Fun things that only happen if you cycle

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 10:59:06 +0000, in
<[email hidden]>, Eugenio Mastroviti

Quoted message said:

3) Motorists who automatically assume that if you cycle you
must know every little road and alley around - they
ignore the policeman and ask *you* for directions at the
traffic light

I am truly awful at giving directions to motorists in
Birmingham, since as I rarely drive in the city centre I am
always unsure which routes are closed to motor vehicles.
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Eugenio Mastroviti said:

6) The pigeons who think they're Tornado bombers in
Hampstead Heath

Presumably the Trafalgar Square models are more thinking in
terms of B52s... ;-/

Pete.
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"Eugenio Mastroviti" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

2) After a week of annoying small problems with the gears
and an extensive maintenance session, I have a short
test ride around home, shifting gears and getting off
the bike every time to check the tension of the cable,
and have to wave away a total of 6-7 cyclists stopping
to ask me if it's all right

On a ride on Saturday night I came across a woman in a line
of traffic whose car had broken down and who was trying to
push it left down a side street out of the way. Guess who
was the only one who offered to help? None of her fellow
motorists that's for sure - but to be fair it *was*
drizzling.

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Eugenio Mastroviti said:

3) Motorists who automatically assume that if you cycle
you must know every little road and alley around - they
ignore the policeman and ask *you* for directions at
the traffic light

"Take the cycle path on the left in 100m......" ;-)

Tony

In article
<[email hidden]>, Eugenio
Mastroviti <[email hidden]> wrote: [...]

7) The grin on _everyone's_ face as you ride past with a
cute five year old on a tag-along.

ian

Simon Mason said:

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

Quoted message said:

2) After a week of annoying small problems with the gears
and an extensive maintenance session, I have a short
test ride around home, shifting gears and getting off
the bike every time to check the tension of the cable,
and have to wave away a total of 6-7 cyclists stopping
to ask me if it's all right

On a ride on Saturday night I came across a woman in a
line of traffic whose car had broken down and who was
trying to push it left down a side street out of the way.
Guess who was the only one who offered to help? None of
her fellow motorists that's for sure - but to be fair it
*was* drizzling.

It's a funny one that. I'd stop (and have done) if I'm on
the bike or the motorbike, but I won't if I'm in the car.

Reason? I'm a pretty big bloke and can be intimidating. For
some reason on either of the bikes I'm perceived as a lot
more approachable and am unlikely to scare a lone woman with
a broken down car. Stopping a car and getting out seems to
have a different affect.

There is also the practical aspect of not always being able
to park a car out of the way while you help whereas you can
always fine somewhere to put a bike.

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 11:15:30 -0000, Tony Raven <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Eugenio Mastroviti said:

3) Motorists who automatically assume that if you cycle
you must know every little road and alley around -
they ignore the policeman and ask *you* for directions
at the traffic light

I have found this more frequently with vans and I've decided
it is something to do with eyelevels. On an upright you're
above most car drivers and below most lorry drivers but just
right for Transit-sized vans.

Quoted message said:

"Take the cycle path on the left in 100m......" ;-)

Never a truer word. It's the same when I'm on foot, if a
driver asks me how to get to somewhere local I could easily
tell them the way by going down pedestrian alleys and the
wrong way along one-way streets but I sometimes just can't
fathom out how to get there if I were in a car. Different
mind maps for different modes.

Colin
--

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

Quoted message said:

... It's a funny one that. I'd stop (and have done) if
I'm on the bike or the motorbike, but I won't if I'm in
the car.

Reason? I'm a pretty big bloke and can be intimidating.
For some reason on either of the bikes I'm perceived as a
lot more approachable and am unlikely to scare a lone
woman with a broken down car. Stopping a car and getting
out seems to have a different affect.

How can you be so sure you invoke such fear? Have you done a
survey of lone women in broken down cars?

I remember speaking to a jogger who once said he will
actually avoid running up behind a lone woman (eg along a
deserted canal towpath after dark) as he's afraid of
scaring her!

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 12:22:00 -0000 someone who may be "Colin
Blackburn" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

It's the same when I'm on foot, if a driver asks me how to
get to somewhere local I could easily tell them the way by
going down pedestrian alleys and the wrong way along one-
way streets but I sometimes just can't fathom out how to
get there if I were in a car.

I have apologised to motorists for being unable to tell them
how to drive to somewhere nearby. My usual advice is along
the lines of, "I would park here and walk over there."
Usually the place is a few minutes walk away, but far more
than that by car.

--
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F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK
government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

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

Quoted message said:

... I have apologised to motorists for being unable to
tell them how to drive to somewhere nearby. My usual
advice is along the lines of, "I would park here and walk
over there.....

I expect "walk" is a "four letter word" to many unfit
motorists!

Simon Mason said:

Quoted message said:

2) After a week of annoying small problems with the
gears and an extensive maintenance session, I have a
short test ride around home, shifting gears and
getting off the bike every time to check the tension
of the cable, and have to wave away a total of 6-7
cyclists stopping to ask me if it's all right

On a ride on Saturday night I came across a woman in a
line of traffic whose car had broken down and who was
trying to push it left down a side street out of the way.
Guess who was the only one who offered to help? None of
her fellow motorists that's for sure - but to be fair it
*was* drizzling.

About twenty years ago I rember stopping my car in the rain
to help a man and woman in dinner dress who had a flat tyre,
they were having trouble finding both the spare wheel and
the jack, I found both for them and then handed the jack to
the man who gave me an odd look as if he was thinking " Why
should I do it when you are here" . I was then determined to
do as little as possible and made sure that he got all the
dirty parts of the job whilst the woman sat in my car. After
changinf the tyre I went back to tell her she thanked me and
the man profusley got in the car and drove off , leaving him
to get into his car and do the same , he was another good
samaritan and I thought he was with her......

