeron said:

I don't so much as take umbrage a Adam's actions but feel that

  1. it's not going to do any good -these entitled folks already have zero respect for bicyclists and their infrastructure and telling them anything is impossible.
  2. It will just raise your own blood pressure and waste your own time.  And afteerwards may leave you feeling angered and frustrated which may compromise your own safety on the road afterwards for a period of time.
  3. May lead to a confrontational situation with someone in possession of a 2000lb+ weapon.
  4. Isn't all that hard to drive around in the end.

 

But if Adam really wants to be the Goddamned Batman then by all means have at it.  I don't know about anyone else bu I'm just razzing him a little bit -but in the end I feel it is Goddamned Right to speak up to the car driver if he wants to and feels the Goddamned need to do so.  It may not be a good idea but everyone has the Goddamned Right to follow bad ideas.  It's the Goddamned American Waytm

Permalink Reply by your duncle on August 7, 2012 at 8:56am

I think that the real problem the OP had was that he got "Double Wronged".  The offender parked in the bike lane which made him wrong the first time.  Then when OP alerted the offender to his indiscretion the offender responded in a negative manner.  This of course makes the offender wrong the second time as well.  Why couldn't the Mercedes just say "sorry" and you could both move on?  

Drivers do the Double Wrong to each other all day long.  Usually, the first cuts off the second, 2nd beeps, first flicks the bird.  Try keeping score of how many times you get a "sorry" in comparison to the "double wrong".  Good Luck. 

But good job to Adam for not escalating or doing something stupid like criminal damage to property.  

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on August 7, 2012 at 8:59am

Fair points as well, I suppose I just hold out some hope in the human spirit that some of the drivers that do this stuff are ignorant, in the "they just don't know it be deadly to cyclists" sense of the word, not the "they are incurably stupid and selfish" one.

When they put bike lanes in Old Town in the early 90s a friend working retail (bakery) there said a regular customer promptly parked in one & came in the store, telling him "you know, I love these double parking lanes so I can run in more easily."  His reaction apparently spoke volumes, as he politely clarified he was a biker, and they were bike lanes, and she never did it again. 

James BlackHeron said:

I don't so much as take umbrage a Adam's actions but feel that

  1. it's not going to do any good -these entitled folks already have zero respect for bicyclists and their infrastructure and telling them anything is impossible.
  2. It will just raise your own blood pressure and waste your own time.  And afteerwards may leave you feeling angered and frustrated which may compromise your own safety on the road afterwards for a period of time.
  3. May lead to a confrontational situation with someone in possession of a 2000lb+ weapon.
  4. Isn't all that hard to drive around in the end.

 

But if Adam really wants to be the Goddamned Batman then by all means have at it.  I don't know about anyone else bu I'm just razzing him a little bit -but in the end I feel it is Goddamned Right to speak up to the car driver if he wants to and feels the Goddamned need to do so.  It may not be a good idea but everyone has the Goddamned Right to follow bad ideas.  It's the Goddamned American Waytm

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 7, 2012 at 9:47am

That's beautiful!  Yet another incident proving that some people do this out of ignorance, not intent to be anti-bike jerks, and actually change their ways in response to polite education.

Carter O'Brien said:

...When they put bike lanes in Old Town in the early 90s a friend working retail (bakery) there said a regular customer promptly parked in one & came in the store, telling him "you know, I love these double parking lanes so I can run in more easily."  His reaction apparently spoke volumes, as he politely clarified he was a biker, and they were bike lanes, and she never did it again. 

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 7, 2012 at 9:50am

I'd say he has a ways to go to match the enthusiasm generated by this thread about his altercation with motor vehicle traffic. (Hey wait just a minute here...)

h' said:

Not sure what you lot are on about at this point, but congrats to young Adam on his first hit thread!

Permalink Reply by Duppie on August 7, 2012 at 10:39am

Driver: Excuse me, you just blew a stop sign, would you mind not doing that again?

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Hey man, I'm just asking nicely. You blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: Is it legal for you guys to park in the bike lane?

Driver: That's irrelevant, you still blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: I'm not "blowing" the stop sign, I'm just rolling thru it. I was paying attention.

Driver : That's the same thing.

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Have a nice day

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on August 7, 2012 at 10:40am

Anyone can just make up a fake conversation. If I was the cyclist in that position, I certainly wouldn't tell the driver to "fuck off".

Duppie said:

Driver: Excuse me, you just blew a stop sign, would you mind not doing that again?

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Hey man, I'm just asking nicely. You blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: Is it legal for you guys to par in the bike lane?

Driver: That's irrelevant, you still blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: I'm not "blowing" the stop sign, I'm just rolling thru it. I was paying attention.

Driver : That's the same thing.

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Have a nice day

Permalink Reply by Duppie on August 7, 2012 at 10:51am

What would you tell him?

Adam Herstein said:

Anyone can just make up a fake conversation. If I was the cyclist in that position, I certainly wouldn't tell the driver to "fuck off".

Duppie said:

Driver: Excuse me, you just blew a stop sign, would you mind not doing that again?

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Hey man, I'm just asking nicely. You blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: Is it legal for you guys to par in the bike lane?

Driver: That's irrelevant, you still blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: I'm not "blowing" the stop sign, I'm just rolling thru it. I was paying attention.

Driver : That's the same thing.

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Have a nice day

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on August 7, 2012 at 10:53am

I would apologize and move on with my day.

Duppie said:

What would you tell him?

Adam Herstein said:

Anyone can just make up a fake conversation. If I was the cyclist in that position, I certainly wouldn't tell the driver to "fuck off".

Duppie said:

Driver: Excuse me, you just blew a stop sign, would you mind not doing that again?

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Hey man, I'm just asking nicely. You blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: Is it legal for you guys to par in the bike lane?

Driver: That's irrelevant, you still blew a stop sign.

Bicyclist: I'm not "blowing" the stop sign, I'm just rolling thru it. I was paying attention.

Driver : That's the same thing.

Bicyclist: Fuck off.

Driver: Have a nice day

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 7, 2012 at 11:08am

If this is not a joke you are an asshole.

Paul Gnarlo said:

 

Adam,

 

My go to method when cars block bike lanes is to smack off cars side mirrors and sell them at the swap-o-rama.

 

This method works for me/the biker community/the economy two-fold:

 

1.  The cars may or may not learn their lesson and now they have to buy a new mirror.

 

2.  I take proceeds from selling these mirrors at the swap-o-rama to buy "used" bikes at the swap-o-rama.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 7, 2012 at 11:10am

And you never will and expecting to is only going to make you unhappy.

People are a-holes accept it and live accordingly.

Adam Herstein said:



I try to be courteous as well, but I feel like I don't receive the same amount that I am putting in.

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