randombloke

People who say "yourself" when they mean YOU. Any pedestrian who walks across the road without looking as you ride a motorbike round the corner at 2mph (which is not easy)and looks all @rsey at you when you shout at them. Neurotic parents who say "Do you actually have children?" in a way that makes it plain that they feel morally and intellectually superior. I want to reply:- "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise that the mere ability to spawn progeny gave one the ability to have greater insight than anyone else. And thank you for asking, yes I do have a child who is now 20 and at University and hopefully won't be a pompous tw@t like you when he makes me a grandfather." As my other half often wants to say but good manner prevent her when someone points out that she didn't have children, inferring it is some sort of failing. "No, I decided to study at University for 5 years rather than lie on my back for 5 minutes"

All the suggestions are viable. Steve T's suggestion is excellent though it does get a bit snarled up at Peckham bus station with lots of buses, numpty drivers and clinically blind pedestrians, which as a new rider I find a bit stressful. You could follow Steve T's route but go up Consort Rd at the mini roundabout after the one way section of Copeland Rd rather than taking the left turn to go past the Morrisons turn off. When you get to Peckham High St/Queens Rd, turn right, go about 100 yards and turn left next to the posting box up Carlton Grove, over Meeting House Lane to Naylor Road. At the end of Naylor Rd turn right at the T junction onto Commercial Way, that will take you up to the Old Kent Rd and you are home free. I've found this route much quicker and less stressful as it's quiet. It's the route my better half takes and she was a despatch rider for 15 years. Good luck and keep it shiny side up.

Let's see: left Covent Garden at 16.40. Train from Charing Cross to London Bridge took 20 mins stopping outside Waterloo East for 10 minutes due to points failure. London Bridge station a total scrum. Gave up and went for a meal near Borough Market. No trains at London Bridge at 19:00 so waited for a No 40 bus on the bridge, none forthcoming so got a 133 to Elephant and Castle. Waited at Elephant and Castle for a 176 for 20 mins, one No 12 bus came along and 6 people out of about 500 got on. Went to taxi firm, 1 hour wait at least, flagged a cab which took us up Walworth Rd. Total nightmare up there, round the back roads and got stuck on Camberwell Grove at Grove Hill Rd. Got out of cab after 45 mins ?35 worse off, walked to car parked at Quorn Rd down Dog Kennel Hill which was like an ice rink. Got stuck at Goose Green Roundabout and eventually dodged several buses strewn along Underhill Rd unlike the guy who cut me up then drove straight into the back of one of them..serves him right! Couldn't get up Overhill Road as it was blocked by police cones and like the North Face of the Eiger anyway. Finally walked through the door at 10.10 after messing about parking the car. There was ONE gritter on Lordship Lane spraying about as much grit as you would find inside an oyster. Feeble. Nobody forecast this in a cold snap with frozen snow on the pavements and sub-zero temperatures, it's clearly rocket science. So if it took you 3 hours and you think that's a record - think again. Try harder. Can't wait for 2012 when we will become the laughing stock of 3rd world nations. Then again the good news was that you weren't in immediate danger from homicidal cyclists riding on the pavements and yelling abuse at you when you get in their way. In fairness it will have been a nightmare for anyone who has the misfortune to work for TFL but after it happening in February there really is no excuse for the lack of foresight.