I watched in dumbfounded disbelief yesterday as a cyclist travelled toward me...# Firstly he was travelling East, on the south carriageway, in the North most lane of the Embankment just below Hungerford Bridge, against the traffic flow. He then turned to his left,over the pedestrian refuge/ crossing and, without pausing, into the path of a taxi travelling East in the North carriageway, at this point I thought he would surly die. He avoided the imminent collision by turning very sharply East and wobbling Eastwards before performing a U turn in the carriageway that took him over the pedestrian refuge at the end of Northumberland Avenue nearly hitting two pedestrians as he cycled between them. He then proceeded up Northumberland Avenue toward Trafalgar Square crossing in front of two or three motorcycles who dived to their brakes as he did so without signalling his intent to cross the carriageway from left to right and without even glancing behind him. Having completed this manoeuvre he cycled up the Southbound carriageway almost without incident although a pedestrian at the crossing halfway up nearly came to grief as the cyclist zipped past from seemingly the wrong direction, I didn't note the colour of the crossing. The cyclist then took the wrong side of the island at the top of Northumberland Avenue again crossed the pedestrian refuge/crossing area between pedestrians crossing and cycled out into the traffic stream of vehicles moving ahead into Whitehall at which he turned right in front of a very large blue bus emerging as if by magic, for I could see no other reason why the bus did not hit him to zig round the end of the pedestrian refuge separating East and West Traffic in Whitehall at its junction with Trafalgar Square, his journey having taken him a little distance into Whitehall. Having regained Trafalgar Square he cycled through the Red ATS, in front of the Westbound traffic entering Trafalgar Square and disappeared toward St James's. I just could not believe his bare faced cheek or damn luck. If anyone deserved to be a statistic it had to be him, frankly I can't see why he hasn't been one yet - other than the bike looked brand new and was a female so perhaps borrowed bike.
"Sniper8052(L96A1)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I watched in dumbfounded disbelief yesterday as a cyclist travelled toward me...# Firstly he was travelling East, on the south carriageway, in the North most lane of the Embankment just below Hungerford Bridge, against the traffic flow. He then turned to his left,over the pedestrian refuge/ crossing and, without pausing, into the path of a taxi travelling East in the North carriageway, at this point I thought he would surly die. He avoided the imminent collision by turning very sharply East and wobbling Eastwards before performing a U turn in the carriageway that took him over the pedestrian refuge at the end of Northumberland Avenue nearly hitting two pedestrians as he cycled between them. He then proceeded up Northumberland Avenue toward Trafalgar Square crossing in front of two or three motorcycles who dived to their brakes as he did so without signalling his intent to cross the carriageway from left to right and without even glancing behind him. Having completed this manoeuvre he cycled up the Southbound carriageway almost without incident although a pedestrian at the crossing halfway up nearly came to grief as the cyclist zipped past from seemingly the wrong direction, I didn't note the colour of the crossing. The cyclist then took the wrong side of the island at the top of Northumberland Avenue again crossed the pedestrian refuge/crossing area between pedestrians crossing and cycled out into the traffic stream of vehicles moving ahead into Whitehall at which he turned right in front of a very large blue bus emerging as if by magic, for I could see no other reason why the bus did not hit him to zig round the end of the pedestrian refuge separating East and West Traffic in Whitehall at its junction with Trafalgar Square, his journey having taken him a little distance into Whitehall. Having regained Trafalgar Square he cycled through the Red ATS, in front of the Westbound traffic entering Trafalgar Square and disappeared toward St James's. I just could not believe his bare faced cheek or damn luck. If anyone deserved to be a statistic it had to be him, frankly I can't see why he hasn't been one yet - other than the bike looked brand new and was a female so perhaps borrowed bike.
Sniper8052
I can only assume, with all that detail that the "cyclist" was you!
Trevor A Panther In South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
"Pinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Sniper8052(L96A1)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I watched in dumbfounded disbelief yesterday as a cyclist travelled toward me...# Firstly he was travelling East, on the south
<snip><snip>
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Square and disappeared toward St James's. I just could not believe his bare faced cheek or damn luck. If anyone deserved to be a statistic it had to be him, frankly I can't see why he hasn't been one yet - other than the bike looked brand new and was a female so perhaps borrowed bike.
Sniper8052
I can only assume, with all that detail that the "cyclist" was you!
Trevor A Panther In South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
and while I think about it
*plonk*
-- Trevor A Panther In South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
I watched in dumbfounded disbelief yesterday as a cyclist travelled toward me...# Firstly he was travelling East, on the south carriageway, in the North most lane of the Embankment just below Hungerford Bridge, against the traffic flow. He then turned to his left,over the pedestrian refuge/ crossing and, without pausing, into the path of a taxi travelling East in the North carriageway, at this point I thought he would surly die. He avoided the imminent collision by turning very sharply East and wobbling Eastwards before performing a U turn in the carriageway that took him over the pedestrian refuge at the end of Northumberland Avenue nearly hitting two pedestrians as he cycled between them. He then proceeded up Northumberland Avenue toward Trafalgar Square crossing in front of two or three motorcycles who dived to their brakes as he did so without signalling his intent to cross the carriageway from left to right and without even glancing behind him. Having completed this manoeuvre he cycled up the Southbound carriageway almost without incident although a pedestrian at the crossing halfway up nearly came to grief as the cyclist zipped past from seemingly the wrong direction, I didn't note the colour of the crossing. The cyclist then took the wrong side of the island at the top of Northumberland Avenue again crossed the pedestrian refuge/crossing area between pedestrians crossing and cycled out into the traffic stream of vehicles moving ahead into Whitehall at which he turned right in front of a very large blue bus emerging as if by magic, for I could see no other reason why the bus did not hit him to zig round the end of the pedestrian refuge separating East and West Traffic in Whitehall at its junction with Trafalgar Square, his journey having taken him a little distance into Whitehall. Having regained Trafalgar Square he cycled through the Red ATS, in front of the Westbound traffic entering Trafalgar Square and disappeared toward St James's. I just could not believe his bare faced cheek or damn luck. If anyone deserved to be a statistic it had to be him, frankly I can't see why he hasn't been one yet - other than the bike looked brand new and was a female so perhaps borrowed bike.
