The Chainlink

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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Hey mountain bike riding young dude in orange puffer jacket- you need to enter the Dearborn bike lane with CAUTION.  Yesterday at a little after five this guy turned south from Washington fast and wide, nearly colliding with a lady (and two more cyclists behind her) heading North.  He had earbuds in - of course, so he didn't hear her yell at him. This during a time of day where I see hordes of pedestrians with one foot in the lane or not paying attention.  Dumb dumb dumb...

Great ride today!

Tonight was frustrating.

1) Dude in black car just north of Clark and Deming... I was NEXT TO YOUR WINDOW when you violently through your door open. There is no way you looked at all. That thing that you crossed, with the two white lines and the pretty pictures in between, in order to park your car? ITS A GOD DAMN BIKE LANE. You are so fucking lucky that I was riding on the very edge of that lane. I was passed you before I realized your door had missed me by inches... But really nice job dude.

2) Bro in red car on Diversey in the residential-ish area east of the brown el tracks. I can hear you. You didn't need to honk at me. I knew that I had taken the lane to avoid the door zone because I was still shaken up from nearly being doored. You also didn't need to then proceed to pass me at probbbbbably about 45 the first chance you got.

3) White car crossing Kedzie on diversey, headed east bound. You are a fucking ass. I'm trying to turn left onto Kedzie from diversey, there's been no gap, and the light turns yellow. Instead of just fucking STOPPING, you slow down to maybe 5-8 mph and continue through the intersection (through the red, btw) while smirking at me like its funny and honking. Literally TRYING to leave me stranded in the middle of the road. Thanks. You're super nice.

4) To the cop I saw: could you get out of the drive through at Popeyes and help out us cyclists just a tad? Maybe stop some people for obnoxiously aggressive behavior?
Oh for sure. I love riding, really, and I'm glad every time I get home safe that I cans ride again soon. But sometimes it makes me tired to have to basically read drivers minds, and then they're assholes on top of it, and tonight I'm frustrated about it.
Ha. GEEZ, it said what you're supposed to do on the back of the car! WHY can't us cyclists just follow directions?!

But glad you're ok. I'm quite glad my bike has brakes!



Michael Perez said:

I feel ya although my crash today was actually hilarious rather than me being pissed. At 6:30 this morning heading northbound on damen towards Roosevelt In the tunnel after 18th st, I was doing my usual brakeless style riding weaving through slow moving traffic due to an obstruction i see everyday. All of a sudden a pickup truck slams their brakes on me and kaboom I crashed and didnt hop-skid like i normally would and my shoes were still clipped in after the Impact. I had a 1 foot opening on the right but this freakin Kia Soul closed it, so I was stuck. The hilarious thing about this and it kept me laughing all day at work today was that I slammed into a "Dodge Ram" or dakota. A dodge. It made my day although I was hurting lol. I did everything possible to actually keep the bike from getting into contact with the pickup and I my arms/wrists/hands took the hard blow. After that, I was just happy knowing I was fine and that driver was pissed cause I banged his truck( i left a dent with my hands). Today was a good day.

Whew. Exceptionally horrid people this evening. Is it the weather or something?! I had two unexpectedly swerve to the right on Cortland, near Finkle, but the blue BMW on Elston takes the cake. An angry middle-aged man alternated by yelling, "YOU'RE NOT A CAR!" and "GET OUT OF THE WAY BITCH!" for a few blocks, while he tried to pass me -- get this -- on the right! In the bike lane! Usually I get pretty annoyed or angry with aggressive drivers, but when I pulled up along side him at the light, all I could do was laugh! "Of course I'm not a car, that's why I'm IN THE BIKE LANE! And that's why your car doesn't fit!" He tried to cut me off a few more times before getting stuck in standstill traffic at Diversey... Good riddance.

Strange, I find Pilsen one of the most laid back parts of the city to ride. But then I tend to avoid main streets.  Have you actually seen cars coming in contact with cyclists?

Michael Perez said:

If it was in the Pilsen area, it's pretty normal for people almost plowing into others or fast cars clipping cyclist. Especially on 18th and whatever since most of 18th is on my route home until damen. I witness so much I forget to write on here.

Jennifer on the lake said:

To the blonde at 18th and whatever about an hour ago who scowled and mouthed "I didn't see you!" after nearly plowing into me:

ARE YOU EFFING BLIND?!?!

Love and kisses,

The yellow whale with the multiple headlights and reflective stripes all over everything. Try not to hit a snowplow this winter.

You: the sedan driving SB on Milwaukee this morning who 1) sped up to pass me in order to 2) cut me off and turn right on Noble. By my count you committed 2 violations of traffic law/ordinances, nice job!!!!

Hey, douchebag in the black SUV who parks in the westbound Kinzie bike lane just west of Clinton. You are there several evenings each week, picking up your girlfriend around 6 pm. Get it through your thick head that the bike lane is not a parking spot and move to a place that actually IS a parking spot. 

Heading west on 18th this morning a white SUV sideswiped me at a red light at the 18th/Blue Island/Loomis intersection.  I was going slow, so it was just a scrape, but totally avoidable if the driver had seen me.  It did force me off the road, where I had to fix my chain.  As I tended to it, a woman came by and shared the auto's license plate.  A crossing guard checked to see if I was alright, too.  While I could have done without the scrape, the kindness of others is what I'll take away most from the incident.

I'd like to say thanks to the driver of the Ford Escape who went out of their way to leave me lots of room and moved all the way into the oncoming lane when they passed me on Chicago Ave. in Evanston last night. We appreciate those things!

Tonight, crossing Broadway in a crosswalk with a walk signal (on foot), I had a driver--who'd just run the red light a little too late to beat the cross traffic and had thus found herself stuck mid-intersection--BACK UP into me. If I hadn't screamed at her I'd have been knocked down. This weather does not bring out the best in drivers.

Happily my (short) bike trips today were less eventful.

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