I used to love picking up relatives at National and driving them across the Potomac River. The views were always so breathtaking. The multiple low bridges crossing the river. The Kennedy Center, Jefferson Memorial, Memorial Bridge etc, etc etc. Today I took a ride on the path next to the Kennedy Center and crossed under Memorial Bridge to the historic sites and OMG! Everything is fenced off. So many historic landmarks in disrepair. Horrific fake gold statues. So many detours I had to get off the path countless times and even got lost once. Damaged trees. Why are there two gigantic pink stone American flags flanking the Lincoln Memorial? WTF! National Guard wielding camo and machine guns. Unbelievable and very very sad.

No matter what side of the political spectrum our past Presidents were on, they all took pride in at least keeping our nation’s capital beautiful. Trump has truly destroyed our home. This is so embarrassing.

Today, the bike Lanes would have been free of snow and my commute so much safer if all the snow from the road would not have been pushed to clear the way for the cars.

It is a one way street with a one way bike lane between tight traffic an parked cars. If you need to go east, take Hamilton St which is a block north and had a bike lane.

I know the people who do this are likely not to read this but it is my vent.

So I commute on K because despite the traffic and lack of bike lanes, it halves my commute time. I was cycling westbound on K St just over an hour ago when the light turned yellow while I was doing 20mph just a few feet into the K & 15th St intersection. Of course, a truck eastbound on K took this yellow light as their cue to floor the gas into a left turn onto 15th St, almost mowing me down in the process.

Thankfully, I had rotated my brake pads just yesterday. I managed to skid to a stop, avoiding the unfortunate fate of that cyclist this morning on I & 21st.

I sprinted after the truck until it hit a red light on M to speak to the driver, but he didn't roll down his window and drove off once the light turned green.

The last time I had an incident on K St, I was hit from behind by a driver speeding while buried in his phone. The cops said they couldn't do anything because I was unhurt and my bike was fine. I want to ask if I have to get killed for action to be taken, but even when cyclists in DC are killed, charges aren't filed. It's just infuriating. We've got over three times the traffic fatality rate of Mexico City; how much higher does that rate have to get before we get structural change in the way we treat cycling in this city?

I'm a stubborn son of a gun and I'll rightly take up the whole lane both because I can and because it's the safer option (but mostly because I can). Anywhere a bike isn't prohibited, I'm taking my damn bike. But no amount of stubbornness is going to have me weigh my safety below that of my obstinate scruples. I guess for now I'm going to be taking the longer 'bike friendly' commute, but it burns against every fiber of my being.

This is precisely the problem we face with bike lanes being installed where cyclists ride; we ride where we ride because we have to, not because that's just happenstance where cyclists love to ride. I've had this sentiment expressed over and over with cyclists that say they wish they had the guts to ride on the streets I ride. Any cyclist knows Florida and Massachusetts Ave are death traps because of idiot out-of-town drivers. Looking at poorly designed streets having relatively few cyclists on it and saying 'Welp, no need for better bike infrastructure here!' is either absurd mental acrobatics or sheer monumental stupidity.

Bike was locked on the street overnight two weeks ago and a thief made off with my saddle bag and front/tail lights.

Replaced the bag and lights and parked on the street again last night. Woke up to my bike sans bag.

Lesson learned but damn, people (who mess with bikes) are shitty!

And while we’re at it STOP GOING THE WRONG WAY DOWN BIKE LANES WHEN YOUR FUCKING LANE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SAME FUCKING STREET