Morning Rush Aggressive Motorists

For 5 years I biked to work at 6AM. Last week my company changed my start time to 9AM and now I hit the street at 8:30AM.  What a difference two and a half hours makes!  At 8:30 in the morning it seems that 50% of all drivers are running late for a job they hate and it's my fault.  In the past two weeks I've been buzzed by three SUV's (Two of which leaned on the horn as they passed me on North Sheffeld).  More cars only *pause* at stop signs in an effort to get through the intersection before they have to wait the extra 4 seconds for a bicycle to pass.  I've even had a car in the oncoming, left turn lane do that thing where the second the light turns green they hit the gas and bust through their turn when I was the only traffic coming towards them.
I'm no newbie to biking on city streets, but it has been eye opening to share the road with this morning crowd.  Hats off to you folks who have been riding at the end of the morning rush hour all along.
Be safe.

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Permalink Reply by cutifly on June 10, 2010 at 11:52pm
Welcome to 'Door City' so pay attention and enjoy the game ...
Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on June 11, 2010 at 2:12am
Yep. I'm sorry for your loss. You tell most anyone but a bike commuter that you get to start to work now at 9 rather than 6 and they'd be all like, "oh that's great for you."

I'm usually on the road no later than seven AM for my commute. I've noticed that even at the beginning of the AM rush thirty minutes one way or the other makes a pretty large difference.

Like any commute though, it will seem less horrible the more you get used to it. Also, this may be a good time to investigate alternative routes for the worst sections. Adding ten or twenty minutes to a ride is well worth it to me if it spares me some aggravation or makes for safer commute.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on June 11, 2010 at 2:31am
Sorry to hear that. I usually leave home at 6:30 am and I can tell the difference if I leave as little as 15 minutes later. The roads get a lot busier. It's not just the motorists. Bicyclists and pedestrians show pretty much the same behavior. Bicyclists pass on the right and cut you off, pedestrians jaywalk as if it their god-given right, etc.
I'd follow Tony's advice: You'll get used to it, and if not start looking for some alternative routes to work
Good luck
Permalink Reply by Grocky on June 11, 2010 at 4:49am
My start times vary at my job. Sometimes I arrive at 8:00 7:30 7:00 and as early as 6:00 am.
There is quite a remarakable difference in traffic for each of those time blocks. So much that it has made me more of a morning person over time. I prefer getting up earlier and arriving earlier to have a less stressful commute. I agree w/ Duppie and Tony. I would experiment w/ other routes or just leave earlier and grab a coffee and a muffin at a local shop around the corner from work and chill there for a few.
Permalink Reply by Bryan D on June 11, 2010 at 4:56am
Man tell me about it. I ride Milwaukee all the way into the Loop from Logan Square, and if I leave any time after 8, I usually one of 10 cyclists in a big pack at any time. If I get out the door around 7:15 (when I want to), it's a breeze.

That said, there can be safety in numbers. When I'm one of the few cyclists on the road, there are times when I feel more vulnerable. When there's 20 others, I feel like we're more noticeable. Or maybe I just feel like if someone is gonna get doored, having more cyclists out there decreases my chance. Is that cynical, or just plain mean?
Permalink Reply by Duppie on June 11, 2010 at 5:00am
Bryan D said:
Or maybe I just feel like if someone is gonna get doored, having more cyclists out there decreases my chance. Is that cynical, or just plain mean?
Neither. It's pragmatic
Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on June 11, 2010 at 6:24am
I used to be a bicycle messenger in downtown. It is amazing to see the patterns of human and mechanical traffic flow as the sun goes across the sky. When you are in it, its kind of like swimming in an ocean of tides and lulls and of course... sharks. Good luck, stay safe swimming the sharks.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 11, 2010 at 12:48pm
I agree. It's much worse closer to 9 a.m.
Permalink Reply by Dan Korn on June 11, 2010 at 6:30pm
I usually leave between 9:30 and 10, partly because I'm a night owl, but also because I hate riding in rush hour traffic. And i usually end up working until well after evening rush hour. I tell my boss I'm on California time.

It worked out perfectly this morning, because I got to ride in a parade!
Permalink Reply by heather s on June 12, 2010 at 11:21am
I used to live right off of Sheffield, around Diversey. In my experience, it attracts some of the worst, most selfish and impatient people to drive in Chicago (and yes, a lot of them are in SUVs). I don't know why this is, but a new route might serve you better.
Permalink Reply by Anne on June 13, 2010 at 4:36am
LOL where is THAT sign!!?!?!

H3N3 said:

Permalink Reply by Danny Green on June 13, 2010 at 5:19pm
i bike to work in the south loop from 87th and cicero, and the drivers are just as horrible as you depict. a van nearly ran me off the road, constant honking, yelling, etc. i can't count how many times i've been told to get on the sidewalk. im considering riding dead center of the right hand lane so that i have as much room as possible to swerve away from drivers who are passing me within inches (not to mention all the potholes). biking on the far southwest side is miserable at best.

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