Advocacy & Safety - Red Light Running Desensitization (VIDEO)

I just put together a little commuting highlight reel from my helmet cam videos for 2009. After watching it several times I realized that it might be useful in loosening some of the A&S sphincters about useful cycling techniques that are...(ahem)...not 100% kosher.

Keep in mind the cultural aspects of my home town (New Orleans, USA). Bicycles here are an expression of freedom. We can pretty much do whatever we want to. So even though laws exist, cyclists are waaaay under the radar. Lets even say we are OFF the radar. We all run red lights and stop signs, motorists expect it, and for the most part accept and receive this behavior well.

My favorite moment is 2:26 - 2:30 where my camera picks up an unknown cyclist and pedestrian crossing against a red, and then a contraflow cyclist about to run the red in the opposite direction. SOP around here.

I am happy to be 51 years old. I started riding my bike downtown at 15 and figured out (in one day) that stopping for a red light endangered me unnecessarily. I run roughly 16,000 red lights and stop signs each year without problems. Enjoy the video evidence.

This vid also makes a pretty good clinic for bicycle lane positioning in downtown grids. It is my hope that someday lawmakers will realize that bikes are not cars and discard the silly laws that diminish the usefulness of the bicycle in areas of heavy traffic congestion.

The Very Best Of Joey Brooks 2009 (http://vimeo.com/7171146) (14:33)

As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may seem, am satisfied that it does not agree with my constitution.
- Henry David Thoreau

Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.
- Henry David Thoreau

i thought the new sheriff in town was cracking down on bicyclists. Haven't gotten that ticket yet have you joey? :D

i thought the new sheriff in town was cracking down on bicyclists. Haven't gotten that ticket yet have you joey? :D

The cops are REALLY cracking down on just a couple of the more "touristy" streets and parks where bike+ped=trouble for tourists. The cops can't expect tourists to pay J-walking tickets, so they attack the "problem" where they have clout - locals (cyclists). I avoid those congested Zombie Zones at all costs anyway.

All the rest of NOLA...still free and clear.

My buddy Mark watched the vid and asked if a motorcycle was filming? Like a motorcycle would fit through traffic that well. :backpedal:

:innocent:

OK, so Nola is like that -- congrats, enjoy it. The rest of the continent operates under rules and laws of civilization. The 'no-running-red-lights' thing is a protection for the idiot who thinks if he CAN do something, everyone else on the bloody planet needs to stand back and make room for him to do it. Whether in a car or on a bike, or even on foot, tell some fool it's OK to do something, and this is what you get. Never mind the fool dying and removing himself from the global gene pool, what about the one who gets to remember the incident for life? What did he do, except be the instrument of a fool's demise?

Keep your anarchy where it's at, it's not something the rest of us want. To advocate the very #1 thing that these frickin' drivers kvetch about is irresponsible in the extreme.

OK, so Nola is like that -- congrats, enjoy it. The rest of the continent operates under rules and laws of civilization. The 'no-running-red-lights' thing is a protection for the idiot who thinks if he CAN do something, everyone else on the bloody planet needs to stand back and make room for him to do it. Whether in a car or on a bike, or even on foot, tell some fool it's OK to do something, and this is what you get. Never mind the fool dying and removing himself from the global gene pool, what about the one who gets to remember the incident for life? What did he do, except be the instrument of a fool's demise?

Keep your anarchy where it's at, it's not something the rest of us want. To advocate the very #1 thing that these frickin' drivers kvetch about is irresponsible in the extreme.

And it's that kind of action that has motorists calling for us cyclists to be licensed and regulated just like them.

OK, so Nola is like that -- congrats, enjoy it. The rest of the continent operates under rules and laws of civilization.

Actually, in my part of the continent it is also very common for cyclists and peds to ignore red lights and stop signs (although I stop at all lights). People on bicycles are basically invisible to police- I have never seen, or heard of, police ticketing people on bicycles here either. Jaywalking is also largely ignored as far as I can tell.

