I was just thinking the other day how it’s been ages since I last wrote. I quit my last job (rather spectacularly I might add) and so I’ve not been on my usual route into town much. I actually started a new job which saw me, for most of November, cycling around the Leyton area trying to interview people for social research studies. In this endeavour I would like like to add that getting mileage for your bike rocks, that East London is way nicer than where I live, that people in (East?) London are way nicer than I thought, and that The Desert Rose coffee shop on Hoe Street makes the best.coffee.ever. I seriously haven’t had coffee like that since I was last on the continent, and better yet - it only cost a pound!!!!!!!!

But cycling. So yes, I realised the other day that, aside from BT vans, I had not had a single shitty driver and/or stupid cyclist experience once I had gotten east of Stamford Hill for the entire month of November. That is, alas, until I had to go into town the other day; I took my preferred route in and was promptly assaulted by bad drivers and idiotic cyclists. I have a large list of drivers that I am banning when I am Queen of the World, and I may also now ban males of a certain age on hybrids as well as all women on step-throughs.

Given the fact that I just shaved all my hair off again (ahhh, the freedom! ahhh, the lovely velvet headedness!) and could feasibly now lose my job and end up near Central London again, I thought I’d give another top tip to cyclists, namely - don’t fill up the gaps!

What I mean by that is, if there is a gap down the side of (stationary) traffic and you decide to go down it and then say, for example, there is a red traffic light that you are not going to jump, don’t just hang out at the end of the tunnel, blocking the light and the way through for all the other cycling souls of London. Take the tunnel (follow the light!) but when you get to the top, move towards the centre of the lane, in front of the motorised traffic, so that any other cyclist can also take that route rather than being forced, a) to be in a dangerous position once the traffic starts moving again, or b) to wait at the back behind the traffic.

It’s just common courtesy. Think about the reasons that you felt comfortable taking that tunnel and moving to the front of the traffic - you did it because you had a hole of freedom to work towards. So why block the light/bung up the hole and thereby prevent other cyclists having the safety to do the same? You don’t have to be a selfish plonker, all you have to do is think!

PS: This goes quadruple bazillion for motorbikers and scooterererers.

Posted under advice