Not exactly commuting, but a fairly regular run for me for both business and leisure, is through the Two Tunnels route in Bath. I am constantly bewildered by the people who insist on riding through it with photon death-rays set to 'kill all life-forms' despite the perfectly adequate lighting in the tunnels. I don't bother remonstrating, just hold up a shielding hand, palm out as if sheltering from paparazzi and hope they get the point.
The other day however, I found myself in the middle of the tunnel, and passing a large group of young children who were on an organised ride. Of course, they had all decided that the thing to do was to try out their 'new for Christmas' lights, which were naturally, aimed in every possible direction, from up at the ceiling to straight into my face.
Happy to see new cyclists, I gave a resigned sigh and raised my hand to the customary position, from which I could peer out and see enough of the left hand wall to navigate. Glancing up to check if I had reached the tail of the crocodile, I saw the two adults acting as 'sweepers' looking curiously at me. 'Why is he doing that?' one of them asked her colleague, 'Oh, I expect he's embarrassed' the other one replied . . .