I live in NOLA. NO riders ride like that-heck, ride like that you don't usually live 51 years. He and his buddy are the only people who ride like that.
Yes, some folks do run red lights on bikes-BUT NOT LIKE THAT!! They stop, put their foot down,take a good long look-and then go thru(frequently they actually get in the pedestrian walkway and push their bike thru, ... strange, but true).

Only a freakin' moron would blow by parked cars that close.One opened door, and....

This is just some BS video he put out to get his 15 minutes.
I kinda doubt he is from NOLA.We have our faults, but unbelievable rudeness isn't one of them.
What a stupid ***-DMF

I live in NOLA. NO riders ride like that...

Every cyclist that I know personally rides like that. I have filmed at least 5 different people, been filmed by another, and know at least 4 more well enough to call them friends. As acquaintances go I can think of 20 other people.

No one who currently lives in NOLA stops for red lights on a bike, or on foot, unless flow of traffic mandates a stop. If you do, you may be the only one. I have never seen one person wait for a green when the coast is clear. And all of the contraflow bikers cant be stopping for stop signs or red lights because the cant SEE anything but the BACK SIDES of them. I have nearly 80 vids online. Nearly every one shows wrong-way cyclists and J-walking peds galore.

Do you really live in NOLA or Metry? Big difference.

To advocate the very #1 thing that these frickin' drivers kvetch about is irresponsible in the extreme.

The #1 thing they kvetch about in my world is being in their frickin' way. When I drive a car, I want every cyclist I see to run red lights and stop signs so I don't have to wait for them to cross or get rolling. So, at least ONE driver is not kvetching about it.

When motorists start obeying speed limits and stop yacking on their phones and endangering everybody, I may entertain notions of joining your Church of Constraints. Until that day comes, I couldn't care less what motorists whine about.

The #1 thing they kvetch about in my world is being in their frickin' way. When I drive a car, I want every cyclist I see to run red lights and stop signs so I don't have to wait for them to cross or get rolling. So, at least ONE driver is not kvetching about it.

When motorists start obeying speed limits and stop yacking on their phones and endangering everybody, I may entertain notions of joining your Church of Constraints. Until that day comes, I couldn't care less what motorists whine about.

Fine, JoJo -- do wtf-ever; just don't be a guest preacher.

I don't do 'church', btw, I ride.

I happen to agree that drivers need to practice what THEY preach at us, but the day that happens, I'm making peace with the Almighty, cuz He'll be coming the next DAY!

Every cyclist that I know personally rides like that. I have filmed at least 5 different people, been filmed by another, and know at least 4 more well enough to call them friends. As acquaintances go I can think of 20 other people.

No one who currently lives in NOLA stops for red lights on a bike, or on foot, unless flow of traffic mandates a stop. If you do, you may be the only one. I have never seen one person wait for a green when the coast is clear. And all of the contraflow bikers cant be stopping for stop signs or red lights because the cant SEE anything but the BACK SIDES of them. I have nearly 80 vids online. Nearly every one shows wrong-way cyclists and J-walking peds galore.

Do you really live in NOLA or Metry? Big difference.

So because "everybody" is doing it, that makes it right?

The #1 thing they kvetch about in my world is being in their frickin' way. When I drive a car, I want every cyclist I see to run red lights and stop signs so I don't have to wait for them to cross or get rolling. So, at least ONE driver is not kvetching about it.

When motorists start obeying speed limits and stop yacking on their phones and endangering everybody, I may entertain notions of joining your Church of Constraints. Until that day comes, I couldn't care less what motorists whine about.

By running red lights, stop signs, as well as riding the wrong way you are NOT doing anything to encourage drivers to obey the laws. Haven't you ever heard of the saying "Lead by example?"

Show the drivers that bicyclists can and do obey the law then they may start obeying the law themselves.

Here's another good question for you Joey, "IF everybody jumped off of the Empire State Building, would you also jump?"

The "everyone is doing it" isn't a defense, and the sooner that you learn that the better off you will be.

So because "everybody" is doing it, that makes it right?

No. Everybody (here) does it (under certain circumstances) because it IS right. There is a pattern. There are rules. Luck does not exist. We are not flying by the seat of our pants. We are following a proven method for taking a tool (bicycle) and using it to it's full potential (nearly anyway) under inner city circumstances. Before this system can work, a rider must remove the brainwashing about how bicycle traffic should "behave". Use YOUR head, think it through, watch the vids. The cyclists getting killed here are the ones NOT using these methods. My friends and I are doing just fine.

