The Chainlink

I read all the time about the bad interactions we have with automobiles, trucks, buses, peds, other cyclists, a llama or 2, and so on.

How about we write about the positive interactions like someone waiting for you to pass, giving plenty of room when they pass, letting you know you lost something, lending a hand, etc.  I'd love to read some good stories that restore my faith in this city's inhabitants.  I'll start....

A few weeks ago I was headed from Morton Grove to North Ave beach and was taking Lincoln.  Around the Depaul area traffic was a bit sticky and there was a large SUV parked under the L tracks, essentially making passing a pain because I had to take the lane.  Well traffic was already moving and I wasn't able to move over despite signalling.  Well a cabby saw me, gave a toot and a wave, and then slowed down to let me pass the parked car.  Totally unexpected, but the best part was we played leap frog for several more lights and he always went above and beyond to ensure I had a safe pass, even going to far to pull farther left at the lights so I wasn't in the right turn lanes.

The other was this morning, I travel on some industrial roads that get all the crazy late for work people using them like their own drag strip.  At one light there was a line of cars and as soon as the light went, they were off like gangbusters, well I have about a 200 yard distance before I need to make a left turn but there was no interest in letting me over, until the gentleman in a BMW 750 il blocked traffic (both the thru-lane and left turn lane) and flashed his lights to allow me to get into the turn lane.  He then also turned left and gave me a lot of room before he signaled right after safely passing me to turn right, giving me a good 100 feet before he signaled over.

I thanked the cabby at one point, didn't catch up enough to thank the BMW driver.  So who would you like to thank?

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Up in the north branch trail is the deer you have to watch out for.

Thankful for this story and the many times I have had polite drivers give me room and even wait for me to pass like the way you did.

Maybe I'm getting chicken in my old age but for unprotected left turns I'm liking the square turn more and more. And I'm usually wearing orange or yellow jerseys.

Yesterday riding home on Elston just north of Ashland, a lady in a white sedan behind me waited until I had passed through the somewhat flooded underpass rather than trying to pass me and sending a tidal wave of water my way.  I was already soaked due to the storm, but I appreciated the gesture.  

I'll do that at times, especially with the Milwaukee/Devon/Nagle fiasco I travel through daily.

Tominator said:

Maybe I'm getting chicken in my old age but for unprotected left turns I'm liking the square turn more and more. And I'm usually wearing orange or yellow jerseys.

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