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What may annoy you when commuting?

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Old 03-19-19, 02:07 PM
  #1  
Bikewolf
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What may annoy you when commuting?

Commuting requires some tolerance, sure. But there are days!
E.g. a scooter idiot not looking when making a turn, crossing your path ... (sigh)

Anything you experienced while commuting that caused some frustration?
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Old 03-19-19, 02:20 PM
  #2  
alan s 
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Pedestrians and their dogs.
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Old 03-19-19, 03:08 PM
  #3  
CliffordK
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Those Salmon Cyclists that pop up in the roadside bikelanes when one is least expecting it.
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Old 03-19-19, 03:12 PM
  #4  
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Since you asked ..

Getting Fired , because you got a flat tire on the way in, and so were late, in the morning ..




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Old 03-19-19, 05:22 PM
  #5  
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Aside from the occasional jerk in a car, I'm annoyed by people (both walking and on bikes) with music in their ear so they can't hear me behind them ringing bell or shouting a heads up, hopefully when going to make the pass they don't veer into my path.

Originally Posted by mtb_addict
A yellow skool bus blew by me less than 3-foot going 50 mph.
That happened to me and I sent the go-pro footage to school district bus training department. The head of that group told me she would talk to the driver and add something about bicycles in the training. Who knows what really happened, but at least I felt better.
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Old 03-19-19, 05:23 PM
  #6  
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A headwind both ways.
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Old 03-19-19, 05:58 PM
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Getting buzzed by school buses. My kids have complained of the same thing. The city bus drivers are more courteous.
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Old 03-19-19, 06:35 PM
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Powered electric wheelchairs that decide to ride on street in the bicycle lane despite having a perfectly good sidewalk....
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Old 03-19-19, 07:00 PM
  #9  
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People who rage-pass in the dirt on the right of you because they can't stand that you've taken the lane for a few seconds when there's no place to allow safe passing. This is typically accompanied by middle fingers and prodigious honking.
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Old 03-19-19, 07:47 PM
  #10  
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The wind, bumps, traffic, dogs, trash, bugs.....
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Old 03-19-19, 09:27 PM
  #11  
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1. People stopping to chat in the bike path and looking at you like you are in their way
2. 6 months of renovations on the bike path intended to better separate cyclists and runners only to open without enough visible signage, leading to double the path with half the organization.
3. Rain when its just above freezing
4. High school kids on their 'fixies' blasting annoying music out of insanely loud bluetooth speakers and running red lights (and contributing to the stigma against fixed gear bikes in general)

And that was just this week
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Old 03-19-19, 10:15 PM
  #12  
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Road Kill

Originally Posted by Bikewolf
Commuting requires some tolerance, sure. But there are days!
E.g. a scooter idiot not looking when making a turn, crossing your path ... (sigh)

Anything you experienced while commuting that caused some frustration?
Anytime you ride in the street and do not get killed, it is a plus. I do not recommend it. If you can't commute using dedicated Bike Paths don't do it. It is not worth it. It only takes one Jackass and you are going to lose the battle with a 21/2 Ton Automobile. Stick to Bike Paths and Parks and ride safely and happily. The number of Ghost Funerals in this City alone is unbelievable. Their ain't nothing Romantic about it. You are Hurt or you are Dead and a Statistic that everyone will forget about.
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Old 03-19-19, 10:16 PM
  #13  
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Road Killf

Originally Posted by Bikewolf
Commuting requires some tolerance, sure. But there are days!
E.g. a scooter idiot not looking when making a turn, crossing your path ... (sigh)

