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@MultiGrooves
Been working in this job for quite some time and the frustration wears you down... I wish I didn't care so much but the stupidity/ignorance from all directions gets me down.
Two girls cycling yesterday, one deeply in the door zone, not looking at all comfortable and her friend talking her through what was going on the road. I offer a little advice as tactfully as I could. CUE: I'm listening but I don't think you're correct vibe + "well you're not wearing a helmet or high viz...."
Essentially suggesting any issues or scrapes I potentially get into are my fault. I couldn't be arsed with the I hope you're not wearing a skirt in the event of your sexual attack. Or asking how much helmet or viz helps when you have your torso wrapped around the rear axle of a 20T lorry.
I've lost count of the numbers of people I've explained deeply about the benefits of training only for them to say, "Yeah, I might think about it."
These conversations usually start off the back of them complaining about a road layout or dangerous situation occurring on their ride/commute. Not that holding a license is a road safety panacea but there are more and more cyclists that have had no formal training for using the roads and it's showing.
From the other side I did a DR Bike at Vauxhall Cross...I didn't think it possible to make an already terrible junction worse. I don't claim any sense of pride or moral victory but if it doesn't change from what I saw yesterday someone will be seriously injured there.
They're in the process of adding a physical segregation for those going Southbound as well as a cut through for those travelling from East wanting to go Southbound into the segregated bit.
The old layout is the top the new is the lower one.
What struck me was how few cyclists at rush hour were were going South in comparison to those going West in both cases coming from East by a ratio of at least 20:1.
That means those going West from East have even less space to do so with a matter of zero dedicated space between them and motorists either turning left or going straight on. The cycle lane is enclosed by hatched lines (not solid) meaning motorised vehicles can use it...and they did.
It a complete bottleneck atm with no prioritisation on the junction. Who goes first? Left turners or those going straight on? I don't think anyone else knew either!
Skin Vs metal = one winner. Cyclists aren't the only victim here, drivers suffer stress from the density of traffic and not wanting to harm vulnerable others.
The number of horns blasting, aggro and near misses was horrible to see. Again I ask the question of those in the DfT:
How many of you making these cycling decisions live in London and cycle here on a regular basis?
If I were on twitter I'd have started the hash tag: Will you buy me grapes (if I'm injured)?
[I don't quite get twitter]
It felt like the triangle section of pavement between the east and south section should be made smaller to allow a dedicated space for those turning left with west bounders on their right hand side able to go straight on.