Another useless thread: how to respond in the face of massive stupidity?
 

This morning during the descent down the Williamsburg Bridge on the Manhattan side I see this zombie walking in the bike lane with a stroller yapping on a cellphone. The new lanes are finished and the signage is in place. I slowed down and said "Excuse me sir, but the pedestrian lane is over there... please? Please?" I would ignore him if it wasn't for the kid. It's like those idiots who wait off the curb for the light to change with the stroller in front of them in the traffic lane.

His response:

"Geez... I just got here!"

My jaw fell to the pavement, I was at loss of words in the face of such monumental stupidity. But he did walk over to the pedestrian lane immediately.

http://a-world.net/files/cycling/201...estrian/01.jpg

http://a-world.net/files/cycling/201...estrian/02.jpg

http://a-world.net/files/cycling/201...estrian/04.jpg

The WillyB is full of mindless, silly people who haven't a clue about the new striping or don't care. Get used to it. :(

It's not stupidity, it's just arrogant people not giving a **** about other people around them.

It's getting better though. Majority of people follow the new markings. And I think it's a big improvement over the mess that this bridge was before.

Adam

That too :(

Ha!

Okay, here's one for you. This happened last week, I think. Mebbe the week before.

I'm going east over the Queensborough Bridge on my little folding bike, 16" wheels make me look goofy, but I still pass a half dozen cyclists on my way up. On the way down the other side, I'm cruising along at around 25 mph, when one of the guys I just passed pulls up next to me. You'd think he will now realize that he has been drafting me, and in order to get past me he will have to put on some more speed. But he doesn't do this. He just hangs out next to me. Inevitably we approach a third cyclist, going a bit slower. And now the third cyclist has an accident; his basket, clipped to his luggage rack, falls off; and he hits his brakes. And the idiot next to me is still right next to me, doesn't even move over. What the h*** are you doing! I yelled at him. He turns his head and looks totally perplexed, like he has just woken up from a deep sleep, and is trying to remember his name.

Woah! Perhaps he did just woke up!

Yeah! I'm kinda thinking that's what happened to your guy as well... note the utter cluelessness of his visage (great photos, BTW), and his memorable remark "Geez... I just got here!" As in, only moments ago, I was enjoying a dreamless sleep... and now I'm in the middle of some kind of a bridge somewhere... how odd....

I think I'd be more upset because a child was involved, which would not have helped matters. Your response was perfect.

Idiot adult.

BTW, love the pics you took.

I'm glad you mentioned also that things in general were improving instead of concentrating on the negative.

The pictures are funny because he obviously started to move more to the side once the crazy camera-toting biker got closer. He probably had no idea what you were doing at first. I wonder if you were the subject of his phone conversation. "Oh, crap, this biker guy is taking my picture and coming closer....now he's yelling at me! WTF?! The weirdest people are always on this damn bridge!!!" LOL

Me too. Are those still frames from video on one of those cheap Chinese miniature video cameras discussed in a recent thread? If so, not bad quality at all.

Meh, traffic volume looked low enough that you could easily pass him, regardless of what lane he was in.

I would've just passed him and let him be.

I'm not sure what you're complaining about. He merely chose the ped lane designed for skinny people. ;-)

Was he all the way over like that the whole time? Not the greatest place to be, but not exactly impeding bike traffic.

I'm confused. This happened almost 3 years ago and you're just complaining about it now? Odd.
:innocent:

The guy in the photo looks like Eagle Eye Cherry. I love how people are in a world of their own when we all have to share it. It reminds me of a time I was on my scooter in Santa Monica, a woman cut me off very slowly. I yelled at her because I was angry Her response was "That's what you wear a helmet for." What??? The comebacks people throw out is just as dumb as their actions.

Yes, these are screen grabs from a video. I'm playing with the little keychain video camera. I don't have the time to edit full videos, and besides I think they're boring, but I grab stills from it if something interesting happens. Like these ones:

Peds in bike-only lane

http://a-world.net/files/cycling/201..._on_Bridge.jpg

Unaware zombie waiting off-the-curb, she moved when I was like 2 feet away from her and rang my bell, this so freaking annoying, I'm afraid to pass behind them, sometimes I have to use AirZound, they ignore the bell:

http://a-world.net/files/cycling/2010/07/23/01.jpg

And a short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzHbi_ppxn4

Yeah, that's the best description of the issue I've ever heard!

LOL!!!

Yes! These with guy are from the MD80, the others and the video are from the keychain camera. The image quality is identical, even the files created are named the same. I think both cameras use identical sensors and electronics. The MD80 is easier to operate though, the buttons are better. The image quality is better than the $800 Canon DV cam I owned only like 4 years ago. And for the price, they encourage experimentation since I don't care if I mess up a $15 cam. I may get GoPro some time in the future, but no rush, like I said: I don't have the time to edit videos. The time required to edit videos and get end results was the one thing that always kept me away from video. My old Canon DV was stolen and I never bothered replacing it.

LOL, yeah, the date is wrong, and there is no way to change it on this cheap MD80 camera :D The date is correct on the other keychain cam, but the MD80 fits nicely in a helmet vent, no mounting necessary.

Yes, he was, but it doesn't make it any more "right", he was left with no room to maneuver: railing on one side, 20mph bikes on the other. I slowed down and got closer to the rail to let bikes pass me, as he saw me he hugged the railing even more but he didn't stop talking on the phone, and yeah seemed completely unaware of what was going on.

LOL! I missed your post before. That is funny :)

Those picture has the word Airzound written all over it. Better yet, use a Gale Force siren and they would think you're a cop or something like that!

Blast them and forget about them!

Next time, right as you pass, yell "Woooooah!" or "Oh **** oh **** oh ****!" and start weaving around a little bit, like you're about to crash.

I sympathize, but I have yet to see much attention paid to designated cyclist and pedestrian lanes on a MUP, bridge crossing, or anywhere else.

I know what you're saying, but I guess in the grand scheme of MUP lane violations, this is pretty minimal. I would go crazy if I let that sort of thing bother me too much.

It depends on where I'm at but on one MUP I sometimes travel, people routinely walk right down the middle of the bike lanes in both directions, making it difficult to pass at all. Many are wearing iPods, so they'll neither see or hear you coming. In that particular location, I blame the markings, poor ped path design and local traditions.

In other areas, people are pretty good about staying on their own paths but don't always pay attention when crossing bike lanes.

These people with iPods, how easy will it be to sneak up on them, slap them on the back of their head with your hand, then quickly ride away? I don't have the guts to do it but maybe somebody here might.

I scared the **** out of a couple with headphone on once, both were walking dead in the middle, no way to pass, oblivious to my bell so I used the AirZound, it was priceless, I actually felt bad but I was able to pass.

It doesn't bother me THAT much. I was calm, didn't yell at him and I would totally ignore him if it wasn't for the kiddo in the stroller.