Street - Bike Trail Intersection Etiquette... again

Lincoln has more than 100 miles of bike/multi-use paths criss-crossing the city. They also intersect with major and not so major streets. There are above and below grade crossings for high traffic streets. But there are also at-grade crossings, mostly in residential areas, but a few are at busy intersections. Most have a crosswalk marked in the street and all but a few have a stop light.

I've observed that, as a cyclist, I can affect how a driver reacts at the at-grade crossings. If my front wheel is within 6 inches of the street surface at an at-grade residential crossing, drivers freak out and slam on their brakes. It doesn't matter that both my feet are unclipped and my hands are in the air (off the handlebars) waving them through. Then they wave me through with a look of disgust on their faces.

And then they get angry at me for not going.

I'm serious when I say motorists aren't looking or even aware of a cyclist's presence until it's too late. At least initially. Their behavior will change after a close call or two.

The best place in Lincoln to observe a change in driving habits due to horrible cyclist behavior is 26th street at the Mopac. Cars travel through there at 5-10mph because cyclists come off the 27th street bike bridge as if their brakes are unhooked.

*sigh*

Stop sign is there for a reason, cyclists: the car is 15-20 times your weight and (would ordinarily be) travelling at 25mph. If that's not scary enough: 18 wheelers use that street to deliver products to retail businesses. Those drivers may not drive through there often enough to know that you have total disregard for your own life.

I've learned to stop a few feet from the street, using the sidewalk (if present) as my guide. Often times I will hold the stop-sign post. The cars don't see me and go about their business. I get to cross safely. Everybody is happy.

But today I was 33rd street, a busy two lane road with a center turn lane and 35mph speed limit used by motorists to get home quickly. Cars usually don't care that I'm there, and I'm okay with that. Today someone cared a little too much.

To the lady in the southbound blue Toyota Camry at the intersection of 33rd and Mopac, near Peter Pan Park, at approximately 5:40 this evening: Just go.

I stood there unclipped from a pedal with my hand locking my front brake and you sat there. I waved you through and you sat there. The four cars stacked up behind you honked at you to go, and you sat there.

Quite frankly, I question your motives: the northbound traffic coming from Vine street sure wasn't going to stop to let me through.

Seriously: after the four cars behind you pass the trail intersection, a gap in traffic opens up that I can pedal through safely. Nobody is stuck behind you. Cyclists aren't throwing dirty looks your way. Everybody is happy.

But happiness is too much to ask for these days, I guess.

Lincoln, this is why we can't have nice things.

This is what the intersection of Essex Road and the Rock Island Trail looked like the morning of July 5th.

I came across 4 such messes on my commute.

Nebraska Outdoor Addict said it best on facebook this morning:

You could do a census this morning based on the 4th of July trash on the trails as you ride through diffrent neighborhoods. The change in demographics is painfully obvious today.

This would be a great use for a bicycle: prospective homebuyers could pedal through an American neighborhood the morning of July 5th to see how the current neighbors treat the public facilities with respect to fireworks.

Well, I guess you could pedal anywhere on July 5th to see how the neighbors treat the facilities, but it's not like other countries blow things up on July 4th like we do...

To the gal driving the black Pontiac...

I've blogged about this before. 

I guess it bears repeating.

Rock Island is probably the most traveled trail in Lincoln. The intersection at Essex Road (the first street intersection north of Old Cheney) is a source of much frustration for me. Today I let it get the best of me.

To the gal driving the black Pontiac who stopped to wait for me at the bike trail/street intersection at Rock Island and Essex Road at about 5:15pm today: Sorry I flipped you off.

A word of advice: just drive. We cyclists are expected, nay REQUIRED to stop there. When motorists stop to wave me through, I feel like the universe is all out of whack.

I know you waved me through. I know you think you were being nice.

Just drive.

I was already waiting for the SUV coming from the right. There isn't enough room for your car, the SUV and my bicycle.

Just drive.

My hands were off the bars. My left foot was on the ground. I was expecting you to just drive.

There was a car pulling up behind you when I decided to leave. In an effort to keep them from getting angry with me and bicyclists in general, I pedaled through the intersection in front of you.

Maybe I should have reached over and grabbed the stop sign post. That's worked to diffuse these situations in the past with a laugh from both parties.

Maybe I shouldn't have given you my best impression of a "gangsta glare" as I passed. Maybe I should have listened to what you actually said as I pedaled away instead of just flipping you off.

I heard what you said after the fact. I realized then that I goofed and probably made us cyclists all look even more like jerks.

But I was legally obligated to stop at the street intersection. It's for everyone's safety that the cyclist stops. We are the slower traffic intersecting with a higher speed intersection.

So just drive.

Let me let you in on a little secret: We know you're there. We can hear you. I guarantee you that we see you before you see us.

If we didn't, your cars would be wearing us as hood ornaments.

And that would suck for both of us.

So just drive.

Dairy Queen is now Bossy's.

The plan for Saturday was to ride with the kids to Dairy Queen right off the MoPac and back home, but there is no more Dairy Queen. In its place is "Bossy's".

So we rode to Bossy's, enjoyed some chocolate soft serve ice cream cones, and rode back instead.

Obligatory "bikes leaning against the wall" blog post pic:

The pricing and selection at Bossy's seems to be on par with Dairy Queen, the logo and colors are all that's changed. We'll probably do this again.

My daughter likes to go fast. She is also becoming a bit of a show-off. How fast can we go up this hill? How fast can I go DOWN this hill?

On the other hand: my six year old daughter learned an important lesson about trail etiquette: always make sure you have enough room to pass, always pass on the left and always announce you're "on your left".

Long story short: she passed her little brother on the right and bumped handlebars. He faceplanted after trying to regain control of his high-centered-on-a-training-wheel bike.

Good thing he landed in the grass, though he still got a nosebleed from it. A few minutes of hugs and wiping blood and tears and he was back in business. He rode the last half mile like nothing had happened.

My daughter now understands that there really are consequences for ignoring the safety of others: she spent the rest of the ride passing walkers with a wide berth and announcing "on your left".

I breathed a little easier every time.