Cycle carnage

I learn from the rather loud head line of yesterday's Evening Standard that the Mayor of London is going to have a bicycle safety campaign, which despite its apparent focus on motorists may do something to curb the poor road use & manners of far too many London cyclists. From where I cycle, most motorists are considerate towards the cyclists who are often in their way (no fault on either side here, a consequence of having both on the one road) and the motorists who are not are far outnumbered by the bad cyclists.

BH puts the flurry of deaths down to inexperienced cyclists getting to grips with cycling in the poor winter light of early mornings and early evenings.

My own most recent experience was exemplary. Thinking to sample a few old haunts around London Bridge, picked up a Bullingdon at Waterloo Roundabout and made good time towards London Bridge, when heading east along a quiet Southwark Street, my bag, despite it being fixed on by the Bullingdon's large size rubber band in the usual way, fell off. Luckily it was quiet, the lady cyclist behind me smiled sympathetically as she avoided the bag and I was able to retrieve it undamaged and unmarked. Then a hundred yards or so further on, a middle aged chap shot out into the road on one of those small folding bikes and I had no chance of avoiding him. Luckily for me anyway, the Bullingdon is a fairly sturdy & heavy thing and just brushed the miniature aside and its rider was on the deck. I stopped and turned around to see the rider waving in an apologetic way at me, apparently unhurt. So I carried on to dock at the Hop Exchange, slightly surprised that a stand so near a big railway station should have spaces in the middle of the evening rush hour.

Sampled a few haunts, including a Young's house just by the market distinguished by the crush of breezy youth and the state of the art smoking den, used more as an overflow area from the interior rather than for smoking. All in all rather struck by the number of drinkers out so early in the week.

Not having taken much on, and it being cold enough to blow off what I had, took a chance and picked up a Bullingdon for the return leg from the same Hop Exchange at which I had arrived for a leisurely and uneventful ride back to Waterloo, to find the two stands on or about the roundabout full and the first two stands by the Festival Hall full. Pedalled on, thinking that I might have to try Vauxhall, when I came across a new to me stand called Jubilee Gardens which was half empty. Job done and no distance at all to walk back to the station, just in time to catch the 1939 (having picked up the aforementioned Evening Standard).

Two large bicycles inside the first door to the first carriage. I had forgotten what a pain they are in a busy train. When I used to do it, many years ago, we had the use of a luggage van and so did not disturb the foot soldiers. Also a time when I used to occupy one of the few smoking seats, as most travelers on the trains in question either abhorred the smell of smoky seats or did not care to be associated with puffs or puffing, while I got a seat near the luggage van, which was handy.

PS: pleased to report that the user facing part of the Bullingdon Computer System is up and running again after the recently reported glitch. Furthermore, their command centre had acknowledged my email report of same within hours.