To live in London, you’ve got to have a bit of a thick skin. To cycle in London, it’s got to be even thicker.
Being a cyclist on any road means you’re a second-class citizen and in London, that’s absolutely correct. I’d go even further to say you’re often a target of those behind the wheel (placed on the wrong side of the car, innit?) of their petrol-guzzling monster. I’ve found that in the UK, pedestrians and cyclists do not have the right of way. Whereas back home cars would slow down, often to let you cross, it seems that here not only do they resist hitting the brakes; they actually speed up. I don’t get it because the way I see it is if they hit me, they’ll have a lawsuit on their hands and have to go to court, although perhaps that’s my skewed North American perspective, wherein we sue everyone for anything.
So where was I? Oh yeah, cycling. Because for some reason, if I say “bike” here, people assume I mean motorcycle and then I say “No” and then they go “Oh, you mean a push-bike?” and befuddled, I reply, “I guess so?….” and then walk away in search of people who understand my language. Right, so it’s dangerous. I mean, for one – the whole other side of the road thing takes some getting used to, especially when driving through intersections and realizing I have no clue where the traffic will be coming from, so I slow down, look both ways twice and say a little prayer.
Then there’s the roundabouts. I mean, really, who invented these? I’ve only ever encountered one in North America and this was driving from Boston to Cape Cod, wherein there is one. I was the driver and had absolutely no clue what to do and only remember white-knuckling it while getting honked at. But here in London, they’re everywhere! And the big ones, with several lanes of traffic and multiple spin offs (or whatever you call them) are pretty daunting when you’re on your measly bike.
To top things off, is it just me or are people here some of the worst drivers around? I mean, I guess it’s typical big-city aggressive driving and congestion that tips off road rage very easily, but seriously, calm down guys! Not to mention that the roads here are much narrower than what I’m used to in Canada, the bike lanes are scattered and occasional at best. Lastly, there’s the cyclist’s number one enemy, the great white shark of the streets here, the double decker bus! With it’s huge blind spots and constant weaving between lanes to let passengers off, this is a beast to be reckoned with. Too many times have I been in my proper lane when all of a sudden a large, imposing double-decker careens beside me, crunching me against the curb with just inches to spare. I feel as if a red tidal wave is lurching beside me and one wrong move too close to the curb would see me bailing and being swept underneath it, getting smashed upon those unforgiving cobblestones.
It’s for this reason that I have 8 eyes on the road when I cycle, always wear a helmet and high-vis vest (regardless of whether it makes me look like a dork), and end up arriving at my destination with a blood pressure level that’s majorly elevated from when I left home. And yet, I love cycling so much – despite its stressors, it’s healthier for me and the environment, saves me money, and is actually much quicker than waiting hopelessly in the rain for my bus that is supposed to come every 7 – 12 minutes but, in reality, seemingly multiplies that three-fold.
