Salmoning poll

I ended up in West Town during the tail end of rush hour tonight, and saw a ridiculous amount of salmoning on the way there.... just wondering on average how often folks experience a rider coming at you going the wrong way.

How many times have you experienced it in the past week/month, and is there a place and time where you think you're more likely to encounter it? Have you noticed repeat offenders? Are there folks who seem to be doing it deliberately to endanger/scare the right-way riders?

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Permalink Reply by Vitaliy on June 16, 2013 at 8:22am

Oh West Town especially down division between Cali and Western. The folks there dont care for the rules and telling them wont change anything either. I just deal with it and squeeze slightly to the left while watching my back for cars.

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on June 16, 2013 at 10:23am

I'm on the north end of town and see them on Damen, even. I've often wondered what to say and how to say it - salmoning in the bike lane, or riding on sidewalks (so prevalent around Irving Park Road/Montrose between Western Ave. and California).

Like others have said, they are typically older men, some with helmets, most without, never with lights. Fold-em-up rear rack baskets seem rampant in this crowd, too, randomly.

The few times I've said something, I have either confused them into thinking they should flirt with me, or they've gotten very angry. It's just weird and frustrating. How do we communicate it best? 

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on June 16, 2013 at 2:36pm

Lots of salmon on Kenmore north of Berwyn today. Everyone in too much of a rush to get to the lake to go an extra block over, I guess.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on June 17, 2013 at 12:57am

I often hear this sentiment but I'd never really pictured it in my head until this morning. I'm imagining an idyllic eden in which the school's lawn is littered with bicycles every morning, and the idea that someone might steal a bike would not have been possible to imagine.

 

True? Or did the kids all lock their bikes up to some massive bike rack?



Jeff Schneider said:

 most of us rode our bikes to school

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on June 17, 2013 at 2:31am

:D Thanks for the responses.

 

I saw a guy biking the wrong way up Clark St, at Lake, this morning. Headphones on as well. Not the greatest move, I think.

Permalink Reply by Vitaliy on June 17, 2013 at 3:37am

No.

Permalink Reply by Lizzy M. on June 17, 2013 at 5:19am

I see it people riding the wrong way down one-way streets every day on either Briar or Barry in Lakeview (and about once a week a woman driving a sage-colored SUV rides the wrong way down Briar to pull into her building's parking garage. She always swears a blue streak at me for biking in *her* way).

It makes me angry because I assume the risks I take biking in traffic, but I don't agree to your making it more unsafe by coming head-on at me the wrong way down a one-way street. Plus, I don't really know the best way to react. I don't plan to swerve in front of the car behind me to avoid you; I can't move through the parked cars on the other side of me to avoid you; coming to a dead stop seems wrong. I'd like to just run into you, but that's not exactly a good solution.

I don't know that I've ever seen someone riding the wrong way in the bike lane, although joggers do it (I know, peds are suppose to walk facing traffic, but they're not supposed to be in the bike lane) along Halsted all the time.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 17, 2013 at 5:23am

I've seen salmoning in the Halsted bike lanes through Boystown all too many times over the last several years, usually at night, always guys - on bikes, skates or skateboards.

Lizzy M. said:

....I don't know that I've ever seen someone riding the wrong way in the bike lane, although joggers do it (I know, peds are suppose to walk facing traffic, but they're not supposed to be in the bike lane) along Halsted all the time.

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on June 17, 2013 at 5:39am

Confession time: I realized today that I salmon, too - when I am trying to merge into traffic from the wrong side of the street on streets like Lincoln Ave., Elston, Damen, etc. I'm impatient about waiting for both sides of cars to clear a safe crossing, so I salmon slowly in the bike lane of the wrong side until there's an opening and I can join the bike lane going in "my" direction.

I am super aware of it and defer to other "right-way" cyclists, but still. 

Permalink Reply by El Dorado on June 17, 2013 at 6:33am

I believe riding against traffic can be safer. It allows the driver to see you more easily and make eye contact. Granted, I no longer "salmon" as it has caused near accidents with other bike riders.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 17, 2013 at 6:37am

But drivers are not expecting head-on traffic and may not be watching for it, especially when pulling out of parking spaces.

El Dorado said:

I believe riding against traffic can be safer. It allows the driver to see you more easily and make eye contact. Granted, I no longer "salmon" as it has caused near accidents with other bike riders.

Permalink Reply by Bez on June 17, 2013 at 8:21am

It is absolutely not safer.  Drivers are taught to expect road traffic going in specific directions.  It's one thing if you are walking and easily able to leave the roadbed, bicycles do not have this luxury.  Not to mention that it is illegal as all hell and just tends to piss off drivers when they get confused.

El Dorado said:

I believe riding against traffic can be safer. It allows the driver to see you more easily and make eye contact. Granted, I no longer "salmon" as it has caused near accidents with other bike riders.

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