How was your cycle commute?

[_angel_]

Smashing a wing mirror with a d lock is violence

Criminal damage yes. Unless you were smashing it up while they were there it could be deemed intimidating I guess.

Can't believe I'm agreeing with someone calling themselves pissflaps btw

Meh you've got to be mental to cycle in london

 

[joustmaster]

Can't believe I'm agreeing with someone calling themselves pissflaps btw

Thats been the best part of the last couple of pages - people using the word pissflaps in serious discussion.

 

[pissflaps]

^^ it hurts at first, but the pain soon fades... but the sordid, haunting memories are a blight no amount of bleach and steel wool can scrub off.

 

[Orang Utan]

I would have preferred you to answer honestly from the start, without repeatedly downgrading what people were talking about to try to make your stance look more realistic. This is actually a serious issue, and not something that should be argued about just for your entertainment. I've got to be honest, if you follow your posts on this thread, that's all it looks like you have been doing. Not good.

I am also not keen on your portraying me here as dishonest. Not true!

 

[Private Storm]

But you have to.

No you don't. I think that we're maybe mixing up those instances where a car gets a little too close to you and you shake your head and maybe do a wanker sign, with those where someone clips you at high speed/turns across you with centimetres to spare/makes you squeal in terror because of the danger you're put in.

First example, ok, shout "twat", get on with it. Second instance calls for something that impresses upon the person how completely unacceptable their actions were. If that is knocking off their wing mirror, well, so be it. Better that it isn't, but that's not the way things sometimes turn out. They need to be told that putting people's lives in danger is not on.

 

[Orang Utan]

Liked, but still can't agree with anything likely to escalate into a situation where one person doesn't get up again.

 

[pissflaps]

i imagine this is what 'do you smack your child' internet bun-fights are like on mumsnet.

 

[Private Storm]

Liked, but still can't agree with anything likely to escalate into a situation where one person doesn't get up again.

We're not talking escalation to that, we're talking the situation starting BECAUSE of the chance of that!

 

[Orang Utan]

We're not talking escalation to that, we're talking the situation starting BECAUSE of the chance of that!

If you smash someone's motor, you will make them angry. They are probably a bellend already for clipping you, so knocking off their mirror could enrage them and make them want to endanger you further, surely? Most of the twats who behave like this are aggressive individuals in the first place.

 

[Private Storm]

True, true and to be honest, I could only ever see the situation coming up once, maybe twice in a lifetime, for me at least. We'd have to be talking extreme circumstances. I'm too small for starters.

 

[Orang Utan]

I can only think of one situation where I saw red, and that was when I got clipped by someone pulling out. Luckily they were very apologetic so I calmed down. There was one situation where I nearly came off my bike and the driver laughed at me. I was pretty gnashing but the fella's girlfriend started slapping him so I ended up laughing.

 

[gentlegreen]

Made reasonable time today - considering this morning's traffic and having to take a detour in the park with more pedestrians, dogs and children to negotiate.

Around the 1st of April I will be able to extend my evening commute to 20 miles 2 or 3 times a week - hopefully I'll be ready by then just doing it once on a Sunday.

Seeing as I've lost enthusiasm for group rides with people I still don't know after several years and hundreds of miles, it'll be up to me from now on - the new "two Tunnels" path around the south east of Bath should be open soon so I'll have a few extra permutations up to about 50 miles to work with. Camping is a dilemma though - but I've had enough of the half dozen sites within a day's range in any case ...

 

[a_chap]

FUCK!

Riding home at a reasonable clip despite the pain from my shoulder and ribs when POP! and the bearable pain in ribs became sudden excruiciating pain.

Rode home very slowly feeling sorry for myself

 

[gentlegreen]

Oops - undetected fracture ?

 

[a_chap]

No idea. How would I know?

(apart from the obvious hurting like hell)

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm lucky enough never to have done it ..
Casualty - X-Ray ?

