This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I remember a less than comfortable trip from Herts to Bangor in a mates (lowered + stiffened sus) mini. 3 of us are around 5'8, but one poor sod is a shade over 6' and was in a bit of a sorry state after 7 hours

He should have taken out the front seats and driven from the back seat.

Alex, I can confirm that, even with standard suspension, they are not designed for long journeys - drove my mum's from King's Lynn (Norfolk) to Newcastle and could barely stand let alone walk when I got there!

Police Academy stylee.

Yup...

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Bald-headed MAMIL cunt with sweet baby blue single speed, wonder if you're on here.

Could tell you were a cunt the moment you cycled past, zigzagging across the road with zero shoulder-checking.

Shouts something inaudibly (but clearly seething with rage) as I carry out the most innocuous red light skip in Chelsea, cautiously and at walking pace, getting in literally nobody's way.

At next junction I ask if he really has nothing better to shout about to which he replies that he'll take me down to the station and "we'll see who's in the right then"!

The man goes on to spit at me (which I believe, seeing as we are heading down to the station and all that, can be classed as assault) as I cycle past him at the next junction when it turned green for us... Sort yourself out.

Preparing for some neg rep here but cyclists who shout at fellow cyclists for the most harmless acts probably rank higher on my "Annoying Road User Chart" than oblivious u-turning Uber drivers do.

I refer the honourable gentleman to... "Stick and stones may break my bones... "

...but spit will never hurt me?

I've been downvoted on Reddit multiple times for this, but that doesn't change my opinion: I don't care about laws, I care about staying safe and not endangering others. Jumping a red light when you know the place and have checked in all directions is fine in my book (especially when it's a clearly empty pedestrian crossing on a deserted street), I really couldn't care less whether "it's the law" or not. Laws also say cars can park on cycle lanes, laws can go do one. (Note that this is not the same as saying 'jumping red lights is always fine'.)

However, things like "not cycling brakeless" or "having lights" are relatively important to me, not because there happen to be laws that also say you should do that, but because it is plainly unsafe not to do so. And when I say 'unsafe', I don't mean for yourself, but for others. If you want to take the risk for yourself, I'm OK with that - but I'd rather not be co-opted into taking a risk without being consulted, thanks.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that you're completely right in my book.

It was aimed at your concluding remark "cyclists who shout vs. u-turning Uber drivers".
Probably could've done with a quote.

Yeh you're right, the u-turn actual harm levels are certainly higher.

SuisseChap I'm with you

I get where you’re coming from. I tend not to bother running reds even when there’s not a soul around, but I would do if I deemed it safer to. I feel like it’s a more justifiable incursion than going over the speed limit in a car could ever possibly be.

I pinged through a few reds last Christmas between Leyton and Bookham mainly because my hands were so cold and painful that I didn't want to touch the brakes.

I don't do it otherwise but I wouldn't shout at someone for it.

I do quite often call minicab drivers 'numbnuts' if they are numbnutting about in their Priuses (Priui?)

I think you mean 'Prii'.

Unless they are neither masculine nor feminine, in which case it would be Pria...

I don't think that there are neuter words ending in -us in Latin? Or am I remembering this incorrectly?

Hmmmm, I've gone into brain-stall!! It's a got to be 35 years since I last used my Latin.....

I think it might be me! I had a sip of tea and my brain kicked in again. Plural of -us can be either -i or -us, I think. And, plural of -um is -a.

Possibly!

Your be waiting forever at a set of light near West Norwood then, the bloody things never turn green for cyclist as soon as a car rolls up behind they magically turn.

Actually I think you're right - normal one is -us/-i, there are a few that are -us/-ūs, and then there are even fewer words that are -us/-a, however usually that's with a slight change in the 'core' of the word, such as 'tempus/tempora' (known from "O tempora! O mores!"). So they do exist!

Well this is quite the trip down memory lane :D

Indeed, SwissChap. My Latin teacher would be proud (maybe)!

Although, my brain now hurts. I may have to stroke it better with some maths!

It could be fourth declension, though, so the plural might be priūs. :)

Snap.

I've been "stuck" outside our office in Epsom for way too long waiting like a numpty to move off. Then, as soon as I decide I've waited long enough and it's safe to go anyway, a line of speeding buses will turn up.....!

Well, at least we got our Latin grammar sorted this afternoon. It hasn't been a complete write-off!