Biking in Ames... some more

You know what makes me mad? Well, yes, a lot of things. But one thing that gets me steaming is people who pull through crosswalks at intersections. Even worse is when they aren't even turning on red, so just sit there in front of me.

Incident 1: Guy pulls through a crosswalk. He sees me coming and backs up. He doesn't get glared at, even gets a wave.

Incident 2: Lady pulls through crosswalk. I glare as I am forced to swing wide either in front (if there is enough room and they see me) or behind. Even worse is when I'm forced to get off my bike and hike it onto the curb.

Incident 3: Guys pull through crosswalk and block it so completely that I can't get to the other side. I sit on the sidewalk and glare.

Incident 4: Cyride bus pulls through crosswalk and isn't turning. The light changes, and I only know by the pattern that it is a walk sign, because I can't even see it behind the bus. I have to swing wide in front of the bus. I write an email to Cyride telling them to remind their drivers not to do that.

Incident 5: This is typical of right-on-red and right-at-stop-sign turners, and I always have to watch to make sure they see me before I go in front of them. But anyway, I was waiting at a crosswalk for a light to change. It changes to red and I get the walk sign, but the lady driving up is a right-on-red turner and she doesn't even stop. She doesn't look at me once, sitting right there waiting to cross, she just looks at oncoming traffic, and while she slows, she doesn't stop. Failure to stop at the line on a red, failure to look for pedestrians (who have the right of way), failure to yield. I was mad for another half an hour. If I had just started crossing when I got my walk light, I would have been hit, because she clearly has a blind spot big enough for a girl on a bike.

Ugh! I'm following the rules, waiting at crosswalks for my light to change and I still have to watch like a hawk to keep from being hit by drivers who aren't paying any attention. I'd win the court case, but I'd lose the game of chicken.