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Hello, I'm not sure if this warrants its own thread, so I have decided to start here.
On August 6th last year, I crashed on the new cycle lane going north at Kennington, on the junction of Kennington park road, and Kennington road. A section of the cycle lane is raised, and a section is not and it's hard to tell the difference. I hit the kerb and landed on my left side, breaking my hip. I have been commuting on this route for 15 years and negotiated this junctions 1000s of times with no problems before this new lane was introduced.
Breaking your hip is much worse than breaking your leg. I was on crutches for 3 months, walking stick for another 3 months and have only been cycling again for a few weeks. There is still a small risk that my hip will die and need to be replaced.
My problem is with TFL. Here is what has happened;
I reported the accident via their website upon discharge from hospital. This was ignored.
I wrote to the CEO of surface transport, Leon Daniels and received no reply.
I raised an FOI request asking how many cycling complaints had been ignored. Suddenly a reply. I was told their would be a full investigation, that standards of safety are high, and that there would be a full safety audit of the oval triangle cycle tracks in January 2016.
The full investigation has never materialised - at least no one has been in touch with me, and I fail to understand how the investigation is full without that.
In April 2016, I asked for a copy of the safety audit and a list of changes made as a result. I was told that the audit has been delayed, and that I would hear in "a few weeks". To date I have heard nothing.
My confidence in TFL and this process is rock bottom. It's just appalling. The tracks are badly designed and dangerous. Moreover, TFL provide no proper way for reporting accidents, and clearly have no process for managing or handling. The emails are all polite, but the inaction is verging on negligent.
I have limited energy to pursue this as it makes me angry and sad. I am genuinely concerned however that there will be a serious accident caused by the new facilities, and I would like this to be taken seriously.
Any suggestions as to which brick wall to bang my head on next?
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Cliveo cleat-walking along Cheapside.
I was off to buy a jelly mould so that we can set someone's mouse in jelly for when they get back from leave. #stoleitfromtheoffice
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I want an amp, bedroom practice size but with enough poke for small gig backline at a push. Something with a great clean sound which can also make ears bleed when I want to go metal.
A knowledgable friend has suggested Fender juniors, I guess I'm limited to second hand as they seem pricey (for my budget, not overall).
Any recs from you geeks?You could do a lot worse than the Blackstar HT-5C http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/products/ht-5c/ assuming you want a combo. It's "only" 5 watts, but in the same way that an AC30 is "only" 30 watts.
Gigsounds in Mitcham Lane are a main dealer.
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Fairly chuffed given how slow the first two laps were. Seems I've split the scobles, will bad things happen now? Determined to get under an hour.
Anti-Clockwise___________
6pt - 53:20 (F - 84")
6pt - 53:30 (G)
Bouncy - 56:21 (G)
- Bainbridge - 58:58 (G)
- FixedCheese - 59:24 (G)
- T-V - 59.30 (G)
- adoubletap - 59.30 (G)
- Damo - 59:39 (G)
- FixedCheese - 59:42 (F - 74")
- Pharoahsanders - 1:00.15 (G)
- dancing james - 1:00:34 (G)
- Hovis - 1:00:43 (G)
- Bouncy - 1:00:54 (F - 72")
- Olly398 - 1:01:00 (G)
- smiff - 1:01:27 (G)
- william1984 - 1:02:30 (G)
- toby.d - 1:02:45 (G)
- edscoble - 1:03:45 (G)
- willski - 1:04:30 (F - 76")
edscoble - 1:04:50 (SS)
- Dan - 1:05:07 (G)
- smiff - 1:06:15 (F)
- Sam - 1:07:06 (G) - pootle, chatting for 90% of it
- Damo - 1:07:06 (F) - pootle, chatting for 90% of it
- vunugu - 1:09:11 (F - 75.6")
- Sparky - 1:10:23 (G)
- Sparky - 1:12:05 (F - 48:18)
Clockwise________________
HÏnáta - 00:59:21 (G)
muleboy - 1:00:57
jimmyjazz - 1:03:00
- webof - 1:13:15
<- Trispok of Regret award for inappropriate wheel choice
<- the FixedCheese Babybel of Speed award for fastest fixed rider
<- the EdScoble Brompton of Insanity award for fastest time on a foldable bike
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But Margaret Thatcher did more to bring the UK into the modern world as a social and fiscal power then any PM since Churchill (who was also a conservative).
Innit cute when Americans try to do British history? Churchill was a great war time leader but was a bit of liability in peace time. His attempt to reintroduce the gold standard in 1924 led to deflation and mass unemployment that led to the general strike - hardly a great fiscal power. Likewise his period as PM from 1951 to 1955 was punctuated by ill-advised attempts to maintain an empire that was already crumbling - not exactly bringing the UK into the modern world.
It was Harold Wilson that introduced the grant scheme so that everyone could have an inside bog. In my book this means more than Margaret Thatcher rolling out a few tax cuts while the stock market rallied.
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"*My witness testified that on three separate occasions he attempted to explain and give his details to the arresting officer but was dismissed each time. This same arresting officer assured me, in his squad car and later at the police station, that he had taken the details of that witness. *
Two months later, when that same officer informed me I was being charged for assault, I was horrified to discover the police had no record at all of my witness. My arresting officer denied that he had ever spoken to me about the witness and then suggested the witness was a figment of my imagination. "
Not so much Kafka as Billy Hayes.
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He..he. This thread has made me dig out some of my old Loop and Spacemen vinyls. Just dropped the needle on "Straight to your heart" and the doorbell rings. It's two christians inviting me to a bible class - what better sound track to have while you explain that you're not interested. I'm off to cue up "Vision Stain" - vinyl's such a faff.
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I did, Jimmy-didn't-read-the-thread.
I stand corrected. Although you also admit to liking their second and third albums - which is nothing to shout about.
I played a gig with a Slowdive spin-off band called Blind Mr Jones in 1991. I leant them my electronic guitar tuner because the they didn't have one. Then they asked me to tune their guitars for them, because they had never used an electronic tuner. Bless. Six weeks later they were signed to Cherry Red and in the NME. Nuff said.
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Without question it's something that sadly casts all of us in a bad light
It's this notion of collective responsibility that I don't get. If someone does something stupid on a bike it's not your responsibility just because you are on a bike as well. I often walk places, and I drive a car as well, when a numpty ped walks infront of you, or a car swerves to close to you are they giving me a bad name? No - the notion is ridiculous. Aside from that I doubt that calling out is likely to make much difference - I got a lecture from someone a few years ago after a move that I admit was not my finest hour. I just thought he was a patronizing twat - which he was.
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Well, here is the start of my nerdy monitoring:
Date_____Fat%Bone MassWater%Muscle%Weight
9/7/2010_18.52.8__60.8_41.8__81.6
3/8/201019.42.9__60.243____82.5So, going to the gym a lot and cutting out the booze seems to have made me both fatter and slightly more muscular.
Arse
You've also grown some more bone mass as well, which is cool. Where's it gone on?
I managed 2:23. Two years ago I broke my hip and was on crutches for 3 months. I reckon I'm recovered. Moreover, I am flippin' delighted!