Author Topic: On the commute today  (Read 2481868 times)

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20750 on: 30 May, 2019, 06:32:59 pm »
Further as a cycle courier word has gotten around about people finding us at stopped lights and mugging us, firstly of our smartphones (on the handlebars) and also of our cargo. Worse because Stuart require us to have £50 on us in cash to give to clients requesting a cash withdrawal there are accounts of knives being brandished at delivery cyclists demanding money. Being at a stopped light is an easy way of declaring yourself a target.

I don't carry the cash on me because I'm a loose cannon but that's not going to go down easily with someone wanting their smack fix in the next 30 minutes.

So far I've had moped drivers trying to mug me so I can account for it - tried to push me off the bike so they could set about me. Fortunately their first push didn't knock me over since I'm not a small chap and they bottled it and ran.

Reported it to the police, they didn't do shit. Our lives are worth nothing to the law so I don't see much point in slavishly following red lights when it just leaves me exposed.
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
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Ban cars.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20751 on: 30 May, 2019, 07:02:14 pm »
It is, perhaps, worth remembering, that the traffic light as we today know it, was created by a police officer in Detroit, Michigan in the 1920s.
The light turned red, and the traffic stopped.
Magic. Witchcraft. Or something else.
These days, you're in Sainos putting your comestibles through the self-checkout till when you hear "Unexpected Item in the bagging area" and immediately you are flitting about with your shopping as if you were a crim. Like Ray Winstone in Scum.
It's the same with the robotic voice on the Ginger Line - causing you to break into a sweat in the event that you're possibly not carrying a valid ticket or an Oyster card. A threat results.
Are you familiar with Skynet?
We're not so far away from it.
And what's more, is that we are actively encouraging it.
It won't end well.



Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20752 on: 30 May, 2019, 09:23:06 pm »
The cyclist counter on the Embankment is still borked.  Even at 19:45 today it was showing a grand total of ONE cyclist passing it.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20753 on: 30 May, 2019, 09:38:16 pm »
The cyclist counter on the Embankment is still borked.  Even at 19:45 today it was showing a grand total of ONE cyclist passing it.
That's so unlike the one I pass on Lea Bridge Road (Eastbound).
On fine weather days like today, when I pass it at ~07:10 it is showing 90 to 120 cyclists as having passed it.
In winter it rarely scores over 40 at that time of day.

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20754 on: 30 May, 2019, 10:06:26 pm »
The cyclist counter on the Embankment is still borked.  Even at 19:45 today it was showing a grand total of ONE cyclist passing it.
That's so unlike the one I pass on Lea Bridge Road (Eastbound).
On fine weather days like today, when I pass it at ~07:10 it is showing 90 to 120 cyclists as having passed it.
In winter it rarely scores over 40 at that time of day.

Last year, on any given nice summer day, the Embankment counter would show 10,000+.  On a day like today, it should be showing between 6k and 8k.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20755 on: 31 May, 2019, 10:05:01 am »
The cyclist counter on the Embankment is still borked.  Even at 19:45 today it was showing a grand total of ONE cyclist passing it.
That's so unlike the one I pass on Lea Bridge Road (Eastbound).
On fine weather days like today, when I pass it at ~07:10 it is showing 90 to 120 cyclists as having passed it.
In winter it rarely scores over 40 at that time of day.

Last year, on any given nice summer day, the Embankment counter would show 10,000+.  On a day like today, it should be showing between 6k and 8k.

Wow - thats loads !
I'm usually about ~22 of the day (morning commute) on the Clydebank counter. It shows around 13,000 for the year so far.

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20756 on: 04 June, 2019, 09:55:01 am »
This week I am mostly wearing the cyclist's cloak of invisibility, apparently  :demon:

ian

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20757 on: 04 June, 2019, 10:26:38 am »
Managed to get about 100m from home before the first twunt of the day came up right behind me at speed and started revving aggressively. It's a narrow road, parking on both side, barely a car width. I counted the delay to this driver: he had to slow down for four entire seconds before I could let him 'safely' pass. He passed with the signature revving and a deliberate millimetre clearance, evidently shouting something non-complimentary in my direction. No idea what, that doesn't work when the window is up.

