This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Pretty bleak outlook, but more than likely true. At least the evidence points in that direction.

The old "In this country you don't have to indicate when turning left!" driver. Oh how I love thee.

wrestling to death in the gutter

In.

This is what I've actually been doing. My knuckles are thanking me.

Camera the fuck up. When they get fined or fucked on their next insurance bill, they might actually have a little thinkie about their driving. Hit pockets, not panels.

Almost got taken out this morning as I took a bike path to cut out a set of lights as I was late for the gym. Ended up riding quite a long way along it waiting for a gap. Didn't get a gap to move onto the road but did get a fuckwit almost drive into me as even with my blazing front light they appeared oblivious to the bike path they were crossing. Skimmed around bonnet. Did get apologetic wave.

Literally exactly this. Road swings right but literally on the corner there is a left turn that most people take as a straight on. To be fair I should have known the prick was going to do this.

Yeah I wish it was different, and I'm as glad as anyone could be every time there is any kind of movement in the right direction, but sometimes it's worth taking a step back. Because that's when you realise you've grown so accustomed to the shitty environment you're in that you're actually starting to see the most minimal improvement as a big deal. Basically, this is the situation of the beggar who is starting to be genuinely grateful for the nobleman throwing him some crumbs, as if the situation wasn't massively fucked to begin with.

I've lived, cycled and commuted in a number of different towns in different countries now, and despite people acting as if good urban planning was some kind of deep mystery, in a lot of cases it is super obvious what should be done, or at least what some definitely positive steps would be. But there is simply no political will to actually force that to happen, because god forbid you upset the status quo. Never mind all the climate change and air pollution crap, where will we be if cars aren't being used as the measure of all things anymore? For the ones who understand German: freie Fahrt für freie Bürger!

Yeah I was just being facetious. Cunts gonna cunt regardless.

Well, yes, if you give away free burgers you are going to get a lot of free farts.

Ride home last night was 100% better for having mudguards on minus 50% for three separate close passes by black cabs (at least one deliberate and utterly unnecessary).

.

He sounds like a hot-air merchant, but I don't blame him for not stopping when told to do so by an angry person, presumably purely for a pointless confrontation.

Not pointless if you decide to say some random bullshit to someone then be prepared for it go to further otherwise what is the point in saying anything.
I really just wanted an explanation as to what his point was and what he hoped to achieve.

So someone told you it wasn't a race, which is pretty lame, and your response was to offer him out? Classy.

I had a small man in a big van pull in front of me and stop because I banged on his van as he overtook me through a pinch point leaving about 3 inches between my bars and his box.
Saw him through the mirror opening his door and hopping out. This is always an intimidation manoeuvre so I got off, propped my bike against a wall and waited for him to come round his van. I’m 6”2 when not in heels and he quickly realised his mistake, got back in his van and muttered I was an arsehole. I didn’t raise my voice, just told him it was a 20 zone and that I was doing just over 20 so he had no need to overtake.
He passed me further down the road leaving frankly an unnecessarily large gap between us. I don’t know what this means. He realised he was wrong?
Anyway, I’m done letting motorists intimidate me

sometimes you just have to suck it up and apologise for putting them in a spot (from their perspective). Not everyone is as confident as you are on the road. And... of course... we all want to think we're being super-considerate on the commute (except Douche Canyon Guy who can GTF, but I am seeing a psych about that one).

I think his quacking hand was probably about not being too into hearing your justification for riding the way you did and you weren't going to change his view, soooo...

Took my dog in his backpack for a spin around Regents this morning before my commute, you wouldn't believe how considerate all drivers were when passing.

Drivers seem happy to kill a cyclist when it's just a person, but add a dog in a backpack and all of a sudden it humanises the cyclist. Go figure.

Sounds like he was so annoyed at not winning the race, he wanted you to understand that it wasn't a race.

My three year old often shouts this at my 5 year old as the elder one goes flying by.

Jokes on you though cos he did win the race in the end, sneaking through that red light. Don't let him catch you out like that next time.

First long ass new commute where it hasn't been raining/dark/crazily congested/tyres at 20psi.
Cycling in the suburbs can actually be pretty nice!

Slightly worried that the drivers were actually more worried about killing the cute dog rather than the cyclist being humanised.

Got to ride to Croydon Uni hospital this morning for a scan, going in civvies so I got the wife’s Trek 7.4 hybrid out (she’s only an inch shorter than me) and pumped the tyres up. Just about to leave and the front lets go without warning. Rusty old pub bike it is, then.

True. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Really? I'm absolutely sure they were more worried about the dog.

He passed me further down the road leaving frankly an unnecessarily large gap between us. I don’t know what this means. He realised he was wrong?

apology pass?

Jokes on you though cos he did win the race in the end, sneaking through that red light. Don't let him catch you out like that next time.

And if it is a race then you're allowed to RLJ.

#trufax