Your rants here.

asprilla

Coming down Priory Lane and I spy a guy waiting at the crossing, so I slow to a halt:

He looks at me and I look at him.......

He looks at me and I look at him.......

He looks at me and I look at him.......

"After you mate, you can cross"

"Oh, I'm just waiting for someone"

"?" Sigh.

Seriously, of all the place to stand on that road, what posesses you to stand right at the crossing and then not bother to tell people who stop. Ignorant bastard.

benno68

@Asprilla - It reminds me of the occasional time when I'm giving it the hammer, approaching a crossing - the ped's could wait a second or two before pushing the button to cross and let me through. Do they???? Do they hell!

Or little Jonny standing at the crossing pushing the button for 5 minutes with his mum watching in ammusement :oops: :oops: :oops:

always_tyred

Roadie racing.

The bloke on a mtb, who was travelling about half my speed up to the junction, and who I sat next to in the bike box, and who crossed the junction early..... why did you stand up and start sprinting when I came alongside and hang me out in traffic, only to slow down to a sustainable speed once I got past? Do you really think that "I didn't know you were there" is a credible statement? Tool.

Oh, and to the bloke who undertook and cut in front of a car I was filtering to the right of, only to veer sharply in front of him to swing around a bus, without checking the oncoming traffic.... I was filtering carefully becuase it was an erratic old man driving that car and you helpfully caused him to swerve towards me. I hope you are grateful that, when I passed you spinning a rediculous gear a few seconds later, that I did not force you to a stop and shake you warmly by the throat.

Perhaps you shouldn't thank me - I fear you may learn cyclecraft the hard way - a new bike, knee length baggies and spd's does not a cyclist make. Still, the weather is crap now so I guess you'll be driving this week.

benno68

Always Tyred wrote:

Still, the weather is crap now so I guess you'll be driving this week.

If he lives that long :roll:

kurako

Coming up New Kent Road to Elephant and Castle, Green light, clear road, going a decent pace. 2 RLJ'ers crossed the junction just as I came through. You obviously didn't look hard enough because we'd have been lying in a massive heap if I hadn't swerved round the outside as you closed the door on me. MTFU!

One was quite a tall lad on a dark Focus wearing baggy blue shorts. Hope you're not the same one who nearly hit a pram a few weeks back. D!ck.

iain_j

Bus drivers. Just because that roundabout gives access to the bus station, it doesn't mean you have extra priority over other traffic, over-ruling the normal rules of roundabouts. You still give way to traffic on the right, already on the roundabout. You certainly don't charge into the roundabout and blast your horn at anyone who happens to be there already and cause them to take evasive action.

You're driving a bus. Think about it. Buses are big and heavy. You could kill someone with minimal effort. If you do, you've got 60-odd witnesses sat right behind you.

pst88

BMW driver tried to force me into the kerb this morning to get to the back of the queue at a red light a few seconds faster. I was tempted to tap on the window and ask him what the hell he was doing but decided to let it go.

redvee

Nearing home I saw a car about to reverse from a minor road onto a major road and could see what was going to happen so took a much wider line around him but he still made an attempt to knock me off when I was on the wrong side of the road. I stopped after giving it large on the expletives and pointed to the three front lights on my bike, then pointed to my eyes and then to the sky with my middle finger. All I got from the driver was the usual mouthed apology through the windscreen. This all happened outside the offices of the Probation Service so you can imagine the culture of the people outside.

always_tyred

Wallace1492 wrote:

Cars, when you are going straight on at this junction, please do not indicate left. There is in face a left turn which you are not turning into, and this leaves me stoping at the left turn assuming you are doing as you indicate and cutting across me. It leave me so frustrated when you then go straight on although your indicator is on. I estimate about half the cars indicate left, then go straight on.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=55.933481,-4.316061&spn=0,359.986246&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=55.933321,-4.316466&panoid=eHEEtYGzp57BXaIJNNooZw&cbp=12,4.24,,0,-5.25

I must have cycled past there 40 times and I never even noticed the left turn. :oops:

knappers

Typical areshole passenger in a car as they pass he shouts loudly (trying to shock me)
"GET A CAR!"

This guy is obviously pond life, my quick reply was "FUCK OFF! DICKHEAD!"

