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These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.
On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:41:13 -0700 (PDT), Martin Deutsch
wrote: On Jul 26, 11:34*pm, Andy wrote: On Jul 26, 11:06*pm, "Ian F." wrote: "Bruce" wrote in message .. . I admit to having an inbuilt patholgocial hatred of cyclists who disobey the rules of the road, so I'm as guilty as anyone. *But I do think that the bendy buses have been vilified for a lot of problems that they don't cause. I hate them for the one major problem they *do* cause - fare-dodging! Well, they don't cause the fare-dodging. Facilitate it maybe, but the it is the fare-dodgers that cause the fare-dodging. Pedantry aside, surely the solution to discouraging fare-dodging is to increase inspections, not to change the bus? Not if your mind is rigidly set against the bendy bus, and you are simply looking for excuses to get rid of it. ;-) |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:03:50 -0700 (PDT)
MIG wrote: HGVs and bendy buses are intended for different types of road. HGVs Really? What types of roads would these be? aren't allowed in all the places that bendy buses are, and I don't see many bendy buses at Felixtowe. I've seen HGVs in my narrow local high street trying to reverse into the supermarket to do a delivery , but I've never seen a bendy bus there. Point is , if a cyclist can't cope with a bendy bus they obviously can't cope with HGVs either so perhaps they should leave their bike for w/e rides in the park and find another way to commute. B2003 |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:08:42 -0700 (PDT)
"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: I have never seen a bendy bus on Victoria Embankment. I have seen one around London Wall. I do not ride along Oxford Street at all, it is impassable. I did see a bendy bus today as I was riding round Hyde Park Corner - hard to avoid seeing it in fact as it pulled onto the roundabout straight into my path. And with 18m of bus that left no option at all but to stop in the middle of a busy roundabout. So let me get this straight - you didn't see an 18m bus coming until it was almost on top of you and then (surprise!) it went to pass you? I'm sure they are fine in their place, but central London is not it. Perhaps its not your place either as it appears you have tunnel vision. B2003 |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Jul 28, 12:48*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:08:42 -0700 (PDT) "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: I have never seen a bendy bus on Victoria Embankment. *I have seen one around London Wall. *I do not ride along Oxford Street at all, it is impassable. *I did see a bendy bus today as I was riding round Hyde Park Corner - hard to avoid seeing it in fact as it pulled onto the roundabout straight into my path. *And with 18m of bus that left no option at all but to stop in the middle of a busy roundabout. So let me get this straight - you didn't see an 18m bus coming until it was almost on top of you and then (surprise!) it went to pass you? Wrong. I was cycling round the roundabout, the bus driver entered the roundabout in conflict with traffic already on the roundabout, he was in the wrong not me. I'm sure they are fine in their place, but central London is not it. Perhaps its not your place either as it appears you have tunnel vision. See above: your base premise is in error. Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. -- Guy |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.
On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:52:14 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote: On Sun, 26 Jul 2009, MIG wrote: Never mind class or party politics; what about "I don't like to have a totally unsuitable vehicle blocking the pedestrian crossings, forcing me to risk my life to get across the road"? That's a problem with the drivers, not the buses, and is not restricted to bendies, although of course it's worse with them. There is obviously a greater chance that an individual bendy bus will block a pedestrian crossing because of its greater length, but surely there is also a lesser frequency of blocking because there are fewer bendy buses needed for the same route capacity? I suspect that the second at least partially compensates for the first, and that the overall daily instances of blocking could well be about the same. Are there any real problems with the bendies which are intrinsic to the bus itself? Of course, the greater length, articulation and the rear section's self-steering system make it different, but those differences are amerliorated to a great extent by there being fewer buses needed for the same capacity. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
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These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Jul 28, 1:15*pm, "Basil Jet"
wrote: Maybe the bendy routes in London should have been introduced as new routes constrained to follow the wider roads, instead of taking over existing routes like the 73 and expecting bendies to turn from Stoke Newington Church St to Albion Road without causing problems. Yes, that would have been a good idea. I think that getting rid of them all just because they are used badly is every bot as foolish as introducing them into routes where they cause problems. I still don' t like sharing the road with them, though. -- Guy |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT), "Just zis Guy, you know?"
wrote: Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. I'm sure I'm not the only London road user to find cyclists to be disproportionately problematic. It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. If you don't like bendy buses - tough! |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.