Anything you experienced while commuting that caused some frustration?
Anytime you ride in the street and do not get killed, it is a plus. I do not recommend it. If you can't commute using dedicated Bike Paths don't do it. It is not worth it. It only takes one Jackass and you are going to lose the battle with a 21/2 Ton Automobile. Stick to Bike Paths and Parks and ride safely and happily. The number of Ghost Funerals in this City alone is unbelievable. Their ain't nothing Romantic about it. You are Hurt or you are Dead and a Statistic that everyone will forget about.
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Old 03-19-19, 11:30 PM
  #14  
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A couple months ago I was on the dog walking path parallel to the MUP, which is bike legal. I came up behind a group of about twenty seniors out for a hike. I paced them for about a tenth of a mile and not one of them noticed me. We came to a wide and level area and then made myself known. “Excuse me, on your left, thank you.” One lady yanked another very old lady out of the path by her upper arm as though I was scorching by, not riding at a stumbling pace, probably doing her more harm than I would’ve. Another said something sarcastic at my back as I rode away.
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Old 03-20-19, 02:05 AM
  #15  
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used to have to ride through a rather ghetto part of town on way to work, this lead to 8 out of 10 times almost getting hit by some jack ass on a car. same road had one actually trying to intimidate me at one point.

also people taking the entire bike path width to chat while riding and not paying attention if someone is coming. i don't mind you chat and ride but just be aware if someone is coming and let them through.

and of course scooters, over here scooters need to go on bike paths and a majority of em are jackasses.
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Old 03-20-19, 04:03 AM
  #16  
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the bike lane being used by everyone (cars, people, bikes, motorcycles).

it's a bike lane and it's clearly demarcated!

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Old 03-20-19, 07:36 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
...as though I was scorching by...
Points for using "scorching"...good cycling term from cycling's first golden age.. A few years ago I saw a refurbished Murray Scorcher at a bike shop. It was a 24" hi-rider and weighed about 50lbs.
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Old 03-20-19, 07:47 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by PeopleAreIdiots
1. People stopping to chat in the bike path and looking at you like you are in their way.
One of the things I really like about my recumbent. The chainring is out front. The occasional group of teenagers on the MUP (almost always standing around with their skateboards), move a little quciker when they realize that if they don't move, they're getting hit by that buzzsaw.
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Old 03-20-19, 08:26 AM
  #19  
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The second most common frustration I have commuting on a bike is rain, especially cold rain.

The single most common frustration is having to go to work when I get here. (Cue: I like to ride my bicycle!)
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Old 03-20-19, 08:40 AM
  #20  
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slow auto passer on a fast downhill curve. I should have taken the lane (or gone much slower) instead of getting squeezed too close to the guardrail

Last edited by rumrunn6; 03-20-19 at 09:08 AM.
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Old 03-20-19, 08:50 AM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by alan s
Pedestrians and their dogs.
Dogs aren't automatically annoying, but people walking dogs with retractable leashes ... that's ALWAYS hateful.

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Old 03-20-19, 11:40 AM
  #22  
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Pedestrians staring straight down and their cells phones while crossing streets, sidewalks, heading towards giant holes they will fall into.....

More than once I've nearly plowed into a pedestrian crossing the street against the light who never once looked up from his phone to see if traffic (bikes OR cars) were coming. They just assume traffic will stop fro them.

I've nearly hit them in my car and on a bike. On the bike I'm usually screaming 'HEAD'S UP" and they still don't take their eyes off the screen.

That last second when they finally see you out of the corner of their eye and jump in terror though....that's pretty funny.
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Old 03-20-19, 12:31 PM
  #23  
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Nothing really gets to me -- seriously.

There's nothing more futile than struggling against inevitability, in this case the cycling environment. Bad drivers, morons, difficult conditions, etc. are all part of that. Gotta find a way to embrace it.

To do otherwise is like taking up mountaineering and being unhappy because it's too much work, too dangerous, and too cold.
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Old 03-20-19, 12:36 PM
  #24  
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Lyft and Uber drivers in the bike lane, holy smokes. I feel like I'm riding around with my stress levels on high in extreme defense mode.
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Old 03-20-19, 01:37 PM
  #25  
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Small group rides, coming straight at me (peloton), taking my side of the dedicated bike path, then giving me a look because I don't move over into the dirt. Hello, it's a two way bike path!

Just started regular commuting due to a recent seizure. My license is suspended for 6 months, minimum. This is my 3rd seizure in 6 years. I may never get my license back. But I am truly enjoying bike commuting!
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