The other thing that really annoy's me apart from idiot passengers who obviously don't own cars are other idiot pillocks that like to smash bottles on the ground.
"ANOTHER BLOODY PUNCTURE THIS MORNING £$@**%^"

I would really like to insert the broken parts into the offending retards rectum.

always_tyred

Mate - your commute is about 3/4 of a mile. In that time, you managed to cut fully 30 yards off your route by using that path. Pity it caused that VERY old bloke to hastily gather his dogs to him and step out of your way. Bit of a shame that you managed to hop off the kerb in my path (although, good job I wasn't a car). Even though you told me to "F$*& off" after I'd paitently waited and said to you that it would be easier all around to stick to the road, and hurled some other abuse at me 200 yards later when I was opening my garage door (I didn't know that it was actually possible to get that far ahead in so short a time - maybe you had a puncture), my offer to give you some guidance if you stop by one evening really does stand.

For god's sake don't cycle like that for the (estimated 200 yard) cycle you have at the other end of your train journey in the city centre, because you won't last long, you clueless pillock.

dal105

Grrrrrr, stupid rear light fell off on the way in this morning and smashed to pieces in the road. Could be an interesting ride home.........maybe its a valid excuse to leave before it gets dark.

Wallace1492

Always Tyred wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

Cars, when you are going straight on at this junction, please do not indicate left. There is in face a left turn which you are not turning into, and this leaves me stoping at the left turn assuming you are doing as you indicate and cutting across me. It leave me so frustrated when you then go straight on although your indicator is on. I estimate about half the cars indicate left, then go straight on.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=55.933481,-4.316061&spn=0,359.986246&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=55.933321,-4.316466&panoid=eHEEtYGzp57BXaIJNNooZw&cbp=12,4.24,,0,-5.25

I must have cycled past there 40 times and I never even noticed the left turn. :oops:

Didn't know you cyced through Milngavie, guess that is not on your commute though.

always_tyred

Wallace1492 wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

Cars, when you are going straight on at this junction, please do not indicate left. There is in face a left turn which you are not turning into, and this leaves me stoping at the left turn assuming you are doing as you indicate and cutting across me. It leave me so frustrated when you then go straight on although your indicator is on. I estimate about half the cars indicate left, then go straight on.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=55.933481,-4.316061&spn=0,359.986246&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=55.933321,-4.316466&panoid=eHEEtYGzp57BXaIJNNooZw&cbp=12,4.24,,0,-5.25

I must have cycled past there 40 times and I never even noticed the left turn. :oops:

Didn't know you cyced through Milngavie, guess that is not on your commute though.

I worked in the big G for a short time and stayed out in Lennoxtown (yes, I know).

I tried commuting through Springburn and Bishopbrigs. Na.

I tried coming further around, heading in through Possil. OMG.

I tried coming even further around, through Strathblane, Milngavie and, yes, Maryhill. Yup, Yup, Na.

Ended up cutting off the Maryhill Road down to the GWR and in past the uni. A lot longer, but relatievly ned-free.

ride_whenever

Dear inhabitants,

Oxford is a beautiful city, and taking photographs is lovely. However perhaps standing in the middle of the road taking them isn't the best idea. Stepping backwards when i'm one meter away is even more stupid, especially without looking. Next time you and your camera will probably get splatted by a student who doesn't have brakes on their bike.

Ladies, yes i'm drop dead gorgeous, and driving behind me is a delightful thrill for you. But having sat well back from me, through a long period of clear road, why do you feel the need to overtake me just as we come up to a line of parked cars and try to run me into them? Next time the lights wont change and i'll pass you the scales* i was carrying so you can find out just how fat you are from driving everywhere.

Granny, I have no problem with you being cautious, in fact i'd prefer it. But try to remember, addle though your brain might be, that traffic can come from either direction. So you pulling out incredibly slowly and blocking the entire road doing a 3 point turn in order to turn left is exceptionally stupid.

Ride

*i did happen to be carrying some bathroom scales that had arrived as a secret santa from boffer and had i caught them i would have handed them over...

always_tyred

To the pedestrian who abruptly scuttled 8ft to the opposite side of the lane right into my path; its okay, I forgive you.

However, I'm confused by your explanation, "I thought you were a car."

The only reaosnable explanation for leaping in front of a vehicle you thought was a car is that life is not worth living. May I therefore suggest availing yourself of that nearby level crossing instead?

MadammeMarie

ride_whenever wrote:

Dear inhabitants,

Oxford is a beautiful city, and taking photographs is lovely. However perhaps standing in the middle of the road taking them isn't the best idea. Stepping backwards when i'm one meter away is even more stupid, especially without looking. Next time you and your camera will probably get splatted by a student who doesn't have brakes on their bike.

