Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2503060 times)

Pingu · « **Reply #9250 on:** 08 March, 2012, 01:23:57 pm »

Someonestanding on the pavement on Bedford Road holding a bird of prey - wtf

(Exotic looking bird, ~buzzard sized maybe a bit smaller, but not buzzard coloured)

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #9251 on:** 08 March, 2012, 01:26:02 pm »

This is my favourite time of year to commute home. I get to play my bicycle light game. To win I must arrive at home with my lights off. So far I have not won this year. The rules are simple. Watch cars passing you on the other side of the road. If there are ten cars in a row with lights on I must turn my lights on. If five cars in row pass me with lights off I may turn my lights back off. I have got as far as Groes-Faen a couple of times last week but I have been leaving work a little later this week.

benborp · « **Reply #9252 on:** 08 March, 2012, 02:48:24 pm »

Quote from: Pingu on 08 March, 2012, 01:23:57 pm

Someonestanding on the pavement on Bedford Road holding a bird of prey - wtf (Exotic looking bird, ~buzzard sized maybe a bit smaller, but not buzzard coloured)

Pigeon or seagull control? I've had to work where other birds are a danger and we've used a tethered bird of prey to scare or distract them away. Also in such circumstances it's usually difficult to drive straight to where the bird is needed.

benborp · « **Reply #9253 on:** 09 March, 2012, 01:08:40 am »

Fair amount of motor vehicle RLJ going on this afternoon on the way in to work. Mainly of the clueless numpty persuasion. One woman was so overwhelmed by the concept that the junction she was approaching was left turn only that she rolled through the red lights to check if it was really so. Yep, she couldn't turn right! So she stopped in the middle of the junction - fortunately I twigged that she was going to respond to the first glimmer of green that she next saw regardless of where it came from or what it was. I was proved right as the lights turned green for my arm of the junction and she drove on oblivious of the red lights still supposedly preventing her progress.
I could tell the u-turn was coming before she was aware that she was going to execute it as well.

When I saw the signs announcing the introduction of light controlled, alternate one way running at the toll booth on College Road, I wondered how drivers were going to cope with it. Today I found out. It melts their tiny little minds. The gate keeper was attempting to get two vehicles to reverse away from the barrier as I approached the red light. I stopped and then shouted for the driver following me to stop but she carried on through the light, into the yellow box junction and parked herself behind the two vehicles ahead. At this point the three vehicles attained what is known as 'cretinous mass', sometimes termed 'cretinous mess' so the gate keeper gave up on them and went to sort out the logjam from the other side. When the lights turned green I made my way forward, and quite politely asked her to pay more attention.
"Are you talking to ME?"
"Yes, yes I am. I'm asking you to obey red lights, understand box junctions and drive with a bit more care."
"Oh, and I suppose you stopped at the red light like a good little cyclist?" (more than a touch of sarcasm here, can you tell?)
"Yes I did." and I added something about trying to ride safely.
"Well, the red light's for him. He's organising it." at which point she waved her residents pass at the gatekeeper and absolved herself of probably absolutely everything.

The 133 bus driver wasn't clueless. He was tonking along at well over 40 and didn't have a hope of stopping in time.

It wasn't a bad ride in, the idiots were all quite easy to spot and steer clear of.

Ride home involved removing upturned 'roadworks' signs from the cycle lane on Dulwich Wood Park and then getting skimmed by boy racers through the roadworks. The roadworks are to install another traffic island pinch point a few yards after an already existing one. It's quite comfortable to cycle through the older island in secondary with cars passing. Not that it seems trouble free for the overtaking motorist. The road curves to the left and narrows considerably on the approach and obviously gives the impression that an overtake will be tight going by the hard acceleration and braking that often accompanies any pass. What amuses me is how, despite fairly desperate attempts to avoid doing so, most end up passing exactly as they reach the island. The new island though looks like it will be a squeeze. It will top off the exquisite diminuendo of cycling infrastructure that accompanies cyclists as they climb Dulwich Wood Park. At the base of the hill the road is straight and wide and has a mandatory cycle lane. As the road bends to the left it is artificially narrowed by hatching so the cycle lane becomes advisory. As the bend tightens and the road becomes steeper physical pinch points are introduced so therefore the cycle lane disappears completely. It's a beautiful thing. Almost as beautiful as the ~~left hook delivery~~ cycle lanes on the two roundabouts nearby.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #9254 on:** 09 March, 2012, 08:38:37 am »

bah. Broken chain. Bah.

Wendy · « **Reply #9255 on:** 09 March, 2012, 08:43:08 am »

Bit out an outrageous taxi red light runner yesterday, I was a bit taken aback as it was a particularly bad one. Oh, and a pushy driver *get the beep out of my way*, twice. Thank goodness for roadsafe...

