Every Wednesday morning...

[NONMOVER]

 

I nearly collided with a Senior Police officer at 3.00 in the video, I thought they were rather confused with it all.  Resorting to shouting was plain childish,
What a great start to the day!
L

[rach65gs]

  Work starts at 7am for me so I can’t join our WMBC gatherings.  I’ve only reluctantly missed 3 from the beginning (all for VERY good reasons may I add) so am quite gutted to be left out of these.  

Can we not meet to ‘Do Lunch’ and have Teatime Clubs as well so that everyone can do their bit?  This would be a lot fairer to the diehards like me that have been able to attend thus far and surely far more effective - i.e. pissing off drivers   at different times of day?  

[ldn1702]

That video is absolutely brilliant. It clearly shows that if we are treated like cars, we'll behave like cars! LET'S CAUSE GRIDLOCK IN WESTMINSTER EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING... and if they're not happy, then though, SCRAP THE BIKE PARKING TAX

[gibbo]

loved it this morning ,    was very interesting to see just how quickly the police can loose there cool and start running round like headless chickens shouting at people,      see you next week and i urge everyone else to join the party !!

[ldn1702]

loved it this morning ,    was very interesting to see just how quickly the police can loose there cool and start running round like headless chickens shouting at people,      see you next week and i urge everyone else to join the party !!

I can't wait, I love it.

[HarrowRoad]

was very interesting to see just how quickly the police can loose there cool and start running round like headless chickens shouting at people

It's called lack of training to deal with the particular situation at hand!

[thundergar]

Excellent work everyone!   especially Blue scooter standing his (or her) ground against that irate cabbie!
As far as I can see the roundabout tactic is perfect. (Jees! can you imagine what would happen at Euston Rd by Great Portsmouth Street!)

My only suggestion would be to improve the 'stage 2 jam' for next venue in the event of plod moving us along.
The bunch I was with were forced to disperse towards parliament square (at about 2mph!)
By the time we reached Trafalgar Square we were getting thin and riding slowly was getting dangerous.

25 bikes and scooters caused a hell of a jam but please anyone who couldn't make it... don't think its that easy and it will be OK to pass on the next one! there is a critical mass below which this won't work.

[topper]

What a great effort by so few 
Imagine the impact if the numbers where greater and "go slows" where done at strategic points simultaneously .
There is a theory that London can be brought to a total gridlock situation that would take days to sort out .
Extreme but in theory possible .
But would take alot more people .
I will be at next Wednesdays meet for sure .
good on yer guys   

ps  shame on me for not dragging myself out of my pit and missing todays meet  

[jimc]

Hmm..

I couldn't be there .

But the cabbies are our friends in need - we have a common enemy with them.  I'd plead to let cabbies and cyclists though every time.  If folk took cabs (who may well get 'notice' of the breakfast runs) instead of other transport when it becomes a given that Westminster is FUBARed on Wednesday mornings, that will gain us some friends.  We don't want another group angry with Westminster to get pissed off with us as well.

We supported their campaign last year ("We need to P" - remember?) - get them to support us.
A good vocal group who can pass on the 'message'.

Really, please don't block cabs, counter-productive, Shirley.

[woodstock521]

Hate to disagree with you jim, but those cabs that support us, where have they been? 20 moths ago this started, and I haven't seen a single cabbie out in support of us. Sure, some have waved in passing, but they are the ones who won't mind a bit of delay for the cause, assuming they do support us!
Yeah we supported them when they had a grievance, but on the whole, are they gonna stick around for someone elses cause, that might actually increase their business. If we get off opur bikes, and can't go on public transport, and don't have a car, we're going to use a cab.
Besides, while they're in traffic, their meter is running. Fuck em. No prisoners.

[Badger]

But the cabbies are our friends in need - we have a common enemy with them.  I'd plead to let cabbies and cyclists though every time.

I tend to agree with that

If I'm on my bike or in my car i aways let the cabbies out (mincabs, never). Black Cabs will get cought up in the Mayhem, but if there is one trying to get round me, I'm going to let him go. Most of them have riden bikes doing The Knowage, they know whats it like, and Black Cabs are one of the solutions to congesion, as are PTWs.

Sorry, just my 2p worth.

[woodstock521]

I've found cabs, black and mini, to be some of the most inconsiderate people on the road (just after bmw banker-man)! Almost never willing to give you those extra 2 inches you need to get by, always pulling out in front of you etc etc....

Granted, some are decetn and considerate, but overall, i'd rate them lower than white van man.

