I hate bikers....(sometimes)

There....I've said it. But why? Why would I, as a biker say such a thing? Where's the solidarity? Where's the sense of community? Well, frankly it's because some of us are utter prunts. I can take or leave the "all the gear but no idea" crew, annoying though they can be, I can even excuse BMW and Harley riders their choice of steed (ha!), but what I cannot abide is fellow bikers putting other bikers at risk.

Take this morning on the usual commute into Central London. You get to recognise the regulars on the route and there's a kind of mutual respect amongst winter riders, as well as an unwritten rule about rush hour in London not being a time to take liberties. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule but generally you just try to stay out of their way and ride your own journey. One such guy rides a similar route to me, up from Morden in South London. He even has the same bike (albeit an older 2005 version) with some nice, throaty Remus cans on it. But....he is a twat. There's no two ways about it. He's quick, but he's also dangerous. Thankfully, I've managed to stay out of his way thus far....until this morning.

There's a road junction on the approach to Westminster where the Embankment joins Lambeth Palace Road and Lambeth Bridge Road and these are separated by a roundabout. It's a very busy roundabout with a lot of jumping of lights and then there's a lot of jostling for position for the entry to Lambeth Palace Road (2 lanes into 1) - and none of this is helped by there being a bus stop located precisely where the road narrows (take a bow TfL Planning Department....). Anyway, the aforementioned twat and I had been exchanging positions on the ride up and at this point I was in front of him. There was a bus at the bus stop at the entrance to Lambeth Palace Road, so I indicated, did a quick lifesaver and then moved to pull round it. Out of nowhere, said twat roared around me on the outside, and then had to take evasive action as he had failed to spot a car coming the other way - so he turns into me and almost forces me into the bus on my left. Bastard!

Naturally, I do the sensible thing and chase him up the road to the next lights, whereupon I decide to have my say. All he did was laugh but let's just say that by the time he pulled away, he had been left in no doubt that if he pulls a stunt like that again, it won't be cars, vans and lorries he has to worry about - I'll put him off myself.

And breathe.....