Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Parents Incensed by Capital Bikeshare Riders


Hi, Yupette,

What is it about Capital Bikeshare? Indeed, it's corporate motto should be "Safety Last".

Was pushing my kid's stroller down the sidewalk last week and was brushed aside by not one but three people on Capital Bikeshare bicycles. If they had been going a little faster I would not have had time to get the stroller out of their way. Of course they were not wearing helmets, I've only seen a few people riding Bikeshare bicycles who do.

What is the attraction of riding bicycles on sidewalks when there are trails and marked lanes parallel to the sidewalks, e.g., on Walter Reed Drive? Who is telling bicyclists to stay 3 feet from pedestrians? No one!

Some Bikeshare Bozo hits me when I'm walking on a sidewalk I'm suing Capital Bikeshare. BTW, I see it didn't take long for moped owners to clean up their act now that mopeds have to be licensed. Time to license bicycles, starting with Capital Bikeshare.

Julie, 22206

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Know who's behind Capital Bikeshare? Arlington County Democratic Committee VIPs. So don't waste your time complaining to your Democratic 'precinct facilitator' aka ward heeler.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe the Arlington Police Department. Several pedestrians have been seriously hurt by bicyclists this summer, one was a hit-and-run, and the police say and do nothing. Does the Police Department even own bicycles anymore?

Anonymous said...

It gets worse, Julie. Guess how people who are convicted of DWI and lose their driver's licenses get to the pub crawl?

Anonymous said...

Cops are too busy supervising pub crawls to do any significant community policing.

Anonymous said...

Julie, did you know that the County Board approved two new bikeshare stations last week in high traffic pedestrian plazas, at TJ Middle School and at Courthouse Plaza?

Anonymous said...

Capital Bikeshare obviously tolerates reckless behavior by those who rent its bicycles because I see Capital Bikeshare employees doing maintenance on the Bikesahre stations while Bikeshare riders are riding recklessly.

Anonymous said...

Know why they are riding on the sidewalks? Because Capital Bikeshare will rent a bicycle to anyone with a credit card, including tourists who haven't ridden a bicycle in decades.

Anonymous said...

So ACDC VIPs are behind Capital Bikeshare? Explains why there is no enforcement by the police and no concern expressed by Bikeshare about streetcar tracks on the Pike.

Anonymous said...

Capital Bikeshare is another group helping Jay Fisette do his "Neverland-on-the-Potomac" makeover.

Anonymous said...

County Board was warned last Thursday about allowing a bikeshare station to be constructed on Courthouse Plaza.

Anonymous said...

Obviously, if there are streetcar tracks on the Pike people are going to ride their bicycles on the sidewalks.

Pike Rider said...

What do you call a 35 year old tourist from Des Moines who hasn't ridden a bicycle in 20 years and rents a Bikeshare bicycle in the R-B Corridor?

An organ donor.

parent with stroller said...

License bicycles. Make helmets mandatory.

Anonymous said...

"Neverland-on-the-Potomac"? Soon there will be 12 (twelve) black box theaters in Arlington. Most owned by the County or, if not, heavily taxpayer-subsidized.

Anonymous said...

Second the motion for licensing bicycles and making wearing helmets mandatory.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting to see moped owners riding safely and sanely. Took what, a month since mopeds were required to be licensed?

Anonymous said...

Neverland-on-the-Potomac? Jay should retire from the CB to serve on the boards of all the pet special interests he funded with tax dollars.

stroller mom said...

Time for Mothers Against Bikeshare Bozos...MABB

Anonymous said...

Yes, license Capital Bikeshare bicycles.

Anonymous said...

Another reason we need a shake up in the Arlington Police Department. 'Community Policing' apparently means supervising pub crawls and festivals and responding to any and all complaints, mostly by older white people who don't want minorities in their neighborhoods.

2100 said...

Arlington Police did respond to reportx about a reckless bicyclist yesterday.

Anonymous said...

The cops should be pro-active on this. 'Cause if a DUI bicyclist hits a stroller on a sidewalk the parents are going to be very angry.

Lots of the bicyclists I see riding recklessly late in the day appear to have been drinking.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, if you are DWI on a Bikeshare bicycle and hit a pedestrian that could definitely ruin your day. Unless, of course, you are connected with the Arlington Democratic Committee.

Phil said...

Licensing bicycles (and requiring bicycle owners to have liability insurance)is the first solid step to recognizing bicycles as vehicles. It will also help protect the rights of pedestrians and enable law enforcement battle bike theft.

Anonymous said...

National Night Out is August 5th. Tell the cops who visit your neighborhood you want the most flagrant abuses of traffic laws by bicyclists stopped.

Anonymous said...

National Night Out? Cops show up in neighborhoods, talk to 'community leaders', leave, nothing changes.

Anonymous said...

Now that the County Board ameliorated the worst of the pub crawl abuses, will the police have the resources for community policing?

Something tells me no. ACPD loves being reactive. They don't want to talk to residents, only arrest them.

Anonymous said...

ACPD only wants to respond to 9-1-1 calls.

Anonymous said...

ACPD is so into cowboy policing it's frightening.

Anonymous said...

A year ago a young woman on a bicycle just ignored a traffic light and I slammed on the brakes and the car behind me rear-ended me, no serious damage. Not a Bikeshare bicycle, but if it were they would have heard from me and my attorney.

Anonymous said...

Bicycle and pedestrian safety aren't on ACPD's radar.

Anonymous said...

What happens when Fairfax County residents make all the important decisions in Arlington County.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone happen to know what happens if you are stopped at a traffic light and a bikester runs the light and hits your vehicle?

Anonymous said...

What can you expect? Bikesters are another special interest group County Government can't say no to.

Anonymous said...

If you are involved in an accident with a bicycle and are driving a motor vehicle the police presume you are at fault.

If you are a pedestrian and are hit by someone recklessly riding a bicycle the police will probably not be able to find who hit you.

Anonymous said...

Walking on the sidewalk and hit by a bikester riding a Capital Bikeshare bicycle? Sue Capital Bikeshare.

Anonymous said...

There is no police enforcement of traffic laws related to bicycles in Arlington because the Democratic Party's VIPs (Fisette, Hope, Howze, etc.) want the bikster-hipster vote, even though most of them don't vote.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you do a posting about the promises Hope and Howze are making to the urban hipsters about returning to the way things were when Zimmy was on the County Board?

Anonymous said...

Hey, Yupette,

The North Fairlington condo association had a big National Night Out event in front of its management office. About 6 Arlington cops stood there and watched vehicles, bicycles, and skateboards roll through the stop signs at the intersection of Abingdon and S. 29th St.

Poof of what I've always believed - County is run top to bottom by urban village idiots. How about a new topic?