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Simon Mason said:

Quoted message said:

2) After a week of annoying small problems with the
gears and an extensive maintenance session, I have a
short test ride around home, shifting gears and
getting off the bike every time to check the tension
of the cable, and have to wave away a total of 6-7
cyclists stopping to ask me if it's all right

On a ride on Saturday night I came across a woman in a
line of traffic whose car had broken down and who was
trying to push it left down a side street out of the way.
Guess who was the only one who offered to help? None of
her fellow motorists that's for sure - but to be fair it
*was* drizzling.

About twenty years ago I rember stopping my car in the rain
to help a man and woman in dinner dress who had a flat tyre,
they were having trouble finding both the spare wheel and
the jack, I found both for them and then handed the jack to
the man who gave me an odd look as if he was thinking " Why
should I do it when you are here" . I was then determined to
do as little as possible and made sure that he got all the
dirty parts of the job whilst the woman sat in my car. After
changinf the tyre I went back to tell her she thanked me and
the man profusley got in the car and drove off , leaving him
to get into his car and do the same , he was another good
samaritan and I thought he was with her......

--
Marc. Please note the above address is a spam trap, use
marcc to reply Printing for clubs of all types
jaceeprint.demon.co.ukjaceeprint.demon.co.ukOpen ↗ Stickers, banners &
clothing, for clubs,teams, magazines and dealers.

Adrian Boliston said:

How can you be so sure you invoke such fear? Have you done
a survey of lone women in broken down cars?

I stopped (had to) and tapped on the driver's window of a
car that was parked blocking off a cycle path so I could ask
her if she would move. She sat there purposely looking the
other way. Eventually I shouted through the window to ask
her to move her car from blocking the cycle path. She wound
the window down just a touch and obviously scared stupid
told me to go away as I was scaring her.

Tony

Adrian Boliston said:

How can you be so sure you invoke such fear? Have you done
a survey of lone women in broken down cars?

I stopped (had to) and tapped on the driver's window of a
car that was parked blocking off a cycle path so I could ask
her if she would move. She sat there purposely looking the
other way. Eventually I shouted through the window to ask
her to move her car from blocking the cycle path. She wound
the window down just a touch and obviously scared stupid
told me to go away as I was scaring her.

Tony

Adrian Boliston said:

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

Quoted message said:

... It's a funny one that. I'd stop (and have done) if
I'm on the bike or the motorbike, but I won't if I'm in
the car.

Reason? I'm a pretty big bloke and can be intimidating.
For some reason on either of the bikes I'm perceived as a
lot more approachable and am unlikely to scare a lone
woman with a broken down car. Stopping a car and getting
out seems to have a different affect.

How can you be so sure you invoke such fear? Have you done
a survey of lone women in broken down cars?

Well, yes, but my survey sample only consisted of my
girlfriend and a couple of girls in the pub. But they all
said they would be wary of someone stopping in a car when
they're on their own, but they wouldn't feel as uncertain if
it was a cyclist/biker.

Adrian Boliston said:

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

Quoted message said:

... It's a funny one that. I'd stop (and have done) if
I'm on the bike or the motorbike, but I won't if I'm in
the car.

Reason? I'm a pretty big bloke and can be intimidating.
For some reason on either of the bikes I'm perceived as a
lot more approachable and am unlikely to scare a lone
woman with a broken down car. Stopping a car and getting
out seems to have a different affect.

How can you be so sure you invoke such fear? Have you done
a survey of lone women in broken down cars?

Well, yes, but my survey sample only consisted of my
girlfriend and a couple of girls in the pub. But they all
said they would be wary of someone stopping in a car when
they're on their own, but they wouldn't feel as uncertain if
it was a cyclist/biker.

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

... It's a funny one that. I'd stop (and have done) if
I'm on the bike or the motorbike, but I won't if I'm in
the car.

Reason? I'm a pretty big bloke and can be intimidating.
For some reason on either of the bikes I'm perceived as
a lot more approachable and am unlikely to scare a lone
woman with a broken down car. Stopping a car and getting
out seems to have a different affect.

How can you be so sure you invoke such fear? Have you done
a survey of

lone

Quoted message said:

women in broken down cars?

I remember speaking to a jogger who once said he will
actually avoid

running up

Quoted message said:

behind a lone woman (eg along a deserted canal towpath
after dark) as he's

afraid

Quoted message said:

of scaring her!

Good man! I try and do the same for the simple reason that I
find *I* get intimidated late at night by people walking
behind me.

Tom, wuss.

Simon Mason said:

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

Quoted message said:

2) After a week of annoying small problems with the gears
and an extensive maintenance session, I have a short
test ride around home, shifting gears and getting off
the bike every time to check the tension of the cable,
and have to wave away a total of 6-7 cyclists stopping
to ask me if it's all right

On a ride on Saturday night I came across a woman in a
line of traffic whose car had broken down and who was
trying to push it left down a side street out of the way.
Guess who was the only one who offered to help? None of
her fellow motorists that's for sure - but to be fair it
*was* drizzling.

This is the big downside of using Look cleats. Once the
shoes are on, anything that involves off-bike activity is
hard work and dangerous

davep

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 13:08:46 -0000 someone who may be "Tony Raven"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I stopped (had to) and tapped on the driver's window of a
car that was parked blocking off a cycle path so I could
ask her if she would move. She sat there purposely looking
the other way. Eventually I shouted through the window to
ask her to move her car from blocking the cycle path. She
wound the window down just a touch and obviously scared
stupid told me to go away as I was scaring her.

I hope you asked her again.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number
F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK
government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.