This morning's commute and other commuting stories

i got a stern telling-off from a man driving a post office van today, for sitting behind him in stationary traffic where he couldn't see me :(

He got out of his van to start shouting at me "if you sit there I don't know you're there, I can see him [gestures to black cab behind] but I can't see you" and made that "you see the error of your ways now I hope" face that people do. I tried saying "but I'm not undertaking you, I'm just sitting here and not going anywhere just like you" but he wasn't interested and told me to sit where he could see me which seemed to be between the left and right hand lanes. Or maybe in the gutter, I guess. Then he got back in his van and drove off as I said "but... but I... I... I don't understand :("

I guess maybe he was annoyed because he might have wanted to reverse suddenly? He was sitting in a yellow box junction outside Farringdon fire station after all, I suppose.

How did he know I was there to be able to tell me off?

Maybe he always gets out of his van to see if there's someone behind him?

Dangerous commute this morning coming in from the 'burbs.
Wet leaves, down hill, poor road surfaces, rain, 4x4's, grey.
Doesn't get much worse

@Bothwell, so not only was he stopped in a yellow 'do not stop here' box junction, but then got out to lecture others on road positioning leaving his van still in the box ? What a plum.

Sounds obvious, you could'nt see the error of your ways as they were obscured by the error of his.

Pretty much next to my college every morning I have to go over one of those speed humps that are ramped instead of mounds of asphalt which happens to be on a corner which is always covered in leaves coming off a fairly fast road , off camber slippy corner + hoards of students who don't care if your going to stop or not = scary as shit

Slow down?

drizzle = puncture. joy.

Slow down?

This.

It's winter, the road are wet, and covered in leaves, yet we're still riding like it's dry as the Gobi.

This.

It's winter, the road are wet, and covered in leaves, yet we're still riding like it's dry as the Gobi.

True , I should slow down but when I'm late for college it catches me out everytime - completely my fault not shifting blame anywhere

On my way in today a car had managed to flip itself onto it's side.
No one seemed hurt and the ambulance was there, and considering it was a 30 zone I was confused by how it happened...
Blocked loads of people from the McDonalds though...

Blocked loads of people from the McDonalds though...

How big is this road? flipping a car must be hard at the best of times

This happened last night. Indeed flipping a car must be hard but two in 12ish hrs?!

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/they-saved-my-life-heroic-bystanders-lift-car-off-trapped-cyclist-in-spitalfields-8934583.html

shocking, people drive way too fast through that junction. i can't fathom how that can even happen. isn't it like a 20 or 30mph limit there?

the story implies the car was lifted by people so may well not have been flipped in the original crash - it sounds like it hit the cyclist who ended up underneath hence the need to flip

ahhhh true!

A woman cyclist trapped under a car after a collision was freed by a group of 10 men who lifted the VW Golf off her and turned it on its side.

Also, an ex girlfriend's dad once rolled a Lada in traffic. Anything's possible it would seem.

Pretty easy, this is a 20 zone http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/another_car_flips_over_at_dangerous_drayton_park_road_layout_1_1983354

Fortunately what they've done now is remove one of the sides of the chicane so if cars are going too fast they can veer into the bike lane. Good work all round there.

I'm looking forward to when Islington produce the collision statistics since they introduced the blanket 20mph. I'm willing to put money there is dramatic drop.

Pretty easy, this is a 20 zone http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/another_car_flips_over_at_dangerous_drayton_park_road_layout_1_1983354

Fortunately what they've done now is remove one of the sides of the chicane so if cars are going too fast they can veer into the bike lane. Good work all round there.

They've removed the scheme altogether. Scare stories aside, it actually worked OK most of the time. It was still completely the wrong design for that location, though.

This morning, around Lambeth north - T20 KKH - Black Mercedes sprinter van - he was so keen on not letting me filter across he almost drove into the back of the car in front of him and then had to swerve right in order not to crash. Driving like a complete cock

Beautiful commute this morning. Capped by loads of army bods on horses marching from The West End to the Royal Barracks via Berkley Square and St James.
They were all RLJing so I respectfully kept my speed and distance and joined in the fun :)

^ Ditto, though no horses for me. Crisp and clear, roads were eerily quiet, I still can't figure out why. I know I leave at the unsociable hour of 6 a.m. but there seemed to be nobody out this morning.

Beautiful commute this morning. Capped by loads of army bods on horses marching from The West End to the Royal Barracks via Berkley Square and St James.
They were all RLJing so I respectfully kept my speed and distance and joined in the fun :)

Didn't shout at the horses for RLJ' then ?

I have never, nor would I ever shout at anyone for RLJ'ing.

I have never, nor would I ever shout at anyone for RLJ'ing.

Can't find the quote now but was going to joke about it , someone called out the horses yesterday