This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Lol.

Own commute was slow but I enjoyed it. Should probably start to work on getting better/faster.

Hey so if someone is waiting for some furniture to be delivered, it might take a while, depending on whether the plan of letting some air out the tyres worked...

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Pretty misty this morning, visibility of less than a fifty metres up in Leeds.

Plenty of drivers doing stupid things as usual.

• Not feeling the need to put their lights on despite conditions.
  
• Pulling across the middle of a cross hatched section on amber even though there's no sign of cars ahead moving, blocking two lanes of a busy road.
  
• Turning left across me in the bike lane without indicating.
  
  

Bet it's really warm when I cycle home & I overheat riding in jeans. Definitely a Monday.

Hyperion means 'the high one'.....

Nomen est omen... ?

indeed :-)

Really unfortunate / stupid place to plug a tunnel in any case, this is quite a busy road during rush hour and it's already annoying enough that it is a single lane with cars from both sides trying to get through. Plus the cars driving up to the tunnel / bridge from either side had quite a difficult time trying to get themselves turned around as well... all round chaos.

Obviously, I got on the pavement and just slipped past...

I struggle to sympathise when a road gets blocked and people have to angrily wait in their cars. I always enjoy bin day on the one-way street I live on, that frequently gets used as a bit of a cut-through.

Yeah but I also struggle to sympathise with the driver of that lorry, which is clearly taller than 2.3m from any angle... he dun goofed for sure.

I always wonder what goes through the minds of drivers who manage to hit bridges. Obviously afterwards it's 'Oh fuck', but as they approach do they really think 'This might not work, but let's try anyway'?

I think 'white noise' is closer to the truth.

first cycle in from the gf's 1.6 miles of gentle coasting in the sun. Took my bike to hers especially for this. Spent yesterday clearing a shed to keep it dry and warm. Puncture at end of street, walked back. No repair stuff had to take car. Grumpy and annoyed at work today.

How difficult is it to deduct that putting a banner on the other side of a fence, to the side it needs to be read from, is not particularly clever.

/notexcusingthedriver

It says 'Low Bridge' on the top. The bridge outline is marked in black and yellow (that alone should get a driver of a large vehicle to go "wait a second, is there a reason to think I might not fit?"). The bridge is also clearly marked with the maximum height, in both human and imperial measurements. That sign, placed just in front of the bridge, is extra anyway.

And never mind all of that, someone driving a lorry like that should be very much aware that their vehicle might not fit in some places, so approaching any low-looking bridge they should be on the lookout for indications of the maximum height. I wouldn't blame them for driving up to the bridge and then having to awkwardly reverse out of it, but actually going for it, well...

Of course, all those actual road signs should make it clear enough. Although, I was purposefully ignoring all the highway approved indicators; I was just simply irked that some effort was obviously made to put up a gert big banner, then some pleb half assed the thing, basically rendering it pointless.

Oooh I see what you mean now. Yeah that is a bit annoying in itself.

I'm going to take a wild guess that they are exactly on the limit and if they had been right in the middle of the arch they might make it, may have even been that way before but the off center bollards and pavement are newer. Still not sure why you would risk it, usually not much more of a detour when in London.

if they had been right in the middle of the arch they might make it

I think the big shiny metal bollards on the right might try to argue that they wouldn't make it. I think they'd win too.

So nice to cycle home in whilst somewhat light.
Less nice that one specific motorist didn't seem to realise that cyclist in the ASL standing still(3 odd second after red light) is not a reason to stop what so ever. Luckily only a graze to elbow, shoulder and foot. The van side view mirror was less lucky.
Didn't get knocked off or anything but what the hell!
After 20 years of cycling in this town this is the weirdest incident I've had.

Apart from that cyclists and motorists where all good as they normally are.

The driver's probably a bridge exiteer and just went for it to see what would happen. You lot are all in league with 'Project Fear'. :)

Had a bizarre commute home last night. Going across Vauxhall gardens at just above walking speed when some women just veered wildly across the pavement pushing a pram, big lock up on bike and just nudged the pram but I honestly thought I’m going to clatter it and knock it over. Baby remained asleep Pram driver very apologetic admitted full fault. A colleague about two minutes behind me catches me up and is chatting “that woman just walked into you” etc when he managed to ride into a 40’ tall 3’ wide one of a pair, Black, metal column that’s been in place for years and fall over. After this initial 200 yards the remaining 7 miles was uneventful.

Woke up early to do some laps this morning, but realised that staying in bed and rewatching some Game of Thrones was much more important.

Took the road bike in any way for the first time this year - yeah, it might as well have pedalled itself. Looking forward to some warm this afternoon.

I'm going to take a wild guess that they are exactly on the limit and if they had been right in the middle of the arch they might make it

It's a very kind interpretation of what's going on, but I don't think so tbh. That lorry is just under 2m wide already - I don't have direct experience with lorry dimensions but it's no less wide than a modern Range Rover, and that's 1.98m without the mirrors. So its height is certainly beyond the 2.3m limit - my guess would be 2.5m minimum. I'm also pretty sure the max height on the bridge leaves a few inches breathing space anyway, for exactly the kind of person who thinks "I think I'm right on the limit, that should be fine, right".

(Also, the white markings on the top show which part the 2.3m refer to, the lorry is - just - within that area)

There's a good few inches breathing space. 7'9" is 2.36m for a start.

They may have used this route for years with no problems but small changes conspired to fuck them up.

It does look like the pavement on the right has been moved out (based on the white width markings) which has shifted the vehicles over to the left more which reduces the maximum clearance.

Also, the lorry may be unladen (where it may usually go through here loaded), which would sit it up higher too.

Anyway, people forget about height. I've seen plenty of expensive bikes knocked off roof rack carriers by car park height restrictions.

People even forget which type of vehicle they're driving. I almost tried to pull out and filter down the side of a queue of traffic (as I would normally do on my motorbike) but realised in time as it doesn't work quite that way in a Nissan Micra.

The markings are a bit daft considering the width they indicate isn't anywhere near usable because of the kerb on the right.

Still doesn't excuse the driver.