Sniper8052
And you chose not to whip out your police badge and re-educate him about considerate, legal and safe cycling?
-- Tony
"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the right." - Lord Hailsham
???? Sniper would be one of the last I would killfile. His posting history is generally well thought out and a positive contribution to the group (not to mention entertaining about how he actively improves safety for us on the road).
Definitely more light than heat, even if I don't agree with him at times.
That seems unreasonable. Sniper has long been a valued contributor to this ng, and I saw nothing in his observations in this case that warranted plonking.
That seems unreasonable. Sniper has long been a valued contributor to this ng, and I saw nothing in his observations in this case that warranted plonking.
<aol> I agree! </aol>
-- Tony
"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the right." - Lord Hailsham
"Pinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Sniper8052(L96A1)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I watched in dumbfounded disbelief yesterday as a cyclist travelled toward me...# Firstly he was travelling East, on the south
<snip><snip>
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Square and disappeared toward St James's. I just could not believe his bare faced cheek or damn luck. If anyone deserved to be a statistic it had to be him, frankly I can't see why he hasn't been one yet - other than the bike looked brand new and was a female so perhaps borrowed bike.
Sniper8052
I can only assume, with all that detail that the "cyclist" was you!
Trevor A Panther In South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
and while I think about it
*plonk*
Normally when someone gets killfiled by someone who announces it, the replies are along the lines of "I've already killfiled that idiot". In this instance, I think you'll find that not to be the case, myself included.
Having said that, I did see some humour in it, as I read it as: Charmed Charing Cross cyclist clocked. Pink Panther plonks plod.
JimP
-- Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all. - DNA
"Pinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Sniper8052(L96A1)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I watched in dumbfounded disbelief yesterday as a cyclist travelled toward me...# Firstly he was travelling East, on the south
<snip><snip>
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Square and disappeared toward St James's. I just could not believe his bare faced cheek or damn luck. If anyone deserved to be a statistic it had to be him, frankly I can't see why he hasn't been one yet - other than the bike looked brand new and was a female so perhaps borrowed bike.
Sniper8052
I can only assume, with all that detail that the "cyclist" was you!
Trevor A Panther In South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
???? Sniper would be one of the last I would killfile. His posting history is generally well thought out and a positive contribution to the group (not to mention entertaining about how he actively improves safety for us on the road).
Definitely more light than heat, even if I don't agree with him at times.
Can someone tell me why this account is generally seen as more trustworthy than the attempted (racist) murder of a cyclist reported in this group last December?
could not believe his bare faced cheek or damn luck. If anyone deserved to be a statistic it had to be him, frankly I can't see why he hasn't been one yet - other than the bike looked brand new and was a female so perhaps borrowed bike.
And you chose not to whip out your police badge and re-educate him about considerate, legal and safe cycling?
Given his prediliction for cycling the wrong way up the road weaving in and out of the traffic, I suspect the risk involved to Sniper in catching up with him would have been significant!
Can someone tell me why this account is generally seen as more trustworthy than the attempted (racist) murder of a cyclist reported in this group last December?
Because Sniper is a known and generally trusted poster here. Can someone tell me why you are so fixated on extracting apologies for the scepticism around the original Sheffield report?
-- Tony
"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the right." - Lord Hailsham
???? Sniper would be one of the last I would killfile. His posting history is generally well thought out and a positive contribution to the group (not to mention entertaining about how he actively improves safety for us on the road).
Definitely more light than heat, even if I don't agree with him at times.
Can someone tell me why this account is generally seen as more trustworthy than the attempted (racist) murder of a cyclist reported in this group last December?
You mean 'the account of an attempted racist murder'?
1. All the geography matches up. I know the area (used to commute through there) and the names and places are congruent with reality. 2. It doesn't have the impression (albeit unintended) of an inflammatory posting trolling for a knee-jerk repsonse with no contemporary support where support would have been expected. 3. Sniper is well known in the group and could be regarded as a 'reliable witness'. The other account was from someone almost completely unknown to most in the group. 4. The implications of the event are not as significant. i.e. it doesn't matter if it was true or not. Therefore less weight is put on to assessing the validity.
The responses so far have been 'OK, it was essentially true but given a similar posting today I'd have the same response' seems entirely proper (I can throw maths at it if you wish).
Wouldn't do that, if I were you, Trevor. Sniper is a London policeman who often has sensible, level headed and informative views from, as it were, the other side of the fence. He's made me think a number of times, and that can't be bad.
