I've been a bit stupid...

... of late, i managed to miss a red light the other week (yes, really, cub's honour). I have to say in my defence it was after a very close call with a car, a car that had decided it was bored with queuing and used it's 'magic indicators*' before turning across my path...

anyways, i was contemplating said near miss when i missed that darn light. unfortunately the bus coming the other way, damn sure wasn't going to miss his green (despite the pesky cyclist in his way). thankfully my brakes were working pretty well...

so, another near miss avoided.

however as i cycle alongside the bendy bus, which has stopped for passengers, i see the driver pull his window open. so, i stop to see what he has to say...

'i suppose you didn't see me or the red light?' was his opening gambit.

i informed him that hadn't actually seen the red, but thankfully i had seen him otherwise i'd be under the bus right now.

i then asked if he thought he had the right to kill someone simply because he had green.

this one stunned even me, he replied 'yes'

i have to confess to being shell shocked by that and only managed to retort 'like every other bus driver, you're a fucking idiot' and rode off. I'm not particularly proud of that as a come back, but i really couldn't believe he'd said that, even if it was knee-jerk.

Which brings me to my point, I'm continually amazed by the movements of (to be fair) SOME motorists. It seems that i am fair game if i do something as stupid as get in their way. I understand the frustration felt commuting in London (believe me i do, I'm the one in the rain getting cut up by you), but i never feel the need to actually attempt to kill someone.

I had a similar one this morning with a taxi, i didn't see the no-entry sign and was following the road markings. Again, i was being a bit stupid, or very stupid, but sadly you're not allowed to kill people for that reason.

that exchange was a little crude, i did however ask him if he thought he had the right to kill me because i'd made a mistake, this does seem to fluster people... to the point that he decided to mimic my geordie accent, repeating 'haway' over and over. I have to confess to thinking this was a good mindless come back at first, but was then hit with a wave of depression... i love riding my bike, but i'm really struggling with the general driver's attitude at the mo, i don't know if it's the winter and the poor conditions, but something is giving me the shivers...



*i can't take credit for this term, the cyclist who witnessed my near miss coined it.