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 Michael A on July 17, 2014 at 10:14am

As I come up to the 4 way stop where there is a car already waiting, I come to a complete stop with a foot down as you try to wave me through, the lady in the SUV behind you does not understand courtesy and drives around you on the right with 2 wheels on the curb almost hitting me and the woman crossing the street with her 2 kids.I mean REALLY?

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 17, 2014 at 10:26am

You said that well, Steve. I agree for all the reasons you stated. Plus, I find the whole ride a lot easier when I ride according to the rules of the road. They are simple, easy to understand and observe, and I can enjoy my ride rather than stressing out over the threatening situations that I put myself in. Arriving late is much better than arriving at the morgue. Just keep leading by examploe, Steve. Bit by bit, more will follow.

Steve Weeks said:

I think this is pretty clear: "We will never be generally accepted and respected unless and until the majority of us act like we are traffic."

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 17, 2014 at 10:27am

Reminds me of an old drivers manual:



Steve Weeks said:

I must say I don't hold out much hope for this, because the majority of riders I see in traffic don't seem to have any consideration for other bicyclists, let alone motorists. I'd like to be wrong about this.

Steve

Permalink Reply by Lisa Gordon on July 17, 2014 at 10:28am

What Steve said! 

And I am actually a biker who has never driven a car.  I don't think that makes me any less of a law-abiding, courteous cycler than I would be if I had.  All you need is a little common courtesy and empathy--not necessarily driving skills.

Steve Weeks said:

I think this is pretty clear: "We will never be generally accepted and respected unless and until the majority of us act like we are traffic."

What I mean is that respect and tolerance tend to be mutual and reciprocal. I'm sure there are car drivers who, seeing a biker burn a red light, think "Yeah, I'd totally do that." But I'd bet that more drivers see it as an "us-versus-them" thing, and it pisses them off. I suppose it's possible that there are riders who have never driven a car, so they don't know the other side of that coin, but others just turn off that part of their brain when they hop on a bike. The Golden Rule really applies here ("Do as you would be done by.")

The present "Wild West" lifestyle emulated by a significant portion of the cycling community is only possible because law enforcement generally seems turn a blind eye to cyclists' behavior (another thing that probably pisses off the more volatile motorists). If riders started getting citations for traffic infractions there might be a big change in behavior. But since that is not likely to happen, the only way to improve the motoring public's perception of cyclists is for riders to follow (reasonably closely!) the laws that apply to them, and ride with conspicuous consideration for motorists.

I must say I don't hold out much hope for this, because the majority of riders I see in traffic don't seem to have any consideration for other bicyclists, let alone motorists. I'd like to be wrong about this.

Steve



Matt Talbert said:

Please elaborate.

Steve Weeks said:

This is the "glass ceiling" for cycling IMO. We will never be generally accepted and respected unless and until the majority of us act like we are traffic.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Gordon on July 17, 2014 at 10:34am

This was last week but it still makes me laugh.  I was riding down Damen, somewhere around Lawrence.  Woman on a bike pulls out in front of me a little bit ahead.  Now, I'm about the slowest biker on the block.  Everyone passes me, especially on Damen.  I caught up with this biker, so I figured maybe she was just starting out and needed to get warmed up before going faster than I do.  Well, she kept on at about 5 miles an hour, so after a bit, I passed her.  The next corner was a light.  I stopped in the bike lane; she stopped at the curb--and slowly crept past me.  When the light changed, she kept going at 5 miles an hour ahead of me, and now I couldn't pass because there was too much traffic.  And at the next corner, she turned right!  I have to say, that's someone with a really, really competitive nature who had to be ahead of me for just one block. 

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on July 17, 2014 at 10:40am

Lisa, Gene and Tricolor,

Why haven't I ever seen *you* guys on the road?  ;-)

Steve

Permalink Reply by Lisa Gordon on July 17, 2014 at 10:50am

Because I ride mostly in Evanston! :) 

But seriously, I think we see the bad bikers more than we see the good ones because they piss us off.  Try actually counting courteous and dumb-ass cyclers sometime.  When I do that, I find that there are more good ones than I expected (although not always a majority). 

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 17, 2014 at 11:38am

That is probably because we ride different routes. I am easy to spot: recumbent trike with two tall flags poles and a flamingo. Ninety-plus percent of my ride is along the lakefront paths.

Steve Weeks said:

Lisa, Gene and Tricolor,

Why haven't I ever seen *you* guys on the road?  ;-)

Steve

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 17, 2014 at 1:24pm

I see Gene all the time.  I can usually tell how early or late I am by when I see him.

Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on July 18, 2014 at 2:16am

GOTCHA. It wasn't clear to me, but it is now and I concur.

Steve Weeks said:

I think this is pretty clear: "We will never be generally accepted and respected unless and until the majority of us act like we are traffic."

What I mean is that respect and tolerance tend to be mutual and reciprocal. I'm sure there are car drivers who, seeing a biker burn a red light, think "Yeah, I'd totally do that." But I'd bet that more drivers see it as an "us-versus-them" thing, and it pisses them off. I suppose it's possible that there are riders who have never driven a car, so they don't know the other side of that coin, but others just turn off that part of their brain when they hop on a bike. The Golden Rule really applies here ("Do as you would be done by.")

The present "Wild West" lifestyle emulated by a significant portion of the cycling community is only possible because law enforcement generally seems turn a blind eye to cyclists' behavior (another thing that probably pisses off the more volatile motorists). If riders started getting citations for traffic infractions there might be a big change in behavior. But since that is not likely to happen, the only way to improve the motoring public's perception of cyclists is for riders to follow (reasonably closely!) the laws that apply to them, and ride with conspicuous consideration for motorists.

I must say I don't hold out much hope for this, because the majority of riders I see in traffic don't seem to have any consideration for other bicyclists, let alone motorists. I'd like to be wrong about this.

Steve



Matt Talbert said:

Please elaborate.

Steve Weeks said:

This is the "glass ceiling" for cycling IMO. We will never be generally accepted and respected unless and until the majority of us act like we are traffic.

Permalink Reply by Huck1eberry on July 18, 2014 at 2:10pm

Dear Lady who decided to have her mate pull over in the bike lane to pick her up,

Yes I rode through and said excuse me you are in the bike lane. As for your response that I should get off my high horse. I was not riding a horse. I was riding a bike, in the bike lane. 

The guy who you think is a total asshole. 

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on July 18, 2014 at 3:43pm

Too bad you couldn't show her this: Parking in Bike Lanes. Also too bad the police probably don't care.

Steve

Huck1eberry said:

Dear Lady who decided to have her mate pull over in the bike lane to pick her up,

Yes I rode through and said excuse me you are in the bike lane. As for your response that I should get off my high horse. I was not riding a horse. I was riding a bike, in the bike lane. 

The guy who you think is a total asshole. 

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