Of course, I then caught up with him at the end of the road, and then passed as he sat waiting for traffic to get around the roundabout which hasn't magically appeared overnight and is, in fact, there every morning. He still seemed to be shouting something, but again, that still doesn't work when the window is closed. Fat man in a fat car. Anyway, I didn't feel the need to engage, there's no point wasting the effort. He got up angry, will probably go to bed angry. That's his problem. But still, no one should have to put up with this.

Then watched a small armada of cars pull out of a housing development and followed them to the station. Probably five minutes walk. Maybe six.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20758 on: 04 June, 2019, 10:40:13 am »
I simply consider the likelihood of such people keeling over with a premature heart attack. That, I feel, helps restore the balance.
Rust never sleeps

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20759 on: 04 June, 2019, 12:02:50 pm »
I simply consider the likelihood of such people keeling over with a premature heart attack. That, I feel, helps restore the balance.

As long as they're not driving at the time...

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20760 on: 04 June, 2019, 09:21:53 pm »
Oh, the other thing that was really annoying me: those little pedestrian islands that councils love popping into the middle of the road because they can't be arsed with proper crossings (or whatever sundry attempt they make at justification).

You know what's worse than pedestrian refuges?  (Which have a bollard each side, a gap in the middle level with the road surface, and dropped kerbs on either side of the road so pedestrians can access them.)

Traffic-enraging pinch-points that aren't even pedestrian refuges.  Like these bastards that were installed a couple of years ago opposite the Mega-Global BRITISH Chocolate Corporation of Bournville, Middle Earth:  https://goo.gl/maps/bufXcBfYbYEvUcz16  (A true pedestrian refuge is visible in the distance.)

You can imagine how much fun cycling up that hill became after they appeared.
Exactly what came to my mind!
I was proper middle class and wrote to my councilor about them, how on earth can I get my double pram across there?  .... glad I don't commute that road any more (the parallel road is nicer but slower).
simplicity, truth, equality, peace

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20761 on: 04 June, 2019, 09:24:50 pm »
In the deluge this evening saw a number of my two-wheeled bredrin commuting home without lights. 
1). Dynamo win
2). Removing mudguards and lights for summer commuting is for sukas
simplicity, truth, equality, peace

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20762 on: 04 June, 2019, 10:59:53 pm »
All the rules put in place on the road - and elsewhere, really - only work is everyone follows them. Otherwise the system quickly breaks down.
I used to live in Germany, where they would accuse you of being a child murderer if you crossed an empty road without the green man.  I think that we survive fine in the UK with jay-walking, it's not a problem that causes the system to break down.
The issue with cycling is that some rljing is equivalent to the $%& in cars blasting through the light that changed 3 seconds ago, but then some is no different from a pedestrian not waiting for the light to change.
simplicity, truth, equality, peace

Arno

  • Arno
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20763 on: 07 June, 2019, 08:36:39 pm »
Virgin media Van driver in this road today on the commute home https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5987604,0.0205641,3a,51.8y,242.24h,100.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s18AwyL45JUibanePaPWGeg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
YB13ZHM resulted me in shouting F..K as the road is quite narrow and he clearly didn't see me or pay attention. He swerved a bit  as he got startled to see me going the other way.
My shout made him stop, only to lecture me about not swearing at him (  I only swore once and felt it was justified given the fright he gave me). No apologies whatsoever for not paying attention or using a phone, not for talking but for looking at the screen.

Posted about this in the virgin media forums, but not sure if it will have any effect or what's the best course of action to take. Don't have a video, just a pic of his van and face post the incident.

