This morning's commute and other commuting stories

More cyclists = good. I'm sure of it. But there is still a large part of me that is looking forward to most of the Belloton sticking their bike back in the shed when the temp drops and the proper rain starts. So much undertaking, pushing to the front, jumping lights then immediately cutting across, swinging across two lanes of traffic because they've hugged the kerb and need to turn right. Selfish cunts, the lot of them.

I had a motorcyclist in the office wanting to extol the virtues of the lifesaver together with lots of generalisations about cycles. I let him get if off his chest and then offer my own bit of friendly advice, how about don't travel at double the speed limit all the fucking time!

I get that a lot with people who presumably are motioning for me to proceed, but don’t seem to understand that I can’t actually see them through the windscreen due to glare.

Called i guy a twat this morning for slicing me up and almost taking out my front wheel on the OKR. He actually apologised but then what followed was the most awkward 2 miles of us trying not to ride together but failing miserably.

I have no doubt that for motorcyclists, the 'lifesaver' is very important. I've always thought, though, that while for pedal cylists looking behind is important, too, 'lifesaver' is an overly dramatic expression when applied to cycling.

On my way home last night a group of middle aged woman looked at a guy on a bike without a helmet and said that's how you get hurt. Moments after nearly getting hit by a bus by ignoring the Red man on the pedestrian crossing! idiots

This since September. Unfortunately my mass is very little so I've taken the 'petty' line occasionally and stay closer to the bus when overtaking or deliberately wobbling closer to the edge of the pavement when arriving at or leaving the lights.

Working on acquiring a sense of calm, but it's taking it's time getting here.

I hate that. They seem to have no idea how scary that move is.

I had that with an Audi Q7 and the driver said the same thing. How are we to know that your going to actually stop... cunts all of them

It's similarly scary when oncoming right-turners do a partial turn and stop just short of your trajectory.

Makes me skittish.

"If you weren't driving like a bleached anus, we'd both be at our destinations quicker, fuck toad!"

Pure poetry.

Saw three Rapha slaves nearly get taken out by a left turning bus in Penge this lunchtime. Bus was indicating left but they were too busy discussing 'training peaks' to bother looking.

Then, going down Milkwood some woman cuts me up trying to overtake blind on a bend - so far so normal. About half a mile later a car of plainclothes plod decides to pull her over just as I'm in between the two cars. She slams on the anchors and pulls in prompting a nice little fishtail from me. Cheers plod, great timing.

They are a bugger aren't they? And, I might add, a lifetime sentence.

Anyone else see the load of road workers near Elephant and Castle gleefully telling cyclists to dismount on the small patch of shared pavement between Brandon St and Rodney Road this morning at about 0830? Clearly no reason for the dismount signs at all and totally pathetic seeing them pointlessly try to enforce it.

Was behind 2 guys going north on the cycle route from E&C to Blackfriars, they were running reds all the way up. Was amused to see them both get stopped by police cyclists near the Southwark tube station

One minute from home, car cuts across me to turn right and basically drives over my front wheel but carries on like nothing has happened. I catch up to him and stop him, he says 'sorry I didn't see you.' 'What even when you hit me?' This guy was too stoned he could barely see the road. Luckily my GoPro broke earlier this week so I have none of it on tape.

Peckham.

It's similarly scary when oncoming right-turners do a partial turn and stop just short of your trajectory.

Makes me skittish.

Me too, I've had drivers actually follow through with the manoeuvre twice. Once I hit the deck (due to grabbing too much front brake) resulting in a trip to A&E, the other was a few months later and I managed to evade the car by hopping up on the pavement (the adrenaline and experience meant the driver was left in no doubt as to my views on his driving) .

Still nervous in this situation and tend to exaggeratedly look at the drivers face and just be ready for them to do something stupid.

the adrenaline and experience meant the driver was left in no doubt as to my views on his driving

Heh.

Still nervous in this situation and tend to exaggeratedly look at the drivers face and just be ready for them to do something stupid.

Yea I do this as well. I literally stare at them if I can, not because I'm challenging them, but because I want them to see me and remind them I'm a person too.

had some galloping chucklefuck decide that executing an angry three point turn out of her parking space when i was about 5 metres from where the bonnet of her shitty little saxo would be 0.5 of a second later was a capital idea.

"get a car!" was her witty retort.

quite.

Actually had to bang on the door of a bus to stop him squishing me in the Oval Bus Trap (tm) this morning.

Heading south on Boleyn road this morning I just got caught by the lights at Crossway, think oh well and settle in for a 3 minute wait for my turn to come back around. After about a minute a driver arrives from opposite direction, decides they can't be arsed, so has a look around and goes straight through the red, clear as day.

Bloody drivers jumping lights, insurance, helmets, etc.

I remember a few years ago I was going down Wood Street on an icy night (yes I had lights on) and saw a car waiting to turn right across me. I locked eyes with him and was staring at him for a good five seconds as I approached and he STILL pulled in front of me with no time to spare so I went straight into the side of him, then he swiftly drove off as I picked myself up. I remember his jowly face but seems he just saw a featureless blob.

Catching cunt's city driver's eyes is a good idea... I'm still prepared to stop/evade though as I find that half of them aren't looking where they're going.