It's Bitterly Cold in the UK

[Steve J]

When the bus knocked me off my bike I was 1' away from having my head crushed by the back wheels! After leaving A&E badly bruised and shaken, all my son wanted to know was what type of bus it was . I now cycle on the side roads to avoid idiot drivers in a hurry to queue at traffic lights.

[exilesjjb]

Well I work nights in a warehouse complex so lots of walking inbetween them (Supervising) got to -16 in Jan , not as cold yet but the brass monkeys are cupping their bits

[Leon]

When the bus knocked me off my bike I was 1' away from having my head crushed by the back wheels!

I hate buses.

[SV52]

Bit of a thread-jack, sorry.

Pass the popcorn. 

I want to see compulsory insurance fior cyclists who use public roads.  At the moment when a cyclist damages a car scraping past or knocks over a pedestrian, who pays?  Additionaly some kind of driving test, to prove they actually understand that they have responsibilities toward the rest of us.

[Sandinista]

All road users to retake test every 5 years if failed banned until they pass

[Steve J]

  "Additionaly some kind of driving test, to prove they actually understand that they have responsibilities toward the rest of us."

I find car drivers who are also motorcyclists and/or bike riders are much better drivers than those that are not. I would love to see say, basic moped riding, introduced into the standard driving test. I believe it makes you a better and safer driver and so do motorbike instructors/examiners that I know.

It is a rare occurance that a car overtakes a cyclist leaving a safe distance between them (it was 6' when I took my test in '82) as written in the Highway Code (then). Few drivers are aware that a cyclist is allowed by law to be 3' from the kerbside when riding on a public highway, yet I am often forced out into the road by illegally parked cars or into the gutter by careless drivers! Now who is at fault? Everyone always blames the cyclist!

What about pedestrians having insurance? I have lost count of the amount of times I have had to swerve at the last minute to avoid pedestrians who have stepped into the road without looking (and don't get me onto cars pulling out at junctions without looking). A colleague of mine was knocked off her bike by a pedestrian stepping into the road and was hospitalised, but did not get a penny for loss of income etc.

cars

[Sandinista]

Spot on Steve.

I used to be a motorcycle courier in central London and many a time pedestrians would step out in front of me, then hurl abuse as if it was my fault. People with pushchairs are worse, many step out into traffic expecting vehicles to stop instantly, I narrowly missed one once, got off my bike and hurled verbal abused at the idiot. I was doing less than 20 mph but would have still injured the kid badly if I had hit it. the woman looked at me as if i was mad. She was only about 10 metres from a zebra crossing as well. Should be a parent test too

[Leon]

Should be a parent test too

Yes!  But that's another thread entirely...   

[goat major]

i've generally found it useful to classify the world into two types of people. There are those who are ignorant, inconsiderate, ungrateful, thoughtless f**wits. And there's me.

[Steve J]

 

[Shecky]

It's a nice 72 degrees F here in Texas. (Don't know what that is in celcius).  Although it's expected to get near 42 degrees here this weekend.

Just sayin'...
enjoy your snow.

[big_paul182]

Hello from Sunny Queensland,
Hahahaha,I got my A/C turn right up ,it time for a swim

Big Paul182

Ps;We did have rain all this week

[exilesjjb]

well it has not stopped snowing since I came to work I may be digging the car out to go home in the morning

[fred.]

We've had about 6" of snow in Southport. Which really is practically unheard of. It might be the NW but being on the coast normally keeps things mild.

[Sandinista]

5 inches in 4 hours in sunny Surbiton 

[republic of tolworth]

Just plodded past your house Sandanista. Loverly out!

Soft southerner

[Leon]

5 inches in 4 hours in sunny Surbiton 

There's a pun in there somewhere.....

[capthugeca]

We've had snow at last - six inches!
Woohoo! 

[Steve J]

We've only  had about 1" to 1 1/2" but the side roads are just ice rinks now, which means the cycle to work on Monday  in predicted -8 C temperatures will be interesting.

[Leon]

We've not had anymore yet, maybe a slight dusting overnight.  Saying that though, my garden is still at least a foot deep in solid ice from the lot three weeks ago...!