 

[ddraig]

nightmare a_chap, hope it heals quickly and ok

on the way home tonight gone 6.30 there was a young woman with no hi vis or lights crossing the very same road and place i got hit on friday! they were already through the first lane of stationary traffic and about to attempt the second lane. i could see cars approaching at speed in the other lane so shouted 'be careful, i got hit there on friday wearing all this and with lights' which stopped them for a little bit then they carried on semi wheeling it awkwardly to the middle section before 2 more lanes :facpalm:
luckily the lights had changed just after that

 

[gentlegreen]

Masses of Ninjas about.
For a couple of weeks now it has seemed they were determined not to buy any more batteries, then the lights are put away for another 10 months...

 

[Onket]

I can only think of one situation where I saw red, and that was when I got clipped by someone pulling out. Luckily they were very apologetic so I calmed down. There was one situation where I nearly came off my bike and the driver laughed at me. I was pretty gnashing but the fella's girlfriend started slapping him so I ended up laughing.

So 2 occasions. 1 diffused by the driver's apologies. 1 diffused by violence inflicted on the driver.

You are basically agreeing with what we've been saying.

 

[tbtommyb]

Riddle me this: why do cyclists go through red lights at junctions and then just pootle ahead in the cycle lane? No safety concerns at the junction to justify it (quite the opposite in fact) but they clearly aren't concerned about getting ahead quickly so why blithely break an obvious road rule? I put this in the same category as slow cyclists going right up to the front of the box.

 

[Orang Utan]

I don't get it either

 

[gentlegreen]

Inertia / momentum.

Presumably worse for the slower / unfit riders ?

Apparently there are people out there who can't cope with raising the slightest sweat.

 

[DownwardDog]

i'd be curious to know what does...

If you or someone else was in imminent danger. Not after a minor traffic incident in which nobody was hurt.

 

[DownwardDog]

First example, ok, shout "twat", get on with it. Second instance calls for something that impresses upon the person how completely unacceptable their actions were. If that is knocking off their wing mirror, well, so be it. Better that it isn't, but that's not the way things sometimes turn out. They need to be told that putting people's lives in danger is not on.

Be honest, this has nothing to do with educating drivers or other prophylactic measures. The type of driver who maneuvers dangerously and then tells people to fuck off isn't going to think: Hmmm, the gentleman with the D Lock makes an excellent point I shall moderate my driving patterns in the future. It's just a self indulgent, childish and dangerous loss of control on behalf of the lock wielder.

Nobody is responsible for your safety but you.

 

[Onket]

He might think "fuck me, some of these cyclists hit back!" and think twice in future.

Granted, he might not, but he definately won't think twice if he's allowed to get away with it scot free.

 

[Onket]

Anyway, managed to leave me windproof gloves on the train last night. They'd not been handed in when I checked this morning with cold hands. Have completed the online form so we'll see....

 

[gentlegreen]

He might think "fuck me, some of these cyclists hit back!" and think twice in future.

Granted, he might not, but he definately won't think twice if he's allowed to get away with it scot free.

And as I've said before, some of the marginal ones might mention it to their mates at work or down the pub and perhaps one or two of them might think about it even if they don't say anything.
That's why I favour a loud horn - though I find you also need to flash your high beam or they may struggle to believe it was a cyclist who sounded it.

 

[Onket]

Shining a bright light in the face of other cyclists because you don't approve of their choice of clothing, or you think their light is angled incorrectly is not the same thing.

 

[gentlegreen]

Shining a bright light in the face of other cyclists because you don't approve of their choice of clothing, or you think their light is angled incorrectly is not the same thing.

Shining my light back at cyclists who do that to me ?
Depends who it is - sometimes I simply point it out loudly. I don't actually like doing the thing I'm complaining about - and there are often people near by. I certainly resist flashing at ninja idiots.
And where the feck does this "Shining a bright light in the face of other cyclists because you don't approve of their choice of clothing" thing come from ?
My horn is never appropriate on shared paths - except in jest.

 

[gentlegreen]