pedestrian/biker rant

[bertha katzenengel]

If you have a red light or a red hand or "don't walk" sign, STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE INTERSECTION!!

This morning a woman on a bike yelled at me because I drove through an intersection on a green light, and she was crossing against the light. I didn't see her until she almost hit me. Yes, she almost hit me. Now, if we'd collided, I would've felt like shit, because here I'm driving a car that weighs a ton and she's just on a bike. But I would have had little sympathy for her.

If you have a red light, STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE INTERSECTION!! Why, oh, why is this so hard to understand?

Each morning I drive the same route, and it's the same at two intersections: Virginia & 24th, and 24th & Pennsylvania. At Virginia & 24th, I exercise extreme caution because the pedestrians all seem to be blind and deaf, and clearly are just plain stupid. I usually have to honk even though I go through on my green at about 10 mph. And every time, whether I honk or not, when they see me coming they jump out of their pelts and skitter out of the intersection. Sometimes they yell at me and give me the bird. Give me the bird.

At 24th & Pennsylvania -- where the woman on the bike was this morning -- the pedestrians are more aware, but the bikers are entitled and nasty. Attention, DC bikers: The fact that you are saving the planet by emitting nothing but CO2 does not entitle you to ignore traffic. You do not have a clear shot wherever you go. The traffic laws apply to you, and if a car hits you, it WILL hurt. If you get slammed to the pavement by a car because you were riding against a light, it's no one's fault but your own. Quit being assholes!

/rant

Note: I have observed that "serious" bikers - the ones in biker attire and helmets and those shoes that fit into their pedals - are far more likely to obey traffic laws and not be assholes. This woman this morning -- on a cruiser, in a skirt.

[In_The_Wind]

1. bertha katzenengel

You're right!

[MissMillie]

2. Bikes follow the rules that cars do

If she was on a bike, she may have had a green light too. (You didn't mention if you were turning or if she was crossing a street that was across your green light (which would mean, presumably, that she had a red light.)

When I'm on a bike and the intersection is very busy, I'll get off the bike and walk it across the street in the crosswalk WITH the cross signal. But that's just me...

[bertha katzenengel]

3. Okay, clarification on my biker this morning:

I was going straight through an intersection on a green light - headed north. She was going straight through the same intersection - headed east - on a red light.

Yes, bikers are supposed to follow the same rules as cars, and I'm heartened to hear that some do! :hi:

[Gormy Cuss]

5. It never ceases to amaze me...

that more bicyclists don't get off the bike and become a temporary pedestrian at busy urban intersections where that is a safer way to cross the street. Drivers are much more likely to notice you as a pedestrian in a crosswalk with the Walk signal.

[MissMillie]

6. obviously, it's pointless to do this at every intersection

but at the really busy ones.... I can't imagine doing it any other way.

While I agree w/ bertha that it sucks when bikers and pedestrians don't follow the rules, I can honestly say that it is just as common for me to find that when I'm a pedestrian in the crosswalk, with a walk signal, I end up having to wait for some car to make a "right on red" even though I have the right of way.

Of course, if everyone followed the rules, we'd all be safe, but too many people out there (cars, bikes, foot traffic... everyone) think that the rules only apply to other people.

[bertha katzenengel]

7. Miss M., that's an entirely different rant.

I wish I could say to every driver that doesn't give me my right of way when I'm walking: "I don't take your right of way when I'm driving OR walking; don't you take mine!"

I DO, however, carry an umbrella rain or shine, and if a car crosses too close, I either threaten to whack or I do whack the fender. :evilgrin: Passive-aggressive as hell, but it makes me feel better.

[MissMillie]

8. I like your style, bertha

I'm usually only a pedestrian when I jog, so the umbrella wouldn't work for me, but I like the sentiment behind it. :applause:

[Gormy Cuss]

11. I didn 't want to threadjack with the oblivious turning driver rant,

but since you two brought it up -- damn, that annoys me. I have been known to thwack cars too. The drivers who hurry up to start the turn before peds can leave the sidewalk are the ones who are most annoying, followed by the ones who think the flashing "don't walk" means pedestrians are supposed to start running.

[bertha katzenengel]

14. "means pedestrians are supposed to start running" --

:rofl:

And let's not even get started on the drivers behind you who honk at you because you are waiting for pedestrians to cross! :argh:

[chknltl]

4. Might i suggest that this rant be posted in 2 other places:

The local Newspapers and the local Police Department. Sounds to me like your area has a problem best dealt with by a little public education. Think of it as a public service, suggest it to them, who knows you might even save a life by doing this. At least it might make your trips a little easier, (as well as your case in court should that lady bump into you next time). That's my suggestion, btw I love riding a bike, I am quite intimidated by cars when I ride my bike, they are much bigger than I am. My bike and this policy helps keep me healthy.

[Shine]

9. It's cyclists like that who give us serious cyclists a bad name...

for most people, that is. I'm glad you noticed the distinction! :)

I'm betting that woman wasn't even wearing a HELMET, right? What an idiot.

:eyes:

[bertha katzenengel]

15. Nope! No helmet!

Hey, chica -- dial 1-800-DUMBASS :eyes:

[Shine]

16. Social Darwinism = weed out the DUMB ones!

:eyes:

[Scout]

19. gotta catch 'em before they breed tho'

if they've already reproduced, then it's too late.

I'm all for letting the dumb ones weed themselves out of the gene pool.

[Shine]

25. LOL! Good one.

:thumbsup:

[Wapsie B]

10. I've seen bikers run through red lights all the time.

But then I've seen joggers do the same thing to not break stride.
Not all but some. Dangerous on both counts.

