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Today, I was called an asshole for being polite
13 years ago
AKA: Those crazy cagers: one bicyclists observations on insane traffic behavior in Seattle.
I am a bicyclist. In fact, I bicycle a lot, everywhere I want to go. I'm on the road almost every day. This means I see a lot of crazy stuff happen on the city streets. Dumb car drivers, insane cyclists, dickish taxis, and everything in between.
Today, I was cycling along the "South Lake Union Trial," which is actually one very long parking lot that runs in front of all the marina businesses along Westlake. It's about the width of a street, with nose-in parking along both sides and a lane of travel down the center -just- wide enough for two cars to pass each other.
I take this route -a lot-, as do several hundred other cyclists. It's the only way to get from downtown to the Fremont bridge without going up and over Dexter (which is one -seriously- large, long hill).
I was coming back from Fremont when I encountered a woman in a large SUV backing out of her parking spot, blocking the entire lane of travel. Most cyclists would blast past her, but I didn't feel like risking getting hit, so I stopped to wait for her to finish backing out and leave. I sat there for a minute, safely out of the way, and when she finished I rode past her.
Waiting for her to back out was a small silver car, and as I passed he felt the need to yell out the window "You're an asshole." And my response is "what?" What am I an asshole for? For stopping and letting her backout without risking getting hit? For sitting calmly and not yelling at her for blocking the parking lot with her absurdly large car? I am just -baffled-. Apparently, no one is allowed to be polite on the roads anymore. Ever.
This, of course, isn't even the most inane thing I've seen in recent days. A few days ago, I witnessed another encounter at the intersection of Denny and Stewart (though thankfully I was not involved with this, I was just standing on the sidewalk). A large truck turned off Denny and onto Stewart, but the back end of his truck couldn't clear the intersection. Happens all the time. The light on Stewart was red, so the truck driver edged as close to the car in front as he could get, and managed to clear one of the two lanes of eastbound travel.
Most people, faced with this, would just change lanes and go around truck. It wasn't a particularly busy day on Denny. In fact, that's exactly what everyone did except for -one- particularly entitled feeling person. (who had Kansas plates, interestingly)
Rather than go around, they drove out into the intersection until they were nose-up to the side of the truck, and laid on the horn. What did the guy want the truck to do? He couldn't move, the front bumper of his truck was almost touching the car in front of him. Apparently, honking your horn can magically make red traffic lights turn green if you're angry enough.
And the final incident in recent weeks is the most confusing to me. I was cycling down 4th avenue. 4th ave is a 4 lane wide street that is never terribly busy. Most of the time, the only people on the road with me are some buses and a couple taxis.
This night, the road was pretty empty. I was in the right-hand lane, cycling down the center to keep out of door range, when I hear a horn. I look, and there is a jeep -right- on my ass. In response, I do nothing. Every other lane of travel on this road is empty, there is no reason this person cannot change lanes and go around. I make sure that I'm enough in the center of the lane to prevent the person from buzzing me (one of my biggest pet peeves.)
Instead of going around, the person chooses to follow me for another block and a half, before decided to blast past me ON MY RIGHT, barely squeezing between me and the curb lane of parked cars. And where did that get him? To the next red light.
I just don't get what about cars and traffic makes people so insane. People are flipping each other off, yelling, honking their horns. Heck, just last week a car driver -shot another car driver and killed her-. What is wrong with people? The more I ride, the more crazy stuff I see.
On a positive note, a big thanks to the Seattle taxi driver who said he loved my spoke decorations on my bike while we were stuck at a light. I'd had a bad encounter with a driver earlier that day, and that made me feel so much better.
I am a bicyclist. In fact, I bicycle a lot, everywhere I want to go. I'm on the road almost every day. This means I see a lot of crazy stuff happen on the city streets. Dumb car drivers, insane cyclists, dickish taxis, and everything in between.
Today, I was cycling along the "South Lake Union Trial," which is actually one very long parking lot that runs in front of all the marina businesses along Westlake. It's about the width of a street, with nose-in parking along both sides and a lane of travel down the center -just- wide enough for two cars to pass each other.
I take this route -a lot-, as do several hundred other cyclists. It's the only way to get from downtown to the Fremont bridge without going up and over Dexter (which is one -seriously- large, long hill).
I was coming back from Fremont when I encountered a woman in a large SUV backing out of her parking spot, blocking the entire lane of travel. Most cyclists would blast past her, but I didn't feel like risking getting hit, so I stopped to wait for her to finish backing out and leave. I sat there for a minute, safely out of the way, and when she finished I rode past her.
Waiting for her to back out was a small silver car, and as I passed he felt the need to yell out the window "You're an asshole." And my response is "what?" What am I an asshole for? For stopping and letting her backout without risking getting hit? For sitting calmly and not yelling at her for blocking the parking lot with her absurdly large car? I am just -baffled-. Apparently, no one is allowed to be polite on the roads anymore. Ever.
This, of course, isn't even the most inane thing I've seen in recent days. A few days ago, I witnessed another encounter at the intersection of Denny and Stewart (though thankfully I was not involved with this, I was just standing on the sidewalk). A large truck turned off Denny and onto Stewart, but the back end of his truck couldn't clear the intersection. Happens all the time. The light on Stewart was red, so the truck driver edged as close to the car in front as he could get, and managed to clear one of the two lanes of eastbound travel.
Most people, faced with this, would just change lanes and go around truck. It wasn't a particularly busy day on Denny. In fact, that's exactly what everyone did except for -one- particularly entitled feeling person. (who had Kansas plates, interestingly)
Rather than go around, they drove out into the intersection until they were nose-up to the side of the truck, and laid on the horn. What did the guy want the truck to do? He couldn't move, the front bumper of his truck was almost touching the car in front of him. Apparently, honking your horn can magically make red traffic lights turn green if you're angry enough.
And the final incident in recent weeks is the most confusing to me. I was cycling down 4th avenue. 4th ave is a 4 lane wide street that is never terribly busy. Most of the time, the only people on the road with me are some buses and a couple taxis.
This night, the road was pretty empty. I was in the right-hand lane, cycling down the center to keep out of door range, when I hear a horn. I look, and there is a jeep -right- on my ass. In response, I do nothing. Every other lane of travel on this road is empty, there is no reason this person cannot change lanes and go around. I make sure that I'm enough in the center of the lane to prevent the person from buzzing me (one of my biggest pet peeves.)
Instead of going around, the person chooses to follow me for another block and a half, before decided to blast past me ON MY RIGHT, barely squeezing between me and the curb lane of parked cars. And where did that get him? To the next red light.
I just don't get what about cars and traffic makes people so insane. People are flipping each other off, yelling, honking their horns. Heck, just last week a car driver -shot another car driver and killed her-. What is wrong with people? The more I ride, the more crazy stuff I see.
On a positive note, a big thanks to the Seattle taxi driver who said he loved my spoke decorations on my bike while we were stuck at a light. I'd had a bad encounter with a driver earlier that day, and that made me feel so much better.
Welcome to downtown Seattle,
Get in your car and proceed to wave your arms about the cabin while your foot it on the gas. Break peddle? What dis dat?
You stop in middle road? To let little ol lady cross stweet?! I honk hown at you! What wong wit you!
one time my friends and I were driving through Alderwood mall parking lot. theres that little side ride next to macys well this girl comes hurtling out of the parking lot and almost T-bones my car.
and then last night when my mom and I were coming back from Wicked all along I-5 north i had this jeep riding my ass with his brights on. There were like 3-4 other empty lanes he could have taken to pass me an di was going above the speed limit.
femm