Not much for Dr. Bikelock to weigh in on here.
There are a couple of people who write into the chat to complain about the Best Buddies ride
"D.C. needs to coordinate its road closures and publicize them more. It took me an hour to try to get over near Meridian Hill Park and I gave up and returned to my friend's at 9:15 am. Missed an opportunity to meet my friends visiting from China."
Dr. Bikelock: Yes. It would be great if DDOT had some way to inform people about these kinds of events. Some people got burned on WAGBRAD by bridge closures related to the Army 10 miler. I guess more could be done, but I just assume that if I need to be someplace on a weekend morning that there will be roads closed some place.
The other comment was this:
"Good afternoon Good Dr. I am a semi-regular bike commuter, riding 2-3 days a week from Kemp Mill to White Flint. This is a thank you to the drivers who treat us with courtesy. I try my best to follow the rules of the road. I do not run red lights. I stay as far to the right as safe. I try to remember to signal all my turns. And I will readily admit that I am not 100% perfect. So Thank You to the drivers who give me 3' of space when they pass. Thank you to the drivers who follow the standard rules at 3 and 4 way stops so I don't have to guess when it is safe to go. Thank you to the drivers who let me move to the left when I signal that I will be making a left turn at the next intersection. All of us thank you."
Dr. Bikelock: Agreed. Safe, courteous drivers are awesome.
Dr. Gridlock: Thanks, and I'm sorry that so often these forums involve travelers separating themselves into categories and criticizing the behavior of other categories of travelers.
i love the faux etiquette...as if the demands for sane, ecological transportation (and by necessary extension, a good life) matter only if approved by miss manners...
bullshit.
this culture is unfair; the gap betwen the rhetoric and reality of social life is HUGE. americans are arrogant uneducated fools -- study after study shows this (you know: most americans when asked think the declaration and constitution filled with "dangerous" ideas, etc..)
bicyclists need to step up their demands. that there is a "dr gridlock" only indicates the depth and scope of the near totalitarian orientation of the culture to transport...
Posted by: tom paine, anarchist | October 25, 2011 at 10:30 AM
@tom paine:
The good thing (at least for those who have the option of biking) is that the car culture in DC is on the wane. It's entered the phase of slow collapse, and there's just nothing that can be done to make it better. Two symptoms of the collapse? The rise in bike commuting and infrastructure, and the emergence of things like "slugging".
Will we see the end of car commuting? Obviously not. But we'll see the increase in mode share of bike commuting. And as that happens, the balance of power will continue to shift. As that happens, bikes and walking will continue to be more attractive as driving continues to be less so.
I like to remind folks who drive and are pissed off about how shitty their morning commute is: Savor this morning's commute. Really savor every moment of it, because it's never, ever going to be any better than it is today.
Choosing to ride a bike has nothing to do with arrogance, entitlement, or being "ecologically holier-than-thou." It's just better than the alternative. And folks who hate on cyclists are just projecting their own frustrations and anger on folks who have left themselves an out.
Posted by: oboe | October 25, 2011 at 11:16 AM
@mike/satan/tom paine-
Get over yourself. You're not as smart as you try and come across.
Posted by: jeff | October 25, 2011 at 11:20 AM
I am shocked shocked shocked that there are road closures in Wash DC on the weekend.
Please. Anyone with common sense and has been here longer than a week knows half the roads are closed on any given week - to check for road closures - and to pretty much plan on taking Metro.
Oh wait..... Metro is offering only partial service on weekends too these days???? SOL.
Posted by: bArlington | October 25, 2011 at 06:02 PM
@jeff, satan does win the prize for Most Bitter Poster.
Posted by: Michael H. | October 25, 2011 at 06:22 PM
Not everyone checks all trip parameters before they leave the house. Some people actually wing it. The fact that groups regularly commandeer the major thoroughfares can be an unexpected pain in the neck. I can't tell you how many times I got caught in "Rolling Thunder" before it sunk in that it was EVERY Memorial Day.
Posted by: Crickey7 | October 25, 2011 at 08:47 PM
Michael H, unfortunately the prize for Most Bitter Poster is 7-week old lo mein and public ridicule.
Posted by: washcycle | October 25, 2011 at 08:51 PM
I am from Europe and have lived in a few European Countries.
There is a sense in which Americans do seem to project an image of themselves that is not supported by what they do, or even say they do.
When it comes to bicycles, it does seem as if the goals of the bicycle advocates are rather limited, compared to the European cities I've lived in. I don't understand why. I was told just the other day by a client this is still the "greatest country on earth."
Maybe it is. But not when it comes to bicycles.
Posted by: Helmut Guenther | October 25, 2011 at 11:33 PM
who's jeff?...
jeff writes: "Get over yourself. You're not as smart as you try and come across." I know im smarter than i come across...how could you know otherwise?
Posted by: tom p. | October 25, 2011 at 11:44 PM