"Oh Shit" moments...

I don't know how someone can actually drive past a horse without realising it. It was about a foot away from the car.

Did they have their blinkers on?

Rep.^

15mph on the towpath is pretty fast in the open, and in my opinion way too fast if there are any blind corners... remember that the other users of canals and towpaths tend to move at around 4mph.

Well, yeah. I've thought of that now. I say blind corner, but it's more like a long bend. If he had been going a reasonable speed (not implying mine was either), I would have been able to stop/pass safely.
But, alas, 'twas not to be.
You live and learn though, eh.

and did you "Two Tings"? eh?

That campaign has now been replaced by 'Share the space, drop the pace'. A much better campaign.

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/see-and-do/cycling/share-the-space-drop-your-pace

And yes, 15mph is almost certainly too fast.

^^ that's good. I wasn't serious about the Two Tings - I don't have a bell and I always felt it was liable to misunderstanding unless everyone on the path had read the code (since elsewhere ringing bell often means "get out of my way").

^ Though it was delightfully camp.

Ting, ting.

Get out of my thread!

The problem was that if people rang their bell, walkers were expected to make way.

The problem was that if people rang their bell, walkers were expected to make way.

Yes it was common to see cyclists going dangerously fast but arrogantly assuming that because they rang their bell, it was OK to do so.

Just for the record, I'm not trying to shirk the blame, of course it was my fault. But not solely mine...
And rest assured, from now on I'll be taking it a much more reasonable pace.

Just for the record, I'm not trying to shirk the blame

I didn't take you to be.

http://www.lfgss.com/thread90963.html

RPM made me say 'OH SHIT'

Yes, illegal to carry (without 'good reason') but not to own.

I'm no stranger to the UK knife laws (which are, frankly, utterly nonsensical and have resulted in me cutting my own finger down to the bone on one occasion). I guess I misunderstood what you meant by him 'having' it.

Does the forum have an annual awards ceremony? If so I nominate Jadias 'Forum's Most Accident Prone Member' by quite some distance. The world is a dangerous place full of spiky things and hard surfaces and Jadias is exploring it one inch at a time... with his face.

I'd rep you if my phone would let me.

Yes it was common to see cyclists going dangerously fast but arrogantly assuming that because they rang their bell, it was OK to do so.

I was out for a run one night on Tooting Common and there were these two girls walking towards me. The pathway is dual use for peds and cyclists and is separated by wooden posts. The two girls were having a whale of a time, walking arm-in-arm, giggling madly, and weaving in and out of the posts. They were approached from behind by a girl on a hybrid who, upon seeing the two girls blocking her side of the pathway momentarily, contorted her face with FURIOUS RAGE and went for her bell with the same exaggerated gesture that a car driver does when somebody cuts them up. Naturally all that came out was this hilarious and campy little "ting ting" noise, and coupled with the apoplectic fury on her face it all added up to one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in London.

That day I made the decision never to be the sort of person to ding one's bell in anger.

Does the forum have an annual awards ceremony? If so I nominate Jadias 'Forum's Most Accident Prone Member' by quite some distance. The world is a dangerous place full of spiky things and hard surfaces and Jadias is exploring it one inch at a time... with his face.

Instead of him getting a full face helmet we need to hermetically seal him inside one of those plastic bubble things that people use for rolling down hills in.

It would probably fall into some sort of vat of toxic waste or something.

Or get stuck falling down an up escalator until it's half full of vomit.

I thought I'd just start wearing full MTB padding and an American football helmet.

But if you guys are offering to buy me a Zorb, then go for it.

No chance. I'm not having you hold me responsible for popped ear drums, vomit and a bitten tongue.

Those are far too minor injuries for me.

That day I made the decision never to be the sort of person to ding one's bell in anger.

Is that a quote from the Shawshank Redemption? It fair brought a tear to my eye.