"Bruce" wrote in message
... Not if your mind is rigidly set against the bendy bus, and you are simply looking for excuses to get rid of it. ;-) People who like BoJo hate the bendy bus. People who hate BoJo like the bendy bus. Simples. Ian |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT)
"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: So let me get this straight - you didn't see an 18m bus coming until it was almost on top of you and then (surprise!) it went to pass you? Wrong. I was cycling round the roundabout, the bus driver entered the roundabout in conflict with traffic already on the roundabout, he was in the wrong not me. Obviously the buses fault, nothing to do with the driver. Must be something psychotic about the bendy part of it. See above: your base premise is in error. Do you cycle much in central London? Why would I? I'm not an idiot. There are these things known as buses and tubes. I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. If you can deal with a large bus then you can't deal with HGVs either so therefor you should leave your bike at home, accept you're not competant on the road and stop whining. B2003 |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:01:41 +0100
Bruce wrote: Of course, the greater length, articulation and the rear section's self-steering system make it different, but those differences are They don't self steer, they follow a curve. Simple geometry which even cyclists could understand if they bothered to try. Also the cut in on a bendy bus rear section going around a corner is a shed load less than on an HGV. B2003 |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On 28 July, 13:24, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
wrote: On Jul 28, 1:15*pm, "Basil Jet" wrote: Maybe the bendy routes in London should have been introduced as new routes constrained to follow the wider roads, instead of taking over existing routes like the 73 and expecting bendies to turn from Stoke Newington Church St to Albion Road without causing problems. Yes, that would have been a good idea. I think that getting rid of them all just because they are used badly is every bot as foolish as introducing them into routes where they cause problems. I have commuted daily by bus on a bendy route and they have approximately zero seats. I think that this may have figured into the calculation to phase them out. Nothing at all to do with them being Ken's busses and not Boris' I am sure. I think that a key reason that they are less pleasant for cyclists is that the larger size of them results in there being an increased frequency of ill-judged attempted overtakes (where for example the driver drives as if the bus had zero length) and fewer options are left for the cyclist when the bus driver offers imminent death. Bizarrely, driving a bus in a manner contrary to the recommendations of the highway code does not seem to be considered careless or dangerous unless someone is dead. The aircraft industry and the HSE have recognised for decades that routine unsafe operation results in routine deaths, with a bit of luck the HSE will turn their attention further towards road deaths and injuries while "at work" in the near future. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rearends round our corners for the final time.
On 28 July, 14:32, "Ian F." wrote:
"Bruce" wrote in message ... Not if your mind is rigidly set against the bendy bus, and you are simply looking for excuses to get rid of it. *;-) People who like BoJo hate the bendy bus. People who hate BoJo like the bendy bus. Simples. Ian Anyone who believes that would have to be. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Jul 28, 2:52*pm, wrote:
Obviously the buses fault, nothing to do with the driver. Must be something psychotic about the bendy part of it. So you can't see why an 18m long vehicle doing this in front of you is more of a problem than a 9m long vehicle? Really? In this case the bus pulled onto the roundabout and immediately had to stop for a traffic light, blocking my route to the exit. A standard length bus would simply not have been a problem. See above: your base premise is in error. *Do you cycle much in central London? Why would I? I'm not an idiot. There are these things known as buses and tubes. If you want to use a slower and more expensive mode (and take part in the great virus incubation experiment while you do so) then that is your choice :-) I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. If you can deal with a large bus then you can't deal with HGVs either so therefor you should leave your bike at home, accept you're not competant on the road and stop whining. Once again, you are wrong. I can and do deal with goods vehicles of all sizes, but the largest artics are not normally seen in the centre of London during commuting time, and they also have quite different characteristics - the tail of a bendy bus moves in *much* faster than the trailer of an artic. Bendy buses are far and away the longest vehicles and also the most common long vehicles you will encounter in central London during peak hours. The original comment was: "Sharon Grant, Chair, London TravelWatch