If we are not protected by the Law, why should we follow the Law? In NOLA, you can kill a cyclist by telling a cop you were tuning your car radio and didn't see him/her. No problem.

They can eat their laws with ketchup.

Show the drivers that bicyclists can and do obey the law then they may start obeying the law themselves.

Right.

And to show their appreciation for my compliance they will shower my grave with flowers on All Saint's Day.

A law is worthless unless it is enforced. Enforce the speed limit. Put drunk drivers behind bars and hard labor. Outlaw telephone use in cars and trucks and enforce it. Ticket all of the J-walkers. Lock up the thugs that will punch me in the throat and take my stuff at the stop sign/red light. Then, if there is any time left, go after cyclists who are just trying to survive under the above circumstances.

If I lead the way, I'm will likely get run over, shot, or stabbed. It can't start with cyclists. That is a ridiculous notion. I would be a sitting duck in this town.

No. Everybody (here) does it (under certain circumstances) because it IS right. There is a pattern. There are rules. Luck does not exist. We are not flying by the seat of our pants. We are following a proven method for taking a tool (bicycle) and using it to it's full potential (nearly anyway) under inner city circumstances. Before this system can work, a rider must remove the brainwashing about how bicycle traffic should "behave". Use YOUR head, think it through, watch the vids. The cyclists getting killed here are the ones NOT using these methods. My friends and I are doing just fine.

If we are not protected by the Law, why should we follow the Law? In NOLA, you can kill a cyclist by telling a cop you were tuning your car radio and didn't see him/her. No problem.

They can eat their laws with ketchup.

Yes, there are and you and your friends are breaking them. From what I've seen in your videos luck appears to have more to do with your so called "success" then any "rules" that you claim to be following.

Uh, because it IS the law, and it applies equally to everyone. Then you and your friends need to make sure that that is not a valid "defense."

Right.

And to show their appreciation for my compliance they will shower my grave with flowers on All Saint's Day.

A law is worthless unless it is enforced. Enforce the speed limit. Put drunk drivers behind bars and hard labor. Outlaw telephone use in cars and trucks and enforce it. Ticket all of the J-walkers. Lock up the thugs that will punch me in the throat and take my stuff at the stop sign/red light. Then, if there is any time left, go after cyclists who are just trying to survive under the above circumstances.

If I lead the way, I'm will likely get run over, shot, or stabbed. It can't start with cyclists. That is a ridiculous notion. I would be a sitting duck in this town.

Then again you and your friends need to make sure that the laws are enforced. Write letters to your elected officials. You do vote don't you? Let them know that the laws are not being enforced, and that if they don't do anything to change that that you will see that they are voted out of office. Hit 'em where it hurts, and you'll start to see things change.

You and your friends need to show up at court when someone is arrested and tried for striking a bicyclist, put a face on the cyclists. Let them know that we are someone's father, brother, mother, sister, aunt, uncle, son and daughter.

Make your voices heard, and that you are not going to accept the status quo, and that you want things to change.

Work with the system to change things.

Don't do anything to help change things, and nothing will ever change.

Uh, because it IS the law, and it applies equally to everyone.

Ever hear of the Spanish Inquisition? 300 years of laws that were WRONG.

Not long ago, women and black people could not vote BY LAW.

A black person had to sit in the back of a public bus BY LAW and could only drink out of certain public water fountains.

Trying to make a cyclist behave like a motor car in heavy traffic is criminal. Call it a LAW if you want. Follow it like a good little sheep if you want to. That nonsense must change some day.

Ever hear of the Spanish Inquisition? 300 years of laws that were WRONG.

Not long ago, women and black people could not vote BY LAW.

A black person had to sit in the back of a public bus BY LAW and could only drink out of certain public water fountains.

Trying to make a cyclist behave like a motor car in heavy traffic is criminal. Call it a LAW if you want. Follow it like a good little sheep if you want to. That nonsense must change some day.

