Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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Usual daily commute, nothing to really report apart from plenty of traffic this side of the Thames as usual.
My train is usually empty in the mornings and am able to use the bike space no problems.
This morning though, a few stops down the line a lady with pushchair/pram and youngster got on and sat in the wheel chair space opposite me. So between us we had taken all the space up. All good.
Another stop down the line another mother got on with a pushchair/pram and another youngster.
What the chances? In the 15 months I've being doing this commute its the first time 2 families got on the same space.
Anyhoo.. the second woman who got on decided to remark in a really snidey, loud way 'Oh there's a bike in the way (in the bike space) I suppose we'll have to stand! Whilst giving me daggers.
If she had asked nicely and/or politely or not said anything I would have moved my bike, no problems. But I didn't remove it because the shyte attitude.
My train is usually empty in the mornings and am able to use the bike space no problems.
This morning though, a few stops down the line a lady with pushchair/pram and youngster got on and sat in the wheel chair space opposite me. So between us we had taken all the space up. All good.
Another stop down the line another mother got on with a pushchair/pram and another youngster.
What the chances? In the 15 months I've being doing this commute its the first time 2 families got on the same space.
Anyhoo.. the second woman who got on decided to remark in a really snidey, loud way 'Oh there's a bike in the way (in the bike space) I suppose we'll have to stand! Whilst giving me daggers.
If she had asked nicely and/or politely or not said anything I would have moved my bike, no problems. But I didn't remove it because the shyte attitude.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
You'd never get a push bike or a blimmin pram on our trains. No room, standing only ! Reason for not paying the £10 to get to work.
I have no choice unless I do a daily round trip of 54 miles.
As I have mentioned before in this thread, the train I get is not usually busy due to it being the slow stopping service. The fast train before is usually standing room only.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
A bit busy on the first leg of the commute tonight. Amazingly I got on and all the students wanted to stand together rather than taking the empty seats. They all got off at the next station and were replaced hy more students of the same ilk (standing together rather than sitting separately, even when more seats came availableat the next stop).
Andy in Germany
Legendary Member
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
Had an "interesting" conversation with a lady on the train. She started by asking about the Brompton, nothing unusual. Then she asked what my job was.
I'm computer technicians and many other professions have a similar experience: when people hear what my job is, they start telling me their story.
Actually, that's not entirely true, most people go "what?" because almost no-one has heard of my job, but when they hear I work in Psychological health care they start asking questions on behalf of relatives or friends. In this case the lady was telling me her husband is an alcoholic and was asking what she could do.
This would have been fairly poignant and in other cases has led to some pretty rewarding conversations, but in this case... well, let's say I think there was a fair bit of projection going on: I don't think her partner was the only alcoholic in the relationship...
I'm computer technicians and many other professions have a similar experience: when people hear what my job is, they start telling me their story.
Actually, that's not entirely true, most people go "what?" because almost no-one has heard of my job, but when they hear I work in Psychological health care they start asking questions on behalf of relatives or friends. In this case the lady was telling me her husband is an alcoholic and was asking what she could do.
This would have been fairly poignant and in other cases has led to some pretty rewarding conversations, but in this case... well, let's say I think there was a fair bit of projection going on: I don't think her partner was the only alcoholic in the relationship...
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
The train was half an hour late, but I go for the one that is 20minutes later which is usually 5 mins faster so I only arrived 15mins late. It was only 6.15pm and the Pottyboro traffic is usually still standstill but tonight beyond the typically congested station carpark & drop-off there was nothing though I had to repeatedly check my rear radar as it was too quiet!
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
A rare dry road commute home. Front tyre was soft after Xmas so I'd pumped it up early last week. Looked a bit soft on the way home so checked when home. 20 PSI (MTB tyre). Should have been 35.
Here we go, one of those hard to find pin pricks. Turned out it was easy. A 15mm thorn.
Here we go, one of those hard to find pin pricks. Turned out it was easy. A 15mm thorn.
markharry66
Guru
coming home last night noticed there is a set of lights which is two lanes which the leads to a single lane which of course leads to carnage as all the drivers fight to get ahead of each other into a single lane. There is a cycle lane either side noticed the traffic is using the bike lanes as extra lane creating two lanes whos best to report this to as its an accident wating to happen.
Your local council.
biking_fox
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester
Blustery last night, colder today forecast wet later. Fun time of year. Today's highlight was a right turning woman who beeped at each cyclist who had the priority of way to go straight ahead in front of her.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Uneventful commute again, back to wet roads.
At a junction near work, I filtered down the outside of a queue of cars and passed a female cyclist waiting to turn right. I usually go ahead of the cycle box as the junctions are set far back, and I turn right as soon as the lights change as I'm quicker than the cars can get to the junction. If I don't, it's a few minutes wait until the lights go red. I filtered past, and she said 'are you going right', yes I said. "Oh I am too" she said. I then said, "as soon as the lights go, I turn". Lights changed, whoosh gone. Didn't see her again as she would have been stuck.
It's one of those junctions where it's safer to be ahead of the stop line, but still behind the lights and the junction itself - especially as the cycle boxes are ignored.
At a junction near work, I filtered down the outside of a queue of cars and passed a female cyclist waiting to turn right. I usually go ahead of the cycle box as the junctions are set far back, and I turn right as soon as the lights change as I'm quicker than the cars can get to the junction. If I don't, it's a few minutes wait until the lights go red. I filtered past, and she said 'are you going right', yes I said. "Oh I am too" she said. I then said, "as soon as the lights go, I turn". Lights changed, whoosh gone. Didn't see her again as she would have been stuck.
It's one of those junctions where it's safer to be ahead of the stop line, but still behind the lights and the junction itself - especially as the cycle boxes are ignored.
Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
Yeeps, it was a tough ride home into the wind last night. Had to work for every turn of the cranks.
Somewhat soggy ride in this morning, so I donned a good waterproof and gaiters over my winter boots. Pretty meh all round really, but we keep going and it has to be better than driving.
Somewhat soggy ride in this morning, so I donned a good waterproof and gaiters over my winter boots. Pretty meh all round really, but we keep going and it has to be better than driving.
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Got away with a dry interlude this morning, carried home oil in to refil the bottle I keep at work - now depleted after a very wet January on the roads so far.
I really should keep some oil at work- at the very least it will stop me borrowing the, no doubt very expensive, roller bearing lubricant intended for the pick & place robot.