said: "We have yet to hear a credible reason for scrapping bendy buses..." I think there are credible reasons for removing them from some routes. I am not the only one to think this. Which indicates to me that Sharon Grant is either deliberately ignoring some concerns, or perhaps meant to imply "altogether" in her sentence, in which case I'd agree that scrapping them altogether is probably unnecessary as long as you get them out of the places where they simply don't fit properly. The great joy of London is that it's a human-scale city, you can walk from St Paul's the the National Gallery, wander round for a couple of hours then walk on to the West End for a show. Bendy buses are out of scale, designed for a Continental model which Wren, Hooke and others failed to have applied to London after the fire. -- Guy |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:57:45 -0700 (PDT), bod43
wrote: I think that a key reason that they are less pleasant for cyclists is that the larger size of them results in there being an increased frequency of ill-judged attempted overtakes (where for example the driver drives as if the bus had zero length) and fewer options are left for the cyclist when the bus driver offers imminent death. Bizarrely, driving a bus in a manner contrary to the recommendations of the highway code does not seem to be considered careless or dangerous unless someone is dead. The aircraft industry and the HSE have recognised for decades that routine unsafe operation results in routine deaths, with a bit of luck the HSE will turn their attention further towards road deaths and injuries while "at work" in the near future. Complete, over-emotive nonsense. The statistics will show that bendy buses have an excellent safety record. If the figures really showed that they were unsafe, they would have been gone long ago. What few problems there are - and let's be in no doubt, they are few - seem to be a direct result of other road users (car and lorry drivers, cyclists and pedestrians) failing to take any account of the size of the bus. Treating it as though it was smaller, then complaining bitterly because it isn't, displays the head-in-the-sand attitide that is at the root of opposition to these very fine vehicles. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
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These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rearends round our corners for the final time.
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
On Jul 28, 11:10 am, wrote: Tell me , are british commuter cyclists just particularly incompetant and/or stupid compared to european ones who've been living with bendy buses for years or are you all - what most people suspect is the case - nothing but a bunch of tedious whingers? I suggest you try riding a bike round some European city centres some time. The bus routes in major European cities where bendy buses are common typically run along broad boulevards which are straight or have wide, sweeping bends. What, like the Uxbridge Road, where the 207 bendies will shortly (well, 2011) be replaced by a great many slow-loading single door entry double deckers like we used to have? RMLs having departed in 1987, it's back to the Eighties with Boris, then. *sigh* It's not the interior or the fares or the roads, it's the bendy bit that people object to, however much they dress it up. There's probably a pill you can take. Tom |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.
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These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:12:26 -0700 (PDT)
"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: So you can't see why an 18m long vehicle doing this in front of you is more of a problem than a 9m long vehicle? Really? In this case the bus pulled onto the roundabout and immediately had to stop for a traffic light, blocking my route to the exit. A standard length bus would simply not have been a problem. But you can see how long the bus is, why don't you take account of that? Much as though you would probably prefer otherwise, in a head to head with a bus a cyclist isn't going to win so why not just accept that fact and stop complaining when buses get in your way. You can scoot around most obstacles, buses can't. Why would I? I'm not an idiot. There are these things known as buses and tubes. If you want to use a slower and more expensive mode (and take part in the great virus incubation experiment while you do so) then that is your choice :-) OTOH theres little chance of me being run over. characteristics - the tail of a bendy bus moves in *much* faster than the trailer of an artic. Bendy buses are far and away the longest So what? When you encounter a long vehicle for the first time I can understand your concern , but since you deal with them every day whats the problem? If you can't handle the vehicles on the road don't go on it. I think there are credible reasons for removing them from some routes. I am not the only one to think this. Which indicates to me Some routes yes, where they simply don't fit. But not to get rid of them altogether. B2003 |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, Bruce wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT), "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. I'm sure I'm not the only London road user to find cyclists to be disproportionately problematic. It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. I'd be veryr interested to hear why you don't consider cabbies to be road users. tom -- I had no idea it was going to end in such tragedy |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, bod43 wrote:
The aircraft industry and the HSE have recognised for decades that routine unsafe operation results in routine deaths, with a bit of luck the HSE will turn their attention further towards road deaths and injuries while "at work" in the near future. That would be nice. Is there any reason to think the chance of this happening is greater than 0%? tom -- I had no idea it was going to end in such tragedy |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
The great joy of London is that it's a human-scale city, you can walk from St Paul's the the National Gallery, wander round for a couple of hours then walk on to the West End for a show. Bendy buses are out of scale, designed for a Continental model which Wren, Hooke and others failed to have applied to London after the fire. You bloody what? When you say 'Continental', is the continent in question North America, or have you just lost your marbles? Or, perhaps, never been to a European city? tom -- I had no idea it was going to end in such tragedy |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Jul 28, 4:44*pm, wrote:
So you can't see why an 18m long vehicle doing this in front of you is more of a problem than a 9m long vehicle? *Really? *In this case the bus pulled onto the roundabout and immediately had to stop for a traffic light, blocking my route to the exit. *A standard length bus would simply not have been a problem. But you can see how long the bus is, why don't you take account of that? Much as though you would probably prefer otherwise, in a head to head with a bus a cyclist isn't going to win so why not just accept that fact and stop complaining when buses get in your way. You can scoot around most obstacles, buses can't. I don't have much option when the bus overtakes me or pulls out in front of me, which is the major source of the problem. I also don't have any control over whether the driver chooses to pull away when I am part way past, although I never start to pass a bus that is indicating. If you want to use a slower and more expensive mode (and take part in the great virus incubation experiment while you do so) then that is your choice :-) OTOH theres little chance of me being run over. Obviously we use different roads - the people crossing the road at Cannon Street seem to be courting just that :o) characteristics - the tail of a bendy bus moves in *much* faster than the trailer of an artic. *Bendy buses are far and away the longest So what? When you encounter a long vehicle for the first time I can understand your concern , but since you deal with them every day whats the problem? If you can't handle the vehicles on the road don't go on it. So you'd be happy with introducing, say, roadtrains into the UK since people would soon get used to them? It doesn't work that way. There are specific characteristics of bendy buses which cause specific problems in specific circumstances, and the buses appear to have been introduced without thought to these problems, which is one reason there is pressure to remove them from the centre of London. Another reason is foolish nostalgia, of course, but that does not nullify the tangible problems they cause. I think there are credible reasons for removing them from some routes. *I am not the only one to think this. *Which indicates to me Some routes yes, where they simply don't fit. But not to get rid of them altogether. I think that's what I said. -- Guy |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
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These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rearends round our corners for the final time.
On Mon, 27 Jul 2009, Lucas wrote:
That's certainly what your candidate of choice seems to believe. (more seriously, it probably is true that although the bendy 25 is a very good bus for Whitechapel Road, it's less good for outer parts of Newham. Similarly, the 29's bendy capacity is needed between Warren Street and Manor House, but again a decker with more seats and less total capacity would be better once you get to Wood Green.) The 29 is awfully busy along the whole route I feel, even after Manor House it stays incredibly busy; and gets busier even because of the big gap between Manor House and Turnpike Lane tube stations that is Harringay. The problem is simply Green Lanes itself which is ridiculously congested and always the slowest part of the route, but I can't think of much of an alternative, given that the only parallel road is also quite busy (Wightman Rd) Fit them with amphibious gear and steam up the New River. tom -- There's no future. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rearends round our corners for the final time.
