This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Testament to the omnishambles the South Carriage Drive crossing at Hyde Park Corner now is; peds and fluros getting angsty at waiting for the lights to change start crossing against the lights only for a police van - no lights on - to barrel his way through, beeping his horn like those nobber cab drivers so fucking clueless to what counts as acceptable road behaviour.

Commute redeemed only by random non fluro commenting positively on my - ironically fluro - pink shoe laces.

I think the wind is making people a bit crazy. Lots of plain weird driving out there. Saw someone doing reps of college road on an e-bike last night. Fair play.

To the cunt flying up the inside of stationary traffic at 25 mph on a motorbike, after switching from tearing along the outside lane......

Yes, you do that and people are going to get in the way of you
Yes, you get off the bike and scream abuse in their face and how you'll "sort them out", they'll tell you to stop being so aggressive.
Yes, if every fifth word you utter is "cunt", people won't really bother listening to you.
Yes, you start jabbing them with a finger in the chest whilst telling them how you'll beat them up, they'll swipe your hand away and tell you to fuck off.

No, screaming I'M A WOMAN YOU CUNT I'LL SMASH YOU UP YOU HIT A WOMAN" doesn't count when you've done all of the above whilst wearing a helmet, face mask and dark glasses with a deep muffled voice that only gets used for yelling in peoples faces.

No, don't take it funny when people say "you ain't a woman?!? ......No, you aren't!"

And when people ride off cos they've had enough, don't then rev the motorbike up behind them at speed and punishment pass at 30.

Questionably a woman, but certainly NOT a lady.

Quite a scene.

High point of yesterdays commute, have to slow down whilst overtaking bus (to same speed as bus) because it's blocking my view of zebra crossing. White van comes up behind me beeping his horn. Get to next set of traffic lights and tell him I had to slow down or risk running over a pedestrian at the crossing. He responds by shouting 'get out of the middle of the road' at me about 5 times. I call him a cunt. He unbuckles his belt, turns off his engine and reaches for his door handle like he's about to get out and have a fight at a red light on Borough High Street, during rush hour, but then goes 'you know what mate, have a nice day' before doing his window up, putting his belt on and turning his engine back on again...

anger management/10

Two quite intriguing posts.

That would be so confusing to be on the receiving end. Should one be angry or not?!

Just remembered he's on probation?

I suspect his wife has probably had words in the past.

Questionably a woman, but certainly NOT a lady.

I suspect his wife has probably had words in the past.

Are you trying to rub people the wrong way or are you like this naturally?

I have my moments. Normally after someone's gotten off a motorbike and screamed in my face for a while, for no particular reason.

Oh, that makes it fine then, doesn't it...

Simply knowing you're offensive means it isn't a problem. How could I forget?!

Nevermind.

/end

It was weird, somehow felt he’d taken some sort of moral high ground in spite of being a dick followed by threatening to do something idiotic. Like he was doing me a favour by not getting out of his van and lamping me.

I call him a cunt.

This never, ever improves a situation.

They got kicked down last saturday too, but were fixed pretty quickly it seems. I don't mind them personally but it does suck a bit since it was an awesome place to fly down at early morning/late night.

Yeah regrettable but having tried to reasonably explain and getting shouted at repeatedly, it’s difficult not to lose your patience

Just blow them a kiss

So I'm a relatively novice cyclist and I tend to endanger myself more than others, and I am pretty receptive to learning from the mistakes I make that have endangered others( less so myself but I'm getting there). I've been shouted at, beeped at and even followed(and when it's my fault, I take it gracefully and move forward with my life, when its not i ignore and move on)but I've never felt like chasing after someone until yesterday.

I'm cycling down the riverside near canary wharf ( that bit just south of where it intersects with Cuba street) and there's a huge family all across my path, but the path opens out a little to my right (I'm going north). Instead of beeping past all these little children and getting them to move, I shoulder check and turn all the way into the little opening to go around them (slowly of course). I come out and I see a cyclist coming out from Cuba street and he's on his right, but I instinctively turn left because I assume he's going to also adjust. It was my mistake, sure, and it ends with him not adjusting and me hugging the river barrier for a close pass. It's not the worst thing but for some reason I got real infuriated as I hear the guy call me a cunt. I can see from his perspective it looks like i just came out from a blindspot without looking and curved into his path but it just felt so out of proportion.

I'm not really justifying myself, I definitely deserved a bit of ill will but it felt like too much. I'm glad I didn't do what I wanted which was to pull up and throw an open can of coke(i had some closed ones in my bag) in his face, but this is the first time I've ever been tempted to and the first time I've had to tell myself to stop after doing a u turn. I did shout at him to fuck off though.

Sorry for the lack of injustice in this story.

The whole post was tough going to understand, but it would appear they introduced their sex as part of the confrontation so commenting on it seems fair game no?

I call him a cunt.

This never, ever improves a situation.

I got real infuriated as I hear the guy call me a cunt.

See!

hook line and sinker

Pissing rain for 10 miles, got a thorough soaking and working out of an unfeasibly cold unfamiliar office which has meant I am only just warming up. No overshoes so sitting in soaking wet shoes and socks. Should have bought spare socks but no room in the bag for shoes.

Also I really need a waterproof jacket that is waterproof, or even doing a passable impression of it.

I rode very, very slowly in to the office.

I can see them being replaced with proper, concreted-in, anti motorcycle traps. As featured on parts of the Lea/ Walthamstow Marshes and around Thamesmead on the Thames Path.

AKA got out of bed at 10 and worked from home?