I was leaving work turning left at a four way stop intersection. I was in the middle of the intersection and a midsize suv pulls out of a parking space and guns it into the intersection and almost hits me. They slam on the brakes and proceed behind me for half a block then get in the left lane and speed in front of me and cut me off getting into a parking spot on the right side of the street. I give them a WTF look and they mouth something at me.
My friend’s bakery is right there and I’m locking my bike up out front. Lady from the SUV heads into the bakery behind me but jumps in front me and starts talking to the cashier. “OmG tHiS pLaCe iS BeAuTiFuL i CaN’t BeLiEvE i’Ve NeVeR bEeN iN HeRe!” She then berates the cashier because the owner isn’t in and she wants to partially pay for a wedding cake and needs to talk to the owner. Cashier explains that that’s totally fine and the owner doesn’t need to be there but the lady insists on talking to the owner…they get it sorted and the lady leaves. I get a pastry and sit at a table out front. SUV speeds off, circles the block and parks at the spot it sped out of when it almost hit me. A block away.
I’ve actually been wondering if there’s an app that uses IMUs/gyros/accelerometers to objectively measure a road’s condition. Would be a nice way to tell you how fucked the road is.
the DC department of transportation had an app in like 2009 that did this. you just put your phone in the cupholder or something and it would rattle itself to death and report back to the city.
Yes, there are. There’s also more advanced measurements using cameras and LIDAR to record particular surface issues. The datasets are sold to state DOTs. I think trucking companies are also interested in this sort of data, as road smoothness can make a significant enough difference in fuel economy that it can make it worthwhile to choose a longer smoother route.
There is a vast parking lot extending in front of and behind this vehicle and the guy decides to stop and look at his phone right here, blocking the Lakefront Trail.
So my new pet peeve when I’m out biking around is that drivers will haul ass up to a stop sign with the intention of running it, see me and slam on the brakes (after rolling way over the line), then give me this exasperated wave-through. It happens almost every day now. Don’t wave me through, asshole! I know where I’m supposed to be, and I know you almost ran me over! Don’t try to make it look like you’re doing me a favor by stopping when I’ve got right of way!
My favorite is when they try to give me the right of way. Two way stop, instead of rolling through they decide to be nice to me. I’m like you have illegal tints, I can’t see you waving, you’re missing a front plate and I grew up on a unicycle. I can wait here all day.
Two feet on the ground is probably the right approach. When I get stuck in one of these Mexican standoffs at a stop, I’ve always got my foot on the pedal and always seem to decide to take off right as they decide they are going to gun it.
