Contrary to what The Daily Express may believe, I don't think the greatest peril confronting the cyclist are headphones. No, I think the answer may lie elsewhere. I will give you a clue.
Queens Road Junction, Hoe Street. Old Lexus undertakes the traffic going straight on and forces his way between me and the traffic lane to gain a few spaces. He was so close to me, I could have touched the paintwork with my feet. Several minutes later I pass him in the queue at the Bell junction, so his dangerous driving gained him absolutely no time whatsoever.
Psycho HGV driver on forest road uses left turn lane at Hoe Street to undertake the queue and barge his way into traffic. Aggressively uses horn when someone has the temerity to be stopped in his path and then used the outside lane to barge as far forward in the queue as possible. I was intimidated in my car and thankful that I hadn't met this moron whilst cycling. How does someone like this get an HGV license?
Leyton High Road, Hyundai I3. Whilst I was waiting at the lights in the ASL, this driver encroaches on the ASL and is right next to my back wheel. Then passed me, for me to overtake him again at the queue around Bakers Arms. Whether he was trying to intimidate me, or just didn't bother stopping in time, I don't know. If he was trying to intimidate me, then he really should think about using something more substantial than an I3. Like a shopping cart. Or something fashioned from Papier Mache.
Homerton road - Great overtakes by all cars except one that doesn't alter their line at all for me. Again for him to be overtaken as he gets snarled up at the horrible traffic on Eastway.
Selborne Road - Black Corsa which doesn't look as it cuts me up to undertake the queue by illegally using the bus lane. Presumably if a bus had been coming then the halfwit would have noticed.
Selborne Road - Black BMW 7 Series, overtakes me and is about to left hook me into Sainsburys car park before thinking better of it and waiting for me to get clear. I mean why? Why not just stay behind me for 5 seconds?
Hoe Street - Black Beetle. Driver manages to undertake at the junction with Selborne road by imaginative use of a hatched area and cycle lane. She does this at speed and then slaloms between me and the traffic in the correct lane. I overtake 30 seconds later whilst she is in the queue for the lights. Utterly dangerous, pointless and anti-social.
Grange Road - One way road with ludicrous cycle lanes that end after a blind corner (LBWF really excelling here, I will take pictures of it soon). I want to turn right, so start moving to the right whilst indicating. Fiat Multipla behind accelerates to get past before I filter right. Completely stupid move, he was way behind me and I would have held him up for only seconds as I moved across. And he deserves a mention for driving a car as ugly as the Multipla. It is the automotive equivalent of Shrek. I can only assume people buy them for a bet.
This is a small sample over the last week. Most drivers are considerate, patient and sensible. But whilst we have a significant minority of drivers acting as above on the streets, then they pose a threat to all other road users.
But of course the greatest threat is headphones.
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