Blog-Ed

When idiots paint cyclepaths

Last night when I was riding my bike home, some cycle dude (lycra, helmet, job lot) comes towards me (around the bend near the flyover for them that know where I'm talking about). Seeing as we'd pass I made sure I was as damn close to the left as possible. He for some reason unbeknown to me pulled over hard to his right (ie my side of the cyclepath, this is the UK folks). We were about to collide when we both pulled on our brakes and he took evasive action whilst scowling at me.

Nobhead, I thougt to myself.

Well, on the way to work this morning I was horrifed just before I arrived at work to see the markings on end of the cyclepath (where it crosses a road) being the wrong way around - ie double dashed lined "g ive way" being on the right, not the left! Jesus, I thought to myself, maybe he was in the right and I was being the nob, and cycle lanes work continental and I've never realised it. Then I noticed that there was a give way dashed line on the other side of the road, also on the right (ie the correct side)... goddammit.

On my cycle home I checked what the status was of the sides you'd expect from the road markings... if that makes sense...

Yup, totally messed up. With the direction swapping across a road crossing and actually along the cycle path itself. I was kind of hoping that you'd be able to see the lines on local.live in Bird's Eye view or in arial view, but you can't - the link will show you where I'm talking about anyways. Luckily for my sense of karma, the road markings at the end of the cyclepath where I nearly hit the nobhead were perfectly correct in my favour in both directions.

Idiots, I tell you.