Congestion

[classic33]

No coat needed! That's what my late father thought, until the night he broke down on an expressway in the peeing rain and had to either try to fix it on the shoulder with only a dim torch (it was the 1980s) or walk to a phone.

You only think driving is easier because you've made driving extra easy and cycling unnecessarily cumbersome. If you won't put the rucksack in a more accessible place, store the bike more slickly and bolt on some real lights that don't need charging, why not level things up by putting your car keys in the loft, parking the car sideways on the drive and unplugging the headlight bulbs?

Where was that bit said, in the post you quoted?

 

[mjr]

Where was that bit said, in the post you quoted?

"On the other hand, my car is on my driveway pointing out. [...] Parking is the variable, but the co-op is on a slip road so no turning around needed. No coat needed."

In future, you could get a faster answer by using "Find in page" which is on the Edit menu of most browsers.

 

[icowden]

you think driving is easier partly because you've made driving extra easy and cycling unnecessarily cumbersome.

There is some truth in that. Back before commuting to work was abolished by Covid, everything would have been ready to go. These days i only get out at the weekend or at lunch times when the weather is nice and I don't need to lock the bike up anywhere.

 

[icowden]

No coat needed! That's what my late father thought, until the night he broke down on an expressway in the peeing rain and had to either try to fix it on the shoulder with only a dim torch (it was the 1980s) or walk to a phone.

Not going to happen in a modern EV. I just press a button and it calls the AA paid for through the leasing company.

Worst case is I have to get an umbrella out of the boot and climb behind a crash barrier and sit on a picnic blanket (also have a spare to use as a cloak!)

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Not going to happen in a modern EV. I just press a button and it calls the AA paid for through the leasing company.

The AA may take several hours to get to you. In the mean time you’ve turned hypothermic.

 

[icowden]

The AA may take several hours to get to you. In the mean time you’ve turned hypothermic.

Why? Chances are I can stay in my nice warm car. If not, I have an umbrella and two rugs. Or I could just walk home.
If I'm going on a long journey then believe it or not, I tend to take a coat. For a run to the Co-op, not so much.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Chances are I can stay in my nice warm car.

You’ve broken down, no heating.

 

[icowden]

You’ve broken down, no heating.

It's an EV. There will be heating unless the failure is really apocalyptic. I think we've rather missed the point. I wasn't taking a coat on a 1km trip to the co-op. Even if it were snowing a blizzard I reckon I could jog a kilometre to my front door without dying of hypothermia.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I wasn't taking a coat on a 1km trip to the co-op

You were using your car as a coat.

 

[mjr]

It's an EV. There will be heating unless the failure is really apocalyptic. I think we've rather missed the point. I wasn't taking a coat on a 1km trip to the co-op. Even if it were snowing a blizzard I reckon I could jog a kilometre to my front door without dying of hypothermia.

Yebbut if "without dying of hypothermia" is the test, I reckon you could cycle 2km with no coat without dying of hypothermia. Still pretty unpleasant so I can understand why you wouldn't want to, which is also why I don't understand people going out without coats just because they're using a car. All kinds of unexpected unfixable shoot (with the roads as well as the car) can stop cars and leave you out walking home from Nowhere. Heck, I've parked up and walked home to get a spare pair of glasses.

 

[icowden]

Yebbut if "without dying of hypothermia" is the test, I reckon you could cycle 2km with no coat without dying of hypothermia. Still pretty unpleasant so I can understand why you wouldn't want to, which is also why I don't understand people going out without coats just because they're using a car. All kinds of unexpected unfixable shoot (with the roads as well as the car) can stop cars and leave you out walking home from Nowhere. Heck, I've parked up and walked home to get a spare pair of glasses.

That's a fair point. But the fact remains - if I'm nipping to the shop I don't bother with a coat. If I'm getting on the bike, I put a coat on because I'm not getting into a warm car.