The reason we have traffic laws, is that if all road users act in a predictable and consistent manner, the roads can be quite safe. When you violate those laws, the way you do in the first couple of minutes of the video, then you remove that consistency and predictability. That means your counting on luck to get you through, problem with luck, eventually it runs out. If you can hold onto a little of that luck, you will have relatively minor injuries, less, you end up in a pine box, if your luck really runs out, you break your fool neck when your head goes through the windshield of the Hummer that hit you, and you end up paralysed from the neck down.

The reason we have traffic laws, is that if all road users act in a predictable and consistent manner, the roads can be quite safe. When you violate those laws, the way you do in the first couple of minutes of the video, then you remove that consistency and predictability. That means your counting on luck to get you through, problem with luck, eventually it runs out. If you can hold onto a little of that luck, you will have relatively minor injuries, less, you end up in a pine box, if your luck really runs out, you break your fool neck when your head goes through the windshield of the Hummer that hit you, and you end up paralysed from the neck down.

Sadly, even then I'm sure that he'll say that he was "right" to do what he did. Or that it wasn't his riding style that caused his accident, but rather the driver who wasn't paying attention.

One thing that is common in NOLA is for drivers to casually open their doors while stopped at a light, or while creeping to a stop.They do it to spit, vomit, pour a drink out, yell at a buddy, whatever.
Only a fool would lane split at full bore like that with slow moving cars on either side.
Same goes for passing so close to parked cars while hemmed in by the car you are passing on the right.Guy ducked down to fiddle with his floor mat suddenly pops up and swings open his door-WHAMMM! ANOTHER BEST OF MOMENT!
Same goes for blowing by those cars -crossing the middle line-on the left on Decatur. You live here and trust our drivers to not suddenly swerve left because they want to steer around a pedestrian-instead of stop(just like you swerve around them)?The drivers will never know you are there??

Ride like that just to post a video for a bunch of strangers you'll never meet?
You trust our drivers waaaaay too much.

Ride like that just to post a video for a bunch of strangers you'll never meet?

You got that backwards.

I bought a helmet cam to record how we ride. I am not out to make a thrilling movie. I turn on the camera and then promptly forget it even exists until I get home.

I am quite surprised by the results myself. I have almost zero memory of ride details after the fact due to some weird "stream of consciousness" thing that happens when under the influence of total concentration. When I get home and view the results, it is like I am seeing all that for the first time. All I know is that my riding style is adrenalin provoking. Now I (and you) actually get to see it.

One interesting side note: To edit a vid, I have to watch it maybe 30 times. Through some strange mechanism in my brain, I am actually learning how to handle traffic BETTER by watching how I did it in the past. But it is generally not a conscious effort when riding the next time. Like muscle memory or something.

I post these videos not just to entertain and anger people. I post them to help people. I get enough private messages (because they don't want to thank me publicly) from people who tell me some part of a video helped them during a rough stretch of their commute. Lane positioning issues in particular. Riding in the right gutter is really dangerous in the grid. Smart folks with some riding skill can easily lessen their risk under certain conditions by adopting SOME of my methods at one time or another. And if running red lights means that zero cars pass you on the way to work instead of 100, then you just might actually live longer.

I like for cyclists to have ALL of the information. Not just what laws made by lazy lawmakers who don't ride bikes want us to do. They want us to have so many negative experiences in traffic that we quit biking altogether.

Joey,
You trust our drivers waaaay too much and give yourself no bail out position if they suddenly jerk into your path, or open their door to spit, puke, pour out their warn beer or melted daiquiri.

I wouldn't care to pass those folks going down the overpass-Claiborne or St Claude??- either.

I get your point(I think) you are trying/hoping to decrease your risk, by decreasing exposure time, but you increase your time in high risk positions-blind spots-to do it.

Making the pedestrian dodge you-tourists or not- doesn't win any friends either(Canal street). If folks want to come to NOLA-great-they provide $$ and jobs(granted not the greatest jobs, but better than nothing).Why make fun of strangers who are coming to tourist around(zombies)? Kinda' mean spirited.
Yes, it is dangerous to stop at redlights at night(in many places) but this was broad daylight in heavily trafficked areas.

