Saturday, September 11, 2004

Cycle Lanes

Vauxhall Cycle Lane

Have just updated my stupid cycle lanes page. Walking home with Tracy this afternoon I was halfway through commenting to her about a particularly stupid and expensive cycle lane, recently laid out behind the Oval cricket ground when, right on cue, a bell-end on a bike came hooning round the corner on the pavement. At this point the pavement is about four foot wide and the guy apparently expected Tracy and myself to step onto the cycle lane to let him by. I yelled out 'Isn't the road big enough for you!' and Tracy barked 'There's an expensive cycle lane there for you!'. The bloke mumbled something and cycled on between us. A little further he came up behind us and we had the following brief conversation ...


Bloke: 'We're you having a go at me back there?'
Me: 'Look mate. Every time I walk down that street I have to avoid cyclists on that narrow pavement even though the Council has spent thirty grand putting a bloody cycle lane there'
Bloke: 'That's a fair point. I just wanted to make sure you weren't having a go at me. I've had it right up to here with people lately.'
Me: Looks at bloke blankly
Bloke: 'Right, at least we've got that straight'
Bloke cycles off

I'm not advocating the state murder or imprisonment of all urban cyclists. That would be unreasonable. A strong case can be made for their sterilisation though ...

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