[The Deadly]

The cyclist just should have left it in my opinion. He had recording equipment and any wrong doing by the van driver can be clearly seen on film. I'm not saying the van driver was in the right when it came to the incident but sometimes it's better to say nothing at all. The way he said "nice one" was in my opinion a bit smarmy and would clearly irritate the gorilla in the van. If he felt the need to say anything to the guy in the van I'd rather he'd have shouted and screamed at him because the way he went about it was like "I have a camera therefore I will stay calm and annoy you to make you look bad" kind of thing. It wasn't a natural reaction from the cyclist.

[Yudster]

If cyclists cycle properly, they are no problem. However hardly any of them do, and I am not just talking about the doddering beginners, some of the worst offenders by far are the ones with mega expensive bikes and all the gear who clearly cycle a lot. They don't signal, they are apparently oblivious as to which lane they should be in, when they want to turn right they dither to the point of madness, some of the manouvers I have seen by cyclists attempting to do so are just baffling. Most accidents involving cyclists are probably their own fault.

However - the bottom line is, if you have a minor prang with another car, you get out and exchange insurance details. If you have even the most gentle of coming-togethers with a cyclist, you get out and call an ambulance. I fully agree that cycling should be regulated, that cycling on the public highway should be subject to a test, and that cyclists should be accountable for the quality of their cycling in the same way that drivers are bound by rules regarding driving. I don't agree that there should be the cycling equivalent of road tax though, as they are causing almost no damage to the road therefore should not be liable to pay for their upkeep. I do think they should be required to have insurance though, as they may cause accidents, same as anyone else on the road might.

Basically my view is yes, keep cycling, just be more accountable and better at it please.

[dimtimjim]

4OD, again. Been tyring to watch summat for last 20 mins, so far only managed to get the TA advert 4 times. Ho-hum.

[Travis Bickle]

I agree with Yudster on cyclists.

I think tax is based on emissions though, so cyclists shouldn't pay tax anyway.

[Yudster]

Emissions have only recently been the main factor. Historically road tax was regarded as the tax which paid for repairs to the highway.

[chrysostom]

I can't access cm.net on tapatalk for iPad

[R94N]

Cyclists piss me off in general. The amount of times when I go back home and I'm driving and the cyclists are all over the roads despite the council putting in loads and loads of cycling paths on the pavement for them to use.

One reason I have heard for people avoiding them is that they are often so badly designed and maintained - for example super narrow, go in the door zone, full of gravel and puncture fodder, the like. Under the Highway Code you don't have to use them if you don't feel they are safe.

I cannot stand cyclists like the guy in that clip. There was no need to say anything to the guy in the van and guy in white van usually equals a workman of some kind and they aren't going to stay quiet whilst a well spoken guy on a bike says "nice one" to them. Some cyclists do a lot worse than what the guy in the van did but they don't have a number plate they think they can do as they please.

Yeah there are bad apples in both crowds. I think it was a more 'off-the-cuff' thing to say without them really thinking. I don't think because you can be identified stops people from doing bad things though - there are still plenty of hit-and-runs and people driving away from accidents even though they are 'all legal'.

[chrysostom]

That would be fair enough then if any of that was true

I don't know why, but this has really tickled me.

[Bonanzoid]

Scottish people not supporting Great Britain because it's not a Scotland team. Tedious.

[James H]

Scottish people not supporting Great Britain because it's not a Scotland team. Tedious.

Tedious, but so standard these days. I don't understand why they have such a bee in their bonnet about it.

As for cycling, I used to love it before I was old enough to drive a box with 4 wheels and an engine. But I must admit, I've just bought a second hand bike from Gumtree, and although I'm not using it on any roads, I'm loving the exercise (something I massively need, despite being stick thin my lung capacity equals that of a fly!)

[dimtimjim]

I've just bought a second hand bike

"I were right about that saddle"

Yuds n Nic (my fellow 'oldies') might get that reference....

[a-moron]

Scottish people not supporting Great Britain because it's not a Scotland team. Tedious.

