To the cycle courier...
To the cycle courier...
Author
Discussion

Hackney

Original Poster:

7,429 posts

237 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
...who rode through a red light at the pedestrian crossing on Essex Road just now, looked at me and said "so what?" as he did so.

You are a ccensoredt

I wasn't that close to the crossing, I certainly was in no danger and I didn't berate you or even say anything. So why you felt the need to be so aggressive / defensive is beyond me. Perhaps you realise you were in the wrong? Perhaps you're generally an aggressive boorish person who would prefer a confrontation on a wet Monday morning to going calmly about the day.

The trouble is, your attitude and actions encourage this perception of all cyclist in the non-cycling public. Your actions could have been dangerous, the beeps were sounding on the crossing indicating to visually impaired people that it is safe to cross. What then?

Being confrontational like this will come back to you. So, Mr courier next time a bus doesn't leave you enough space or a car gets a bit too close to you listen out for the driver shouting "So what" at you, and think on.

swiftpete

1,894 posts

222 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
Do you think he will read this? What is the point of this thread? You should buy a punchbag or something and hit that next time you get annoyed at someone.

davepoth

29,395 posts

228 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
swiftpete said:
Do you think he will read this? What is the point of this thread? You should buy a punchbag or something and hit that next time you get annoyed at someone.
You don't seem to have got the idea of ranting. 6/10, not enough .

Fluffsri

3,410 posts

225 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
swiftpete said:
Do you think he will read this? What is the point of this thread? You should buy a punchbag or something and hit that next time you get annoyed at someone.
Sometimes you just have to vent wink

Hackney

Original Poster:

7,429 posts

237 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
Yes, a poor rant. I can appreciate that.
And I did have to vent. Without resorting to violence (towards humans or punch bags)

Mintyhit

125 posts

186 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
This might make you feel better.

I live just off Essex road, last week I was waiting by a pedestrian crossing. I could see a courier cyclist approaching rapidly but I knew he would never make it in time. The lights turned amber, then red and he still didn’t slow down. I could tell he fully intended on running the red at full speed despite me waiting there to cross. I waited for him to pull almost level with me and pretended to suddenly jump out at him with a loud shout. He swerved and I could tell by the expression on his face it nearly shat himself.

I am pretty sure my reaction face was something akin to “so what?!”

Hackney

Original Poster:

7,429 posts

237 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
Mintyhit said:
This might make you feel better.

I live just off Essex road, last week I was waiting by a pedestrian crossing. I could see a courier cyclist approaching rapidly but I knew he would never make it in time. The lights turned amber, then red and he still didn’t slow down. I could tell he fully intended on running the red at full speed despite me waiting there to cross. I waited for him to pull almost level with me and pretended to suddenly jump out at him with a loud shout. He swerved and I could tell by the expression on his face it nearly shat himself.

I am pretty sure my reaction face was something akin to “so what?!”
biggrin

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
Mintyhit said:
This might make you feel better.

I live just off Essex road, last week I was waiting by a pedestrian crossing. I could see a courier cyclist approaching rapidly but I knew he would never make it in time. The lights turned amber, then red and he still didn’t slow down. I could tell he fully intended on running the red at full speed despite me waiting there to cross. I waited for him to pull almost level with me and pretended to suddenly jump out at him with a loud shout. He swerved and I could tell by the expression on his face it nearly shat himself.

I am pretty sure my reaction face was something akin to “so what?!”
Good piece of fiction

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
Mintyhit said:
This might make you feel better.

I live just off Essex road, last week I was waiting by a pedestrian crossing. I could see a courier cyclist approaching rapidly but I knew he would never make it in time. The lights turned amber, then red and he still didn’t slow down. I could tell he fully intended on running the red at full speed despite me waiting there to cross. I waited for him to pull almost level with me and pretended to suddenly jump out at him with a loud shout. He swerved and I could tell by the expression on his face it nearly shat himself.

I am pretty sure my reaction face was something akin to “so what?!”
Good piece of fiction

bigtomski

379 posts

225 months

Monday 14th May 2012
quotequote all
Hey, another piston header here who lives just off Essex Road!
I nearly got run over this very evening by cyclists on Essex Road running red lights, twice!
Once crossing the road to the Sainsburys by Englefield Road and then on the way back again.
Both times were by women just ploughing on through with no attempt to stop whatsoever.
Second one was just ridiculous as there were loads of kids in a big group behind me and one of their mums shouted at the cyclist who didn't even blink, she just shot through the middle of them all.

I'm a cyclist myself and have cycled in London for probably, ooooh 25 years, and have definitely run the odd red light in all that time but never to the extent of not even slowing and looking and never through a bunch of people actually on the crossing! It's funny but what seems to make me mad about cycling in London now are all the other crappy, dangerous cyclists!
There are some utter utter halfwits cycling in London now.

Mintyhit

125 posts

186 months

Tuesday 15th May 2012
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Jimboka said:
Good piece of fiction
So good you posted that twice? Well thank you.

Laurel Green

31,120 posts

261 months

Tuesday 15th May 2012
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Old age and, the carrying of a walking stick, should be something to look forward to in the coming years. biggrin

oyster

13,722 posts

277 months

Tuesday 15th May 2012
quotequote all
bigtomski said:
Hey, another piston header here who lives just off Essex Road!
I nearly got run over this very evening by cyclists on Essex Road running red lights, twice!
Once crossing the road to the Sainsburys by Englefield Road and then on the way back again.
Both times were by women just ploughing on through with no attempt to stop whatsoever.
Second one was just ridiculous as there were loads of kids in a big group behind me and one of their mums shouted at the cyclist who didn't even blink, she just shot through the middle of them all.

I'm a cyclist myself and have cycled in London for probably, ooooh 25 years, and have definitely run the odd red light in all that time but never to the extent of not even slowing and looking and never through a bunch of people actually on the crossing! It's funny but what seems to make me mad about cycling in London now are all the other crappy, dangerous cyclists!
There are some utter utter halfwits cycling in London now.
I cannot believe the proportion of female cyclists who go through red lights. It really is nearly all of them.

I put it down to laziness in not being bothered to get back up to speed again after stopping.