The Chainlink

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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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 10, 2014 at 8:46pm

To the young female cyclist at LaSalle and Adams this evening: 

I was crossing Adams as a pedestrian with the walk signal.  You were westbound on Adams, flying through in the middle of a red light. You were riding right at me. As I put my hand up to suggest that you slow down and not crash into me, you said "fuck you." Really?!?

Three strikes against you for being totally in the wrong: running the red light, not yielding to a pedestrian and being a jerk. As a fellow cyclist, I consider you an embarrassment to the rest of us. Thank you SOOO much for making the rest of us look bad, and for creating a potential hazard to someone (me, with a not-quite-healed ankle fracture) who couldn't quickly get out of your inconsiderate way.

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on September 10, 2014 at 9:38pm

I consider this the "glass ceiling" for bicycles as serious transportation. We will never get full respect on the street as long as significant numbers of us are flagrantly violating traffic laws.

Today I encountered a rider heading west on the Jackson Blvd bike lane. I said simply "wrong way, buddy", but I don't think he (or any of these self-centered fools) gives a shit. It's sad, but I think the only way this state of affairs will change is if the police begin issuing tickets and/or impounding bikes.

Steve

Anne Alt said:

To the young female cyclist at LaSalle and Adams this evening: 
As a fellow cyclist, I consider you an embarrassment to the rest of us.

Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on September 10, 2014 at 10:07pm

I had two different morons last week salmoning straight at me in the bike lane in heavy traffic around 4pm- one on California and the other on Damen. Both times I was approaching an intersection with cars stacked up and nowhere to go. And both times these drool cases just kept coming toward me until I yelled at them.

Share the road, indeed.

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on September 10, 2014 at 10:45pm

I agree with you completely. But as the "new kids on the block" (and, yes, I know that cyclists were on the roads before cars, but hardly anyone remembers that), we are in a sense under the microscope as far as motorists are concerned. The "dumb cyclist crap" isn't likely to directly cause the demise of a cyclist here or there, but it sets a "tone" for how cyclists are seen by motorists... and *that* is where the danger lies. The car that knocks me off my bike may be driving carelessly (or angry) because of other cyclists he or she has seen recently doing "dumb cyclist crap". I agree that respect engenders good behavior, but we as a group are perceived as not respecting motorized traffic, and to a certain extent not even other cyclists.

I don't like the idea of police action (which is unlikely to happen anyway), but how do you suggest we improve our position?

Steve

Jeff Schneider said:

No dumb cyclist crap even remotely compares to that.

In this chicken and egg argument, I think it's more often that good behavior flows from respect rather than the other way around.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 10, 2014 at 11:15pm

I agree with you completely. The "dumb motorist crap" isn't likely to directly cause the demise of a motorist here or there, but it sets a "tone" for how motorists are seen by cyclists and pedestrians... and *that* is where the danger lies. The cyclist that causes me to crash may be riding carelessly (or angry) because of other motorists he or she has seen recently doing "dumb motorist crap". I agree that respect engenders good behavior, but we as a group are perceived as not respecting non-motorized traffic, and to a certain extent not even other motorists.

Just trying this to see if it works...

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on September 11, 2014 at 5:56am

I see what you did there. ;-)

But it's not a completely symmetrical relationship, is it? Who has the power (horsepower), the momentum (massive), the numerical superiority, the "established" social status?

Steve

h' 1.0 said:

I agree with you completely. The "dumb motorist crap" isn't likely to directly cause the demise of a motorist here or there, but it sets a "tone" for how motorists are seen by cyclists and pedestrians... and *that* is where the danger lies. The cyclist that causes me to crash may be riding carelessly (or angry) because of other motorists he or she has seen recently doing "dumb motorist crap". I agree that respect engenders good behavior, but we as a group are perceived as not respecting non-motorized traffic, and to a certain extent not even other motorists.

Just trying this to see if it works...

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on September 11, 2014 at 7:33am

You too?!  I HATE when that shit happens.  I think I'll post/vent about...

rwein5 said:

one time i was riding and something happen

Permalink Reply by Vilda on September 11, 2014 at 9:01am

To the sidewalk shoaler at Clybourn and Halsted this morning... Get your dumb, divvy riding ass back in the street.

Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on September 11, 2014 at 9:10am

Sidewalk shoalers!!! Such contemptible behavior.

Vilda said:

To the sidewalk shoaler at Clybourn and Halsted this morning... Get your dumb, divvy riding ass back in the street.

Permalink Reply by Vilda on September 11, 2014 at 9:36am

Even better is when it's your cause of death. Shoal the light for Southbound Clybourn but don't notice that Weed street gets the green first. You've gone from a live irritant to a stain on the street. No loss for me really, I'll go round.



Matt Talbert said:

Sidewalk shoalers!!! Such contemptible behavior.

Vilda said:

To the sidewalk shoaler at Clybourn and Halsted this morning... Get your dumb, divvy riding ass back in the street.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on September 11, 2014 at 10:16am

This reads a wee bit sanctimonious.  FWIW.

Julia 3.5/7.5 mi said:

Interesting morning. To most of the cars on Fullerton, between Clybourn and Racine this morning - you guys are rockstars. That traffic was backed up like crazy, and most of you were so incredibly patient.

To the handful that weren't, that chose to cut around everyone via the bike lane - can you please just check your mirrors before you pull that nonsense? It's not like getting 3 cars ahead is going to save you any time.

I got a little fed up and finally just dismounted and stood with my bike in the lane. I was easily spottable by cyclists approaching from up the block (many of whom were trying to navigate around said cars), but every single car out of line had to merge back over into their correct lane. One of the offenders actually gave me a "thanks, sorry" wave, but then one then tried to cut off a semi driver and was unsuccessful all around... C'mon folks. We're clearly all trying to get somewhere... Let's just be a little more patient and a little more kind while we do it.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on September 11, 2014 at 10:29am

"Celebrating" some anonymous (or even some not so anonymous) death is emotionally arrested.

Vilda said:

Even better is when it's your cause of death. Shoal the light for Southbound Clybourn but don't notice that Weed street gets the green first. You've gone from a live irritant to a stain on the street. No loss for me really, I'll go round.



Matt Talbert said:

Sidewalk shoalers!!! Such contemptible behavior.

Vilda said:

To the sidewalk shoaler at Clybourn and Halsted this morning... Get your dumb, divvy riding ass back in the street.

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