y in a public forum -not much can be done without having the civility cops ban anyone who says anything that might upset anyone or be tacky/rude/offensive or politically incorrect. Sure that could always be done but such measures usually turn said forum into a ghost town eventually as people tend to abhor such totalitarian moderation.
It'd be nice if people were to stay classy 100% of the time. But since most people are NOT it's kind of hard to expect them to act that way.
I hope the family of the unfortunate soul who ventured out into the highway can find some closure and don't wish upon them any further indignity. But short of silencing everyone and closing down this thread there isn't much anyone can do at this point. People tend to talk -even if there aren't many facts to go on. And this kind of an event usually seems to attract a crowd.
H3N3 said:As Rick suggested, it's possible this person had a cognitive disability. With the current lack of safe infrastructure for cyclists, there's not much one would be able to do to prevent such a death without limiting such a person's freedom, but common decency would still prevent a decent person from gleefully dancing around the corpse with taunts and jeers.
Also remember Jepson Livingston-- we had multiple family and friends of the victim find the chainlink discussions via web search, register, and reach out. Would you want this victim's family to read "the age of stupid" and "Darwin Award?"
James Baum said:Good point. I'm sure there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation why someone was out in the express lanes of the Dan Ryan long after nightfall on a bike.
H3N3 said:Obviously nobody here has heard of or remembers Trish Quane, a speech pathologist and mother of young children from Oak Park, and president-elect of the Oak Park Cycle Club at the time she walked in front of a Metra train. I watched with horror as the same disgusting "Darwin Award" comments rolled in on an unnamed bike club list, and slowly it came out who the "idiot" was, and ultimately it came out that the gates were broken and a Metra employee apparently waved her across the tracks to her death.
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om one lane to two and then right back to one again this almost always causes problems where the traffic needs to merge back down and a danger spot for bikes caught in the middle of the automotive melee.
The aggressive drivers will always take this opportunity to put the hammer down and move right into the new lane and try and pass a car or two to "get ahead." They will do this even in a bus stop or turning lane where parking stops momentarily and then just blow through the next intersection past this short opening and proceed to jam back left, cutting off traffic in this lane and causing brake lights to flash and sometimes even accidents to happen further back on the slinky effect caused by this inappropriate driving behavior.
These belly bulges need to be removed in many places where they exist. One example of this is very near my place where Milwaukee crosses Kezie and the end of Logan Blvd in the cluster-faux traffic circle. The marked sharrows just end in this spot and it's open season on us bikes here. The issue is even worse due to the pavement 2-3 feet from the curb being as cratered as the surface of the moon and auto traffic takes the lane from us for 150-200 meters before jamming back to a single lane a block or so later.
This area should be put on a road diet. Make it 1-lane all the way through. Many other areas of the city need a road diet to battle the belly bulge of the vestigial extra lane that needs to be slimmed down.
And more paint and sign markings need to be put at turning lanes so that drivers understand that this is a Sharrow/Bikelane/Right turn ONLY and not the line-up for a drag race for pole-position through the intersection before the lanes pinch back down at the far side of the intersection.
In my opinion these belly bulges are some of the the most dangerous areas to ride a bike in this city right behind the pinch-points like bridges and under/overpasses where there isn't enough room even for the existing traffic lanes and no extra space (protected or not) for us who chose to ride human-powered two wheeled transportation and don't want to end up as a ghost bike.
Cameron Puetz said:
Also, a lot of the backup this morning was where motorized traffic went to two lanes for a block or less and then back to one lane. The turbulence of the merging traffic is a major contributor to the backup, and may actually get better when Kinzie is consistently one lane.
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ven if there's no Traffic.
I stop at every. single. stop sign.
Except MAYBE, on a residential side street, with no one around, I MIGHT roll through it at 3-4 mph.
Otherwise. An actual, foot on the ground or crank-stand-move-backwards-then-go: STOP.
I see NO ONE else stop at these redlights/stop signs. they roll them. they do the fake right turn-U turn. whatever. they don't obey the traffic laws. laws made by the man. the man who favors cars. they're rebels, I'm sure, ... but in they loose the moral high ground. Next time a car cuts any cyclist off, I know that they're thinking
'damn kids on bikes never follow the rules anyways always weaving in and out of everywhere how can I predict that?'.
I leap frog the red light runners people daily. I dislike it. it feels unsafe when I have to move out into traffic to do it, I feel uneasy seeing them run the red as they pass me.
I don't want them biking any further to the right because of dooring... the lane is really only wide enough for 1 cyclist. I pass in the car lane, and I think that's the right etiquette?
But the real rub is that I worry about these people. I like them and I wish there were more cyclists of every calibre out there, and I worry that one of these days they'll run the red light. and there will be one less bicyclist and one more ghost bike. Every new cyclist comes in seeing all the 'experienced' 'cool' kids run the reds... and thinks that this is 'OK'... and maybe it is, until you've gained the 'experience' of being doored. of being tossed over the hood of a speeding civic or knowing that friends and acquaintances no longer because they ran a red and a driver speed up to make a yellow.