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, James Farrar wrote:
Offramp wrote in news:603ac8ce-e923-4513-acbe- : On 24 July, 23:41, Richard I feel unusually annoyed about this... They are some of the best buses ever to be used in London or anywhere else, in my controversial opinion. I agree entirely. I think it is odd and very wrong that one man's fatwa could get rid of them. He's the Mayor; we elected him. I bloody well didn't. Axe Greater London, i say. Let's have a mayor of London elected by people who live in London, not some transcluded home counties buffoons who mostly still insist that they live in 'Metropolitan Kent' or some such nonsense. Er, ObTransport: trains! Aren't they great? tom -- There's no future. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
Bruce wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT), "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. I'm sure I'm not the only London road user to find cyclists to be disproportionately problematic. It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. No it's not difficult at all! Van drivers Lorry drivers Bus drivers Taxi drivers Private hire drivers Postmen driving vans Police drivers I have witnessed all of the above show "scant regard for the highway code, and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians." This afternoon I drove 3 miles on B and A roads then 3 miles on A dual carriage way then X miles on the motorway and then 4 miles on A and B roads. I saw.... at least 2 vans ( that I can remember) parked on pavements. 1 lorry mount a kerb a corner 1 bus splash pedestrians 1 taxi driver stopping on the zigzags of a zebra crossing 1 Private hire vehicle turning right at a "Buses only" right turn rather then going around the roundabout. 1 post man parken on a brow of hill 1 police car in a yellow box junction. Want a score tomorrow? |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
Tom Anderson wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, Bruce wrote: On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT), "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. I'm sure I'm not the only London road user to find cyclists to be disproportionately problematic. It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. I'd be veryr interested to hear why you don't consider cabbies to be road users. Outside of London I consider them barely human. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
Marc writes:
Bruce wrote: It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. No it's not difficult at all! Van drivers Lorry drivers Bus drivers Taxi drivers Private hire drivers Postmen driving vans Police drivers and pretty much anyone at all on the A10 between Kingsland and the North Circ. -dan |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
Marc wrote:
Bruce wrote: On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT), "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. I'm sure I'm not the only London road user to find cyclists to be disproportionately problematic. It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. No it's not difficult at all! Van drivers Lorry drivers Bus drivers Taxi drivers Private hire drivers Postmen driving vans Police drivers I have witnessed all of the above show "scant regard for the highway code, and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians." This afternoon I drove 3 miles on B and A roads then 3 miles on A dual carriage way then X miles on the motorway and then 4 miles on A and B roads. I saw.... at least 2 vans ( that I can remember) parked on pavements. 1 lorry mount a kerb a corner 1 bus splash pedestrians 1 taxi driver stopping on the zigzags of a zebra crossing 1 Private hire vehicle turning right at a "Buses only" right turn rather then going around the roundabout. 1 post man parken on a brow of hill 1 police car in a yellow box junction. Want a score tomorrow? Taxi driver outside my house sounding his horn whilst stationary and no other road user in sight.... |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:56 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote: On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, Just zis Guy, you know? wrote: The great joy of London is that it's a human-scale city, you can walk from St Paul's the the National Gallery, wander round for a couple of hours then walk on to the West End for a show. Bendy buses are out of scale, designed for a Continental model which Wren, Hooke and others failed to have applied to London after the fire. You bloody what? When you say 'Continental', is the continent in question North America, or have you just lost your marbles? Or, perhaps, never been to a European city? tom I understood him to mean a European city such as Paris (where I am now) with it's long straight & comparatively broad streets (boulevards & such like) |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
Bruce wrote:
I write complete, over-emotive nonsense. yea plonk |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
bod43 wrote:
I have commuted daily by bus on a bendy route and they have approximately zero seats. I think that this may have figured into the calculation to phase them out. Tommyrot. Old 507 bendy - 441 seats across 9 buses (49 per bus, 2.04 standees per seat) New 507 rigid - 315 seats across 15 buses (21 per bus, 3.6 standees per seat) [the reason being to keep the extra cost down to a mere £214k per annum - obviously you could have gone on adding buses, drivers and taking more roadspace but it would just become even more ridiculous than it already is] Your point being thus eradicated, kindly go away and have a rethink. Londoners tend to prefer getting on their form of transport rather than having a seat, as the experience of the Class 313s on Overground will attest, not to mention a century or so of underground rail use, which has evolved vehicles designed for high standee use without anyone particularly complaining beyond the usual complaints of British people in cities. Anyway, standee buses on the Red Arrows came in the late 1960s, for much the same reason the bendies came in - high and increasing peak demand, and you can either propose a better way of dealing with that or a way to reduce demand or sod off, frankly. Tom |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rearends round our corners for the final time.
On Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:47:02 +0100,
Tom Barry wrote: The dreaded 'common sense' of the selfish individual, as expressed by a) I don't like waiting at traffic lights b) therefore I should be allowed to ignore them c) therefore I shall arrive at my destination faster d) therefore the world is a better place. As opposed to the bendy bus drivers, as expressed by a) I don't like waiting behind a cyclist b) therefore I should be allowed to ignore them c) therefore I will turn left across them before I've even got the articulation of the bus level with them d) therefore the world is a better place. One is stupid and puts themselves at risk. The other is reckless and puts other peoples lives at risk. http://www.woodall.me.uk/journey/20081212/avi_0002.mpg Tim. -- God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t," and there was light. http://www.woodall.me.uk/ |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.