Ladies, yes i'm drop dead gorgeous, and driving behind me is a delightful thrill for you. But having sat well back from me, through a long period of clear road, why do you feel the need to overtake me just as we come up to a line of parked cars and try to run me into them? Next time the lights wont change and i'll pass you the scales* i was carrying so you can find out just how fat you are from driving everywhere.

Granny, I have no problem with you being cautious, in fact i'd prefer it. But try to remember, addle though your brain might be, that traffic can come from either direction. So you pulling out incredibly slowly and blocking the entire road doing a 3 point turn in order to turn left is exceptionally stupid.

Ride

Loved it!

ruserius

I've been cycling all over London's wonderful road system for about 9 years and have never come across the amazing 2 inch high curb delineating car parking along the road on Great Dover Street in Camberwell. My now shredded new front tyre discovered it in the dark. Pedestrians around at the time couldn't work out how I ended up on the pavement with no cars around or other obvious reasons for falling off. Faaakin road engineers and their good ideas. THAT is the most dangerous bit of road I have come across.

PedalPedant

To the driver of the black Fiat Punto who squeezed pass me *four times* just to stop in the queue in front of me, can I just point out that the thing you were gesticulating towards is called a "pavement" and I'm no more allowed on it than you are :x

PP

arthur_scrimshaw

will3 wrote:

Why are gear hangers so sodding expensive? I mean you can buy a bottom bracket for the same money and the hanger's only a tiddly bit of metal

And while we're at it, why on earth are they all different?

I think you just answered your own question!

always_tyred

I think this qualifies as a rant - to the Cycling people at Edinburgh council:-

Dear Sirs,

I would be grateful if you could explain to me how I might tackle the following scenario - should I be cycling westbound along Princes St. in Edinburgh past the National Gallery, where I am forced into a lane containing tram tracks, in the event that a pedestrian (or other obstacle) comes into my path, what should I do?

At present, the completely unmarked lanes provide the cyclist with approximately 3 feet between a kerb and a rail. There is nothing to stop (for example) tourists - at a major tourist attraction - from stepping off the kerb. There is nothing to stop drivers from attempting to overtake at this point.

Following the complete omission of any mention of the word "cycle" in any of the information regarding the tram works, and road routing which forced cyclists along George Street to frequently sometimes to share the road with two parallel queues of busses - such conditions being amongst the most dangerous imaginable for cyclists - (rather than, for example, making provision for cyclists as well as pedestrians to cross Princes St. at the Mound) this additional oversight is unfortunate.

I fear that someone may be killed or seriously hurt at that point in Princes St. and I therefore look forward to your response. Perhaps the cycle training this weekend will teach people how to bunny hop the rails.

Perhaps rails at the foot of the National Gallery steps are planned, together with clear signage top motorists that it is an offence to overtake cyclists in that lane? Perhaps the ornamental kerbing along the centre of the street is due to be removed and converted into a cycling facility/island? Or more likely you will simply ban cycling on Princes St. since this would be far cheaper.

In any event, the current condition of Princes St. is a ticking bomb, with the responsibility for a lacking of proactivity resting firmly with the Council in the event that the bomb should go off. I hope that you are sitting comfortably.

I would also be grateful if you could provide some guidance as to how much warning the Council typically needs of freezing conditions. Perhaps the most well used cycle facility in the city - cutting across the Meadows towards the city centre, was sheet ice this morning. Indeed, at time of writing it is still sheet ice. Given that hundreds of cyclists use this facility daily, and are guided by lights and signs to this facility, again it would be unfortunate if someone were hurt as a result of the council failing to take reasonable measures to maintain the facility throughout these entirely predictable weather conditions. Indeed, having spoken to a colleague in your office this morning, who walked that stretch and observed pedestrians struggling in the conditions, I am forced to wonder precisely how much ice would be requried to pique the interest of your own staff.

Kind regards,

Blah.....

kurako

Silly season must be upon us. Last night leaving work had the following:

Canary Wharf - car park
Commercial Road - car park
Tower Bridge - car park
Tower Bridge Road - car park

Absolutely the worst congestion I have ever seen especially with all the fools in metal boxes parking across junctions. Now my shoulder hurts from filtering through several miles of traffic at low speed

Matt.K

Start rant

Damn ice :evil:

End Rant

prawny

The the tool in the gold rover 75 yesterday night.

If your turning right across my path on a dead straight road it's not me that needs to use my fucking eyes, pr!ck.

kurako

prawny wrote:

The the tool in the gold rover 75 yesterday night.

If your turning right across my path on a dead straight road it's not me that needs to use my ******* eyes, pr!ck.

