The Chainlink

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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So, I am driving a fair bit to work now. I take the same route as my bike or run route; Damen>Elston>Milwaukee>Des Plaines. When I have to drive, I wish I were riding. And, I note how other drivers react to cyclists. 

Lately, I have been having to dial 911 on cars flying through the bike lane on southbound Milwaukee at Ohio just past Erie. It scares the crap out of me when I see a car jump in at speed and then two or three more doing same...without regard to cyclists. So, I fumble to call and then to turn on camera (while stopped.) Really, it burns me up. 

I think a no right turn onto Ohio is the next move to keep people from cutting across that bike lane (or worse driving in it.)

Now that I think about it, I wonder if we ought to have another thread with the top ten challenging driver/bad behavior spots. Might make sense to get a tally and send onto our reprsentative(s) for their involvement. 

I've been having trouble with drivers on the Jackson Blvd bike lane. Almost every day there's a left-turning car halfway across the bike lane, or someone who thinks it's their personal lane.

Then there's the fact that the lane ends abruptly at Halsted, dumping cyclists out into traffic a short distance from the bridge over the expressway. I've been complaining to the ATA for a couple years about this... I think they should continue the bike lane over the bridge with a turn lane to the *left* of the bike lane. If it were marked, I think there would be less confusion between cars and bikes. The ATA recommended I contact my alderman. Problem is, I work at UIC but live way north in Mundelein, so I have no dog in the hunt as far as the local alderperson is concerned.

This sort of thing could indeed have its own thread... sorry if this seems like a hijack.

Steve

Just read this while skimming the thread. I totally agree with you that this area is problematic. I usually make an effort to get over to the right side of Jackson just before the bike lane ends at Halsted which I find to be a bit safer anyway traveling into the loop.

I ride a good stretch of Jackson on my morning commute and see cars double parked in the bike lane daily and repeatedly (although I know this isn't out of the ordinary for most commuters). The worst bit of it for me is around Malcolm X where the bike lane feeds into a 'protected' bike lane. It is utter chaos from Damen to Ogden trying to dodge folks that are dropping off and picking up students. There are also no signs to keep drivers alert as they go in and out of the parking garages. Over the last year I've reached out to the College's Facility Management and the Alderman several times with everyone suggesting that it is out of their hands.

I'm going to try messaging the ATA again expressing the hope that *this* could be the year when this problem gets resolved. They were talking about a "bikes-only" signal at Halsted to allow bikes to get to the right. That seems a bit unnecessarily complicated to me, but maybe it's the best. I am heading to Union Station when I cross the expressway so I'm turning left almost immediately. Being on the right would be somewhat awkward, but I guess I could adapt. ;-)

As for the people in the bike lanes, I'd be using an air horn... but they probably wouldn't all pay attention.

Steve

 To the person from the restaurant that places the valet sign in the bike lane EVERY night on Damen (Wicker Park).... responded to me with, "keep f**king riding!!" when I protested the sign in the lane - 

... the best of me thinks I should go back and take a photo and post to twitter, etc. to illuminate the dangers of placing a valet sign in the bike lane right after the intersection (and at a narrow point of the road).

--- the worst of me wanted to post the location and name of the restaurant here and ask everyone to kick it over as they pass it. 

Ok, I won't the doing the "worst" option. There is just NO need to park that sign in the middle of the bike lane and force cyclists in the street to avoid it.

Maybe that sign could just, ya know, disappear?

I don't want to be the cyclist "Godfather/mother", making things I don't like "disappear" but it is fun to think about. ;-)

Heh...

Your sign sleeps with the fishes tonight.

There are a few places here in Wicker Park that do that all the time, regardless. If anyone questions their intentions or 'kick's it to the curb' they get the f-bomb attack and it's put back in the same spot by their 'meathead' promptly. As for removing it, I'm sure that they have another one at the ready.

Time to call the local alderman? (Don't bother with 311.)

If the alderman gets enough calls, it could make a difference.

You could also try the police. There's a city ordinance against parking or standing in a bike lane... this might reasonably apply to anything else that blocks the lane. Stealing, damaging or kicking the sign probably would not be regarded sympathetically.

Steve

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