Are you too scared to cycle in London?

miss annie

Do you? Never tried but I suspect I'd be good at it, I am the winning combo of dexterous and sneaky. @Krappy, a Caffe Nero in town near UCL.. Now I've seen it I can't think why it doesn't happen more often. People are in such a trance when gazing at their laptops, iPads etc (often with headphones too), that they don't notice what is going on around them. Maybe it does happen all the time, it's an easy few hundred quid and I bet they never get caught.

Stella

I think it's terrible that this happens. People should be carefree to use their devices in a cafe when it's got WIFI. Shocking that people just walk in and snatch it. On the other hand, not surprising, shocking nontheless.<br>I once was on a night bus which was stopped dead by a gang of kids in the middle of the night, they opened the door, tried to snatch a handbag from a girl sitting next to it, weren't successful and buggered off again. It all happened in five seconds or so and they were gone. I was stunned.<br>

Sutent

Nothing should surprise you. There is always a danger around you, so always keep vigilant. 

Stella

I know. It's not that's surprising, just so terribly sad. What sort of world do we live in? <br>

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Idoru

@conformable_kate turns out the North Circular was closed because a woman either fell or jumped from a bridge. Awful.

Stella

Roads were lovely and quite around 10am today, but left the office just when the downpour began. And immediately, car drivers seem to be more aggressive.<br>

Sutent

There is something quite dark about committing suicide by jumping of a bridge or jumping in front of a train. I have often wondered how desperate that person must feel to take them to that point. Its all very sad. The Samaritans and other agencies do fantastic work, but there are clearly a group who need help. 

Stella

Sometimes you get to a point where talking doesn't do the trick anymore. <br>And no, I haven't tried to kill myself; I'm far too much of a coward and I don't like pain very much.<br>

Peter Crumb

Just had a horrible experience cycling down Crouch Hill when a car overtook me. I was going pretty fast so God knows how fast he was going. How fast do you think you're going cycling down it?

Detritus

I had a near miss today there was a pop and a sharp pain in the back of my leg I looked down to find one of my spokes sticking out of my leg. God knows what happened it didn't go in to far but I did employ a few of my more choice swear words as I pulled it out.

Sutent

Ouch. Poor you Detritus. Are you ok? Have had a tetnus booster in last 10 years

Detritus

I am always cutting myself at work, tetnus is one of the few things I keep on top of. It hurt a tad but i think it was more shock than actual pain.

Stella

Oh dear, Detritus. Hope you'll heal up quickly. That's something you really don't need.<br><br>Peter: no idea, but I do have my hands on my brakes when going downhill on busy roads; come to think of it, I'm always more on the careful side of things when going downhill on tarmac.<br>

Peter Crumb

The traffic lights at the top of Crouch Hill are making cars extra aggressive. 

Stella

Too long to wait? I'm an impatient soul, and long waits unsettle me.<br>

conformable_kate

@idoru - yes, I saw - very sad. Not clear from the reports I read whether it was a reckless teenager losing her balance, or an intentional fall. But poor soul, whichever.

miss annie

Ok, I'm aware that this may not sound like a very compassionate response but feel more sorry for motorists or train drivers when someone throws themselves in front of them. I cannot imagine how that must affect the rest of your life. I've had two friends who killed themselves, one chucked herself off a remote cliff in Ireland the other in a less dramatic and more usual way. Whenever I've thought about it, (and I'm fairly sure we all have with varying degrees of seriousness), I've always thought that the last thing I'd want is a total stranger feeling responsible.

Sutent

Annie I think if your in such mental pain that you are even contemplating suicude, you ability to be rationale and fair to others may be slightly impaired.

Stella

How exactly did we get from 'cycling in London' to being suicidal? Well, some may see a link there. :-)<br>

Idoru

I've seen plenty of cyclists who must be suicidal judging by the way they cycle ...

Stella

Yep, me, too. <br>

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miss annie

Depends how you do it. If you go in rush hour and treat it like a stage of Le Tour, yes. If you pootle in around 10am and are not mental it's usually quite pleasant. One of the many readons I do it is because I rarely go straight to one place. I have to visit suppliers, go to the art shop, pick up flowers, visit other shops, etc. and it saves hours if I cycle. Have given it a miss in the recent blast of storms though. Don't mind rain but the gales were hair raising.

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Stella

If I get mowed over and die when cycling in the city people can say that, at least, I died doing something I loved.<br>

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Idoru

I intend to die aged about 80 shagging a much younger man.

Stella

I've got my best friend's promise to take my big boy on in case something happens to me. I hope it won't come to this, but one never knows. Life's got its own rules; when your time's up, it's up. <br>