This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Does this mean those containers will stay? I first thought they just widened the footpath.

Those are accomodation units for the team working on the bridge but don't know what the works actually are

Might be this bollocks

https://illuminatedriver.london/about

Waterloo bridge now is a death waiting to happen now.

So they've stuck a load of containers on the bridge to run that silly project?

https://twitter.com/Jo_Earlsfield/status/1296902828775157760

1/2 I’ve been sent the most distressing footage of an organised gang
of men arriving at the LTN in Tooting to vandalise the planters with
saws and hammers. Shared with police but not here in case it impacts
prosecution.

2/2 Registration on vans they use is clear as is the logos on the
vans. Unless they have stolen these vans, they are working for
companies with recognisable branding. This is utterly disgusting.

Liveried vans. Criminal masterminds.

Yes and moved the steel barriers so it's a single lane with no escape the whole length of the bridge. Absolute shocker.

Thanks. Let's hope it doesn't last too long. It doesn't seem like a good idea generally, even less so at the moment.

So my two or three final commutes over Waterloo bridge experienced these new arrangements. It’s horrible. A single sign at the start warns (in red, so compulsory) ‘narrow lane do not overtake cyclists’. first time, had a fairly patient ‘I am become death’ drivist behind, didn’t tailgate and we exchanged ‘cheers’ gestures at the roundabout. Second time, rode chatting with another cyclist, felt nicer to at least not be alone. Third, WVM who was doing that thing of revving behind me, it was bloody horrible and so stressful.

Next time, I’m going to hop into the empty lane I think, go round the work units on the footway.

Clapham Common to Clapham North closed this morning, police tape, ambulances, didn’t look too good

grzzly shout out to the plonker who caused head on collision whilst trying to overtake a nodder, veered into my path as I headed westbound on the greenway this morning @ 7.40am.. i now have sprained hand, loose brake / gear shifter, buckled front wheel.. also the Kuehne + Nagel delivery truck parked on CS2 blue zone outside Bow Bells Public House, an accident waiting to happen.

Unsolicited bike fit advice while I’m battling a headwind yeah nah.

Absolutely loving the improvised cycle lane barriers falling over in this wind, added obstacles keeping the commute interesting... I tried to do a good deed by picking one up but it was broken on the stand.

Might use it as an excuse to finally get a mountain bike

I do love a bit of racist abuse in the morning.
4 people on new swork jumping every light from new cross to oval did not like the beige guy (me) calling them out as they almost steam roll into a couple crossing the lights with a pram. The smell of fragile masculinity was strong this morning

Very busy on cs7 this morning, cars and bikes all over the place. Special shout out to the stupid twat on an e scooter veering madly into the oncoming cycle lane at Vauxhall, and at me, having swerved to avoid a manhole cover.

Saw a rat in the road on the commute home yesterday. It was trying to drag something into the verge and as I got closer I could see it was another rat which had been squashed by a car. Not entirely sure why it was dragging it out the road but there was something rather poignant about it.

Was the squashed rat still alive? If so, it was probably dragging it out of danger, whether that was too late or not. While there is a spectrum from grief to cannibalism among mammals generally, I think rats have only been observed to cannibalise other rats if in distress, e.g. in a food shortage:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/starving-angry-cannibalistic-america-s-rats-are-getting-desperate-amid-n1180611

That may not have been the case here. I'd say the most likely scenario is that the rat was distressed the other rat had been hit and was either trying to save it and/or hadn't realised yet that it was dead.

To eat probably

I'd say the most likely scenario is that the rat was distressed the other rat had been hit and was either trying to save it and/or hadn't realised yet that it was dead.

And now I'm sad.

Squashed rat was definitely dead. It appeared to me to be some kind of rescue attempt, but I generally try to think the best of things.

Waste not want not. It may seem abhorrent and greedy to us humans as habitual anthropomorphists, but animals need to eat and if that was an easy source of sustenance then that rat has had a slightly easier day than then rest.

I saw a dead dog in Essex the other day. That was sad, because there's a high chance it was bred to fight, lost and was discarded. At best it ran away from a normal home and didn't survive.

Middle-age shout out to the ‘older’ (than me, anyways) on the fixed chrome Pista with pink cloth tape.
And rocking a retro Cannondale aero helmet, Stars and Strips jersey and 3/4 Tudor leggings. Nice to chat old bike shit with you for a few minutes on my way home and your hilly circuit.

Ugh constant head wind all the way back 3 days in a row

Aye. First northbound trip this week after a week of knackering 12 hr shifts and CHRIST ALMIGHTY that was hard going.

First northbound cs7 journey after rain and the new raised bits for bus stops cause enormous pools of water to form . Potentially dangerous, easily enough to catch a wheel of you weren’t paying attention. Any chance complaining to the council will lead to action?