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #9256 on:** 09 March, 2012, 08:54:32 am »

White van man who stayed way back behind me waiting at the lights on Grimston Bar roundabout, round the roundabout, off the exit onto the 166 and past all the traffic queueing in the other direction waiting to get onto the roundabout (since you have to ride quite wide there due to crappy road surface and very nasty subsided drains) and only passed me once the other lane was clear got a cheery wave and a big thank you.

As to the Network Rail van that was behind him.... well, yes, it is true that my arse has got a bit smaller of late. Good job really, because otherwise you'd have just about used my right hip to clean a stripe in the mud along the side of your van when you passed me. And I was going a good 20mph at the time, so I don't really want to think about what your speed was....

Basil · « **Reply #9257 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:08:00 am »

That was a brillian ride in.

Helped by the fact that I ~~was feeling really strong~~ had a good tail wind.
Only slightly marred by being a bit unlucky with lots of ped lights and having to get a bit skiddy when an oncoming car decided to right turn ~~through~~ across me. I suspect the car following had flashed him.

rower40 · « **Reply #9258 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:10:13 am »

I've evidently got a fat bum.
Emergency stop as a precaution because of a pedestrian about to cross the side-road that I was turning in to. (An almost-straight 'turn'; main road bends right, this road forks off slightly left) Then a bang and a tinkle noise, as the tensioning bolt in my Brooks saddle shears, and drops onto the tarmac.

I then ride to LBS, and home, standing up all the way. The LBS made a phone call, and have promised a replacement Brooks tensioning bolt on Monday.

Notsototalnewbie · « **Reply #9259 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:25:04 am »

Oh dear, rower, that sounds uncomfortable!

Had some minicab driver trying to offer me pearls of wisdom yesterday but I couldn’t hear what the hell he was saying from his box, it was unintelligible. Something about looking over my shoulder “darlin’”. I had indeed just looked over my shoulder and was well aware he was there; I suspect he was upset that he got stuck behind me for four seconds because there was a bus coming the other way and I deliberately hadn’t left him enough room to try any funny business.

This morning there was a huge beast of a Chelsea tractor thing being ticketed for something or other by a cycling police occifer. Something quite pleasing about that.

Feanor · « **Reply #9260 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:32:04 am »

Big HGV recovery truck passed me in a great hurry, too close, with a hoot of the horn.

40 mins later it hoves into view once more.
At the side of the road.
Tipped at 45 degrees onto it's side, with it's nearside wheels dangling in a deep ditch, and the thing grounded on it's underbelly.
Driver standing looking at it, scratching head.

Me: Smile and Wave.

clarion · « **Reply #9261 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:49:05 am »

Kamma

L CC · « **Reply #9262 on:** 09 March, 2012, 10:46:37 am »

No brolly today (forecast is for dry, and I had 2 full panniers) so I played at counting instead.

54 vehicles passed me before I lost count (at about half way), of which 16 were too close. I think the problem is that they're tailgaiting each other, so the first one is wide enough and the rest don't see what the first one is pulling out for.

Whatever the reason, I'm sick of it. Am very looking forward to a) A lanesy ride to my friend's from work b) The weekend and c) being successful in the ongoing job search.

Redlight · « **Reply #9263 on:** 09 March, 2012, 10:52:58 am »

Bizarre conversation with a black cab driver today. I'm on a two lane section of road, approaching a set of lights, in primary because there are parked cars almost all the way to the junction. Cabbie pulls alongside me, straddling both lanes...

Cabbie: where you going mate?
Me: Er, straight ahead at the lights
Cabbie: Well you should signal when you're pulling out
Me: I'm not pulling out, I'm going straight ahead, in a straight line
Cabbie: I ride a bike, you know

And drove off through the lights as they turned red.

citoyen · « **Reply #9264 on:** 09 March, 2012, 12:12:52 pm »

Quote from: Feanor on 09 March, 2012, 09:32:04 am

Big HGV recovery truck passed me in a great hurry, too close, with a hoot of the horn.

40 mins later it hoves into view once more.
At the side of the road.
Tipped at 45 degrees onto it's side, with it's nearside wheels dangling in a deep ditch, and the thing grounded on it's underbelly.
Driver standing looking at it, scratching head.

Me: Smile and Wave.

Jeez. I want to laugh, but can't help thinking that could have resulted in some very nasty collateral damage for some other innocent road user...

Lovely ride in for me this morning. Had the fast legs on again, and possibly a hint of wind assistance. Some chap was drafting me through North Dulwich so I stuck the afterburners on up Red Post Hill and left him for dead. It's not a steep or long hill (barely a hill at all, tbh) but there's still something very satisfying about comfortably holding >30km/h on an upward gradient.

On the stretch between Camberwell and Elephant & Castle, I was playing yo-yo with another chap who kept catching me at the lights. I nearly said something to him to the effect of "don't know why I bother going fast" but I was just enjoying the "interval training".

