This morning's commute and other commuting stories

About 5:40 this evening, heading West along the A222 towards the figure-of-eight gyratory which will take me out of Croydon. I see a white Mini Cooper edging in from Tavistock road, aiming to cross over and head East. He stops, so I keep going. So when I'm right in front of him, he suddenly puts his foot down, with my left leg and rear wheel right in his way. Asshole.

I manage to bunny-hop sideways, screaming blue murder, and somehow he misses me. I recover my balance and forward momentum - only to realise that the people carrier in front of me has braked hard, probably in reaction to the shouting. I manage not to face-plant on its rear but I'm now off balance again - my elbow hits the corner of the car and I go down.

Driver gets out to see what has happened to the back of his car and cheers up when he realises there isn't a scratch. "Not your fault, mate - nothing you could do." he says. At this point, I realise the bastard in the Mini has doubled back and looks ready to start a fight, but drives off when he sees the other driver standing beside me. Cock.

Grazed forearm, mildly shredded bar tape, no other damage.

I don't like Croydon.

fuck sakes mate - glad you're not too banged up. Croydon is a shit hole that smells literally of shit.

First day riding after a week of ill.

I just love riding my bike.

A late start this morning following a late night in A&E last night getting my shoulder x-rayed; all clear for breaks but no cycling this week.

Train to Purley, change platforms, train to East Croyden, change platforms, change platforms, change platforms, look for bus stop, give up, return to station and they're not letting people in, tram almost to Wimbledon, head for district line, cheered by a toilet sign and then hopes dashed by toilets out of order, district line to West Brompton, overground to Ken Olympia, walk to work.

Swear this week has been one of the worst ever for aggressive and dangerous driving. This morning was shook up by a car absolutely caning it down a narrow street towards me. Inch or two to spare. Yesterday had a different cunt speeding up behind me to within an inch of my rear wheel in the pouring rain, again on a narrow street.
Always start the commute in with a positive frame of mind, usually end it with strong desire to pull cunt from car and stamp them to death. It can't be healthy.

The number of commutes in to work where I finish up thinking "that was unpleasant" is way too high. This morning wasn't one of them, but it gets me down.

Hope all of you who've had incidents this week are OK.

Love, me xxx

Yesterday on my way to work I passed a police car stopped by the side of the road. Just as I was alongside he decided to do a u turn. I yelled "fuck" at the top of my voice, as I was absolutely certain I was going down. Cop stopped just in time. I stopped a couple of yards and looked back and the copper asks me what I just said.
No apology whatsoever.
ACAB.

Don't agree at all with your last line, but I had a similar thing outside Catford police station when a car pulled out right in front of me. If THEY can't even drive properly, what hope...?

I've been knocked off by a car twice in my life. One of those cars was a police car speeding up the wrong carriageway to chase a baddie.

However, I do disagree with this keyboard anarchist 'ACAB' stuff.

Why does police drive more recklessly than ambulance driver?

I don't know, why does police drive more recklessly than ambulance driver?

I agree, but the Fuzz do themselves no favours and seem to be alienating themselves from the average law abiding person, so no one respects them. I think they have a bit of a "Millwall" mentality, "everyone hates us, and we don't care".

@adroit

I stopped a couple of yards and looked back and the copper asks me what I just said.
No apology whatsoever.

'I said 'fuuuuck' 'cos of your crappy driving.'

Please tell me you said this.

I had a lovely commute chatting most of the way to the awesome wheelbuilder @broken_777.

Cyclingsilk gives some worrying anecdotes about cyclists' experience with Plod.
http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/my-evidence-to-commons-transport-select.html
Whilst I'm sure some coppers don't care, I'm equally sure some do (a close relative is a retired cycling copper) - the sad thing is the result is the same: the Law is not protecting cyclists from bad drivers.
After this morning's run-in I wondered whether I should stop cycling into work for a while.
I really don't want to get badly injured or have a road-rage fight - I just want to get to work.
Who's protecting us? Not the police. Not the courts.

in my 16 years in this country i have not had a single positive interaction with the london metroploditain polis. they are not your friends, they are not there to help you.

in my 16 years in this country

u forrin?

u wanna know what love is?

u forrin?

Nah, he's just prematurely aged.

u wanna know what love is?

I want you to sh... actually never mind.

Yes, but I don't want you to show me.

I probably did. I know I exploded with rage, but can't remember what I actually said.
I certainly didn't go quietly.
I almost immediately rode through some bollards into a housing estate where he had no chance of following.
I was still shaking with rage when I got to work 15 minutes later.

I have had countless dealings with them, I have them my family, I have had to work with them and I have got in trouble with them. I should probably use MCAB. I just have had nothing but bad experience with them.

One time I called old bill after 50k miles in London, Ideal Scaffolding of Woolwich had a driver who tail-gated me down Hackney Road flicking gum and lit fags at me. Outside the Rev church I called Johnny Law and straightaway repeated the registration plate of the lorry down the phone. The 999 operator said "Haven't you got a pen?"

Fuck croydon.