mtbikerinpa

Having lived in DC for ten years, I agree with you on that. The saving grace is there is a tremendous bike trail and rail trail network in place. Good trails, scary to drive a car much less drive on the roads.

Chris516

The bad thing about the trail system is, it is tantamount to driving blind. Because there is no signage, except for the beginning of the trails. When I lived in Duluth(Minnesota), the big trail in the state was the Willard Munger(late instrumental state senator) Trail starts in Duluth, and goes south of Minn./St. Paul to Granite Falls. It doesn't have a bunch of trails criss-crossing it.

If the trail system had trail signage at every juncture point, I might then entertain, going on the trails. Until then, no.

walrus1

I had to slam on my brakes to avoid getting hit by a USPS truck that blatantly ran a solid red. However my friend had an interesting confrontation with a USPS driver. He was riding on the right of the road and a USPS truck almost right hooked him. He yelled at the driver to watch out. Driver pulled, over got out and proceeded to curse him out. He called the USPS customer service number and despite knowing the exact time, intersection, description of the driver and type of truck was told that since he didn't catch the trucks serial number they would look into but can't promise to do anything. We wait with bated breath for prompt disciplinary action to be taken. Seriously how hard would it be to track that driver down and explain to him how he needs to behave in public? USPS trucks are known for being aggressive in my area apparently the drivers are pushed to get mail delivered as fast as possible damn the cyclists and pedestrians. OT: You'd think with such haste that the mail would always be delivered promptly by the expected delivery date and not show up whenever the driver chooses to throw it at my door. Also this is the worst time of the year from them to loose a ****ing package!

UPS drivers and FedEx drivers are safer but block bike lanes all the time. At least UPS drivers occasionally apologize for it plus my guy always holds the door for me when he sees me coming out of my apartment with my bike can't be too mad.

Chris516

I can partially understand need for the serial number on the truck. When a mail truck harassed me on Thursday, it wasn't one of the 'regular' mail trucks with the blue n' white USPS markings/emblem on the side of the truck. I also visually noted specific details about the truck(size, markings on door of cab, and what it said on the back of the trailer). Along with the truck details, I a specific description of the contractor/driver(race, sex, hair color, facial hair).

cranky old road 

IMHO problems with the USPS derive from them having the worst management imaginable. When I (briefly) worked for the local Post Office I fully expected to return from the route one day and find that a fellow carrier had been lashed to a support post and whipped, perhaps for failing to finish a route in under the evaluated time (which as an averaged expectation should be exceeded about 50% of the time). While regular postal employees have union (or in the case of rural carriers, "association,") representation, the increasing outsourcing of jobs has resulted in contract workers who operate in fear of their continued employment. That being said, report dangerous or discourteous behavior.

CB HI

The DC area is the worst place I have ever cycled in. Even got harassed in Rock Creek Park on a regular basis.

I never had problems in the several other places that I lived from 1982 to 1996 except the 2 years in DC. Harassment in Hawaii gradually increased from 1996 on. Commercial truck drivers were the worst until their insurance companies threatened the union to pull out of Hawaii in 1998 unless they fixed the driver problem. No problems with commercial truck drivers from 1998 until the last couple of years.

I have ridden the same way since 1982, so the claims that it is the way some cyclists ride is pure BS.

bmontgomery87

we have trouble with our mail man (uses his own car) driving entirely too fast in our neighborhood.

Most USPS, FEDEX, UPS drivers seem to do fine on the roads though. City bus drivers scare the hell out of me, along with local moving companies. I watched a moving truck spend 1/2 mile in the bike lane the other day during my commute.

Chris516

Yes, This was the second 'bad' encounter out of three, with a USPS vehicle this year. The second encounter of the three, I stupidly let a USPS 'big rig' pass me(unbelievably stupid), resulting in extremely close pass. So, I chalked the second one up to my fault for letting the USPS driver pass me by straddling the lanes.

I don't go into Rock Creek Park much, on my bike. But, When I have been a passenger in a car in Rock Creek Park, I have always told the driver to be mindful of cyclists'.

Looigi

fify

Greyryder

They've all got a few idiots. FedEx driver got a truck stuck in our side yard, today. The intersection at the front corner of the property is flooded. (along with part of the yard) This super genius seemed to think he could make a U-turn on the narrow township road he was on. The ground is so saturated, the truck sank to its chassis. When the tow truck got there and tried to pull him out, the FedEx driver kept steering the wrong way and putting the truck back in the yard.

Rollfast

Carriers who use their own vehicles are under contract and also tend the have those right side controls mounted to deliver while driving in the correct direction.

If you are concerned about a rural carrier's driving you need to contact the USPS office in your area or visit usps.com and make contact.

As for holiday deliveries and routes, all carriers tend to add personnel during peak seasonal demand, meaning the driver may not have had adequite experience driving such a vehicle.

Weren't you also a newbie/doofus that first winter of your driving life? Okay, so I knew to take a practice route along the least treated roads and turn back when it was too much for me a my little car but I have gone into a field once and feel asleep at the wheel of my first car and veered left into an empty irrigation ditch 21 years ago...missing coming out and hitting a utility pole by the grace of having my ;ap/shoulder belts on and being able to grind it back into the ditch. Or something. The cops said the guy coming at me was white as new linen.

While that was in the summer just think of all the really dumb things we've ever done because wedidn't know any better or were just dumb at the time. It goes without saying that dead people never learn anything, only live, stupid ones.

Now laugh but wonder if the poor guy kept their job. It's a JOB, after all and it buys food, toilet paper and four walls to cry in.

phoebeisis

I find professional drivers-pretty good.

Now folks driving trucks in the course of some other business-a "running out of time business" contracting etc-are iffy
Some pickups occasionally bad.
In general pro trucks better than average

ironwood

I agree that contractors, plumbers etc are pretty bad as they drive from job to job. School bus drivers aren't bad, traffic before and after school hours are dangerous because of rushing parents and new teenage drivers. Pizza delivery drivers can be scary. The problem with large trucks is that often they are unaware of bicycles. In the Boston area there have been at least two fatal accidents involving trucks and cyclists where the truck just kept going. I believe one truck was a garbage truck that killed a brillant young scientist.

Null66

On my summer commute I went by 3 scrap yards. I experienced very courteous driving by truck drivers hauling (huge) scrap metal loads. Trucks full to the top and overflowing with random metal bit. Trucks were obviously hauling near or over weight limits and yet the drivers were very cautious around me. Sure was quiet the contrast!

On the USPS drivers, concur local management can be corrosively hostile. They are pushed to do more with less every year. When I joined USPS ~10 years ago there was over 900k people to deliver the mail, now less than 500k people with more places to pick up from and deliver to.

Regardless, report any unpleasant treatment. You may not see the results, but safe driving is a huge priority. Complaints are very likely to effect reviews, assignments, work hours and such. Remember, USPS is still trimming workforce in many areas so likely to effect these decisions as well.

downtube42

Two of my cycling friends are UPS drivers; professional, courtious, and obviously cyclist friendly. They deal with a lot of dangerous and immature behavior on the roads, and manage to remain calm. My experience touring is that during the day on rural roads, the working drivers are courteous and patient. It's when the general population comes out that I encounter unfriendlies.