Who's blasting through East Arlington MA with loud pipes?

[Karate.Snoopy]

Yesterday morning, heading out for a swim at 6:40, I was behind a bike that sounded the same, maybe the same bike, this time the rider was coolin' it, heading west on Mass. Ave., took the left on Lake. Then, just now, just before 6pm, walking back from the bank, I saw the same bike coming up one of the side streets -- black and green Ninja 250, could be the same bike, could be another one, in any case, thank you for taking it easy, and staying alive, all is forgiven, can we be friends?

Hunter becomes the hunted....

[RandyO]

I can come down and mix things up a bit

[PinHead]

Group ride!

[Rossco]

Guy was probably in a rush to get to the Scoop N' Scootery.

[whynot]

Hunter becomes the hunted....

We're friends now. Buddies.

Guy was probably in a rush to get to the Scoop N' Scootery.

Right down the street, I'll have to give 'em a try.

If you stop s guy with open pipes and say, "Can you take it easy? The baby is sleeping," they will do their damnedest to comply.
Learned this trick from the guy who ran Freeman's.

Even the kind of special snowflake that rides a completely unmuffled bike.....

I did try to talk to the loud-pipe Harley guy who used to blast through the neighborhood, I waved to him to come over, he waved back, rolled the throttle on (grabbed a big handful as they say), the bike got 1000% louder and went maybe 1% faster. Harley.

[Garandman]

I did try to talk to the loud-pipe Harley guy who used to blast through the neighborhood, I waved to him to come over, he waved back, rolled the throttle on (grabbed a big handful as they say), the bike got 1000% louder and went maybe 1% faster. Harley.

We had a guy who used to ride through at between 3:53 and 4:00am every morning with open pipes. I flagged him down one morning.
"Can you take it easy? You wake up my kids every morning."
"Are you serious?"
"Do you think I'd be standing here, barefoot at 3:55am if I wasn't serious?"

He now takes a different route. I know this because we can still hear him even though it's 0.2 mile away.

[whynot]

Loud pipe update:

Well it turns out after all that there are two loud-pipe Ninjas commuting through the neighborhood these days. The reasonable Ninja I wrote about is black with green accents. Today at 6:48pm the unreasonable Ninja blasted through -- green with black accents. Risky business, full throttle in a built up area like this, a curb cut every 20 feet ... cars that drive the wrong way on the one-ways ... .

[cdovego]

Now that he's been properly identified, what's your next move?

[carsick]

Now that he's been properly identified, what's your next move?

Steal his bike?

[whynot]

Now that he's been properly identified, what's your next move?

Taking a cue from Garandaman, I'll start hangin' on the corner at the stop sign at 6:45pm, to see if I can talk to him, maybe take a pic and get the plate number.

Or, I could ask The Ethicist - The New York Times *

... explaining the situation, and asking, should I:

a) Talk to him?
b) Take a picture?
c) Get the plate number?
d) Report him to the APD? or
e) Do nothing, and let Darwinian nature take its course.


* Scroll down on this site, some of the questions are priceless, like "You’re Going to Sell Your Home. Should You Mention the Snakes?"

[MoXzilla]

1) talk to him (if ass hat go to 2)
2)take pic (if he decides to keep coming around go to 3)
3) Report to APB.

My vote.

[number9]

Steal his bike?

Fuck his wife?

[cdovego]

Perhaps stand on the corner with a checkered flag to wave when he goes by?

[Tekime]

This reminds me of a story that I just made up.

Some time ago a man lived in a relatively quiet and small neighborhood. Over the years the neighborhood grew, homes were built, stores were erected. Decades passed, and the town became a bustling city. With little forest left to explore and city blocks stretching into the distance, the children of the neighborhood had taken to playing in the park by his house. When once he woke up to the tranquility of the morning breeze, now he was greeted with a cacaphony of screams and laughter from the pack of children who gathered outside. Morning after morning this grated on his nerves, the memories of peaceful mornings replaced by the shouts and racket of these unsupervised brats. Some mornings it was just a game of tag, other days they would recklessly race their bicycles over homemade jumps or engage in a rowdy game of baseball. Having had enough, the man became possessed to end this madness. (Certainly they were a danger to themselves, climbing those old trees and carelessly riding their bicycles right out into the street!) He gathered himself and approached parents, rallied the neighborhood and organized the town council to ensure the safety of these youngsters. It wasn't easy, but eventually the crowd dwindled, signs were posted, fenced erected, and parents kept their young ones at home for fear of being considered irresponsible parents. At last, he sighed, he would have his tranquil mornings. For a time it brought him great joy. No longer would he awake to the terrible sounds of laughter drifting through his window. He could live out his days alone and in peace, untortured by the poignant reminder of his own youth that had escaped him long ago. Time passed, and the warm embrace of life slowly slipped away. A day came that he enjoyed his tea as he had so many mornings before, but this day was different. The tea was tasteless; the silence oppressive. His ragged breaths drew sharper as he felt the end approach, an eternal quiet that would carry him down into the darkness. He had never felt so alone. He strained his eyes toward the window, but the street was empty, the park long abandoned. A muffled creak from a rusted hinge reached his ears as a battered sign swayed in the breeze, its words "Keep Out" faded by time and barely readable. He closed his eyes and his mind wandered to distant years, of his own youth; not just living, but being alive. The sound of laughter and childish shouts filled his mind, and as his final breath escaped his lips, a smile touched his face. His last breath, his last smile, a fitting end to the last life he would lead.

Was that too dramatic? lol

Not implying you want to shut down the local park of course. Still have no idea where this shit is coming from. But I'm always afraid I'll be that guy, who chases life away.

If you think Unreasonable Ninja is actually a significant danger to other people, or he's blasting through in the middle of the night and obviously breaking some laws, try to get his attention like others have mentioned.