Tedious, but so standard these days. I don't understand why they have such a bee in their bonnet about it.

Who are they? THEY! * you James H.
We are a nation, a proud nation. Fierce Scottish patriotism courses through my veins. I'll brutalise anyone who speaks illy of this beautiful country of mine.

Who am I kidding...

It's SHITE being Scottish! We're the lowest of the low. The scum of the * Earth! The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some hate the English. I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are COLONIZED by wankers. Can't even find a decent culture to be colonized BY. We're ruled by effete arseholes.
It's a SHITE state of affairs to be in, so we like to bitch and moan about any mundane * nonsense to whichever * that will listen to it.


^Mostly stolen from Irvine Welsh^
Also only joking James H. I like you, ya wee skinny malinky.

[dimtimjim]

[bmstinton93]

I'm not sure how much sense that will make to anyone with the swear filter on.

[dimtimjim]

Watching stuff off YouTubes Moyles Archive - I miss Rachel, lots.

[Travis Bickle]

Rachel was brilliant. I miss her a lot too. Hopefully we'll be hearing her on-air again in a few weeks though.

[The Deadly]

I miss Matt Fincham. I feel dirty.

[Emmy]

I don't normally post in Ramble, but I'm pissed off today because I'm having a shitty and very expensive week. Since this day last week I've forked out hundreds for visits to the dentist, doctor and optician, an ultrasound scan and blood tests. I already had one filling at the dentists, and joy of joys I have another one and a wisdom tooth removal to look forward to on Saturday, plus more blood tests and a visit to a consultant next week, all of which will mean parting with more cash as well as lots more sitting around in waiting rooms. I hate being a grown-up.

Edited to add that I took my dog to the vet today for his yearly check-up and the vet thought he detected a heart murmur, so he's off to a specialist as well!

[MK Chris]

Sorry for double post. I've spent the whole weekend on a boat. T'was fun (if slightly intoxicating), but all day today I still have that 'rocking side to side' sensation. Very odd when sat at your desk...

Pfft, try two weeks... alright, the boat was probably bigger.

[Nicola_Red]

I already had one filling at the dentists, and joy of joys I have another one and a wisdom tooth removal to look forward to on Saturday, plus more blood tests and a visit to a consultant next week, all of which will mean parting with more cash as well as lots more sitting around in waiting rooms. I hate being a grown-up.

It sucks, huh? I needed a veneer about two years ago and my mum had to give me the £200, I just didn't have it. 35 and still getting my mum to pay my dentist bills - bad times.

[DevilsDuck]

This is annoying me:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19146445

For those who can’t be bothered to read it, I will summarise:

I live in a small town in South Devon called Totnes. It is well known for having lots of hippies and weirdos. But one thing that it does well is coffee, there are over 40 independent coffee shops and there are around 4 that I use on a regular basis for an amazing cup of coffee.

Well, a couple of weeks a go Costa got planning permission to move into the town.

I don’t mind Costa, I frequent Costa when I'm out and about, but I don’t want a Costa in my town. Around three quarters of the population of Totnes have signed a petition against the new Costa shop and the reply has been "If you don’t want it, don’t use it"...fine, but what about the 120,000 visitors we get a year...most of them will see the Costa sign and know what they are going to get and wont go and find one of the little independents they currently do...which means in the region of 20-30 cafes closing down.

Costa can suck my balls, not only am I not going to use the one in Totnes, but I am going to start finding little independent coffee shops instead!

[Nicola_Red]

Businesses have to be able to cope with competition though, surely?

[DevilsDuck]

They wont though...Costa will be the only "big brand" coffee shop on the high street and visitors wont see past that.

I just dont want to see all the other cafes close

[a-moron]

Totnes not amazeballs.

[Nicola_Red]

They wont though...Costa will be the only "big brand" coffee shop on the high street and visitors wont see past that.

I just dont want to see all the other cafes close

I just kinda think that's how business works. Costa want to take the other cafes' trade, that's how they make money. Why should they as a company show loyalty to rival businesses?