Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Just another day...

Hey readers-
I had a very exceptional morning at the corners of Clark and Adams today. Some guy decided it would be a good idea to stick his elbow out as I passed him. Nonetheless, I ended up hitting his arm and he damn near knocked me off my bike. I stopped and asked him what the deal was...he said I almost killed him. Interesting point: he was in the street, walking near the curb heading east on Adams (the wrong direction of travel for that street). I was also in the street as riding a bike on Chicago sidewalks is far from being a good idea (for safety and legal purposes). So we ended up having a loud, aggressive discussion on why I hit him and how I shouldn't be riding a bike downtown. I was so mother****ing pissed off (sorry, vent time) that I got up in his face and did not back down one inch. After 5 minutes of telling him that sidewalks/crosswalks are for walking and streets are for cars and bikes, I decided it was time to end this conversation. He said he was calling the cops. I grabbed my 2-way/Nextel and had the number dialed and told him to press the green button...he walked off. Goddamit I am ****ing pissed off! Thanks for reading. I feel better now

We all have days like that... my sympathies man.

Nikko Dale (seattle messenger) recently said:
"...the worst is when a car does something stupid. I react, and then they get all angry at me--start swearing at me or start chasing me."

Applies equally much to peds.

Take it easy!

-alex

Such is Chicago. We've all had our share of altercations with motorists who think they're in the right when they're breaking the law but get all defensive about it.

I emphasize with ya 165, I notice quite a few joggers who spring out of nowhere because they like to run on the street instead of on the sidewalk or such, which is pretty stupid. I've avoided them most of the time (especially in Lincoln Park) but one of these days...

I have been riding the streets of Chicago off and on since 90 and never has someone been this close to me breaking their arm. Cars are not a problem for me most of the time. It is peds more than anything...just walking around in the streets like ****ing morons.

just so ya know... asphalt (like the street) is a lot less damaging to your knees than concrete is (like the sidewalk)... something to do with the amount of give asphalt has. so a lot of people jog/run on the street because jogging on the sidewalks for a few years will pretty much trash your knees. i still think it's stupid, but that's probably why they're doing it...

-alex

Yesterday, on a small one-way street, I was coming to an intersection and the truck in front of me slowed down. There was room to pass between it and the dumpster on the left. So I swung over and damn near flattened a guy coming straight at me (the wrong way) on rollerblades.

I was too surprised to say anything. I hope that was enough to teach him a lesson... or maybe he won't learn until he actually gets hit. I wonder how many people would actually alter their behavior based on getting yelled at?

165, my sympathies. Hope you regained some patience, you're gonna need it tomorrow. ;)

As a runner and a fixed gear rider...people should not jog or run in the streets (alhtough it is easier on the knees it is so unsafe). They are just as stupid as those that go the wrong way and refuse to move when you have the right of way on that a street. Some people just have no street smarts...and b/c of them we all suffer for it.

i agree 100% shishi... i'm a runner and a fixie myself. i'm actually gonna do a sprint triathalon this weekend... after swimming .5 miles and riding 11 miles all out on the fixie i'm gonna jump off and run for 2.5 miles. :D

-alex

yep. most of the problems i've had when riding have been due to pedestrians, not cars.
yesterday i was coming up to a green light, signaled right and was getting ready to turn when this couple walked right in front of me (on red walk light) at the intersection, from behind a car that was parked there. i was able to quickly yank my bars and squeeze behind them, but i was going pretty fast; it would have been ugly if i hit them. the woman said "OOPS" and they walked on.

they did do the chicken dance when they saw me coming tho. at least i got that out of it :)

The scary thing is that bicyclist have to worry more about people then cars...strange.

I think I will make a suit of armor and start Ped-Jousting...

jousting! but who needs a suit of armour... just wear some spidey underoos!

Orange-Patience regained on the ride home..shared drafts with a really nice lady.

Alexs-WOO frickin HOO!
No doubt...Spidey-roos rule the arena in that pics HAR HAR HAR!
Thanks for the laughs!

165, I sympathize with your plight. If you find some serious armor let me know. This week I've had three cars pull out halfway into the road and stop broad side to me; when I'm hauling and less than 5 meters from them. They are trying to get thier nose out into traffic and have nearly got me smashed each time. When I scream at thier incondsiderate asses they think that they've done nothing wrong and I should stop on a dime so the can pull out into the road. I am half-way hoping they will become confrontational so, I can kick their teeth in and not feel guilty about it. But if I had some body armor I could just plow into them and not be at fault or get blood on my bike.

Eric

I know exactly what you mean! I got hit by a car for the first time yesterday and boy am I sore. Nothing was wrecked except for some muscles in my right hand that broke the fall (tuck and roll didn't come into play, I guess...)

I'm so non confrontational I avoided looking at the car or the people in it as I went down...the only thing I really remember is deffinitly trying to avoid looking at them. Next thing I knew, I was one the ground.

I scratched the car though..two lovely scratches

Girl: 2 Car: 1 (for my sore ness...)

I apologised, he did too, and I rode off. No U lock of justice this time...

Hey 165, if you ever get in another altercation like that, gimmie a call at work (325-7902), let me know what corner you are on, and I'll be down there in two shakes of my ped-bashing pipe.

I'm serious. I can't believe noobody else stopped to help you out. I don't see things like that happen often (and they don't seem to happen to me either, thankfully), but the one time I saw an accident (Johnny at the CCC) I stopped. It's ****ed up that nobody stopped to back you up.

Nice...I will put that in the radio. No here gets out alive...!
Hey DV-
The pic I took at the Supercat in July did not develop...cheap camera, lousy light. Sorry bud. Out of about 10 pics, 2 came out.

when i'm pope, pedestrians will be required to have (and use) full turn signals, hazard lights, brake lights, and reverse lights.

When I'm pope, humans will not have arms or legs. We'll all have two wheels and a 52x16 gearing.

How will we pick our noses? Think 'practical'...:D

I can pick my nose with my penis - can't everyone?...

i can't. my nostrils aren't wide enough.

suuuure...
:)

Keep in mind:
DV only has a 3 inch torso when standing upright!
:roflmao:

That does suck a bit. The first 2.5 of my nightly ride is the return leg of a popular run and also on the only bike lane I have ever been on. They like our bike lane they do, running facing traffic, giving no quarter. It is like running a slalom course only with moving, chunky, unpredictable cones.
The bike lane sucks anyway, the people living on the street find it a pefect spot for storing yard waste and the cagers think it is where you recycle glass.