A visit to Oxford

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:09:11 GMT, "Pinky" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just got back from a few days cycling in the city of Oxford -- just local
stuff! I go there a couple of times a year to visit my son!

Thanks for the report.

It's nice to know people can still go and enjoy cycling in some of our cities.

"Pinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just got back from a few days cycling in the city of Oxford

[snip]

Ah, an old time Oxford person. I wonder if you can help me with an
Oxford bicycle story that I vaguely remember from about half a
century ago. Everyone know it then. Nobody remembers it now.

It seems that a famous professor of philosophy - the name was
supplied, but I have long since forgotten it - was spotted leaving
the Bodleian. He found his bike had a puncture, whereupon he got out
his pump, and started pumping up the *good* tyre, not the bad one.

On being queried about this, by some watching students, he made the
remark, "Er, don't they communicate?"

If you can confirm, correct, or supply more details about the story,
I, and I imagine others on this newsgroup, would be very grateful

Does it still typify Oxford's bike knowledge?

Cambridge does things differently, as shown by the story of the dodgy
spoke on mathematician Alan Turing's bike

Jeremy Parker

(Ziggy) said:

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:09:11 GMT, "Pinky" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just got back from a few days cycling in the city of Oxford -- just local
stuff! I go there a couple of times a year to visit my son!

Thanks for the report.

It's nice to know people can still go and enjoy cycling in some of our cities.

I'm an Oxford dweller myself. I agree, good report and just about bang
on correct. Good to hear it was a nice rtip for you.

Jeremy Parker said:

"Pinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just got back from a few days cycling in the city of Oxford

[snip]

Ah, an old time Oxford person. I wonder if you can help me with an
Oxford bicycle story that I vaguely remember from about half a
century ago. Everyone know it then. Nobody remembers it now.

It seems that a famous professor of philosophy - the name was
supplied, but I have long since forgotten it - was spotted leaving
the Bodleian. He found his bike had a puncture, whereupon he got out
his pump, and started pumping up the *good* tyre, not the bad one.

On being queried about this, by some watching students, he made the
remark, "Er, don't they communicate?"

The similar story I heard was that it was a mathematics professor and his
response was "ah, but they will have the correct pressure on average".

Of course, I don't think there is any chance of these stories being true. Even
university professors are not *quite* that unworldly.

"Pinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just got back from a few days cycling in the city of Oxford -- just local
stuff! I go there a couple of times a year to visit my son!

So it is supposed to be a cycle friendly city -- and indeed it is -- but
not because of the cycle farcilities but because of the number of cyclists
at all times of day.

The farcylities vary from the reasonable to the "where did that go" --
just the same as always -- but the main difference is that there are a
hugely greater number of cyclists on the road -- and not just the
undergrads -- it generates usage of the road by a large cross section of
the population.

So the petrolheads are much more aware of what is going on -- because
with a lot more cyclists, sadly there are also a lot more "ijot" cyclists
as well but not as many as up here in South Yorkshire

Yesterday I spent the day at a gathering of some of my fellow founder
members of Welbeck College ( started in September 1953) and I was the only
"mad cyclist" among a veteran/vintage collection of some 30 guys ( and
about 3 wives who dared it -- let's face it that many old fogies talking
about school days in the mid 50's could be just a tad boring!).

But I avoided the huge amount of wine over an 8 course dinner and as I
cycled back to my son's home at about 2300 hrs I still met a lot of
cyclists on the road.

But even at that time there were "ijots" -- no lights ---dark clothes --
on the road / off the road - but it was still so much more pleasant
cycling late at night where I felt comfortable and safe. I actually enjoy
cycling on a very cold night at a late hour and even in this cold snap in
shorts and only about 3 layers on top!

As an aside when I opened the bedroom curtains this morning, in Oxford --
it was covered in snow and falling thickly. But an hour later it had all
gone.

It is, however, nice to be back home! A nice but long hard day!

Just lit the fire and having a glass of wine! A red Nebbiolo from 2005!
Curry is on the stove and the poppadums are just about to go into the
microwave! nearly as good as in my pup tent!

Ain't life good!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Oxford can look a bit like mid 70's Beijing at times, stuffed with cyclists.
There are a lot of people who cycle badly, but Plod isn't that bothered...
Car drivers are usually OK, it's the bus drivers I worry about.

Ziggy said:

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:13:48 -0000, "Jeremy Parker"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Pinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ah, an old time Oxford person. I wonder if you can help me with an
Oxford bicycle story that I vaguely remember from about half a
century ago. Everyone know it then. Nobody remembers it now.

It seems that a famous professor of philosophy - the name was
supplied, but I have long since forgotten it - was spotted leaving
the Bodleian. He found his bike had a puncture, whereupon he got out
his pump, and started pumping up the *good* tyre, not the bad one.

On being queried about this, by some watching students, he made the
remark, "Er, don't they communicate?"

Quoted message said:

The similar story I heard was that it was a mathematics professor and his
response was "ah, but they will have the correct pressure on average".

Quoted message said:

Of course, I don't think there is any chance of these stories being true. Even
university professors are not *quite* that unworldly.

I recall the famous story about the MIT prof who had just bought a new
house. Being preocuupied as usual with his research he'd left all the
arrangements to his wife and family. Came the day that he was supposed
to go home to his new address he forgot and went to the old one. For
insurance reasons the new owners had already had the lock
changed. When his key didn't fit he remembered he no longer lived
there. But where? He couldn't remember his new address, and he
couldn't find a note of it in any of his pockets.

As he looked around for a helpful forwarding note pinned somewhere he
spotted a vaguely familiar young woman watching him from the garden
gate, no doubt one of his students.

"Hi Daddy!" she called, "Mummy sent me to collect you!"

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]