[flamingyouth]

12. I saw a guy on a bike almost get flattened the other day.

He just sailed right through a stop sign and a delivery truck could barely stop in time. He and his friend had a pretty good laugh about it afterward, and the delivery guy looked like he was going to have a heart attack. I still kind of get chills just thinking about it. What an idiot.

[Mutley]

13. People only care about themselves anymore.

Common courtesy does not exist, except in the rare few. Almost everyone will do what is most convenient for them no matter how much they are inconveniencing someone else.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

17. A-fucking-men!

Seriously, I wish the cops would crack down on crazy-ass bicyclists in this city. Then again, I wish they'd crack down on crazy ass bus drivers and cabbies first...

[jane_pippin]

18. Conversely, here's my pedestrian/driver rant:

Say I'm walking to the corner where I will need to cross a street. A car is going to go past me, but first must stop at a stop sign. If the car is already at the stop sign before I reach the corner then I tend to hang back and let the car go because cars are faster than people and I can wait the one second it will take for the car to go past me.
But sometimes drivers insist on being "courteous," and they wave me past. So I start to cross the street and within ONE FRICKIN' SECOND the "courteous" driver starts driving on through the street I'm trying to cross.
What the hell is that? Was I waved through for target practice? If you're going to wave me through to let me cross, then frickin' let me do it and stop trying to mow me down. Gah! I can't tell you how much that pisses me off.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

20. Waved through for "target practice" LOL

Been there.
Whether I'm on four wheels, two wheels or no wheels, I just love the idiot drivers who wait to pull out into traffic until it's as dangerous or reckless as possible.

[jane_pippin]

24. It makes no sense! Either let me go, or don't. Simple as pie.

I'm glad it's not just me though.

[Left Is Write]

29. There's always that "courteous" driver who wants to wave someone

on who is driving also. Then everyone else at the four-way stop gets confused. Buddy, you got to the intersection before me. Don't try to be polite - follow the road rules and don't try to confuse people!

The "courteous" driver is sometimes worse than the "me firsters" at a four-way stop.

And speaking of being "courteous," I really loathe the "courteous" driver who STOPS THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD to let in some guy waiting to make a turn out of a parking lot. How "polite" is it to back up ten cars to let one guy in? HE is supposed to wait until the traffic is clear! We aren't supposed to STOP TRAFFIC for him.

(Hmmm...it would seem I had more rant in me than I thought.)

[bikebloke]

21. Forget the costume rule of thumb

A biker wearing a costume is not necessarily a good rider. Many of the Tour de France consumerist poseurs I've seen rarely obey traffic laws. And having your feet attached to the pedals in an urban environment is stupid. Uneven pavement, construction gravel and snow sand can take you down. Most spills can be avoided by kicking out a foot.

Wait until it gets cold. Many bikers you see now are fair weather riders. They vanish when it's either too cold or hot. Year round, all weather pedallers, like myself, have been on the road long enough to know how to ride safe.

The biggest fault I've witnessed with the eejits is a reluctance to use their brakes. Sure, you have to use a little effort to rebuild momentum, but that's part of the territory.

[bertha katzenengel]

23. it's not a "costume rule of thumb" -- it's what i've observed

Bikes have brakes?! I never knew! At least, I'd never think it, judging from these riders around here....

[uncle ray]

22. the serious ones are terrible here.

and by serious, i mean olympic caliber. they come here to train in the high altitude. they like to pick the busiest streets to ride down(tourist strips no less), ones where they have parked cars alongside fast moving traffic to deal with, not to mention traffic lights. well with the timid drivers the routine goes like this, you approach a biker riding kinda off to the side, but not really, using his right of way, fine. but the timid driver approaches, can't negotiate a lane change to the left lane to safely clear the biker, nevermind that they are driving a honda not a hummer, plenty of room for all vehicles/riders to pass, so they slow to the bikers snail's pace and wait for a break in left lane traffic, this takes about 3 blocks for the timid driver to overcome the bicyclist, now it's the next timid driver's turn, and the next. soon you get to a stoplight, and the bicyclist zips right to the front of the line for the whole process to start over again!:mad:

i don't mind sharing the road with bike riders, but dammit people, what's wrong with the street one block over that has zero traffic? why do they insist on making the point to drivers that they are doing so much more for the environment than us in our gas wasters by using their bodies as moving barricades to further slow traffic? jeebus, i ride motorcycle, i know how damn scary it is out there, and i'll be damned if you'll find me riding a bicycle on a busy street like that!

ok, rant over.

[sakabatou]

26. I hate cars when they turn right w/o looking

And the suicidal bikers when oing across bridges
And pedestrians that form human walls

[LostinVA]

27. OMG! I started a thread like this two weeks ago!!!

The SAME THING happened to me! Some DUers thought I was in the wrong, even though the dude was ILLEGALLY riding on the sidewalk and zipped across the crosswalk against the light!

I ride a bike... I know how people can be with bikes. I'm not one of those drivers.

[bertha katzenengel]

28. What?!

You WRONG in that situation? Uh, no. No, no, no.

[dean_dem]

30. Obviously a tourist.

DC is no place to screw around with traffic laws, lest you want to be pinned to the grill of a Suburban. People like that are the reason drivers think all cyclists are out of control and deserve to be run off the road.

[ContraBass Black]

31. Serious Biker act as cars

Because they can keep up with motorized traffic.

You won't see one of them on a cruiser.