Ride Home 3/17

I thought about sticking to trails the whole way so as to avoid potential drunk drivers (I have a real glass half-empty view today), but instead I went the usual way down New Mexico and though Georgtown. Traffic wasn't terrible and most drivers avoided blocking my path with their cars. The Key Bridge was full of people who don't know what a ringing bell means. It means "please move over". It doesn't mean "please don't react at all and cause me have to pass too closely after having to wait behind you for a little too long." I hate having to give dirty looks to people walking across the bridge who can see that I'm coming but still don't move over. You see that I'm coming. I'm not even going that fast. Wouldn't you move for a person walking? Seriously? I'm only looking for a little accommodation. Just a little assistance to that end would go a long way.
I avoided Wilson Boulevard in Arlington because it has something like 50 (okay, maybe 2) "Irish" pubs. I don't need to be blocked by drunk pedestrians in bike lanes. I took the Custis to Veitch to Key Boulevard. Key Boulevard, for all intents and purposes, is a bike boulevard. I ride it all the time and I'm almost never passed by a car. It's totally safe and I highly recommend it as a great pathway between Virginia Square and Courthouse.
Fairfax Drive has two lanes. I stopped to cross the street at the crosswalk at Oakland and a taxicab minivan flashed his lights indicating to me that he was stopping. He did, but the driver of the car three behind him decided to pull out into the other lane to try to speed around. Drivers, please pay attention. If someone in front of you is stopping near a cross walk, it's probably for a reason. Don't assume that the person stopping is an idiot who doesn't know how roads work. When you pull into the other lane to get around him, you should expect to see the reason why he stopped. In this case, it was me in the cross walk. I even yelled "STOP!" at the driver of the black Honda and I gave a "death stare" as I slowly (so very slowly) biked me away across the street. The driver of the Honda avoided eye contact and he was right to do so.