Tail End Charlie

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20764 on: 07 June, 2019, 08:39:50 pm »
On Tuesday, on my commute, I saw a deer and a baby deer!!

ian

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20765 on: 07 June, 2019, 08:45:49 pm »
Virgin media Van driver in this road today on the commute home https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5987604,0.0205641,3a,51.8y,242.24h,100.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s18AwyL45JUibanePaPWGeg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
YB13ZHM resulted me in shouting F..K as the road is quite narrow and he clearly didn't see me or pay attention. He swerved a bit  as he got startled to see me going the other way.
My shout made him stop, only to lecture me about not swearing at him (  I only swore once and felt it was justified given the fright he gave me). No apologies whatsoever for not paying attention or using a phone, not for talking but for looking at the screen.

Posted about this in the virgin media forums, but not sure if it will have any effect or what's the best course of action to take. Don't have a video, just a pic of his van and face post the incident.

Call or write to them. It's not acceptable and they will know who the driver is. If he needs to use his phone in any capacity, then he should be parked.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20766 on: 08 June, 2019, 09:38:33 pm »
Call or write to them. It's not acceptable and they will know who the driver is. If he needs to use his phone in any capacity, then he should be parked.
There will be an online form or email on their website.  Do let them know, it helps you have the license plate #.
simplicity, truth, equality, peace

ian

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20767 on: 10 June, 2019, 09:17:49 am »
They usually track vehicles these days and or at least know what job they're on, and you get double points when they discover their driver isn't where they were supposed to be.

Most big organizations seem to take it seriously (the only ones who have been shit in my experience are National Rail and Uber). Smaller ones are a bit hit and miss. If they don't take it seriously, they don't get my business.

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20768 on: 10 June, 2019, 12:42:45 pm »
There are now 3 significant road closures in or near Derby. Traffic is going to be much worse than usual for weeks and even months (there are two big projects on). Obviously, I'm largely unaffected*, but I wonder how many of the cagers will consider cycling?

*Approaching one of the closed roads this morning was tricky: the drivers in front were taking different actions, some turning left (per the diversion), others ignoring the diversion signs and turning right to carry out an inappropriate u-turn, and yet others just stopping to look at the closed road, as though it might just vanish if they stared hard enough. Given this variety of approaches, I decided it was best not to try to go around left or right.
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Guy

  • Retired
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20769 on: 11 June, 2019, 09:30:37 am »
It was easy to tell which way the wind was blowing yesterday afternoon. When I got home the fronts of my shorts legs were wringing wet while the backs, and the saddlebag, were bone dry!
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20770 on: 13 June, 2019, 09:55:07 am »
I’m finding my commute to be pretty tiring and finding my enthusiasm for (week day) club rides has largely gone because of my 50km daily ride.  This didn’t seem to be the case when I was doing ~30km/day.   I’m certainly slower on chaingangs, I’m not especially bothered by this though.

But this mornings ride along the very quiet canal path in cool early morning is easily enough to convince me it’s worth it.  Not to mention hearing folks moaning about traffic in the office

ian

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20771 on: 13 June, 2019, 12:11:28 pm »
Yesterday evening was wet. Ocean-wide and abyssal-deep puddles. A reminder of how truly awful our roads are.

Anyway, cyclists of London, get some fucking mudguards.

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20772 on: 13 June, 2019, 12:24:58 pm »
Just had a call back from the fuzz 4 weeks after the incident. Insufficient evidence to prosecute, your word against his. The CCTV showing him veering into me deliberately wouldn't stand up in court. Maybe get a camera mate etc.
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20773 on: 13 June, 2019, 07:24:47 pm »
Yesterday evening was wet. Ocean-wide and abyssal-deep puddles. A reminder of how truly awful our roads are.

Anyway, cyclists of London, get some fucking mudguards.
Like I said, doppelgangers. And what really pisses me off is that they put on an extra spurt, just to get ahead, and then pull in about 4" in front of me. Bastards.
Rust never sleeps

ian

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20774 on: 13 June, 2019, 09:07:19 pm »
I confess I bailed from CS7 at the earliest opportunity for the Brixton-ward delights of the A23, there was more dirty water in the air than on the road. And yes, the zipping in front of me and then unleashed the torrent right into my face. Delightful.

Not many cyclists seem to make it past Brixton. I'm not sure if that's because they turn off or some strange dimension shift deposits them into a doorless branch of Foxtons for the rest of eternity.