This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I counted traffic lights this morning.

There are 72 traffic lights* on my commute to work. My commute is 12.7 kilometres (according to Google Maps) so this is one traffic light every 176 metres.

FASCINATING.

*defined as those lights at which I would have to stop were I in a queue of traffic.

72 traffic lights* on my commute to work. My commute is 12.7 kilometres

Ugh.

11.6km (SW15 to SE1) and only 27 sets of lights.

N8 to W1, 16 in 10k without counting pedestrain crossings.

13 in just under 15 miles, SE23 to E17.
Not including ped crossings - 'cos you can go through those on red, can't you?

Last time I counted I think I got something like 42 (including pedestrian crossings) in just over 5 miles, N8 to Warren Streetish. Sounds like I should be using Brun's route.

Nearly got left hooked by a bus today. Which is odd since he knew I was there because he kept sounding the horn only 10 meters before that when he was behind me. It's odd that they think they tough but stay inside there little cabin.

Same, 16 sounds right to me. Maybe one extra in Fitzrovia.

Last time I did this (which was at least 13 years ago according to this https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/127456/#comment5885493) was when I worked in the City. Think it was just under 100 lights in a ~19k commute or one every ~195m. This was only proper lights - no ped crossings or temporary lights.

I might do another count from this place.

Next week, I'm going to count the shortest and longest distance between traffic lights.

After that, there's some paint drying that's not going to watch itself.

After that, there's some paint drying that's not going to watch itself.

Since I STRAVA ALL THE COMMUTES!!! I was going to write some code to analyse all of the files and find the common points where I stop and wait for more than a few seconds (since I rarely ever RLJ[1]), and once I've identified all of the traffic light locations I can see how often I get stopped by each one and the average/maximum time stopped at each one.

But I've got an awful lot of paint to watch dry before I get down to this item in my TODO list.

1. This one https://goo.gl/maps/fNGHFd7W3BopnufJ6 is the one I almost always RLJ.
   

Had a very rare confrontation with a ped on the Waterloo bus station zebra crossing this morning.

Bloke stepped off the curb about 2m behind the crossing whilst I was already on it and then deliberately tried to walk into me as I slowed to avoid him.

His attempted shoulder barge turned into more of a boop as he realised a bit too slowly that he was about 10 stone soaking wet, and I'm kind of not.

The skinny jean, middle aged, Paul Weller haircut cunt.

That's more an activity for mapping software. I counted lights when trying to force myself to slow down on commutes on what were supposed to be recovery days.

Did you throw your bike through his face?

Image not showing but he had a #gofundme notice.
Previously observed in warmer conditions.

It was

I'm sure readers of this thread are socially minded enough to not really need it, but anyway - reminder to please stop and offer help if there's someone standing on the sidewalk with a flat typing away on their phone, especially if you have tools and a spare tube. It might take you a few minutes and of course -1°C isn't anyone's favourite temperature to change a tube at, but investing those few minutes can possibly save someone from having to walk an hour or more to their destination.

Now that being said, fuck me you really do absolutely freeze your fingers off when touching an aluminium rim in this weather. It reminds me of why I gave up rowing.

In London's famous London?

Talk to strangers?

Umadbro?

Blackfriars road is a bit of a mess

Pretty epic mains burst

https://mobile.twitter.com/MelFunky/status/1219484683903422465

My water bottle froze. No other dramas.

With Nigerian commentary:

https://twitter.com/ChristinaSVO/status/1219519900227645440

Anyone know where the special red button is on modern routemasters?

:/

Come on, you can't leave it to the Swiss to help people out. We're even more antisocial and bad at dealing with people than Londoners.

Under the flap on the offside rear corner according to this:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3857720/cyclist-london-bus-driver-emergency-switch-video/
I suspect it isn't the only one.

What are the forum approved overshoes? I'm bored of numb toes already