the copenhagen bike lanes are worse than regular bike lanes when it comes to pedestrian traffic!!!
i ride from lincoln square to lonsdale in one every morning before 7am and i still get people standing in them.
one morning there were a heap of tourists standing around their mini bus and on the footpath with their bags. i slowed as i approached them as there was a guy standing in the bikelane smoking a cigarette. as i approached i did a bit of a skid to make some noise and he looked up at me, took a drag on his cigarette, stood there then turned to his mate on the footpath and continued talking.
i rolled up to him and stopped right infront of him. he still didnt move. i said something along the lines of ‘you’re in the bike lane you dumb c*nt, get the fuck out of the way!’
he looked at me for a few seconds then finally moved, looking at me like i was putting him out by making him move out of the bike lane.
i feel safer riding in traffic than down the copenhagen lanes. cars are more predictable than pedestrians.
I liked this one Spud Always gotto find the ups because that makes it fun!
Today had to be riding soaking wet with a stupid grin on my face up little lonnie and having every soaking wet worker at the road works grin back, words didn’t need to be exchanged there
Reminds me of an incident where Mr “Don’t tell me how to ride a bike” passed me at speed, on the left, just as I was starting off after a pedestrian crossing turned green. Pedestrian crossings, remember them? All of a sudden it seems like actually stopping for them is the exception, not the rule - but that wasn’t the problem - it was this moon unit zapping past me on the left, over the cobbled gutter, just as I was shifting my weight to start pedalling again. If I had stuck my left leg out any further and he’d collided with it, at the speed he was going, we’d have both been pretty fucked up.
I reckon if these tales of exasperation and near-injury/death were all put in the same place, it’d look … interesting. And at least it would show that not all of us ride like morons. It’d also be a good place to ‘shit list’ cyclists who ride:
a) no hands, reading a book
b) yakking on mobile
c) no lights
d) no helmet
e) combinations of the above.
No I haven’t seen someone reading/ipod/no helmet/no lights - yet - but on Brunswick St I know it’s only a matter of time (0_o)
(ipod/headphones left off the list - I use an mp3 player sometimes, with the volume low - but I do wonder sometimes when I see someone zipping along with no helmet, but with fancy DJ style cans on… priorities, kids!)
today i saw this pedestrian about to walk out in front of me from behind a truck - I saw his legs flashing between the wheels, so i slowed a bit - he peeked around the corner, tipped his hat to me and waved me through - awesome. I was virtually stopped so I had a chance to smile and say honestly - thanks!
To the rad girl who rocked up at the lights on Smith and Alexandra Pde. with a slick black frame running silver drops a foot brake only! I’d had a loooooong day and seeing a cool single speed made it all better!
Always gotto find the ups because that makes it fun!