Why make fun of strangers who are coming to tourist around (zombies)? Kinda' mean spirited.

That is something that develops over time after about a million of them stroll out in front you without regard. Don't get me wrong. I J-walk too. But just like running red lights, I do it when the coast is clear.

I enjoy the videos, and your (Joey's) riding style. I have used a few methods shown, but I only use them when there are FAR fewer vehicles on the road. I take the lane with much more confident now, but still question myself too much to ride more aggressively.

The roads around here are much too fast to be able to do this everywhere. And most of the bike lanes are big enough to stay free of the door zone and still be in the bike lane. But bike lanes aren't everywhere I need to go.

I hope most people understand they can't blindly go out and ride like Joey. I see his point of view, but also feel that most people shouldn't be allowed to ride/drive like that They are far too unskilled, and absent minded, so must follow the law to keep themselves and others safe. Yeah for lemmings(sp?)!!!

Keep up the good work!!!

Yes, but that girl you cornered on Canal street wasn't J-walking; you were running the light. I could see the WTF look in her eyes.

You save 10 minutes and all the other riders in NOLA reap the "benefits" of those pissed off drivers and pedestrians.16,000 lights per year-maybe 45,000 drivers and pedestrians pissed off per year.
Sure riders run lights in NOLA, but they don't scatter pedestrians to do it.

Totaled108,
Skill has nothing to do with passing a moving car on the right while blowing by a long line of parked cars.It is pure luck that he hasn't been strained thru a drivers window. You literally can't tell if someone is in the car-digging a quarter out of the floor mat-. Doors are spring loaded-they can be fully open in 1 second-barely more than reaction time.He would never be able to brake to a stop, and he didn't leave himself a bail out. Pure Luck
Yes, the video was entertaining-lotta' risky stuff is entertaining- etc.
The rest of us pay the bill of course.

How often do you see him in the door zone of parked cars? Its seems pretty rare if ever. Car doors are only 'spring' loaded after being opened more then half way. Though I have seen my fair share of doors being flung open by the driver, not the 'spring' Having worked on MANY cars (I was a car junky till this last year or so), I have yet to see one door spring open on its own, just by moving the handle.

If you want to see a car with big doors, have a look at my last car I had for over 4 years. I wish the doors were spring loaded, they are heavy and slow to open. If it were parked on the slightest up hill, the doors would slam shut on you.

I put about $2000 in suspension, drive train and other part, all installed myself. I know a thing or two about cars.

Now I'm coming to the light side and going car light.:)

I don't want anyone else to ride like Joey and his friends.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/Totaled108/P6260010.jpg

I'd pass most every 4wd vehicle up Mt. Hood in this 'bad in rain/snow' car. That takes skill too.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/Totaled108/P1150007.jpg

Some of you guys are way too harsh on Joey. Come ride in a large city where auto traffic is moving 25mph or slower and you'll see why it makes sense (AND MUCH SAFER) to ride a certain way.


When I drive a car, I want every cyclist I see to run red lights and stop signs so I don't have to wait for them to cross or get rolling.
+1 million.

There are times when some dirtbag stops at a red light right in the middle of the lane. I end up right behind him. No cross traffic and he doesn't start moving. We have 4 lanes of traffic and when the light turns green, everyone behind me is laying on the horn wanting me to go faster than 9mph. Yet, I'm behind this dirtbag who is still in the middle of the lane going 15mph while everyone has the mindset of "drag race from one traffic light to the next".

Totaled,
Hey nice car!You didn't dump it in a fit of green guilt, did you??Hey, send it here if your guilt gets the best of you! I promise to recycle it!!I'm more a GM,Mopar, fan, but for a Mustang(V-8 of course), I'll make an exception.
It isn't just the door-which folks throw open pretty quickly. Someone is coming out of that door(not looking first of course).
The main door zone offense was on Decatur street. The middle of his wheel was maybe 2-3.5 feet from the side of the cars, and maybe 2 feet from the cars on his left.If a door popped opened he wouldn't have been able to thread the needle.He would have overbraked while jerking left, bounced off the moving car on the left, and bounced right into the opened door and ended up sprawled in the street at the mercy of oncoming traffic.
Relying on drivers to look before opening a door is really naive.They never do; they just pop it open and step into the street.Yes, people are foolish that is why we have the word foolish.
Oh -what is that white stuff?? We don't get much snow!
The video is fun to watch, but.... he's pissing off all those freakin' drivers and pedestrians.I almost caught myself cheering for the minivan to centerpunch him.

