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starslight

Member since Jun 2010 • Last active Dec 2022
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Most recent activity

  • in General
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    Just got back a very quick response from TfL about an incident on Tuesday on Balham High Road.

    A bus overtook myself and another cyclist (Hi, if you're here) as the road veered left, then veered back in before he'd cleared us. Going straight over the bike lane markers on the road pushing us both onto the curb at about 15-20mph. We both stayed up but I had my wheel touching the curb on my left and the bus scraping my right shoulder at one point.

    Thank you for your communication regarding the driving standards of one of our drivers. I would like to assure you that here at Merton Garage all complaints regarding driving standards are treated very seriously indeed by the staff here in the accident prevention department.

    I can inform you that as a direct result of the information you have provided in your communication, I have been able to trace the bus involved and obtained the CCTV images of the incident.

    I can clearly see the incident as described by yourself and agree that the performance of our driver does not reach the standard that we would expect.

    The driver has been interviewed by myself and has been disciplined for his poor performance and is receiving additional training from one of our specialist mentors to prevent a repeat of the incident in the future.

    Please accept my sincere apologies for the incident, should you wish to discuss the matter further with me, my direct telephone number is [removed]

    Quite impressed as I didn't send the complaint until about midnight last night.

    Edit: Tip: always make a note of the time and snap the route number, registration and bus number.

  • in General
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTMrlHHVx8A

    Fixed-gear bikes everywhere in this one, but it's a bit like the video's been hipster-focus-grouped to death (and it's probably more enjoyable if watched on mute).

  • in General
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    Another Standard article on Thames Materials:

    http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23905321-waste-firm-very-sorry-after-its-lorries-kill-two-in-six-months.do

    I suggested that article to the ES after the earlier story broke - I'm disappointed by the outcome.

    Lazy and cowardly to say the least.

  • in Miscellaneous and Meaningless
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    They're still here...playing Old Blue Last in Shoreditch tomorrow as the last date of their tour. 50 tickets left on the door.

  • in General
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    brain explodes

  • in Miscellaneous and Meaningless
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    Bumping this as I may have a spare ticket for the Menzingers' Fighting Cocks show in Kingston tonight. Anyone interested? It's a 100 capacity venue - going to be pretty spectacular.

  • in General
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    Any advice from other forumengers would be appreciated though, particularly on handling traffic, or how others have found it necessary to adjust riding style when moving to fixed.

    I commute 22 miles a day fixed - and there's really not much difference at all between going fixed and geared.

    I'm a bit slower riding fixed than I am on a geared bike, and because the pedals are always rotating you can't squeeze through tight gaps between cars and the curb - but that's a bad habit you're better off without anyway.

  • in Miscellaneous and Meaningless
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    Anyone going to see the Menzingers in Kingston and/or Shoreditch this month?

  • in General
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    Give it a shot anyway, you might be surprised. Especially in Winter.

    My commute's around 11 miles and I find just some anti-persipirant, a fresh t-shirt, a flanel, a pair of socks and some after-shave do the job. Although a casual dress code at work helps a lot.

  • in Rider Down
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    Twitter's saying cyclist now...

    Looks like a cyclist is under a truck outside Cambridge Heath station. Loads of paramedics, 4 fire engines. Blue tarps are up. Horrific.

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