This morning's commute and other commuting stories

We're a funny bunch us Londoners.

I used to have a casual commuting buddy (Tom) when I was cycling between Paddington and Camberwell (his journey was Kilburn to Lambeth). We mostly chatted about piss poor driving (I think our first interaction was when a tour bus tried to take me out on Buckingham Palace Road), and we only crossed paths infrequently, but it's something I miss that I don't have on my busier, but less friendly torrington place route to the city now (I refuse to be friends with deck-shoe hybrid man, which is the only person I seem to see with regularity). Hopefully Sarah was just having a bad day. One of my friends actually met her future husband riding around Parliment Square.

Does he know that he's the future husband yet, or it the relationship aspirational?

ha ha, they got married, moved to Canada and have 3 children now.

...in 2026

BackBrake mountain

I greet her with a "We really must stop meeting like this." and a smile

People can take that as a chat-up line, given that it's usually used as a chat-up line.

Just wait until you cross paths again and continue being cheery and nice. People soon learn that you're only interested in being a friendly human being, that you're not seeking a tumble in the bushes.

I locked up my bike the other day and when threading my lock through the space between the bike opposite and the bike stand I brushed the bike's tyre and felt it was very low, much too low for safe riding. This was on 25s on a fairly rubbish single-speed bike. I went into a shop and when I came out again saw that the owner was just about to ride off, so I said 'excuse me' and told her that she should pump up her tyres and, er, the reason why I knew was because I'd touched her bike and, er ... I didn't get to tell her that it was safety I was concerned about, as she rode off fairly quickly. I can't think why ... #csb #embarrassingmoments

not seeking a tumble in the bushes.

Unless you are seeking a tumble in the bushes

This joke is giving me a tumbleweed in the bushes.

And in response you make a much worse one? I'm not familiar with this game

gone with the (tail)wind

Cheer up guv.

This is me cheery, I'm northern.

Bet if you were to measure cheeriness among London commuters cyclists would wipe the floor with everyone else (even taking into account our stories of rubbish driving).

I shall continue being cheery and chatty.

I have befriended way more fellow cyclist commuters than I have tube ones. #csb

I have befriended way more fellow cyclist commuters

Do they know?

Well, they say hello before riding off quickly, so that counts in my books.

By that logic Sarah and I are now happily married.

Who says romance is dead?

I assumed from this, "On the same route, I greet her with a "We really must stop meeting like this." and a smile, but alas she's clearly not interested", that that was the aim...

Can I be innocently chatty without precluding the possibility of future tumbles? I'd like to be that.

Bit late to the party but Brakeless in the Saddle, surely?

Brakeless in... er... Seattle?

I sometimes acknowledge people with a smile if we keep ending up at the same lights, or see each other on the commute a few times. Sometimes a bloke does take it as an invitation. Then I have to worry about avoiding him on the commute for a while, or whether I need to take a detour home so he doesn't follow me.

So I can totally understand why she's not comfortable. It's not about you, it's about not wanting to get into a situation which is at best uncomfortable and at worst dangerous.

Andy Serkis on Russell Square this morning