Tube strike, London

I'm all for people who don't normally cycle getting on their bikes and giving it a go, hopefully they'll stick at it. Most people looked wobbly but fine, I just didn't appreciate being run into.

This.

I try not to get all high and mighty about less experienced cyclists getting in my way on my roads, but if someone has such poor spacial awareness that they clonk my back wheel when I've been sitting stationary at the lights* for over a minute then they are a totally legitimate target for calling out.

*Happened to me today, and has happened on non-strike days too.

Some people would kill to be so popular.

What part of not undertaking is difficult to understand. Unless you know for sure everything is stationary for an extended amount of time. Don't do it.

You ever see someone get wedged by undertaking even at 10mph? It ain't fucking nice.

Agreed - when in doubt - stay back. I learned my lesson by getting wedged by a truck while on a motorbike.

However I choose to undertake on the bicycle whenever I believe it's safe to do so - and this is case I believed it was.

Wow, 5pm, the cars are already queuing

because exercising your right to industrial action is for poopy heads lol!

they've since 'apologised'

I think the RMT are going to slowly slide in to the pit of toothless decline after the tragic loss of Bob Crow. His interim replacement on the Today Show this morning got absolutely shafted.

It's not a hard argument to make, even. Closing ticket offices disproportionately effect those who require help the most, the elderly, disabled and new-in-town. Removing platform staff effects everyone's safety.

The people to blame, unfortunately, are the government. The budget shortfall that TFL are attempting to rectify comes as a direct response to the cut in Government and MOL funding.

TFL doesn't have a shortfall. It's sitting on huge cash reserves as a result of a failure to spend the money its been allocated year after year. This is why the hypocrisy of talking about saving £50m is so ridiculous. What it does have is a massive pension fund deficit. This is why they're so keen to see people out the door voluntarily, because it's much cheaper than keeping them on and paying their pensions 15-20 years down the road.

Tube strikes always baffle me. Some road users seem to find it justifiable to jump trafficlights on these particular days. To me it seems that the logic goes as such:

I am late.
It is not my fault.
It is the tube strike / someone else's false.
It is my right hence to not follow the rules.
And I feel justified to jump the traffic light whereas on normal days they would not.

There exists: Crazy talk!

^ as well as the logic of;
There are so many pedestrians, no-one will notice me mingling with them.

by normal service they mean that it is rammed full of cunts in suits like grain in a goose at any time you may need to actually use it.

that would have been me then, it was a nice relaxed trip from Tower Gateway over to Custom House on the DLR yesterday.

Just as I was crossing the road at Tower Bridge, Boris meandered past on his commuter, suited up, rucksack and a new bright yellow helmet to match his barnet.He was looking very pleased with himself.

My ride over from Leyton to the City was pretty much business as usual apart from the aforementioned Aldgate, which was chaos, but great to see such a mass of bikes on the road. On the way home I stopped to bask in the sunshine at the far end of the Olympic park and watch the traffic coming off the 102 fight it out. I'm quite looking forward to the same again next week.

Nobody paid any attention to the lights on the lambeth bridge roundabout on Tuesday night and so it became gridlocked with nobody able to move anywhere as all of the exits were blocked. Some chap on a motorbike got off and started directing traffic in the end and got everyone moving.

Are they at it again next week?

Yes but for three days instead of two. So after the bank holiday, then take the next three days off. They are having ACAS talks however so could be averted

Fuck. The noddergeddon has come early this year.

I had to go from Paddington to Shepherd's Bush yesterday afternoon. The traffic was so heavy there were times I got off the bike and pushed it down the pavement. By the time I got over the roundabout to the market, I had developed a cough from all the buses. Edgware road was good fun though.

Edgware road makes me feel like there's a tube strike everyday.

I had to go from Paddington to Shepherd's Bush yesterday afternoon. The traffic was so heavy there were times I got off the bike and pushed it down the pavement. By the time I got over the roundabout to the market, I had developed a cough from all the buses. Edgware road was good fun though.

The back-streets are the best way from Paddington when Holland Park Av is choca. And I never go via Shepherds Bush green any more. Addison road is where you want to be turning. Quiet, empty roads.

Bump in anticipation, if that's the right word

Actually can't wait for this, we've had tube strike days waved in front of us then snatched away so many times this year.

I'm going to be unbearably smug on the bike this Thursday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHn-g7T9f9A

Tomorrow is the one day in as long as I can remember that I actually need to use public transport as I have a day-long assessment in Moorgate and am required to be in a suit. I can't believe the timing and am going to miss that smug feeling.

I expect that my plan of getting the train an hour in advance of when I need to will tally in nicely with everyone else's steps to avoid a nightmare journey. A stressful start to an even more stressful day no doubt.

Day membership of a gym + bike

http://www.virginactive.co.uk/clubs/moorgate

Treat yourself and go for the Old Broad St one. I believe the term is "lush"

http://www.virginactive.co.uk/microsites/bank

Mystery shopped it one time. Was good.

Oxford Circus:

Our office pretty much emptied out at 16:00 even those who I know don't get the tube left. Pretty much only the people that cycle left.

Mmm. Everyone enjoying wearing their smug trousers this evening?

haha fucking hell - it's like the last chopper out of saigon.