Then I surfed the green wave all the way through E&C. Which is nice.

d.

Riggers · « **Reply #9265 on:** 09 March, 2012, 12:22:11 pm »

Quote from: fboab on 09 March, 2012, 10:46:37 am

No brolly today (forecast is for dry, and I had 2 full panniers) so I played at counting instead.

54 vehicles passed me before I lost count (at about half way), of which 16 were too close. I think the problem is that they're tailgaiting each other, so the first one is wide enough and the rest don't see what the first one is pulling out for.

Whatever the reason, I'm sick of it. Am very looking forward to a) A lanesy ride to my friend's from work b) The weekend and c) being successful in the ongoing job search.

Getchayerself a 'lollipop' to stick out the side of the bike, I'd suggest. I haven't got one myself, but sometimes I make a mental note to buy one and stick it on m'mountain bike (m'commuter) when it happens to me, so it discourages those close calls.

L CC · « **Reply #9266 on:** 09 March, 2012, 12:31:36 pm »

I don't need a lollypop, I have a brolly.

(click to show/hide)

Next up- the broom.

tonycollinet · « **Reply #9267 on:** 09 March, 2012, 12:47:51 pm »

You need your brolly on permanently.

In other news: This morning big silver van man decides he doesn't need to see round the blind bend before overtaking, and met small car coming the other way. Now, to his credit, he didn't try to occupy the same space I was in by way of avoidance. However, he did force the driver coming the other way to climb the grass verge, and actually stop - to avoid a collision. Incredulous face of driver was a picture. Sometime after we had both passed, I heard her lean on the horn - probably just frustration, because there was no way SVM was going to hear by then.

I should have stopped to check she was OK - but I thought of that too late.

Pingu · « **Reply #9268 on:** 09 March, 2012, 03:07:59 pm »

Three cyclists waiting at an Aberdeen junction - that's Critical Mass 'round here

Pingu · « **Reply #9269 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:31:22 pm »

Quote from: Feanor on 09 March, 2012, 09:32:04 am

Big HGV recovery truck passed me in a great hurry, too close, with a hoot of the horn.

40 mins later it hoves into view once more.
At the side of the road.
Tipped at 45 degrees onto it's side, with it's nearside wheels dangling in a deep ditch, and the thing grounded on it's underbelly.
Driver standing looking at it, scratching head.

Me: Smile and Wave.

jogler · « **Reply #9270 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:43:19 pm »

Quote from: Feanor on 09 March, 2012, 09:32:04 am

Big HGV recovery truck passed me in a great hurry, too close, with a hoot of the horn.

40 mins later it hoves into view once more.
At the side of the road.
Tipped at 45 degrees onto it's side, with it's nearside wheels dangling in a deep ditch, and the thing grounded on it's underbelly.
Driver standing looking at it, scratching head.

Me: Smile and Wave.

See,there is a god.

matthew · « **Reply #9271 on:** 09 March, 2012, 09:49:23 pm »

Boab, can I suggest a seasonal variation, during the summer months you need to carry a pitch fork in a similar manner.

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #9272 on:** 10 March, 2012, 11:09:39 am »

Or a stick of welding rod with a flag on the end

(credit to whoever on here suggested it first).

Cycled in yesterday for the first time in two and a half weeks, a real noticable drop in fitness just in that time. Not helped by my ribs still not being quite right so I was sat funny and couldn't take very deep breaths.

Mood in the morning not helped by the following exchange with a numpty lorry driver (biggish lorry but rigid rather than articulated) at some traffic lights that stopped him after a far too close overtake:

Me: Could you give me a bit more space when overtaking?

Him: I couldn't, there was a car coming the other way.

Me: Well how about waiting to overtake until there isn't a car coming the other way, it's not difficult.

I then moved ahead of him as was stuck in the middle of the road.

Him: Well you shouldn't have sworn at me either (I had stuck two fingers up at the time of the pass)

Me: Don't put me in danger and I wouldn't have to would I?

Gah, was so angry, and it was right by work so didn't have time to work the anger and adrenaline out so was ranting round work for a good half hour. It's just so frustrating that people can think and act like that and I have no real defence against it.

And how can he compare putting me in danger to swearing, which doesn't even justify it any way as the swear came after the idiotic driving.

Still I'm going to SaferRoadsSussex (roadsafe equivalent) his registration at least, it's a shame his company polo shirt was rumpled or I'd report him to his employers too.

Wendy · « **Reply #9273 on:** 10 March, 2012, 11:13:55 am »

Welding rod? Piano wire from a model shop surely? It'll take a nice diagonal cut on the end too.

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #9274 on:** 10 March, 2012, 11:34:05 am »

I've heard welding rod would take paintwork out nicely, but sure piano wire is good too. And the advantage over and umbrella is it's lighter and should flex if struck rather than push you over.