Cyclist Killed - David Guedier RIP

^I agree. It struck me yesterday as I was cycling home last night with the thoughts of this incident in my head, how easy it would be to end up under a bus. I had a number 25 on my ass in the bus lane, literally 6 feet behind me at about 20 mph. If i had slipped, a ped had stepped out in front of me or gone down one of the fuckin potholes that blights my daily commute, I would have been fucked. There is no way he would have been able to stop. There appears to be no contigency in mind for this kind of situation. The bus driver could see me clearly but he still would not have been able to take evasive action if something had happened.
crazy.

I'm with you on this one B, The last time I gobbed at a driver it escalated to such a ridiculous level, that now with hindsight it was the wrong way to deal with the situation, even if he was completely in the wrong.

Almost everyday there's a situation where I could literally see red...but honestly it doesn't solve a thing to reacting to their level.
Just riding off smiling is the best way.

Skoota is spot on.

London was here a long time before cars, buses, trains & bikes. The roads aren't meant to have this volume of traffic on them and it is easy for everyone to get frustrated. Reactionary behaviour only serves to widen the gap between the different factions of road users involved, sometimes I just have to shut up and ride off.

@the end of the day we all live in a society. didn't someone else get hurt/killed on old st yesterday too?

On a more positive note, I have a great picture on my phone of a totalled Lamborghini at Hyde Park Corner end of Park Lane from October but can't work out how to upload it.

This is how.

Is it? I see no lamborghini eyebrows..

Totally agree with skoota as well.

Couple of things worth doing when mixing it with Central London traffic:

• watch the front wheels of vehicles for sideways movement, irrespective of whether there's an indicator being flashed.
  
• if you're being tail-gaited, try a hand signal. I usually drop my right arm behind me (next to the back of the saddle) and make a sort of pushing back motion with an open palm. And if you're going to turn, don't forget the 'slowing down' signal - like indicating, but slowly flapping up and down as well.
  
  

Both of these things have had the desired effect more times than not.

I try to give the thumbs up when drivers give me room, but on the odd occasion this has sparked a surprising reaction, mainly with cabbies, who think i'm being sarcastic?!? fucks sake i'm saying thank you you fools!

good points made by Skoota

Someone pulled out in front of me the other night narrowly missing me. I stopped and asked if they had seen me, he said no and apologised. Said no worries just be careful mate.

I usually get far too wound up though.

I find making eye contact with people helps a lot too as you can almost stop them pulling out on you sometimes.

Had a conversation with a mate the other day about how hard he finds it driving in London with cyclists and scooters 'swarming' around the car and not knowing where they're going. To be honest it is hard driving a car and knowing where someone is around you at all times! Those who don't even look are the worst but you can still look properly and by the time you make a manoeuvre the situation has changed.

The thing I find the hardest, especially with Taxis drivers, is that they either don't indicate or they do indicate and because they've indicated think it gives them permission to carry out their manoeuvre or turn even though they don't have right of way.

lucky
Someone pulled out in front of me the other day at night

was it a tall shortarse? bald bloke with long hair? bit of a fat skinny cunt?

asm I try to give the thumbs up when drivers give me room, but on the odd occasion this has sparked a surprising reaction, mainly with cabbies, who think i'm being sarcastic?!? fucks sake i'm saying thank you you fools!

I wave at people doing the right thing.

I just smile, a big deep smile of thanks and love.

I can't. The muscles required for that action have atrophied.

RPM [quote]lucky
Someone pulled out in front of me the other day at night

was it a tall shortarse? bald bloke with long hair? bit of a fat skinny cunt?[/quote]

La la - I know... rambling. Give over I'm tired!

..

whoops - meant to whisper something

hael [quote]nimhbus [quote]hael [quote]Pistanator Spot on RPM, just had battles with 3 of the cunts on the way home tonight. Buses, not pigeons! ;-)

A nice big flemmy greeny on the side of the window always seems to do the trick. Even better now the Summer's on its way, they normally have the window down too
eek watch out buddy they carry swabs to take samples, because thats the number one assault on drivers - a snottery chewed bit of phlegm in the face! just incase you get pulled for jumping a red and end up down the nick, they take a swab and do you for 13 accounts of assault on TFL drivers! :s[/quote]

really? that sounds incredibly unlikely. what right do they have to stick a swab in your mouth?[/quote]

chris crash they swab every one who gets nicked.

The move to widen the UK genetic database.[/quote]

which is why i have to go give the queen some saliva, or blood or what ever on tuesday

I'm with skoota. Thats a mature view. I'm older now, and I'd never spit at anyone, but a bus driver squashed against another bus with his bus and I lost it. The inside of my right forearm shows how easily I broke his window, and how many times I punched through it. Its not the right response, but I was scared then, because I felt that the fool had close to ended my life.
Hippy, when on a bike, I just nod acknowledgement of curteous drivers. They are looking at me anyway, so they get it.
I'll never understand taxi drivers attitudes towards cyclists though. Do bicycles emit hazardous radioactive waste or something? I don't get it.

i had a cabbie run a red light and try to hit me screaming "thats you get for running a red light you fuckin cyclist, I saw a cunt like you make a preggo bird fall" i think i responded with "your father is a hampster"

but yeah i dont get it....

oh and the other day i got flashed... riding through LoDo (where all the shit bars and clubs are) this car goes by honking and some one is screaming something, then a gril leans out the window and pulls her shirt up.

chris crash i had a cabbie run a red light and try to hit me screaming "thats you get for running a red light you fuckin cyclist, I saw a cunt like you make a preggo bird fall" i think i responded with "your father is a hampster"

but yeah i dont get it....

oh and the other day i got flashed... riding through LoDo (where all the shit bars and clubs are) this car goes by honking and some one is screaming something, then a gril leans out the window and pulls her shirt up.
Ha! bonus ..hmm two girls came up to me while I was stopped at the side of the road checking my phone and one said "hey, you want to come with us to a club and try pissola?" I said "No thank you..." prob a 50/50 chance of a threesome or ending up drinking two girls piss.. I didnt fancy those odds much..

[cite] chris crash:

a gril leans out the window and pulls her shirt up.

did you put your sausage on it?

Rude AND clever :)

If she gobbed on the sausage, that would be okay though?

My thoughts are with his family.

It really scares the crap out me when I read things like this and makes me think twice about how I ride.

Pistanator Spot on RPM, just had battles with 3 of the cunts on the way home tonight. Buses, not pigeons! ;-)

A nice big flemmy greeny on the side of the window always seems to do the trick. Even better now the Summer's on its way, they normally have the window down too

+1 to everything that's been said about spitting and that it's wrong. I've been spat at in the face twice, and it's horrible :(

This is sad loss for me and my colleges at work. David was a Chef at the East India Club where i work also. I was the last person to speak to David before this tragic accident happened and like always i said to David "I will see you in the morning" as i work nights, this was just after 11pm . Its so sad to say i will never see David again, it is a massive loss and still to this day i am still in shock. You read about these kind of stories everyday in the papers but it hits home when it is someone you know. R.I.P David

Dean, I'm sorry for your friend. Hopefully what happened won't become just another statistic. Thoughts to you and his family.

really bad news dean. my thoughts to all the family and friends.