Pedestrians on Dearborn

As many cyclists opt for other modes of transportation down town (hopefully public transportation), people lose awareness of the bike lanes and the cyclists on them as the weather gets colder. I am one of the lucky ones who rides year round... pedestrians just need to pay attention.

I have more footage of pedestrians crossing intersections or stopping in the middle of the bike lane, but this one takes the cake.

Video only shows what it shows... but I am glad I didn't rip my pants, and glad I always wear a helmet. Back is sore as well as my left hand and left knee. AY!

Bonus points:

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 7, 2018 at 4:16am

I walk or ride portions of Dearborn between Van Buren and Madison nearly every day. I wish this kind of stupidity was rare, but it's not. When I'm waiting on a corner as a ped, I've often commented to people who were starting to step out into the lane against the light "hey, don't forget that this is a traffic lane, and most of the traffic comes through early or late on the green light." Way too many step out when there's a gap between waves of bike traffic in the middle of the green bike lane signal.

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Permalink Reply by Gage B. on November 7, 2018 at 5:06am

I've simply started to yell LOOK. I've lost patience, they look at me like I'm a jerk but they look.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 8, 2018 at 5:15am

I've done that, and sometimes used less polite words when they see me and/or other cyclists and refuse to move.

More often I'm looking ahead and yelling "STOP!" at someone who is about to step into the lane. Sometimes morons are walking parallel to the curb, using the bike lane as a sidewalk. My response to them: "This is NOT a sidewalk. It's a traffic lane. Get on the sidewalk NOW!"

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Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on November 8, 2018 at 6:03am

I've yelled STOP! and LOOK OUT! and some times I yell DING! DING! DING! on the LFT - And some times, I just yell like AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Gets attention.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 8, 2018 at 6:49am

Sure does. ;)

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Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on November 7, 2018 at 6:22am

It's ok. I was going slow. There's another video where I was going way too fast at the oncoming intersection (Dearborn and Jackson) and to avoid an inattentive pedestrian, I crashed hard and got a concussion.

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on November 7, 2018 at 6:13am

I cannot tell you how many times I have been standing at a corner as a ped and had to call out "heads up" or grab somebody who was aimlessly wandering into one of the loop bike lanes. With a bit less bike traffic peds seem even less aware. I pretty much ride through the lanes continually thumbing my bell but my warmer winter gloves, which I wore today, do not always make the bell ring and I have to use my voice.

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Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on November 7, 2018 at 6:22am

I need to get a train horn.

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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on November 7, 2018 at 11:08am

I've thought about making a looping recording of the bell from a METRA engine and just play it along Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on November 8, 2018 at 6:02am

That IS not a bad idea. I haven't ridden with the bluetooth speaker in a few weeks, blaring heavy metal - it goes to 11. People hear it. I should carry it with me again.