Lucky escape

[goo_mason]

Dear Mr Road-bike rider,

You had a very lucky escape this morning; it's not the wisest idea to try and cycle up the very narrow gap on the left of a single-decker bus just as the road narrows on the approach to the roundabout at Picardy Place, where the bus is taking the left turn up towards Leith Street. It's especially unwise when there's no escape route, since there's a metal fence running all the way up the edge of the pavement at that point. Even more silly is to try to sprint for the narrowing gap at the front of the bus to get out of the situation, rather than put the brakes on and drop back behind the bus. (With the bus at the angle it was, there was far more escape room at the back than at the front).

You certainly frightened the life out of me, as I suddenly thought I was about to be a witness to a very mangled cyclist. There must have been barely an inch between your bars and the side of the bus at the point I lost sight of you; I didn't feel a bump or hear a scraping sound, so I guess you got lucky this time.

Hopefully you'll have learned an important lesson and not try that again.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

eek.

You not got your bike fixed yet or did the rain persuade you to bus it?

It was dry when I set off but got a good soaking once I was over the bridge. Not looking forward to trip home. Spent an hour cleaning my bike yesterday too ho hum.

And don't tell Mickle but I took my chain off and coke bottled it too. Great result. Almost gave it to the wife for an anniversary present.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Yikes! That must have been a fair scare goo.

It does amaze and scare me how little self preservation many cyclists exhibit, I am at a loss to know what is running through their heads! In this kind of situation I feel sorry for the bus driver, his nerves must have taken a jolt.

 

[tdr1nka]

*shudders*

Tx

 

[magnatom]

Yikes! That must have been a fair scare goo.

It does amaze and scare me how little self preservation many cyclists exhibit, I am at a loss to know what is running through their heads! In this kind of situation I feel sorry for the bus driver, his nerves must have taken a jolt.

You made a spurious assumption there Jacomus. Your assuming something runs through their head!

Glad it turned out ok goo. That cyclist wouldn't have been the only victim.

 

[gambatte]

If he had got wiped out, how many would be instantly blaming the bus driver??

 

[Tynan]

always trust the man on the ground, he might have known what the bus would do, might have made eye contact with the driver, might have timed it perfectly well

 

[goo_mason]

The bus driver didn't seem to have noticed the chap who sneaked up from behind on the inside. I'd not have even suspected that anyone or anything would be in that narrow gap - the driver would have been looking to the right (at traffic in the other lane) and at the traffic coming around the roundabout ahead.

The cyclist came from behind and went for a narrow gap between bus and metal fence on the inside. It was already narrow and getting narrower at that point, so the cyclist put himself in an extremely dangerous position that was already obviously risky.

It was just his luck this morning that he missed being pate by an inch or so. Scared the sh*t out of me, as I thought he was about to be a goner right beneath my nose.

 

[goo_mason]

eek.

You not got your bike fixed yet or did the rain persuade you to bus it?

Neither - I don't cycle on Mondays as it's walk-daughter-to-school day on a Monday and the day I therefore use to get a week's worth of clothing, fruit and stuff into work (so I don't have to take it each day when I'm cycling).

I would have loved today for cycling in - I adore cycling in rain. Brings out the very big kid in me

 

[Chuffy]

If he had got wiped out, how many would be instantly blaming the bus driver??

Could someone lend me some fingers to count on. I appear to have run out....

 

[Twenty Inch]

The bus driver didn't seem to have noticed the chap who sneaked up from behind on the inside. I'd not have even suspected that anyone or anything would be in that narrow gap - the driver would have been looking to the right (at traffic in the other lane) and at the traffic coming around the roundabout ahead.

The cyclist came from behind and went for a narrow gap between bus and metal fence on the inside. It was already narrow and getting narrower at that point, so the cyclist put himself in an extremely dangerous position that was already obviously risky.

It was just his luck this morning that he missed being pate by an inch or so. Scared the sh*t out of me, as I thought he was about to be a goner right beneath my nose.

I've done exactly that on the East India Dock Road. I was screaming at the driver and banging on the side of the bus by the time he started pulling away from the fence. I wasn't frightened, but somebody shoot in my pants. V.v. stupid thing to do, and I learnt the hard way.

 

[goo_mason]

I've done exactly that on the East India Dock Road. I was screaming at the driver and banging on the side of the bus by the time he started pulling away from the fence. I wasn't frightened, but somebody shoot in my pants. V.v. stupid thing to do, and I learnt the hard way.

As Billy Connolly used to say at primary school when asked to explain why he'd crapped himself: "A big boy did it and ran away !!"