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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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tim S on October 25, 2012 at 8:56am

love the "don't touch my car" crowd. I would not touch it if you were not close enough to me to allow me to touch it.

Permalink Reply by Dovah Cat on October 25, 2012 at 9:12am

Agreed. I wouldn't touch a car if the driver hadn't almost violated my mortal body. Your 2k pound earth-raping hunk of metal armor will be just fine... my 120 pound body (regardless of helmet) and precious bike would not fare nearly as well. It is hilarious how offended some motorists get when I "politely" tap their hoods in defense of myself on the road. 

I got some heat from a rather large woman after I punched the hood of her mini-van going south on Damen during that rainy day a week or so ago. Waiting at a light, she pulled into the bike lane suddenly and with no signal or warning (I assume to get past traffic) and almost took me out. Glad I was paying attention and able to stop short of her horrible light purple vehicle. It scared the shit out of me and she seemed to want to continue using the bike lane as a fast lane, so I laid one wimpy-white-girl punch into the hood of her car. (bonus points - she was on her cell phone) Light went to green and she yelled, "Don't touch my car, bitch!" "Look where you're going!" I responded and she zoomed off. Hilarious watching her try to avoid me as I passed her several more times on the way home. I would never throw a U-Lock through a windshield but incidents like this encourage me to fantasize a bit... 

This thread is the best therapy. :) 

Permalink Reply by Barry Niel Stuart on October 25, 2012 at 9:48am

I've had to deal with some drivers who don't seem to have the faintest idea what a bicycle is.  Explaining bicycling to them seems about as futile as trying to explain snow to a native of the Amazon River in Brazil.

 

Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on October 26, 2012 at 3:34am

Wow.  A lot of folks who drive N Sheridan between the Loyola campus and the LFP are truely horrible (and stupid).  Yesterday I was riding southbound to get back to the LFP in the right lane.  I was keeping up with traffic, so not even hindering the progress of any of the 3 drivers who decided to yell at me to get off the road.  The animal behind me thought it was his duty to lay on the horn for 3 solid blocks behind me.  We finally hit a light, and we all stopped together. Shouts of "put that thing on the sidewalk where it belongs" and "you're not allowed to be on Sheridan" came from these morons.  My reply of "I am exactly where I am suppossed to be" was met with "read that sign, asshole.  It says 'no bicycles'" by the dumbest one.  He felt really stupid when I completed reading the sign for him - 'on the sidewalk'.

As much as these North Shore assholes want it to be, Sheridan Road is not Lake Shore Drive.

 

Permalink Reply by Tim S on October 26, 2012 at 3:43am

NYC why didn't you use Kenmore or Winthrop, seems safer?

Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on October 26, 2012 at 3:51am

No doubt, I will in the future.  I was taking a leisurely ride (up to that point) on my day off yesterday.  I hadn't yet been in that hood, so I was unfamiliar.  Just ended up on Sheridan exiting the campus.  Knew it was only a mile to the path. 

Permalink Reply by Steve Courtright on October 26, 2012 at 4:14am

I believe that bikes are not allowed on Sheridan between Hollywood and the campus (Devon?).  Unfortunately, the bike route to the LSP from campus is not well marked coming from the north!  It's hard to miss if you are at the north end of the path headed north.  Still, not an excuse for drivers to be rude.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on October 26, 2012 at 4:25am

The warning signs are for bikes on the sidewalk along that stretch of Sheridan, which is ignored a lot and is a separate issue.  Sheridan itself is just too narrow for bikes and cars to coexist in medium to heavy traffic.  There's just not enough space on the right for cars to pass, and buses dig up potholes and break pavement making the right side even more dangerous.  I always wonder if people biking on Sheridan are unaware of the inner streets, afraid of them or are just being assertive and looking for a reason to get angry.

It's not such a problem on the weekends when traffic is lighter, and Winthrop and Kenmore are not the most bike friendly streets with asphalt cracks and uneven/sharp speed humps, but I commute that way and avoid Sheridan like the plague.

Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on October 26, 2012 at 4:39am

"I believe that bikes are not allowed on Sheridan between Hollywood and the campus (Devon?)"

 

You, like those drivers, seem to be incorrect:

 

9-52-021. Riding bicycles on sidewalks—Penalty.
(a) The penalty for any person age 18 and older who rides a bicycle on the sidewalk adjacent to North Sheridan Road, between West Ardmore Avenue and West Sheridan Road (6400 north) shall be as follows:

(1) The bicycle shall be temporarily disabled without permanent damage; and

(2) The violator shall be subject to a fine of $250.00.

(b) Following passage and approval, this section shall be in full force and effect upon the posting of signage notifying bicyclists of the penalty for violation of this section, and shall be repealed one year from its effective date, without further action by the city council.
(Added Coun. J. 2-6-02, p. 79154, sec. 1)

 

The signage along this stretch also refers to this rule.  No signs about keeping your bicycle off of the road.  If it was not allowed it would be posted according to this:

9-52-020. Riding bicycles on sidewalks and certain roadways.

c) Bicycles shall not be operated on Lake Shore Drive or on any roadway where the operation of bicycles has been prohibited and signs have been erected indicating such prohibition.

 

I guess we are simply bullied off of this stretch of road.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on October 26, 2012 at 4:39am

The obvious solution to this is to ban cars on this stretch then. 

Tricolor said:

  Sheridan itself is just too narrow for bikes and cars to coexist in medium to heavy traffic.  There's just not enough space on the right for cars to pass, and buses dig up potholes and break pavement making the right side even more dangerous.  I always wonder if people biking on Sheridan are unaware of the inner streets, afraid of them or are just being assertive and looking for a reason to get angry.

Permalink Reply by Steve Courtright on October 26, 2012 at 4:41am

>>You, like those drivers, seem to be incorrect:

 

I stand corrected.  I looked around a bit and could find nothing to back up my impression.  Still, I will ride just about any street but this stretch...

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on October 26, 2012 at 5:01am

It's not as much as issue of being bullied as much as it's dangerous on a bike and disrupts traffic so much anyone aware of the alternative would take it for their own safety, let alone a feeling of civic duty to avoid snarling an already overused road (your attitude may vary).

That said I'd really like to see a better alternative than Winthrop and Kenmore currently provide.  Sheridan can't be widened enough for bikes; that chance was lost when it was rebuilt about ten years ago for the new giant sewer running under it.  Various plans to force more traffic to Broadway or Clark aren't going to fix the problem, either, as there would still be buses and thousands of people living in highrises along the lake.


NYC said:

I guess we are simply bullied off of this stretch of road.

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