The battery was dead!!

[magnatom]

Happily cycling along the lane in this video, an older gentleman flags me down from the pavement. Curious to what the problem was I stopped about 30m further along dismounted and headed back towards him. He walked towards me. The following conversation took place.

Magnatom: Hello sir, how can I help you? (I really did say this!)

Older gentleman: You should be cycling in the cycle lane?

Magnatom: Sorry?!

Old Guy: You should be cycling in the cycle lane that we have provided for you!

Magnatom: Can I ask who 'we' is?

Old Geezer: Me. I've paid my taxes and those taxes have provided you with this cycle lane, so you should use it!

Magnatom: I think you'll find I pay taxes too...in fact probably significantly more than you (he was probably retired)

Old muppet: Yes, you probably do, but the cycle lane was provided for you, so you should use it!

Magnatom: Do you have any understanding of the safety implications related to poor design of this lane? Look there at how it crosses right in front of the junction, taking the cyclist along the most dangerous line.

Wrinkly old fool: Ummm, aye but....oh there's ma bus...

(Exit said fool, with a run, of a fashion, towards the approaching bus).

I knew my battery was low on the camera (forgot the charger), but I really hoped to be able to share the video of this one. Unfortunately it was dead by this point. It really was a surreal, only ever seems to happen to Magnatom moment!

 

[Riding in Circles]

You are a crap magnet.

 

[magnatom]

You are a crap magnet.

Should my name be Magnacrap then?

 

[jimboalee]

"If I curl my fingers into my palm, it makes a fist. God gave me this fist to punch people with. I should be using it."

 

[Simon_m]

lol at crap magnet

my camera failed last night, been playing up for a week now. So I missed out on a police mountainbike telling off a couple of cyclists who had gone through the red light and pulled up just ahead of it. I was tempted to go over to him and ask him to have a go at the many motorbikes who were in "MY" ASL.

 

[Jezston]

Should my name be Magnacrap then?

That reminds me, why are you called Magnatom anyway? Didn't I hear your name is 'Steve' or something?

 

[magnatom]

That reminds me, why are you called Magnatom anyway? Didn't I hear your name is 'Steve' or something?

You mean you don't know who I am!!!

David, or Dave, take your pick. I work with MRI scanners. One was previously called a Magnetom. I changed the e to an a. Bob's and Uncle's!

 

[Tenorman]

You mean you don't know who I am!!!

David, or Dave, take your pick. I work with MRI scanners. One was previously called a Magnetom. I changed the e to an a. Bob's and Uncle's!

And there we were thinking you were called Tom, and it was just a misspelling of MagmaTom, due to your volcanic eruptions on your videos

 

[jimboalee]

And there we were thinking you were called Tom, and it was just a misspelling of MagmaTom, due to your volcanic eruptions on your videos

Also mistaken for 'Magnetron'. The man who boils up in seconds.

 

[gaz]

Also mistaken for 'Magnetron'. The man who boils up in seconds.

Lol!

 

[jimboalee]

Do NOT mistake this man for Metatron.

 

[downfader]

LOL! Funny old dodder! Theres one on Hill Lane in Southampton and the white dashed line has been painted in the position where a cyclist would normally cycle in secondary (60cm). So as a result, and to avoid the bobbles in the tarmac's edge I ride the line.

Had a funny incident today, myself. Riding home from work in really heavy rain. Riding past some shops I hear a mate shouting my name (a really distinctive voice and accent so I know it was him), but everytime I turn to look where the voice is coming from I get a face full of rain lashing against me. In the end I felt it was safer to just ride on, I'll see him tomorrow and explain.

 

[Peter10]

Most cycle lanes are an afterthought by councils who install them as a way to promote they are a green borough/city/town. Many of which are more dangerous than before without the lane. There's one on my route to work which is probably only 12" wide, full of potholes, has tree branches which have grown out into the lane and generally has cars parked on it anyway. The worst part though, is one takes you right next to a blind junction, where cars HAVE to get their noses out to see what's coming. Cycle lanes are advisory only, not mandatory. When I first started reading your story I thought it implied you were cycling on the footpath (which would have been a fair point), but you are well within your rights. Let the guy have his moan and get on with it. he will feel like he's accomplished something and you can just get back to what you know is right.

 

[boydj]

Funny how it's always the old guys who think they should be telling us how to ride. I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago. I stopped for a coffee half-way through a long run and an old guy came over to chat. After I told him I was taking the main road home, he suggested quite pointedly that I should be using a back roads route as it was safer and out of the way of cars - and this was after telling me, of course, that he was a cyclist himself. So I went off on a bit of a rant and he gave up after I asked him if he used the back roads to cycle to his work in the 50s and 60s.

At least he wasn't using his car to make the point as several have done over the last few years!

 

[HLaB]

Funny how it's always the old guys who think they should be telling us how to ride. I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago. I stopped for a coffee half-way through a long run and an old guy came over to chat. After I told him I was taking the main road home, he suggested quite pointedly that I should be using a back roads route as it was safer and out of the way of cars - and this was after telling me, of course, that he was a cyclist himself. So I went off on a bit of a rant and he gave up after I asked him if he used the back roads to cycle to his work in the 50s and 60s.

At least he wasn't using his car to make the point as several have done over the last few years!

I don't think I've ever had an older gentleman tell me how to ride (apart from my big Brother and Dad when I was 8 year old). They usually make an unfunny comment about the head wind and its best just to humour them