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 Simon Phearson on July 16, 2014 at 6:14am

I had a similar experience with a tour bus this morning. That's the scariest thing I feel like I ever encounter on the streets. 

Chitown_Mike said:

To the jackwagon in the huge straight frame, CDL needing truck.  USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL!

I now have a charley horse the size of Rhode Island in my calf from my pedal digging in after I fell trying to avoid being crushed.

Oh, and you have a CDL you should know better than to be on your phone!

Permalink Reply by Michael A on July 16, 2014 at 6:26am

I do not understand why any rider would put himself in that situation in the first place... passing a large vehicle on the right, especially entering an intersection is the quickest way to find out out how a bug feel right before it hits a windshield

Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on July 16, 2014 at 6:45am

Well, whenever I encounter it, I'm in my own lane, either a sharrowed right lane or a bike lane. I ride alongside large vehicles because they're slow, I'm going faster than they are, and it should be safer to pass them on the right than on the left - as long as they don't do anything they're not supposed to do.

If it's a close call that I can see, I'll brake and hang back, for sure. But sometimes you're about five feet from clearance and then they decide they don't know how to stay in their lane...


Michael A said:

I do not understand why any rider would put himself in that situation in the first place... passing a large vehicle on the right, especially entering an intersection is the quickest way to find out out how a bug feel right before it hits a windshield

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on July 16, 2014 at 7:25am

I usually wouldn't pass but he originally made like he was going left and was sitting for almost 20 seconds after stopping (no cross traffic), then me made right (I fell), then he made left, stopped, I rode past, and then he continued left while on his phone.

I hesitated to pass but once I saw him going left I felt safe to pass, especially with the 5' or so of space he left between the truck and the curb.  I am normally overcautious around trucks because I drove a box truck for a long time and know the blind spots are enormous.  But did think a 3" x 5" device in his face was the problem.

Michael A said:

I do not understand why any rider would put himself in that situation in the first place... passing a large vehicle on the right, especially entering an intersection is the quickest way to find out out how a bug feel right before it hits a windshield

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 16, 2014 at 10:49am

The hesitation you saw makes me think he was lost; you have to be extra careful around those guys.

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on July 16, 2014 at 3:42pm

I've found that a really loud air horn can help here. The driver doesn't expect such a loud noise from a bike. But staying out of that situation is probably best. I try to pass buses on the left if I'm going faster or I see a stop coming up.

@Michael A:

Q: What's the last thing that goes through a bug's mind as it hits your windshield?

A: Its asshole.

;-)

Steve

Simon Phearson said:

If it's a close call that I can see, I'll brake and hang back, for sure. But sometimes you're about five feet from clearance and then they decide they don't know how to stay in their lane...

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on July 16, 2014 at 4:30pm

Had another cyclist zip past me right off my shoulder it seemed (I was bending down to grab a drink) when I was stopped onto the 2 northbound lanes of Caldwell @ Gross Pointe, then proceed to blow the light, and then sit blocking the right turn only lane a block later so none of the cars could turn onto Touhy, even though there was no cross traffic and turn on reds are legal there.  I mentioned to him that it is illegal to blow a light, his response?  Something equally as useless as his inability to ride in a fashion that doesn't obstruct everyone else around him.

Rock on long haired dude that doesn't understand simple traffic laws and courtesy!

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on July 17, 2014 at 12:07am

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.

Steve

Chitown_Mike said:

Rock on long haired dude that doesn't understand simple traffic laws and courtesy!

Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on July 17, 2014 at 2:07am

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 Chitown_Mike on July 17, 2014 at 4:55am

I agree, or until the transportation laws in Illinois change to accept that we are a different mode of transportation.  Until then I will obey the laws because I see the same drivers every day and would rather garner their respect than their disdain and close passes.

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.

Steve

Chitown_Mike said:

Rock on long haired dude that doesn't understand simple traffic laws and courtesy!

Permalink Reply by Mark on July 17, 2014 at 9:16am

To the guy on Grand, around 13:00, Jimmy Johns hat, and shirt. Dude, your an Idiot. No wonder you work for Jimmy Johns, to stupid to work anywhere else.  Buy yourself a helmet kid, becaue you are certainly going to get your grey matter splatted all over the pavement, the way you ride. Weaving into oncoming cross traffic, just so you can get across the intersection ten seconds faster.  Are you testing Darwinism?  Because it sure seemed like it. 

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on July 17, 2014 at 10:08am

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.

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