Took the road bike out today and road out to the Peaks, had a fantastic ride through the Goyt Valley in the sunshine, but from then on things deteriorated rapidly. I managed to avoid most of the Cat and Fiddle by riding in the lanes, but had to join onto it for about half a km to get to the next bit of lane, all was going well to just before my turn off, when I was overtaken by a HGV on a blind corner. I was doing about 45mph, so this guy must have been leathering it into what is really quite a tight bend. The licence plate was M4 TDR and you my friend are a f’ing liability. I appreciate that you may be on a mission to get to an early grave, but please don’t take me with you.
I stumbled across this today, which seemed pretty appropriate:
HGV Drivers
Lorry drivers perfect the art of driving right up your arse by looking the wrong way through a pair of binoculars whilst driving. It’s not surprising to know that most accidents on motorways are caused by these ‘steering wheel attendants’. Often found chatting to their colleagues on their CB radio, these motorists can usually be found driving with little or no consideration for other road users. Is it any wonder they have signs saying “How am I driving?” on the back of their trailers – even they don’t know how they manage it – clearly!
The most dangerous HGV drivers are foreign lorry drivers. Take emergency avoiding action away from any foreign-registered HGV at all costs!
You can read more here. Crucially there is no section concerning Mercedes drivers, who in my opinion deserve a category of their own way above the BMW, Volvo and Rover drivers of this world. Merc drivers in my experience have managed to attain a pretty much pish poor level. Well done.
Anyway my run-in with that numb nuts was only the beginning of an exciting ride home. Several other lunatics decided to overtake me on blind corners (what were they driving? A Merc and a Rover) and then the heavens opened. I received a royal soaking and the drop in temperature wasn’t welcomed much either. Anyway it wasn’t looking too bad, with only the traffic chaos of Rusholme to overcome. I don’t know what the Council thinks its doing in Rusholme, but I can pretty much say what they’re not doing – keeping the bicycle lanes clear.
Obviously people need to be educated in that place, the green strips of tarmac with pictures of bikes on are not parking bays you cretins. Oh how I would love to get a Caterpillar bulldozer and clear a path though that place. Anyway I managed to negotiate it by the skin of my teeth, with only one idiot failing to see me despite the fact that I was wearing yellow and black kit pretty much head to toe. I must have looked like a giant bumble bee.
The best thing about to day? A link to this. Oh how I laughed.
R O T H A R . C O M 