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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Permalink Reply by David P. on August 8, 2012 at 12:59pm

Half an hour ago, on northbound Milwaukee at Armitage:

I was waiting at the red light with three or four other cyclists in the right part of the lane, cars to the left. You shot through the 4-foot gap between me and a couple of other cyclists at about 15mph right before you blew the red at full speed. Way to go, champ! If anyone's asking for it, it's you.

Permalink Reply by Bicycle Poet on August 10, 2012 at 5:06am

When I anticipate or actually get the unnecessary "wave-through", I intentionally look away while standing still on my bike at the stop-sign intersection.  9/10 times the motorists gets impatient because of my lack of response or even acknowledgement of their "wave-through", and they move on (as they should have in the first place).

When approaching a stop-sign intersection where it is clear that the motor vehicle was there before me (and there are no other motor vehicles), I often give the motorist the "wave-through" so that they know I'm not going to blow the sign and make them wait there.  Rightfully so, due to poor biking behaviors, many motorists are apprehensive about accelerating through a stop-sign intersection when they see a bike approaching.  I attempt to calm their fear and move traffic along (so that I can move once I reach the intersection) with my "wave-through".

My last tid-bit on this, when approaching a stop-sign intersection with a motor vehicle on my right who was there before me, in addition to giving them the "wave-through", I'll also often turn and start to bike towards the rear of their vehicle (or behind it), giving them a clear indication that my projected path is not in front of them.

I find these things help me navigate more smoothly through stop-sign intersections while keeping respect for other users of the road.  I hope these tips help other cyclists.

Permalink Reply by Dovah Cat on August 10, 2012 at 9:37am

To the woman I hit on the lake path this morning, unfortunately not a "missed" connection, 

I hope you're having a wonderful vacation. I'm glad I didn't completely mow you down and ruin your trip, but I'm wishing you had been hurt a tad bit - maybe it'll teach you to be more aware of your surroundings. But, hey, next time you're trying to be cute with your fancy Spanish lover and giggle and run away from waves that aren't really coming anywhere near you, don't leap backwards into what is obviously a path for cyclists and rollerbladers and other things on wheels that move faster than you seem to be able to think. I was in a fantastic mood getting an awesome tail wind, and you literally jumped INTO my bike with excellent timing enough to throw me and bike into some concrete that scraped up my baby's shiny white paint (which is the real reason I'm upset) - and I regret being so damn pleasant now that I'm home and putting stingy things on my new road rash. I'm always paying attention but I'm definitely not accounting for stupidity, I'm just glad your rather unobservant self was not hurt. Hey, instead of that skyway thing, we should spend the city's money on a bikes only trail. Or a fence. 

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on August 10, 2012 at 9:53am

I think there is a picture of people on the lake front path in all dictionaries next to the definition of "stupidity". :-)   And sorry about you and your bike.

Permalink Reply by Dovah Cat on August 10, 2012 at 9:57am

Yeah, unfortunately there's that rare time when I'm able to ride at a good clip and not worry about cars/crowds and I'm not accounting for one of the only people out who isn't anywhere near my lane and (wasn't) in motion when I saw her. Boo. 

Also - to the man heading south around 10 AM right before Ohio Beach - you were really handsome, and even more so as you rode steadily through the nasty waves lapping all the way across the path on a recumbent bike, grinning like an idiot. Now THAT is attractive. 


Serge Lubomudrov said:

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming you or anything, but if you're "not accounting for stupidity," you haven't been paying attention ;)


Permalink Reply by Don on August 14, 2012 at 3:28am

To the driver of the southbound Milwaukee bus who was stopped at Grand about 8:30 this morning...my Chrome messenger bag distributes weight on my back so perfectly but one of its drawbacks is that it protrudes out a bit from my back on both sides, especially when I'm bent over on my bike.  So when I was riding in tight quarters between a line of cars on the left and your bus in the right lane, I totally didn't intend for my messenger bag to whack your side mirror.  You said "nice job" as you stuck your head out the window and adjusted your mirror and I apologized.  But then when we got to Kinzie, you gave me a friendly honk signaling me to go over into the left turn lane and I waved back in gratitude.  That was really cool.  We're all good now right?

And to the cabbie who decided to run over a pedestrian and smash into a bunch of things at Chicago/Milwaukee this morning, fuck you.

Permalink Reply by blair on August 14, 2012 at 3:39am

That cabbie really did a number on the intersection.  Looked like they were filming another Transformers movie when I went through around 7:00am.

Permalink Reply by Chris Hainey on August 14, 2012 at 5:25am

Nicely written piece!

Don said:

To the driver of the southbound Milwaukee bus who was stopped at Grand about 8:30 this morning...my Chrome messenger bag distributes weight on my back so perfectly but one of its drawbacks is that it protrudes out a bit from my back on both sides, especially when I'm bent over on my bike.  So when I was riding in tight quarters between a line of cars on the left and your bus in the right lane, I totally didn't intend for my messenger bag to whack your side mirror.  You said "nice job" as you stuck your head out the window and adjusted your mirror and I apologized.  But then when we got to Kinzie, you gave me a friendly honk signaling me to go over into the left turn lane and I waved back in gratitude.  That was really cool.  We're all good now right?

And to the cabbie who decided to run over a pedestrian and smash into a bunch of things at Chicago/Milwaukee this morning, fuck you.

Permalink Reply by Alan Ledrowski 16.5 on August 22, 2012 at 4:19am

There I was, minding my own business passing a fellow cyclist on the path North of Belmont this morning.  The next thing I know there is a Chicago Police SUV pushing 30+ mph on the path headed right toward me.  No lights, sirens or horn.  I cut to the right a little, sorry to the cyclist next to me if I swerved close to you, to avoid a head on collision.  The other cyclists near me were all in shock and kind of looked at each other to confirm we just witnessed this.  Maybe I was groggy or tired this morning and have over estimated his speed.  Nah, I was pretty lucid, he was hauling tail.

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on August 23, 2012 at 3:50am

To the white van on Milwaukee approaching Kinzie, who saw me check traffic and hung back to let me cross the lane to the left bike lane: you are awesome and I wish more drivers followed your example. 

To the idiots walking down the middle of the Kinzie bike lane at Wells, who refused to move to the side to allow bikes past: I sincerely hope you don't bitch about bikes being on the road when you are driving.

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on September 18, 2012 at 5:07am

To the male cyclist in business attire who right hooked me at Kinzie and Wells this morning: uncool. Next time, instead of swinging out to the left & into the lane to turn right in front of other cyclists, try slowing down, staying to the right side of the lane, and then turning right. That corner is bad enough with cars trying to turn right; we don't need our fellow cyclists trying to take us out, too.

Permalink Reply by dan brown on September 18, 2012 at 7:25am

+1

Chris Hainey said:

Nicely written piece!

Don said:

To the driver of the southbound Milwaukee bus who was stopped at Grand about 8:30 this morning...my Chrome messenger bag distributes weight on my back so perfectly but one of its drawbacks is that it protrudes out a bit from my back on both sides, especially when I'm bent over on my bike.  So when I was riding in tight quarters between a line of cars on the left and your bus in the right lane, I totally didn't intend for my messenger bag to whack your side mirror.  You said "nice job" as you stuck your head out the window and adjusted your mirror and I apologized.  But then when we got to Kinzie, you gave me a friendly honk signaling me to go over into the left turn lane and I waved back in gratitude.  That was really cool.  We're all good now right?

And to the cabbie who decided to run over a pedestrian and smash into a bunch of things at Chicago/Milwaukee this morning, fuck you.

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