Think of this as a Missed Connection.

You blew the red light east bound on Lawrence at Damen at 5:26 pm this evening.

 

There was enough time for the biker in front of me to make it half way into the intersection, northbound on Damen, before you came whizzing past my front wheel.

 

I yelled "You're an idiot!" at your big haired chick, self, and you looked back at me. I meant it!

 

I woulda testified for any of the cars, that managed to not kill you, if they had.

 

Keep riding like a tard!

love,

gabe

 

Witness bad behavior during your commute? Feel free to post. Maybe that lovely human can read it and think they are famous. Maybe you can also inspire the whole generation of kids to shower but we can start with small things.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephanie on September 9, 2011 at 3:41am

Two points:

The harm is that it propagates the image that bikes aren't real vehicles expected to abide by traffic laws like everyone else. This sets up confusion and anxiety on the part of drivers and cyclists, creating a less safe environment for cyclists.

Second, I have spent a chunk of time driving in Chicago and never been waved through a four-way stop where I didn't have the right of way by another driver. If we both arrived at the intersection at precisely the same time, that's one thing, (and a very rare occurrence), but if I arrive detectably later in my car, I wait my turn. I do the same thing when I'm on my bike. It's an easy rule to remember, "I wait my turn", I don't see why it should be somehow different if I am biking.

notoriousDUG said:

I mean really, if a person sees you there, acknowledges your presence and then allows you the right of way in favor of themselves what harm has been done?  People do it to other drivers all the time...

 

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on September 10, 2011 at 8:35pm
Oh Shawn! That was almost me tonight. Thank goodness there was not traffic on the road. Scarey stuff that dooring. I yelled to the driver "They call that dooring." He called back "Well how am I supposed to get out of my car?" OK, back to the cool thread of reckless bikers. Thanks.


Shawn C. said:

To the rider/salmon riding upstream (west) on Lawrence (near Cicero) yesterday afternoon: You avoided being doored, but at my expense of swerving into oncoming traffic!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Joel on September 11, 2011 at 2:54am
Drivers don't normally need to look for rapidly moving vehicles going the WRONG WAY when opening their door.  In that case, you were the idiot.

Michelle Gregorek said:
Oh Shawn! That was almost me tonight. Thank goodness there was not traffic on the road. Scarey stuff that dooring. I yelled to the driver "They call that dooring." He called back "Well how am I supposed to get out of my car?" OK, back to the cool thread of reckless bikers. Thanks.


Shawn C. said:

To the rider/salmon riding upstream (west) on Lawrence (near Cicero) yesterday afternoon: You avoided being doored, but at my expense of swerving into oncoming traffic!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Joel on September 11, 2011 at 3:06am

To the idiot with a giant cardboard box on your handlebars,

 

Salmoning, and weaving between parked cars and traffic on Clyborn isn't smart.  It is even less smart to blow the light at Halsted by darting the wrong way from behind parked cars.  Amazingly, everyone dodged you.  

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 11, 2011 at 4:43am
Cars wave other cars on all the time; waving you on is not a product of people not thinking you have to follow the rules it is a product of people trying to be nice. 

Stephanie said:

Two points:

The harm is that it propagates the image that bikes aren't real vehicles expected to abide by traffic laws like everyone else. This sets up confusion and anxiety on the part of drivers and cyclists, creating a less safe environment for cyclists.

Second, I have spent a chunk of time driving in Chicago and never been waved through a four-way stop where I didn't have the right of way by another driver. If we both arrived at the intersection at precisely the same time, that's one thing, (and a very rare occurrence), but if I arrive detectably later in my car, I wait my turn. I do the same thing when I'm on my bike. It's an easy rule to remember, "I wait my turn", I don't see why it should be somehow different if I am biking.

notoriousDUG said:

I mean really, if a person sees you there, acknowledges your presence and then allows you the right of way in favor of themselves what harm has been done?  People do it to other drivers all the time...

 

Permalink Reply by Jeff Markus on September 11, 2011 at 5:28am

The "wave" is of particular irritation when you sit at stop and the windshield of the car is a mirror due to the streetlights above the car. And you know the driver is waving and swearing but as a frail bike you are not willing to tempt fate by riding infront of a proven idiot in a couple of tons of machinery.

