Nice sunny ride in today, though it was below freezing. The tail wind helped -- I was fairly comfortable until the quarter mile jog into the teeth of the north wind just before I got to the office. Brr!
On to comments about yesterday...
Originally Posted by
robertorolfo
Not trying to pick a fight, but those drivers are actually doing the right thing. If you wish to proceed at the same speed as surrounding traffic, or perhaps slower, a car driver should absolutely be in, and stay in, the right lane. The left lane should be reserved for passing only. If everyone did this (as they do in most of the civilized countries in the world), our roads would be significantly safer and more efficient.
But just how slow were these people going that you were passing them on your bike?
First, I'm surprised to be reading this from a Queens commuter. I expected traffic there to be like it was in Brooklyn and Manhattan -- 3-5 lanes full of traffic dashing from one red light to the next. I'm going to have to stop next time I'm through there to watch miles of traffic sitting in the right lane because someone might be coming up faster behind them.
To answer your question, the vehicles I passed were stopped, then accelerating from stopped. I hit about 20 mph before the last vehicle in the right lane (the guy I called "slowpoke
#2 ") passed me.
To answer some other questions you might have asked before starting the lecture, it's a 35 zone. I was the last vehicle through the light in the left lane. After the last vehicle in the right lane passed me, I moved right and was passed by 3-4 more vehicles that turned onto the boulevard I was riding. I caught up to the entire pack at the next light, so while I
might have slowed traffic in the left lane (had there been any), I didn't
delay anyone.
Finally, if you're really a bike commuter, there's a far greater chance (just looking at demographics) that I could have taught you to drive than that you're old enough to have taught me when I was learning to drive.
Was there anything else you feel qualified to nag me about?