I find that happening more and more often recently. I think the presumption is that cars get priority cos they pay 'road tax' and cyclists are scum and shouldn't be on the road anyway. Either that or I'm now so super thin that I'm invisible front on.

always_tyred

Okay, so I just spoke with Tim Nice-but-Dim at Edinburgh Council. He informs me that there are insufficient resporces "to grit all cycle facilities" in the city. Since the one in question is the single busiest in the city, I presume that this literally means all cycle facilities will be ungritted.

I proposed that since there were loads of signs encouraging cyclists to use them, thereby placing them in harm's way this week, and throughout the winter, additional signage could be considered.

He hadn't thought of that.

He asked me if it was a problem going uphill. I assured him that one might be going faster downhill and that this might therefore be a problem also. :?

I asked him about the pinch point/ped crossing/tram rail situation outside the National Gallery. He didn't think it was a risk because "trams probably wouldn't be overtaking at that point". Jolly good- if I get forced into the rails and fall off, at least I won't be crushed by a tram (if its able to stop in time).

I asked about busses and taxis. He didn't think those would be a problem. Precisely why, I'm not sure. He mentioned something about CCTV, but I fail to see how this would stop someone from being hurt in the first place.

I asked him how people should turn right across the tracks. He said information had been forwarded to the Spokes people (an angle of greater than 30 degrees, I am told - meaning one has to veer sharply across the tracks - presumably in front of the two lanes of traffic that has been kind enough to provide sufficient space for one to do so). I suggested that he hadn't put it on the council's own website.

He hadn't thought of that.

I asked if overtaking of cyclists in that lane might be prohibited (as it is in certain other places where genuis engineers have provided helpful pinch points that serve no other function but to pinch).

He hadn't thought of that.

I pointed out that there had been no info regarding cyclists and no provision for them during the tram works. He said there had been some information. I confirmed that I knew that, as the mention of cyclists on the tramworks website only came about as a direct result of me pointing out that there wasn't any.

I asked if he only raised concerns reactive to a complaint. He said no. I pointed out that of the three highly significant issued I'd raised with him, he'd thought of none of them.

Negligent, sir.

Inneffectual.

Responsive only and not proactive.

What do you do all day?

You are a perfect candidate for an efficiency saving, in my view.

PedalPedant

To the bloke in the Vauxhall Vectra who carried on making his illegal u-turn across my path despite making very clear eye contact with me, I'd like to apologise for shouting "d1ck head" as loud as I possibly could through your open window.

I'm sorry, I hadn't realised you were on the 'phone, I hope it wasn't an important call

PP

shouldbeinbed

To the variety of Taxi drivers that have given no heed to the fact that the roads are an ungritted skating rink over the last few days, thank you as a pedestrian, cyclist and driver that you have provided a lifetime constipation cure by your insane antics.


To the unutterable genius that didn't realise or just decided Failsworth could do fine without gritting yesterday at the dusk temperatures froze the nicely warmed watery snow to mirror like slippiness- you have a special place in my heart for making me the most frightened I've ever been on a bike and making me get off and walk several miles before finding gritted roads and relative safety again.

Yesterday you were top of my list to be taken out and beaten with hammers. Today that place of honour goes to the dozy bint in the Halifax who transferred £1000 of my life savings into some random current account rather than mine.

Rich158

Bloody kids on BMX's, one very nearly had me off just out of Bexley today :twisted: Flying down a hill, I spied a BMX on the opposite pavement, no lights etc. All of a sudden this idiot decides to cross the road, at speed without looking, and side swipes me. Now I'm on the fixie can't stop pedalling, am desperately trying to hit the brakes and slow down, whilst trying to stay upright as this idiot is forcing me towards the kerb. Luckily there are loads of drop kerbs, and more by luck than judgement I pick a spot where's there's a drop kerb to get up on the pavement and away. I just count myself lucky that we both didn't hit the deck.

Bloody kids :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Another one this morning, but more my fault. Stopped by the lights on Blackheath waiting to go towards Greenwich Park a guy on a very nice Condor SS (he wasn't even running it fixed :shock: ) sits next to me. Brand new bike, not a speck of dirt on it, and brand new kit and shoes, again not a speck of dirt. Right I'll show him thinks I, and as the little green man appears I shoot off. Approaching the roundabout just outside Greenwich Park, at speed, I think I've just enough time to get through before the car approaching from my right. The guy coming from the left who obviously thought the same gave us both a scare however :shock: Fecking idiot, you're not just meant to drive through mini roundabout without even slowing down, although I should know better, this isn't the first time I've nearly been done here in this way :roll:

rolf_f

And a round of applause to Rich158 for being the first to get wound up in 2010