Wheeldeal- I actually tried to kill that freakin' gnat crawling on the screen!!Speaking of foolish!!

Ha,ha on Miami-the Saints aren't the chokers they used to be!
WHO DAT SAY THEY GONNA BEAT THEM SAINTS-WHO DAT!!

Ha,ha on Miami-the Saints aren't the chokers they used to be!
WHO DAT SAY THEY GONNA BEAT THEM SAINTS-WHO DAT!!

The great thing about the Saints winning - about 100,000 less texters behind the wheel for 3 hours so I can get in a beautiful Sunday afternoon bike ride. ;)

Yes, but that girl you cornered on Canal street wasn't J-walking; you were running the light. I could see the WTF look in her eyes.

Can you see the WTF look in my eyes?

She paused, my bud told her to go ahead, he went around her on the back side at barely a track stand speed. You think she was mad at him? Apparently you have never left the cornfield much less walked around inner grid at rush hour! :lol:

If that's all you got, I am Golden.

Got rid of the Mustang to buy a brand new condo. :thumb: I was paying $175 per/month to 'own' it, and $232 :cry::twitchy: insurance per/month. When I bought it I was 22yrs old, and grew a lead foot quite quickly, so 3 speeding tickets made that insurance rise fast.
'Downgraded' to the 250,000 mile Volvo wagon for $950, which I love and have already done alittle suspension work to. Its over 2 years now and all that has gone wrong with it was the starter ($107) and the PCV box ($37) got plugged up, no valve like most engines.

I do miss the look on peoples faces, that were in Subaru's, as I fly by them at ~45-55 mph in 6" of semi-packed snow, up the mountain, just enough sideways to stay safe. While they are in a LONG line, in the right lane, because it was clear of snow going maybe 15-20mph. All the times I went up their I never once saw another mustang, wussies. :)

I need a LSD installed in the RWD Volvo.

Sorry for turning alittle car happy in this and the last post, I'll keep it down now. :p

Totaled,
Too bad about the Mustang, but the Volvo sounds like it has potential.There is a lot to be said for cheap also!!

WHO DAT
Joey, I rode this morning-did my levee climbs-no cars but the levee board cops.
WHO DAT

awesome video. its very similar to how i ride. except i dont deal with traffic like that.

How often do you see him in the door zone of parked cars? Its seems pretty rare if ever. .....

Actually, he's in the door zone a lot. He's also in drivers' blind spots a scary amount of the time. And he pops up in stupid places where no driver would ever expect to encounter a bike. It's not good to surprise drivers -- lots of them are unskilled and inattentive, and not even the best ones can anticipate these Darwin-Award quality moves.


I don't want anyone else to ride like Joey and his friends.

No kidding.

Joey,
I can't quite figure out your commute.
At first I thought it started in Marigny,Esplanade, went down Decatur, Canal and then??
I'm pretty sure you were on Tchoupitoulas for a while,Chartres, Camp, maybe Loyola,
I can't quite figure out where you start,and where you end.
You spend some time on either Claiborne(maybe St Claude), cross Elysian Fields, cross Franklin go over the overpass over the train yards, but don't get to the Industrial canal?The area is mainly residential,sprinkled with light industry, repair shops etc not really back from Katrina- but not much reason to go there, if you don't live there.You might end up in the Irish Channel/lower Garden District-work there? But why start in Marigny-lotta people live there.

My guess is you live close to the Industrial canal-city side-but work or commute to the Lower Garden Distric/Irish Channel-somewhere near Tchoupitoulas-.
Of course maybe it was just an interesting ride
Charlie

I fly by them at ~45-55 mph in 6" of semi-packed snow, up the mountain, just enough sideways to stay safe.

And you're saying Joey's riding style is unsafe?