Tom Anderson wrote:
Axe Greater London, i say. Let's have a mayor of London elected by people who live in London, not some transcluded home counties buffoons who mostly still insist that they live in 'Metropolitan Kent' or some such nonsense. As one who grew up in north east Surrey can I say that Croydon, Sutton and Kingston are London far more than they are Surrey! And how would you decide who does and doesn't "live in London" - do I, living in Forest Gate in Newham, "live in London"? It sure feels that way, bendy bus & all. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:56:33 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote: On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, Bruce wrote: On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT), "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. I'm sure I'm not the only London road user to find cyclists to be disproportionately problematic. It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. I'd be veryr interested to hear why you don't consider cabbies to be road users. I apologise. I also excluded motorcyclists, coach drivers, operators of street cleaning machinery and those brave people who wash windscreens and sell newspapers and bunches of flowers at traffic lights. Plus there's Plod, ... It wasn't intended to be an exhaustive list, just one that would illustrate the point. Note how I neatly avoided mentioning ca ... (blue screen) |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:52:00 +0100, Marc
wrote: Bruce wrote: On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:59:59 -0700 (PDT), "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote: Do you cycle much in central London? I'm not the only cyclist to find bendy buses to be disproportionately problematic. I'm sure I'm not the only London road user to find cyclists to be disproportionately problematic. It is difficult to imagine a group of road users who are more anti-social, showing, as so many do, scant regard for the Highway Code and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians. No it's not difficult at all! Van drivers Lorry drivers Bus drivers Taxi drivers Private hire drivers Postmen driving vans Police drivers I have witnessed all of the above show "scant regard for the highway code, and complete contempt for other road users, especially pedestrians." This afternoon I drove 3 miles on B and A roads then 3 miles on A dual carriage way then X miles on the motorway and then 4 miles on A and B roads. I saw.... at least 2 vans ( that I can remember) parked on pavements. 1 lorry mount a kerb a corner 1 bus splash pedestrians 1 taxi driver stopping on the zigzags of a zebra crossing 1 Private hire vehicle turning right at a "Buses only" right turn rather then going around the roundabout. 1 post man parken on a brow of hill 1 police car in a yellow box junction. Want a score tomorrow? No thanks. I'd like a cup of tea, though. ;-) |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rearends round our corners for the final time.
On 28 July, 17:16, Tom Anderson wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009, James Farrar wrote: Offramp wrote in news:603ac8ce-e923-4513-acbe- : On 24 July, 23:41, Richard I feel unusually annoyed about this... They are some of the best buses ever to be used in London or anywhere else, in my controversial opinion. I agree entirely. I think it is odd and very wrong that one man's fatwa could get rid of them. He's the Mayor; we elected him. I bloody well didn't. Axe Greater London, i say. Let's have a mayor of London elected by people who live in London, not some transcluded home counties buffoons who mostly still insist that they live in 'Metropolitan Kent' or some such nonsense. The concept of a Mayor is undemocratic and intended to allow unelected political party officials to override the views of elected council members (and those they represent) while hiding behind the figurehead of the Mayor. Of course, Ken spoiled this for New Labour, but he was pretty much unique. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:23:39 +0000 (UTC), Tim Woodall
wrote: On Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:47:02 +0100, Tom Barry wrote: The dreaded 'common sense' of the selfish individual, as expressed by a) I don't like waiting at traffic lights b) therefore I should be allowed to ignore them c) therefore I shall arrive at my destination faster d) therefore the world is a better place. As opposed to the bendy bus drivers, as expressed by a) I don't like waiting behind a cyclist b) therefore I should be allowed to ignore them c) therefore I will turn left across them before I've even got the articulation of the bus level with them d) therefore the world is a better place. One is stupid and puts themselves at risk. The other is reckless and puts other peoples lives at risk. http://www.woodall.me.uk/journey/20081212/avi_0002.mpg The bendy bus driver saw you, gave you a wide berth, almost stopped, and only made the turn when he saw that *you* had stopped. Yes, he saw you too late, and should have made his turn after allowing you to clear the side road, but having made a mistake he corrected it and made the turn safely at no risk to you. |
These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear
On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:16:32 +0200, BIG_ONE
wrote: Bruce wrote: I write complete, over-emotive nonsense. yea plonk Thanks for reminding me to add you to my kill file. ;-) |
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