Another thought is to approach local businesses on that stretch and ask them to put up some signs:

yard sign slow down - Google Search

If he's still going WOT on a crowded street past a dozen fluorescent signs he just might be a dick. Then you can fuck his wife with a clear conscience.

[whynot]

This reminds me of a story that I just made up.

Another good story, and I like the signs, especially the little green man. Lots of kids around here, an elementary school and two playgrounds close by, playing fields, Minuteman rail trail, lots of pizza shops, movie theater ("Walk to everything!"). Kids are fine. Except the incessant screamers, but it seems that they have moved away, or have been institutionalized.

The speedy Ninja yute ("youth") is a danger to himself, I think, and to the kids -- and old folks -- around here.

Here's another example of a hazard, this happened on one the side streets frequently used for cutting through the neighborhood. Somehow this driver was not injured, apparently he rounded a corner while on his phone looking for a gas station, struck the tree a glancing blow and dropped the car perfectly dead-center in the road. That's the driver speaking with the police officer, I believe he is demonstrating his phone searching technique. Police cited him for improper operation of a MV. Could have been worse.

[Tekime]

Wow. "See officer, I deleted the text I was sending during the crash before you arrived, clearly I was paying attention"

Yeah if it were a lonely stretch of road it'd be different... but with kids & pedestrians everywhere.. I'd get some signs up around town!

[carsick]

I thought this sign conveyed a clear message
Kingsport Times-News:
'Slow down or I will kill you': Hawkins man allegedly put oil on road to curb speeders

[PhilB]

I thought this sign conveyed a clear message
Kingsport Times-News:
'Slow down or I will kill you': Hawkins man allegedly put oil on road to curb speeders

That's not a very clear or coherent message. "You're going too fast and might crash, so I'm going to improve safety by making you crash" -- that makes no sense. That guy deserves a large truck parked in his living room.

PhilB

[Tekime]

Wow that's even worse than clotheslining trails. Anger issues much?

[Rossco]

Another good story, and I like the signs, especially the little green man. Lots of kids around here, an elementary school and two playgrounds close by, playing fields, Minuteman rail trail, lots of pizza shops, movie theater ("Walk to everything!"). Kids are fine. Except the incessant screamers, but it seems that they have moved away, or have been institutionalized.

The speedy Ninja yute ("youth") is a danger to himself, I think, and to the kids -- and old folks -- around here.

Here's another example of a hazard, this happened on one the side streets frequently used for cutting through the neighborhood. Somehow this driver was not injured, apparently he rounded a corner while on his phone looking for a gas station, struck the tree a glancing blow and dropped the car perfectly dead-center in the road. That's the driver speaking with the police officer, I believe he is demonstrating his phone searching technique. Police cited him for improper operation of a MV. Could have been worse.

Yikes! People are always blasting down Brooks Ave to skip the light and get on Mass at Chandler or Melrose.

Speaking of pizza shops, have you tried Otto's? I was there today. Almost makes me get over losing the Comella's there.

[whynot]

Yikes! People are always blasting down Brooks Ave to skip the light and get on Mass at Chandler or Melrose.

Speaking of pizza shops, have you tried Otto's? I was there today. Almost makes me get over losing the Comella's there.

\\

Ah, so you know the area well. Haven't tried Otto's yet, but it looks good, while Comella's was hit-and-miss IMO. Have you tried Za? We went there on a Thursday evening, fun place, great pizza and salads, and some good brews. For coffee, there's Barismo.

Yes, the cut-through traffic is cutthroat, commuters tearing up the side streets, straight roads laid out in a grid. The town just spent millions to upgrade Mass. Ave. from the Cambridge line extending west for a mile, a vast improvement with lots of traffic-calming modifications. It helps. My old guy neighbor in his Crown Vic does his part, he comes and goes several times a day, proceeding at 7mph max!


PS -- send me a PM if you want to meet and share traffic horror stories and pizza.

[obsolete]

Toyota - Look Fast !!! very funny video !!! slow down this is a neighborhood !!! - YouTube

[PhilB]

I worked down there in 2013. I was at Shire Pharmaceuticals; they have a facility in Lexington, and a facility at Alewife. Had to go through that terrible intersection fairly often. Even on a bike it sucks. Y'all *need* to legalize lanesplitting.

PhilB

[whynot]

You understand then. The Mass. Ave. makeover changed everything, though. Mass. Ave. used to have two wide lanes, one in each direction, but drivers created four or five lanes -- madness. Now it has two lanes east and one lane west, so I don't think there's room for lanesplitting what with bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks. This independent blogger gives good views and some pics. May | 2016 | The Word on the Street
It's vast improvement and better all around. The pedestrian body count was just too much.

My own personal POV is that the state, or whoever has responsibility for the Alewife intersection of Route 2 and Route 16, is failing miserably, so commuters stream through Arlington to avoid it and get out to the 'burbs.

Something to look forward to:
The Mugar family (as in Star Markets) has been trying to fill and develop the wetlands they own at Alewife for the past 50 years. They have started a new push to build a huge commercial and residential development. The state has asked them not to apply for curb cuts and direct access to Route 2, so they are pursuing access through this already crowded neighborhood.
Coalition to Save the Mugar Wetlands | Facebook
Arlington, Massachusetts | YourArlington.com - Your news, your views - Coalition seeks to preserve Mugar site from development
... and so on ...

[PhilB]

There's plenty of room for lanespiltting there.

I used to end up going down Mass. Ave. all the way from there to MIT fairly often, to get a good dinner and/or to attend a concert at MIT. It was chaotic, but mostly moved. Haven't been down there in a while; it would be interesting to see if traffic flow has improved, or if it has been sacrificed for pedestrian convenience -- the articles aren't clear on that.

PhilB