Yelling at sidewalk scooterists and cyclists
I'm sure this has been covered, but I guess this is probably for some level of catharsis that I'm posting about it here.
As a cyclist who commutes most days where there isn't black ice, I have started openly yelling at cyclists and scooterists to get off of the damn sidewalks, especially when they're doing 20 mph in a retail district.
Tonight while on my bike I yelled at a guy just CRUISING at full speed down a sidewalk next to me on Southport: "GET OFF THE SIDEWALK, YOU'RE A GROWN MAN! IT'S DANGEROUS FOR EVERYONE, AND FOR YOU". To my surprise and delight, he actually did get on the street at the next intersection, but this is a very rare reaction.
I yell at them when I'm running and they ring their bell behind me. I yell at them when I'm commuting and they are two grown-ass men cycling side by side on the sidewalk (not temporarily! and they are riding fast).
If you see me in your neighborhood on my bike on the street or walking or running on the sidewalk myself, I am the old man yelling at cloud.
Of course, no one who does this can handle criticism and immediately melts down and threatens to beat me up...but then I just ride away faster on the street.
I know cycling infrastructure in the U.S. is not ideal (and Chicago drivers are sometimes openly hostile), but it's still so much more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk by the numbers. And I get going to the sidewalk to make a left turn, or pulling off on the sidewalk to look something up, but riding at full speed for blocks and blocks, I am done with that. It sucks for everyone.
I wish there was a healthy way to express my frustration and change what I see as dangerous and selfish behavior.
Edit: For the record, I think scooters are great. I think e-bikes are great (mostly). We probably need more of both and fewer cars. My rant is just about not respecting the next level down (pedestrians) on their own designated rights-of-way (limited as they have become). Everyone who isn't driving is just jockeying for space mostly taken up by cars, who mostly cruise along with impunity and entitlement, but pedestrians still deserve respect by all.