In the interests of road harmony and general world peace

So I'm gonna write up an incident that happened to me last night that could've easily resulted in posting a 'rider down' thread and also because bad things always get written up but good things don't.

So I work in london for the moment but live in cambridge, and went out for a drink after work, not expecting to. A quick pint turned into dinner and by the time I got off the train to cambridge it was dark. No problem, rummaged through my bag for my lights, and they weren't there. I didn't have money for bus/taxi so I thought 'fuck it, I'll ride without lights'

About half way home an oncoming taxi was indicating to turn right and started to pull out in front of me. 'oh oh' i thought, but at the last second, saw me and slammed the brakes, giving me the 'sorry mate didn't see you mate' wave instead of shouting 'where are your fucking lights' which he was totes entitled to do. End result I'm not splattered on the front of a taxi and my faith in humanity restored, albeit probably briefly.

Morals of the story

1. if it's dark use some fucking lights
   
2. Not all taxi driver's/other drivers are cyclist hating rabid pigs
   
3. not all cyclists are perfect and everyone makes mistakes.
   
   

thought i'd write this up cos everyone only ever remembers bad incidents, forgetting about the ones where people sometimes show respect, and its friday afternoon, and its my last day in my current job

The thing I often say to those colleagues and friends who are thinking of cycling to work and are asking questions about their road fear, is;

Taxi drivers? Yes, the majority of them do think they own the road, and yes, the majority of them are arseholes who want an excuse for an argument. However, they're the most attentive drivers on the road (talking about black cabs here) and usually know exactly where you are, which is a far sight better than the usual car or van driver, who is just blissfully driving 2 tons of metal without paying due care and attention to their mirrors.

I for one really don't have an issue with black cabs.

Minicabs, however, christ...

great idea randompete posting positive interactions with other road users...

Tried to search for an earlier thread for this and haven't found what what must be a massive thread

any hints?

I put those Reelight things on my bike, so I'm never without SOME form of light.

http://www.2pure.co.uk/Reelight-SL120-UK-CTC-Review-12-07

Nice to hear you didn't get deaded too.

Well done. You're still alive, something to be proud of.

if cycling without lights please take the most visible line, so middle of the lane etc

I too had a near miss this morning. well I say near miss the woman actually hit me but as I was on my motorbike and did more damage to her mini than my bike and i didnt actually get knocked off im counting it as a near miss.

she was very apologetic e.t.c. although how she thought there was room when I was riding just right of centre of the lane and she came up my inside...I know minis are small but christ...

Lights ftw - for me day or night, lit up like a xmas tree...

As for spreading the love.....Wednesday am, a skip lorry waived me on ahead, then overtook leaving a generous.... then a National Express coach pulled up well clear of the ASL and drove well clear behind me until there was a safe opportunity to pass..... both were thanked whilst I was in a state of shock. on the way home there was a car & van racing down the embankment, they undertook a car and both came v close to sideswiping me... at the next lights a Police car pulled up & I explained what had happened, so they tore off after them with siren & lights on - the day seemed to be a parallel universe, only marred by two cyclists pulling out in front of me!!!

I was driving home once from my job in cheese factory. It was about 40 degrees. I was in cut off army shorts and no top. My car at the time was a 1966 XP futura coupe. Beautiful old Aussie car, but a bit battered. Anway, it overheated and I had to stop. I peeled myself off the blistering vinyl seat and got out to buy some bottled water with my last few bucks. I'm broke and my radiator is filled with fucken evian.

Anyway, a black jeep with tinted windows pulled up seeing me sweltering with the bonnet up. She was at least 15 years my senior at the time. All class. Impecabbly presented. She sounded/looked Spanish or something. She asked me if I wanted a lift back to her place to make a phonecall.

balki! balki! wake up lad it's 14:23, you're late for work!

This sounds like the start to rescued by a milf volume 2

So what happened next?

Did she cool your engine with her fluids

This happened, Damo.

Well done. You're still alive, something to be proud of.

not proud, but happy

Well of course I said "naah, I'm alright thanks"

Fuckwit

Well of course I said "naah, I'm alright thanks"

Fuckwit

Please tell me this bit isn't true :(

Balki - we've never met Sir, but I'm loving your taste in cars.... pure class.

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Relating to balki's post... At uni I tried my hand at stand up comedy and after my first open mike another comic who happened to be bi and very attractive asked me back to hers to take drugs (which I'd helped her procure) and celebrate taking my cherry with her girlfriend (half my act was about being a bit of a late starter)... I declined as I'd assumed she was kidding and went home to take drugs with my friends. What. An. Idiot.

Back on subject, I had a dick in a merc cut me up really badly once and a motor biker took umbrage on my behalf, accelerated past blocked his path and slowed him down until the next set of reds where he got off and gave the driver a peice of his mind... It wasn't till the biker got off his bike to talk to the merc driver that I saw the biker was about 7 foot tall with the body of a boxer.

When the lights changed the biker and I rode off and the merc drove a lot more carefully.

Please tell me this bit isn't true :(

True. To be fair, she would have had me for breakfast.

Balki - we've never met Sir, but I'm loving your taste in cars.... pure class.

:)
That's it! Mine was white

I for one really don't have an issue with black cabs.

Minicabs, however, christ...

my sentiments exactly -

my sentiments exactly -

hey guys its all about people rather than labeling people by their chosen form of transportation or employment

and its about spectrums and shades not black cabs and white bikes

we're all people underneath our hard chrome surface or above our chromoly tubing

natch

all last week travelling along rural roads in Scotland in a moving cyclist stream, motorists have been waiting patiently in passing places whilst our shoal of shiny silver lycra lovers took available space on the road, these drivers were happy to see us, I know this because of the smiles and waves, we waved back and tinkled our dingles to them, so if someone waves you on and gives you nuff respeck smile and play them 'Stories' on the mental I-pod of your mind.

However, they're the most attentive drivers on the road (talking about black cabs here)

Yes, they are very attentive. Very attentive to any prospect of a fare, and utterly reckless as to who they will cut up to make a mad dive from lane two to the kerb to get it. There are worse drivers, but few so selfish.

Totally agree with Jeez, there are times when just allowing someone to get by is a win-win for everyone. I'm as content as many riders on here to assert my right to road space, signal clearly, be in the right part of the road at the right time, and make good eye contact.... but sometimes a small pause to make other road users lives easier is a good thing, and if that means pulling over so a coach or lorry driver who's lost on the streets of south london can get by and has one less thing to worry about, that's fine by me. It actually helps our relationship with other road users, though some may chose to see it as a sign of weakness.... I don't.

i totally agree there, too.