Direction etiquette or lost cause?

As is the cliche, long-time lurker, first-time caller.

 

Recently, lots of people are riding bikes which is you know, mostly great and exciting and there's so much to talk about with your bike work buddies who commute in and compliment you on your bike!

 

There are, however, quite a few one-ways and summer detours with construction and other things that cleave up this grid in the Loop. Maybe I'm a nerd who gets excited about finding new ways to commute in, but I generally try to, you know, stick to riding the right direction on a one-way (with traffic).

 

I do understand its a pain to have to circle back, but I feel like there's been a mad spike on people just flying the wrong way down these streets. Is there any sort of courteous or humorous way to try and, essentially, point out they're biking the wrong way? I got so annoyed at a guy flying out at me the other day that I perhaps, peevishly, hollered he could head east on Madison, just a block over.

 

Thoughts? Also, in my experience this seems to be a Loop thing, although not restricted to one demographic.

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Permalink Reply by Caiken on June 9, 2011 at 7:58am

First of all, I FINALLY GET THE SALMON THING. So thanks everyone.

 

I think everyone's been guilty of the residential cut through, so I am definitely not in it to bum anyone out with a yell. I guess my problem is my stubborn want to play chicken and it's so dumb. Perhaps I've just been wrongly typing everyone I see in the Loop as fair weather new commuters and want to shame them into getting out of my way, but I think I might just give up. I guess I just wish I knew what it was that was so appealing about the entire thing. Maybe everyone's running really late?

Permalink Reply by Melanie K on June 9, 2011 at 8:28am
I agree with most people that going the wrong way down an EMPTY one way street doesn't bother me- but people going the wrong way in the bike lane drives me nutty, as does when I am going the correct way down the one-way street and another person on a bicycle is playing chicken with me since he/she wants to be on the same side of the street for no discernible reason.  To be fair, I only yell at other cyclists when they are about to run head-on into me or decide that it is safer for them to play chicken with me in the bike lane.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 9, 2011 at 1:14pm

When one is salmoning upstream on a fairly deserted one-way and another vehicle comes at you it is one's OWN responsibility to get the HECK out of the other person's way and move all the way over.  They have the right of way by definition because one really shouldn't be there at all going the wrong direction.  

 

When I salmon and someone is coming I make sure I don't bother them or get in their way in any way by moving over and making it totally clear that they have the full road and not to let me slow them down or anything.  

 

Also I feel that as a salmon I also have the responsibility to be extra careful for cars and other road users at intersections, crosswalks, and driveways.  The other users are EXPECTING there to be  no traffic from the wrong way and may not be looking (I always do because there are a lot of salmoning bikes -and cars.  I never assume ANYTHING when I'm on the road on a bike, car, or on foot.)

 

That's just the way I feel.  But there are many times when I refuse to play the 3x the distance detour trying wind my way through the residential streets in the legal "proper" direction when the stupid streets are set up as a maze on purpose to keep the cars from cutting through.  I feel I'm not a car and don't need to be forced onto the main arterials.  I don't much like playing in the heavy traffic (especially at high traffic times) and I'm pretty sure the cars would be appreciative that I'm not blocking them in the left lane even if they don't realize it when I"m NOT there.)

 

But salmoning on a busy street or bike lane is uncool because one can't do what I was talking about.  The salmon on the busy lane is being a jerk and putting everyone going the right way out and is frequently violating the right of way of other road users.  

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on June 9, 2011 at 1:22pm
I do it on the 2 blocks to my house but other than that it's scary.
Permalink Reply by Will on June 10, 2011 at 4:43am

LOL, I've never heard the term "bike salmon" before, but it makes sense. I tend to be a salmon on quiet residential one-ways, but never on multi-lane downtown streets. I'll bike on the sidewalk before going the wrong way on a street like that.

 

I can't say I've yelled at such salmon, but I have yelled at cyclists who bike on sidewalks, when I think they're being reckless.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on June 10, 2011 at 7:05am
yeah, the problem is when as you describe, they are "just flying the wrong way..."  We have all made a wrong turn, gotten lost and caustiously picked our way a block or so the wrong way. We try to avoid it and sometimes, well, er, a, ..it happens.  Its the sense of entitlement that annoys me and certainly annoys riders of four wheeled behemoths.  Barring impending disaster, I just don't bother communicating.  You get the same look I get everytime I tell somebody that their seat is too low.
Permalink Reply by Chris B on June 10, 2011 at 7:27am

Even on residential sidestreets, I try to avoid it, because motorists will not see you as they pull out of alleys or parking spots. In a way it is even worse on quiet sidestreets, that same confidence that makes us think "no one is around" also affects motorists.

I will only do it if I am at the end of my commute and have to go partway down a block and don't want to ride 3 blocks in a circle. And I'll go very slowly in case I have to suddenly stop when a ped walks out from between cars without looking in my direction.

However, I won't travel more than a half block the wrong way even on a quiet sidestreet, I'll just head to the next street up so I'm traveling the right way.

Permalink Reply by Barry Niel Stuart on June 10, 2011 at 9:22am
Most "bike salmon" don't wear a helmet and don't care if they end up in either the hospital or the morgue.  Too many take offense if some stranger warns them of the consequences.  I see "bike salmon" on Farwell Ave. and Prospect Ave. here on Milwaukee's East Side. 
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 10, 2011 at 1:47pm

Most people in the shower don't wear a helmet either so I guess they don't care if they end up in the hospital as well.

 

Minute for minute showering is more dangerous than riding a bicycle.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on June 11, 2011 at 3:50am

Not for me, I wear a helmet, pads and have a specially constructed hand rail and anti slip tub.

 

Safety first.

 

James Baum said:

Most people in the shower don't wear a helmet either so I guess they don't care if they end up in the hospital as well.

 

Minute for minute showering is more dangerous than riding a bicycle.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 11, 2011 at 6:29am

Awesome!

 

Now you can officially be sanctioned to look down on everyone else who is "too stupid" to wear a helmet in the shower and call them morons and "not serious shower-takers."

 

Even NuFred needs to bathe.

 

:-P

notoriousDUG said:

Not for me, I wear a helmet, pads and have a specially constructed hand rail and anti slip tub.

 

Safety first.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Joshua Hale on June 11, 2011 at 6:33am

I think what it comes down to is judgement. Not all bicyclists are the same. I have some friends for instance who have no trouble flying between tight spaces on their bikes and doing quite well. I know from experience that I can't make the same maneuvers as they can. So if a bicyclist comes barreling at me on a street where there is heavy traffic at my left and parked cars on my right I might not be able to avoid the person. My friends, on the other hand, probably wouldn't have trouble. 

I don't think that salmon riders should be given special dispensation for what they do. I would bet there is a large amount of salmon biking that occurs needlessly. But let's consider a situation where one side is torn up and might put the cyclist at risk. It's smart to take the other side of the road rather than risk injury or damage to the bike. Under these circumstances, I would be forgiving.

But again, this is a matter of judgement and many riders don't have much of that. This is an inevitable truth that we face every time we mount up for a ride. What we can do is to exercise caution and ride defensively so that when some oblivious idiot does come along, we have time and space to get out of his way or at least lessen the damage to ourselves.

As far as scolding or yelling at irresponsible salmon, it's tempting but largely ineffectual. The only real teacher is experience; it may take the stubborn salmon a few hospital visits to figure out that what he's doing is stupid. 

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