Conversation with a Bike Lane Blocker

I preset to you a rough transcription of a lovely conversation I had
this morning with a chapping gentleman in Old Town.

<I pull up next to his Mercedes in my bike because he is blocking the
bike lane. I initially just was going to give him a dirty look and ride off, but he rolls down his window, so I decide to talk to him.>

Me: Excuse me, you're parked in a bike lane, would you mind moving your car?

Him: Fuck off.

Me: Hey man, I'm just asking nicely. You're parked illegally.

Him: Is it legal for you guys to run red lights?

Me: That's irrelevant, you're still illegally parked.

Him: I'm not parked, I'm stopped. My flashers are on.

Me: That's the same thing.

Him: Fuck off.

Me: Have a nice day!

 

 

Honestly, I totally expected this behavior and am in no way complaining about this. I actually was quite amused and it made my morning. I just wanted to share it with my fellow Chainlinkers.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt Tennessen on August 7, 2012 at 5:37pm
No, just the one's who are here a few times per day. Seriously, if the intent of this place is to attract and encourage people to ride bicycles in this area, establish some semblance of an online community, grow numbers for advocacy, etc then why the shitty attitudes? Maybe I'm just old, but if I want to tell someone to "fuck off," I just say it to their face. It's much quicker than online.


h' said:

Not everyone, Matt.

Permalink Reply by Dragonborn on August 7, 2012 at 6:47pm

In my sincere opinion, a cyclist talking to a motorist in such a manner is futile. The same futility would result when a motorist talks to a cyclist in the same manner.

My suggestion for next time is to find a nearby police officer and point the offender out. No cop in sight? Move on with your life.

Permalink Reply by Omar Lopez on August 7, 2012 at 8:04pm

"Some" of us do take the red lights and break the speed limit of 30mph on a bycicle, It's an irrelevant tribute to freedom.

Permalink Reply by bk (aka: Dr. Mambohead) on August 7, 2012 at 9:48pm
I see only harmony! We are a nation founded by pious scofflaws! Our slave-owning, liberty-chanting kin ethnically cleansed North America and nuked civilians so that guy could park his unsustainable Merc in the bike lane, so GE could pay no taxes and so I could blow-off as many traffic control devices as possible!! Now... Let's all join hands together in maniacal laughter!!!
Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on August 8, 2012 at 2:25am

It's as simple as this:

 

Motorists double parked before bike lanes, and they will continue to do so with bike lanes.  Being a know it all douche isn't going to get a positive response.

Permalink Reply by Joe Schmoe on August 8, 2012 at 3:28am

"...people who act as if every day is a life or death battle with murderous automobiles." Uh, yeah, this what be what some of us call "truth." 

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 8, 2012 at 3:48am

So, uh, you do ride city streets regular, right?

I mean it pretty much is.  If I make it a week without somebody doing something to put me in serious danger I am a pretty happy guy.

Matt Tennessen said:

 act as if every day is a life or death battle with murderous automobiles.
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on August 8, 2012 at 4:02am

They were talking about this on the Olympics. Usain Bolt RAN faster than the speed limit some places.

Omar Lopez said:

"Some" of us do take the red lights and break the speed limit of 30mph on a bycicle, It's an irrelevant tribute to freedom.

Permalink Reply by Matt Tennessen on August 8, 2012 at 4:16am
not to hijack this thread but really? I'll ignore the dissonance between people busting on adam for calling out a car in the bike lane while holding the belief that this adversarial relationship between cars and bikes is life our death. people who drive are not doing so to hunt you down, they are going to work, school, running errands, etc just like you or I. my commute is irving park road without a bike lane and sometimes people are negligent, sometimes they're aggressive, but most of the time they are fine. I watch for signals (or more often a lack thereof) and try not to put myself in harms way. if you don't feel confident riding in the city, then don't. don't get me wrong, I have no problem chasing aggressive pricks down and informing them of their improper behavior. but it's a city, there are cars, trucks, peds, and a host of other "inconveniences". we all have to stop thinking we're the center of the universe. and yeah, I've been clipped a handful of times by cars but I don't carry a huge chip on my shoulder because of it.


notoriousDUG said:

So, uh, you do ride city streets regular, right?

I mean it pretty much is.  If I make it a week without somebody doing something to put me in serious danger I am a pretty happy guy.

Matt Tennessen said:

 act as if every day is a life or death battle with murderous automobiles.
Permalink Reply by Joe Schmoe on August 8, 2012 at 4:25am

Yeah, and driver's gross negligence while going to work, school, and running errands just like me, while harboring attitudes like "bikes don't belong on the road" "all cyclists are scofflaws", and a general ignorance of traffic laws as they pertain to bicycles lead to dangerous conditions for me.  I've been riding in the city for years. I'll do it until I die, or my knees go completely.  But on a fairly regular basis, I avoid accidents by assuming that a driver will do the stupidest, most negligent, idiotic thing possible, and often enough, I'm right.  I don't harbor any ill-will towards people because they drive, but they can expect a tongue lashing if they do something (stupid) that endangers me.  I understand that this could get me beaten up.  But a fair number of drivers don't seem to understand when they're doing something stupid/illegal.  Hence the yelling. To be fair, it cuts both ways. I've apologized to other cyclists and drivers for mistakes or dumb things I've done as well.  I've gotten yelled at, when I was in the wrong. I also wave to motorists who don't cut me off making left turns, or to people who start to open their car door and then stop.  Or to pedestrians who back out of the street onto the curb when they see me coming. 

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 8, 2012 at 4:30am

Usually it is not life and death in the sense of them hunting me down or trying to hurt me on purpose but them putting me in danger through ignorance or neglect.  While different I refuse to cut them a bunch of slack because they did not mean to do it; dead by accident is just as dead a dead on purpose.

However it is not all that rare for drivers to purposely be aggressive to cyclists.  I know people who have been hit on purpose, run into parked cars on purpose and had their trailers hit on purpose.  I would give a rough guess that i know 5 or more people who have been hit or intimidated purposely.  I myself have had people try to hit me on purpose.

Matt Tennessen said:

not to hijack this thread but really? I'll ignore the dissonance between people busting on adam for calling out a car in the bike lane while holding the belief that this adversarial relationship between cars and bikes is life our death. people who drive are not doing so to hunt you down, they are going to work, school, running errands, etc just like you or I. my commute is irving park road without a bike lane and sometimes people are negligent, sometimes they're aggressive, but most of the time they are fine. I watch for signals (or more often a lack thereof) and try not to put myself in harms way. if you don't feel confident riding in the city, then don't. don't get me wrong, I have no problem chasing aggressive pricks down and informing them of their improper behavior. but it's a city, there are cars, trucks, peds, and a host of other "inconveniences". we all have to stop thinking we're the center of the universe. and yeah, I've been clipped a handful of times by cars but I don't carry a huge chip on my shoulder because of it.


notoriousDUG said:

So, uh, you do ride city streets regular, right?

I mean it pretty much is.  If I make it a week without somebody doing something to put me in serious danger I am a pretty happy guy.

Matt Tennessen said:

 act as if every day is a life or death battle with murderous automobiles.
Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on August 8, 2012 at 4:32am

Cat fighting

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