[upyourschalkley]

I ride in London every day and cab drivers and privates have both good and bad amongst them, you have to treat them all as they come, each incident has it's own solution.

As for blocking cabs, buses, cops, ambo's, fire trucks, SCBU vehicles, blood transfers, transplant organs, diplomats, Her Majesty the Queen and the second coming of your saviour, sod 'em.

We cannot be held responsible for that, I do not accept responsibility for anyone's death or sufferage. If I accept that responsibility then I'd expect roadworks, accidents, light failures, sport events, Notting Hill Carnival, sheer weight of traffic and multiple collisions to accept the the same responsibility and they don't.

Last line is, if WCC weren't being idiots then I wouldn't have been on that roundabout. Tell WCC.

[HarrowRoad]

It's quite clear and Warren pointed it out. The time for talk is over. The inconvenience is as a result of civilised and mild mannered discussoins being ignored and derided by WCC staff

"you can comment every 4 years"
"nothing we haven't seen before"
"we need to mange kerbside space"

If a police officer or a cabby starts shouting at you just quietly reply - "this is what happens when our elected officials ignore the people, i've been reasonable for 2 years and it got me nowhere"

[Renegade]

I didn't have to let the cyclists or other bikes through! Because they were on 2 wheels they were able to filter quite nicely through the mess and be on their way. That proved our point quite nicely. Bike and cycles can pass most obstructions whatever the cause whereas cars that can't, cause queues that have a knock-on effect for miles.

Vote is out on the cabbies. I think we have gone as far as we can go being civilised (thanks to WCC). If you start letting one type of driver/vehicle through, where do you draw the line? A bus full of people is more congestion beating than a cab. Besides, I'm pretty sure the whole point was to p!$$ people off enough to complain to WCC. If we start letting the p!$$ed off ones through. Where is that going to get us? I doubt that either the cabbie or the truck driver have contacted WCC so I don't believe they were THAT inconvenienced.

FWIW I think it's 80:20 with cabbies (Like most things really). 80% very good, leave you space etc etc, 20% pulling unannounced U-turns, not signalling before breaking hard and pulling in to pick up a fare etc etc.

I also think that we probably will end up perhaps having lunch and tea-time catch-up meetings for those that miss the morning ones and more frequently than once a week. WCC are a stubborn lot and we really will have to grind Westminster to a halt on a regular basis for them to consider chucking in the towel. 

[Badger]

I wont argue with any of the above points, mainly cuz as a whole i agree.
Perhaps it's a change of mind set on my part, I hate Mini cad drivers, and never let them out or give way to them...no of them.
 
Yes there is good and bad Mini cab, black cab ... even bus drivers (did i just say that). It's just me, if there is a Black cabbie trying to pass me..... but i still understand there will be a dozen or more futher down the road. TUFF on them.

    I whole agree with what we are doing, or i wouldnt be there on Wens, or every Demo (bar 2)

anyway, see you next Wens.

[woodstock521]

That was going to be my next point if I wasn't supposed to be working....

We let a cab through, it puts us in danger when we close ranks behind it "that bike pulled in front of me and I couldn't stop in time officer" and we are in the wrong, cutting people up. Yes were out to cause congestion, but that doesn't make it our fault. Fuck em. All of em. When they're pissed off enough to phone danny, that's when I start giving a shit.

[Ogri]

Back to Wednesday's gathering..did anyone notice the woman in the hatchback barging out onto the roundabout from the Millbank side, right in front of a moving bike that had right of way ? Silly car driver! It was a police bike and he had to brake fairly hard. All I heard was an "OI!" followed by a short but intense education in yielding to vehicles already on the roundabout.

[torytax]

The black cab driver in the video that chose to take on the role of traffic cop to give advice to a rider, had a fare in the back. So along with the police, bus drivers and the cab driver they were all earning money, traffic jam or not.

As far a black cab drivers go I am indifferent to them, I cannot tell which are the good drivers and which are just like many other motorist. I treat them all with caution, rider beware. I should have a big grudge against them after one of them backed over me so that his latest fare didn't have to walk to far to get a ride. But at the end of the day they are not much different from most motorists, good and bad, just can't trust anyone in a big metal box IMO.

[ldn1702]

As far as I am concerned, I'm inconveniencing everyone, car drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, you name it, I don't care. I'm there to cause gridlock in a perfectly legal way, the police or whoever else can't say anything, it's all legal. And I make my voice heard in a more radical way because these WCC bastards have ignored it on paper.