And you're saying Joey's riding style is unsafe?

I don't think I said that.:o Did I?

With brand new studded snow tires I did that. And LOTS of practice. Still I'll not be driving like that again, I got it out of my system years ago. :thumb:

We all take calculated risks, some of us use different calculator. ;)

Joey,
I can't quite figure out your commute.
At first I thought it started in Marigny,Esplanade, went down Decatur, Canal and then??
I'm pretty sure you were on Tchoupitoulas for a while,Chartres, Camp, maybe Loyola,
I can't quite figure out where you start,and where you end.
You spend some time on either Claiborne(maybe St Claude), cross Elysian Fields, cross Franklin go over the overpass over the train yards, but don't get to the Industrial canal?The area is mainly residential,sprinkled with light industry, repair shops etc not really back from Katrina- but not much reason to go there, if you don't live there.You might end up in the Irish Channel/lower Garden District-work there? But why start in Marigny-lotta people live there.

My guess is you live close to the Industrial canal-city side-but work or commute to the Lower Garden Distric/Irish Channel-somewhere near Tchoupitoulas-.
Of course maybe it was just an interesting ride
Charlie

You sure know NOLA geography!

I live near City Park, work a few blocks off the river and Elysian Fields. A four mile straight shot down Esplanade Ave or a mile longer down Canal and through Zombie Land (French Quarter) represents my normal commute.

My riding buds and I often put in 20 miles before work. No telling where we will ride really - the whole city is ride-able IMO if you can hold 20 mph and attain 25-30 for a few seconds here and there. Assuming you are not freaked out by traffic and crackheads.

The video pretty much covers all of the areas you mentioned. I don't run the camera by myself much anymore, but my buds are sick fun to watch. So I try to hang with them, run the camera, and watch the fun on my PC later. Trust me when I tell you I can't enjoy their riding in the moment. Way too many things to think about, including not crashing into them, since they occupy the same gaps that I use.

You still live in N'awlins ?

In 1979-second gas crunch- I used to take a route much like yours to work. I was living in Metairie, would come down Vets, cut across Porter to Canal Blvd, take Canal Blvd to Navarre, navarre to city park- wiggle thru city park to Esplanade, Esplanade to Claiborne, Claiborne to Frenchmen or Pauger(can't remember which) then take Pauger to St Claude-worked on the 1900 block of St Claude for 20+ years.I biked and then got a moped(100 mpg). I quit riding -anything-to work after I got centerpunched from behind on Esplanade Ave one afternoon. My worst injury-other than the skin being flayed off my butt-was my hands getting burned by the hot exhaust of the moped as it slid along next to me.
I was doing 33mph when I was hit from behind- probably over the speed limit on Esplanade-but it wasn't enough.This was in 1980 or so waaaay before cell phones/texting etc.
I still ride-bikes/motorcycles- but I choose my routes and times pretty carefully. I live in River Ridge now- haven't lived in NOLA since 1987-.
When we evacuated and I got a look at those Sat. photos I knew it was the right choice-water stopped 1/2 N of us more or less at Airline Hy.Funny, when we bought there we did it because it was cheap-$60,000-when everything in NOLA was really expensive.It had nothing to do with it being slightly higher ground-never thought of floods back then-

Luck
Charlie

I live in River Ridge now...

My wife and I along with two cats lived in Mark Twain Apts for 18 months after Katrina. My commute was 18 miles each way. River Ridge is a great community. If it was not for our absolute hate of commuting more than a few minutes to work and all of the "city life" stuff we like to do, I could easily live there. Sure made it easier to get out of town on the weekends though - even on a bike - living on the far edge of town.

Your story about getting rear-ended on Esplanade is not surprising. That street was designed for to create accidents. One of my motivations for running red lights is to limit the number of vehicles approaching from behind. I try to surf the gaps created by the lights. Nothing sweeter than running a "fresh" red light on Esplanade and having 30-60 seconds of car free riding to the next light.

