Wednesday, November 07, 2001 :
Back to bikes The first incarnation of this site used to be mainly about bikes. Here's the contents of an email I just sent those of my friends who also have bikes.
"An eventful 12 hours on the bike. On the way home from work last night, in the dark, wet, slippery roads, heavy traffic. Nipping along doing 35-40 or so in the left hand lane on Leman Street to continue straight on rather than turn right onto Prescot with the queue of traffic. Dick-head decides he wants out of the queue, wrenches the wheel and floors the pedal. So close to losing it; - both wheels locked, sliding sideways into the gutter decelerating from 40 to 20 mph before coming off the brakes and back on the power to nip through the rapidly closing gap that was left between the car and the kerb. I really thought I was going down on this one! Then, riding to work this morning down Commercial Street, again in heavy traffic - overtaking a practically stationary queue. Got pulled by the cops for going on the wrong side of the road around a traffic island - didn't spot them until it was too late. Fortunately the officer was a good bloke, checked my tax (11 01 ... phew!), informed me that I could get three points for this offence and asked for my excuse. I played the "I know I shouldn't do it, but it was stationary traffic, sorry" card. He then played the comedy "well, I'm getting old and senile these days, I'm not sure I definitely saw you" card. His colleague (bad cop?) then came over and expressed incredulity that I was not to be given a ticket. The first officer stated that I had received a severe admonishment and would never do it again. I agreed wholeheartedly and got the flock out of there. 10 minutes later I was standing in the middle of City Road to prevent the bloke lying there prone having been knocked off his Vespa being hit by another car before the ambulance came".6 miles, one day, three incidents : that's life commuting on a motorcycle in London. In the end I wasn't hurt and I don't think the bloke on the Vespa was too badly damaged (although the same cannot be said for his suit - a lesson I learned myself last February). So the moral of the story is: not all coppers are bastards, keep your eyes open and wear your leathers.
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