If you can time the lights and roll past me, that's fine. I'll pass you when I get the next window in car traffic and can move that far left... but please don't run the red lights.
I feel very strongly about this.
I HATE playing Leapfrog with the red light runners like I do every single day.
But not because the leap frogging is annoying, which it is. Deal with it. But safely.
Sorry for the rant, I know it got a little off topic, because the people I play leapfrog with every day, the only reason I have to pass them more than once is because I stop at the reds, and they dont.…
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This Week On The Chainlink - the update from thechainlink.org.
General Announcements
PSA Video Contest: Submissions now being accepted so spread the word! In celebration of Bike Chic
Added by Bianca Gordon at 4:43pm on January 29, 2014
articularly careful because their gray matter is not packed as tightly as it used to be. And I don’t mean that only figuratively.
2ND; Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injuries by up to 88 percent and facial injuries by 65 percent, according to a Bike riders who play against those odds do not fare well in accidents. More than 90 percent of the 714 bicyclists killed in 2008 were not wearing helmets, according to the
3rd; CHEAP CAN BE SAFE! According to a study by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va., $10 helmets from Wal-Mart Stores and Target held up just as well as more expensive models from high-end outlets. an independent lab test six helmets in different price ranges. The report summarized its findings: “When you pay more for a helmet you may get an easier fit, more vents and snazzier graphics. But the basic impact protection of the cheap helmets we tested equaled the expensive ones.” ONE FALL PER HELMET! Most bike helmets are lined with expanded polystyrene foam, typically abbreviated as E.P.S. When you fall, the foam compacts (even though your helmet may look perfectly fine) and so will not cushion a subsequent blow adequately.
Because materials degrade over time, it is wise to replace your helmet every five to seven years. If your helmet dates from 2003 or earlier, buy yourself a new one.
4Th; LOOK FOR A C.P.S.C. STICKER! The sticker ensures that the product has met the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission’s standards. The commission requires that helmets be tested for impact resistance on special rigs, that they offer adequate peripheral vision and that their straps be sturdy, among other measures. Helmets are tested in a variety of conditions: when they are hot, wet, cold and at room temperature.
LAST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN; BE A ROLE MODEL! !! Whoot! !! Whoot! !!
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http://AlbanyParkBikes.org
Adriana said:The most severe head injury I have ever experienced was slipping on some black ice (on foot) and using my head as a tuning fork...boingggggggg. Not counting all the times my parents probably dropped me on my head as a baby. I won't discourage anyone from doing anything that makes them feel secure, but I also feel this contributes to the pussyfication of America...meow. I mean, people think I am crazy just for riding in the street, is that going to stop me? No. Does that mean I will suffer a preventable head injury one day? Who knows. I can take a licking and keep on ticking. We are all capable of shear stupidity at times for various reasons (Damn tired), its just a question of luck. For the most part, I try my best to ride safe. I just hope I get a lavender ghost bike and a giant statue that breaths fire and shouts "Remember Me!"
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oing anywhere with an empty bottom bracket shell.
Just admit that you don't give a damn about anyone's time or safety other than your own.
Eddie said:There would be less stop signs. Bikes are smaller, very easy to manuver, do very little if no damage when crashed. There could be reason to have less order. As danger goes down then so should order (e.g. stop signs, lights, etc). Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:Let's say there were less cars and more bikes. Wouldn't the increase in bike riders still make stop signs necessary?Eddie said:Did you even read my message? I think you misunderstood. I choose to break the law when my safety is not compromised. And again, (if you didn't hear it the first time), if there weren't so many cars, we wouldn't have so many stop signs. And personnally, I think that if you drive a car, you should be penalized with more stop signs. If not for the mere fact that you are more dangerous, and you polute.Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:As it stands now, yes, Same Road, Same Rights, Same Rules. If you have a problem with it, try to get it changed. Just because you don't like a rule doesn't mean you don't have to follow it. I'm sure all cyclists would be overjoyed if motorists decided to run red lights with abandon, etc. I have a feeling the number of ghost bikes would skyrocket.Eddie said:...Not the same speed, weight, and killing power, hence not the same rules. Cars suck, and if there weren't so many, we wouldn't need all these stop signs. F'k the stop signs, and the cops who try to enforce them!! It's my life, and my time, and I choose when to stop, and when not to.Regards, A guy who has already been run over by a stupid driver.Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:While this should be enforced for all road users, keep in mind that blowing a stop sign carries graver danger for a cyclist than a motorist.Remember - Same Road, Same Rights, Same Rules.
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ould order (e.g. stop signs, lights, etc).
Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:Let's say there were less cars and more bikes. Wouldn't the increase in bike riders still make stop signs necessary?Eddie said:Did you even read my message? I think you misunderstood. I choose to break the law when my safety is not compromised. And again, (if you didn't hear it the first time), if there weren't so many cars, we wouldn't have so many stop signs. And personnally, I think that if you drive a car, you should be penalized with more stop signs. If not for the mere fact that you are more dangerous, and you polute.Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:As it stands now, yes, Same Road, Same Rights, Same Rules. If you have a problem with it, try to get it changed. Just because you don't like a rule doesn't mean you don't have to follow it. I'm sure all cyclists would be overjoyed if motorists decided to run red lights with abandon, etc. I have a feeling the number of ghost bikes would skyrocket.Eddie said:...Not the same speed, weight, and killing power, hence not the same rules. Cars suck, and if there weren't so many, we wouldn't need all these stop signs. F'k the stop signs, and the cops who try to enforce them!! It's my life, and my time, and I choose when to stop, and when not to.Regards, A guy who has already been run over by a stupid driver.Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:While this should be enforced for all road users, keep in mind that blowing a stop sign carries graver danger for a cyclist than a motorist.Remember - Same Road, Same Rights, Same Rules.
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me around that corner when the light turns green (Since they do not allow a left turn onto Diversey) so that the green doesn't have to be as long. I could see if only one lane turned right here into one lane across the bridge that traffic might back up all the way back to Elston and even Western and cause gridlock at those intersections as nobody who drives in this city has the two brain cells to NOT pull into an intersection and block it unless one can get all the way through it. Sometimes I think there is something in the water in this town. I've never lived or driven in another city where the drivers are so dumb and uncaring about blocking other traffic. They just pull into an intersection and don't care that they are blocking cross traffic when the light turns red. In the end everyone is hurt by this bad behavior because traffic just STOPS when it happens.
Rant/rant/rant.
What this city really needs is a smart-grid synchronized traffic-light system that can learn and adapt. Some of the intersections in this city (especially the 6-way ones where diagonal roads cross) are just stupidly timed and laid out. Where are all these people GOING at all hours of the day in their cars??
Carter O'Brien said:
... don't forget the third punch where those arteries are crossing the Chicago River. Why anyone ever thought that streets like Diversey or Belmont should grow an extra lane in each direction for 1/4 of a mile is beyond me - it just invites traffic to jockey for position when there is the inevitable merge at the next street, and of course cyclists aren't factored into this equation.
Closely related to this is the more endemic problem of motorists using the so-called "rush hour lanes" (pure fantasy, IMO) as extra lanes of traffic. Sorry drivers, and I am one as well, but a no parking designation doesn't equate to a lane for you to drive in unless said lane has been clearly demarcated.
Cameron Puetz said:
The worst is the one two punch on most east/west routes on the northwest side of the belly bulge built under the Kennedy followed almost immediately by the pinch point created by the Union Pacific viaduct. James Baum said:In my opinion these belly bulges are some of the the most dangerous areas to ride a bike in this city right behind the pinch-points like bridges and under/overpasses where there isn't enough room even for the existing traffic lanes and no extra space (protected or not) for us who chose to ride human-powered two wheeled transportation and don't want to end up as a ghost bike.
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time they see someone with a strong opinion (that happens to be counter to their own, of course.)
If it weren't for a few strong-minded conversationalists to keep the threads going on this forum it'd be a ghost town.
Hits are what keeps a forum going through ad revenue. Hits are what threads like this one generate a lot of. This is how the internet works. But there is always a segment of every board that likes a heavy-handed authoritarian moderator to keep all the little children playing nice and being quiet and easily handled. Pass the sedatives and force-feed them to all the rowdy folks.
This bar is getting boring -I wonder why? Maybe it's time for a new hang-out.
notoriousDUG said:
Based on some of the discussions I have had regarding my behavior on this board the common theme is that 'powers that be' feel this board would be more popular if people always agreed and played perfect manners nice. Others feel that without he conflict boards become stagnant and boring and traffic falls off.
Guess what mindset I am of?
James BlackHeron said:
Doug doesn't mince words. He's a straight shooter and sticks to his position.
At the top of the thread he said that an aspect of the website was "lame." That is a long way from evil (words mean things) and wasn't a direct personal attack on Julie. It's ironic that most of the dramahz on this forum are created and blown way out of proportion by the very people who complain about perceived conflicts.
And like Howard said above, this forum can be dead for hours at a time. if it wasn't for a little bit of spirited discussion between members who feel strongly about things the place would be really boring. If Caspar Milquetoast is so conflict averse that he can't stand to even see people with strong opinions voicing them then perhaps they shouldn't click on this thread again (or other like this) and/or click on the Stop Following link near the bottom. notoriousDUG said:
If I wanted to call her evil I would have said just that.
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