I sure wish lawmakers and civil engineers could figure out a way to let cyclists take advantage of that natural gap in traffic mayhem. It's the safest place to be, and it's illegal to get there! A second set of bicycle traffic signals on certain roads would work. The signal would turn green a few seconds before the cars so a cyclist could establish lane position. Then the signal could stay green a few seconds after the auto traffic gets their red light - to allow cyclists to get into that open gap. Ah...to dream!

Cheers!

Joey

Joey,
We're just 1 mile or so from Mark Twain .We're off Sauve-Martha Lane- in the late 50's subdivision at the far end of Sauve.Sauve now has all these huge 5000 sq ft houses.Funny, in most cities/suburbs there are the expensive sections, and the cheaper housing.Not NOLA and burbs-we have 3 story 5000 sq ft houses behind us-$400000 maybe-shadowing 1400 sq ft subdivisions with $120,000 houses. Can't say I would object to having the money to afford a huge house.

Really close to the river-like Mark Twain-the elevation might be 6-10 feet.Where we are it is maybe 1+ above seal level.We didn't flood during the May 1995 20" rain flood, so I guess we'll be ok unless we get significant seal level rise-Global warming etc.Who knows.

We have 4 cats and a greyhound(phoebe-isis was the other greyhound). We initially evacuated to DFW-stuck at a La Quinta under the airport flyway. Once we saw the floodwall breaks we headed W to Flagstaff AZ- with 3 cats, 2 dogs, wife,son, figured we might as well be somewhere nice while waiting it out.Flagstaff has great bike lanes-drivers are so bike aware and polite there.Once one just waited for me to pass(peddling uphill). I thought he was getting ready to ambush me and rip off the bike.No he was just waiting for me to pass.I couldn't believe it!
Flagstaff is a W college town/tourist town-lotta folks ride bikes, motorcycles.
When I rode full time-1968-1981 everywhere, I ran redlights, just like everyone else. I've noticed that uptown-college kids for other states- riders do stop at redlights etc.
True, running a redlight will decrease exposure time, and with the redlight cameras(pray NOLA doesn't institute bicycle license plates someday) far fewer drivers run redlights, so you are fairly safe blowing thru a light-bikes-especially with somewhat upright handlebars- give you a pretty good field of view.
Now door openers-they scare me, since I know they absolutely haven't looked before opening.You look for movement, of course, but you don't always have a good view of the front seat(high seat backs, head rests ,short drivers etc).
NOLA is fun to ride in, but our drivers aren't one bit bike aware-they also drink, smoke(everything), talk, and probably text a lot also.I never found them particularly mean(occasional beer can, but that's about it).
Luck,
Charlie
PS Your full bore blast thru method probably annoys drivers less than the "take a lane" VC method. I don't picture "taking a lane" catching on here.If you don't hold drivers up, they probably don't care much.

I ride like that all through San Francisco. I do critical mass too. Long live Anarchists

I ride like that all through San Francisco. I do critical mass too. Long live Anarchists

I am not exactly an Anarchist, although there is value to that thought process. Makes people think instead of just following the sheep in front of them to the butcher's block.

I don't mind following some rules. I will refuse to follow the ones that will likely get me injured, especially when those rules were not made by qualified, experienced cyclists. Some Fat Cat sitting at a desk at City Hall telling me to act like a car ain't gonna cut it. Those rules don't work everywhere.

My hope for my videos is that they will be noticed and analyzed. There are people out there asking the question "Why don't cyclists obey traffic laws" and doing studies. My vids (and others on the web) puts them in the driver's seat so to speak. I have a Web site that answers those "Why" questions, at least for me. joey-bike.blogspot.com (http://joey-bike.blogspot.com). On my site, I have links to several the articles asking "Why". I do my best to answer them.

I do what I do for two reasons. To get where I am going in the least amount of time, and to cheat the system that endangers me needlessly. I want to get there safe and fast. Anarchy is the farthest thing from my mind on that double-yellow line!

Keep doing what you do till' you find something that works better!

Cheers

It's only a matter of time before that guy is part of the pavement.....bet on it.

It's only a matter of time before that guy is part of the pavement.....bet on it.

I would put my life savings that you become part of the pavement before Joey does.

I would put my life savings that you become part of the pavement before Joey does.

Overconfidence is not a good thing.....

Same can be said to you