When I ...gasp...am in my car all hand signals are given with my arm hanging out the window so as to be in PLAIN sight for all including the vehicle behind so they don't get impatient and blast around me putting my good efforts in jeapardy with the life and property of the target of my largess.

Jeff

The Chicagoan

Permalink Reply by Vilda on September 11, 2011 at 5:40am
Salmoning with a box on his handlebars? Maybe he was trying to control the human population 1 biker at a time starting with himself. ;-)

Joel said:

To the idiot with a giant cardboard box on your handlebars,

 

Salmoning, and weaving between parked cars and traffic on Clyborn isn't smart.  It is even less smart to blow the light at Halsted by darting the wrong way from behind parked cars.  Amazingly, everyone dodged you.  

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on September 11, 2011 at 5:55am
What is the solution then Joel? I was in the bike lane, it was dark so I didn't see him sitting in his car. I was NOT rapidly moving, in fact haven't rapidly moved on my bike in a long time. Again, this is not on topic of the thread so I am sorry to post here....but you say I was the idiot? What is the solution Joel?

Joel said:
Drivers don't normally need to look for rapidly moving vehicles going the WRONG WAY when opening their door.  In that case, you were the idiot.

Michelle Gregorek said:
Oh Shawn! That was almost me tonight. Thank goodness there was not traffic on the road. Scarey stuff that dooring. I yelled to the driver "They call that dooring." He called back "Well how am I supposed to get out of my car?" OK, back to the cool thread of reckless bikers. Thanks.


Shawn C. said:

To the rider/salmon riding upstream (west) on Lawrence (near Cicero) yesterday afternoon: You avoided being doored, but at my expense of swerving into oncoming traffic!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on September 11, 2011 at 6:39am
Can you elaborate on how the driver is a proven idiot?

Jeff Markus said:

The "wave" is of particular irritation when you sit at stop and the windshield of the car is a mirror due to the streetlights above the car. And you know the driver is waving and swearing but as a frail bike you are not willing to tempt fate by riding infront of a proven idiot in a couple of tons of machinery.

Jeff

The Chicagoan

Permalink Reply by S on September 11, 2011 at 8:37am
Michelle, the post you were responding to someone riding the wrong way down the street and almost getting doored.  If that almost happened to you as well, then the solution is to not ride the wrong way down the street.  Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians don't really expect traffic going the wrong way down the street which can end up with a nasty incident occurring.

Michelle Gregorek said:
What is the solution then Joel? I was in the bike lane, it was dark so I didn't see him sitting in his car. I was NOT rapidly moving, in fact haven't rapidly moved on my bike in a long time. Again, this is not on topic of the thread so I am sorry to post here....but you say I was the idiot? What is the solution Joel?

Joel said:
Drivers don't normally need to look for rapidly moving vehicles going the WRONG WAY when opening their door.  In that case, you were the idiot.

Michelle Gregorek said:
Oh Shawn! That was almost me tonight. Thank goodness there was not traffic on the road. Scarey stuff that dooring. I yelled to the driver "They call that dooring." He called back "Well how am I supposed to get out of my car?" OK, back to the cool thread of reckless bikers. Thanks.


Shawn C. said:

To the rider/salmon riding upstream (west) on Lawrence (near Cicero) yesterday afternoon: You avoided being doored, but at my expense of swerving into oncoming traffic!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on September 11, 2011 at 9:16am
Thank you!  I didn't realize that the post was about someone going the wrong way. "riding upstream" went right over my head. oops.  I was riding in the right direction....yet the wrong direction as far as a parker's line of vision. :-0
Permalink Reply by Harry Lee on September 11, 2011 at 12:29pm
I actually like getting the "wave-through" from a car- in my head, they're saying, "damn, I was almost hoping you would plow through the stop sign like an asshat so that I could hate you, but now I have no choice but to retract that sentiment and offer my right of way in acknowledgement of your awesomeness and un-hate-ability". I'm pretty sure that's what they're actually thinking when they wave the rest of y'all through as well, nothing wrong with reaping the benefits of riding responsibly.

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