This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Was one this morning out the back of the Moorgate M&S. A little nonplussed to see the offices either side of us evacuate whilst we stayed put...

Cycling I don't mind, head down looking at their fucking phone whilst plodding along middle of carriage drive on the other hand...

@hippy in lycra?

I am literally in a pub this second having been evacuated from the building...

Phew, safe then. And drinking beer. Double phew

Positive one from me today. I was filtering down the right of some traffic and a van driver did a signal (a hand signal out of his window) to warn me of a car pulling out of a side road on the left of the queue (which I couldn't see because of his van).

I stopped, car pulled out safely, everybody was happy.

Good signalling, Mr Van Driver.

Someone did that for me the other day. Also yesterday someone move their car slightly to the right to allow me to filter.

Occasionally people in this city are nice.

They probably see you as a bit of an easy rider.

[grumbling intensifies]

A van driver beeped at another driver the other day as he was pulling out of a junction, which would've resulted in wiping me out if he hadn't.. It was just before morning rush hour, evening rush hour was a very different experience.

So much love on this page.

Fuck off

Had a weird one this morning. This guy in a sh**e 20 year old Ford Fiesta (R359 EWR for those who may be interested) between New Cross and Surrey Canal Road honestly the angriest driver I've ever experienced. Sat behind a van at a set of lights, he comes up behind me and starts mashing on his horn, revving and bumping towards my back wheel, I hadn't seen him before on the journey so just ignored him, cycled on and turned off down towards Q1. 2 Minutes later I'm waiting at the ped crossing from Fordham Park and who do I see waiting at that red light behind 5 cars? The same guy, leaning on his horn again. Then I go through Folkestone Gardens and guess who's waiting at the junction to Surrey Canal Road, leaning on his horn? When he turns onto the road he drives fairly normally then turns off into a Screwfix Direct. Not exactly a life/death situation where you need to be revving and gnashing to get there quickly, but so much aggression! Anybody had anything like this before, seen a driver consistently on the verge of bursting a vein for about 10 minutes in multiple different environments?

hsahahaha, yes! I was in the car with him tho, not the fiesta in your story (lpg chev estate) but literally every junction, not even lights just if we had to stop cos well, you know, roads he would lose his shit.

How do people like that make it through the day?

Statins, usually

hah!
He is a bit of a drinker, or was then. Won't touch it now, probably even worse ont roads.

I'm sure they can make it through the day (just about) but dread to think what the extra stress is doing to them long term. Sounds like anger management issues, so it'd be great if they sought out professional help and spared everyone else having to share the roads with them while they're so unstable.

On the flip side I imagine they'll actually be paying attention, rather than the more chill types who always have their phone on their laps / in their hand.

On the flip side I imagine they'll actually be paying attention, rather than the more chill types who always have their phone on their laps / in their hand.

Yeah that's a good point! Although that impatient swerve + burst of acceleration just after whatever has made them slow down or stop has moved out the way - i see that a lot and I've seen it come very close to causing nasty motorist on ped/cyclist accidents several times. Maybe they should just have a light on the top of their car that's their 'i'm angry' light. They can flash that light to show they're angry, rather than doing dangerous miming with their car to show it.

I work on the coner of Beak St and Upper James St in Soho and the traffic is shit house all day long. People just sit there leaning on their horns constantly when its not going to make one bit of difference to the red light at the intersection with Regent St.

It can be funny watching them get angier and angrier though. suckers

Conti GP4000's + heavy rain + unavoidable manhole cover = poo in the bibs this evening. Not sure how I managed to stay upright coming out of Canary Wharf. Roadie behind me congratulated me on managing to stay upright. They're great tyres in the dry but fuck me, they can >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the wet. Are contis being shit in the wet a thing? Back to Vittorias for me I think.

Contis are shit, full stop. Why don't people listen to @hippy ?

Just been discussing the same thing in our club whatsapp group, everyone saying there are changing to Contis for winter.

DoUeven 4 seasons? They're OK.

4Seasons use a softer rubber I think, for that reason.

I ride 2.3" vert ramp tyres for the Crr LOLs.