Applespider

skidmarks Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > A highway authority would never install a mirror. Not always true. TFL has recently installed mirrors at lights along the new cycle superhighways to help the drivers of large vehicles see if a cyclist has (stupidly) come up alongside and is in their blind spot.

Actually, while the demographics are really important, you could have 100% ABC1s but if there's no suitable site available at a reasonable price, you won't be getting a Waitrose. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with ED's demographics... just with the properties available. It's not just the size/shape that it's important but the access for delivery trucks, customer parking etc. Since I live near the Horniman, I'll take one in either or both. Since I work for John Lewis, I get a discount at Waitrose that doesn't extend as far as Ocado (although I'll still use them rather than use the dire Forest Hill Sainsburys) ;-)

Was cycling through Dulwich Park about 7.30 this morning and there were 3 film trucks parked inside the park at main entrance opposite the Picture Gallery - and a film security van alongside complete with security guard standing around looking officious. Anyone got any idea what they were filming? A friend mentioned being asked to take a detour in Battersea Park the other day to keep out of a film crew's way and got quite excited but it turned out to be a Del Monte advert. ;-)

Curry is the best for staying hot, followed by Chinese (although preferably things in sauce as opposed to stirfry noodles). Fish and chips rank up there on the 'stay hot' but batter does tend to go soggy... I never think pizza stays hot very well - and pizza is one of those things that's best either scaldingly hot out of the oven or once it's been left to go entirely cold.

The Kryptonite Fahgeddaboutit gets pretty good reviews too - and Amazon had a great deal on them a while back. Under ?50 rather than over ?80. Only bad thing is that it is quite a small D - so it's less useful if you're not sure where you're going to lock your bike and have to hope for something you can squeeze it around.

Not much help until you get a replacement but the police are running cycle registration sessions over the next month although mainly in town - some around London Bridge and some in the Mall. They are free... and get your bike frame a sticker to say it's been registered and the details entered on their database. At least that way, if it is nicked and recovered at some point, they have some chance of getting it back to you. There was an interesting piece a few weeks back on Londoncyclist saying that they'd spent a day with the cycle police who had stopped someone for cycling dangerously and were pretty sure it was a nicked bike that he was on. But because it wasn't listed, they couldn't do much.

I go from near the Horniman to Victoria. I thought about going via Peckham but ended up going across to Herne Hill and through Brixton and then over at Vauxhall. My cycle instructor suggested taking Lambeth Bridge rather than Vauxhall but I soon swapped over. Pandora is right that the worst bit is getting off the bridge on the north side. You want to be in the second lane of traffic rather than in the cycle lane when you get to the lights and you have to deal with cars trying to move into the leftmost lane to turn left. It's one of the few places in London where I almost hope that the lights DO change as you get closer since then it's much much easier to position yourself! Would advise doing the route outside of rush hour before you start off. It makes life much easier in terms of figuring out where things go. It is worthwhile doing the cycle lesson (free from Southwark Council) before you start - just a refresher in road positioning and they can help with route (i.e. finding out how to get onto the cycle paths on various junctions!) Helmets - there's evidence both ways as to how useful they actually are. They're only apparently certified to protect a 12mph drop of 1m which probably isn't more than trundling speed by the time you add in the speed of the fall. There's also evidence that suggests motorists give more room to those not wearing helmets than those who do. Having said that, there's also a school of thought that says since public opinion is that cyclists should wear them, if there was an accident with you not wearing it, would you be treated as more negligent? As Sandperson says, I don't know anyone who was injured because they were wearing one. I wear one on my commute or if I'm taking a trip somewhere but if I was going to use a Boris bike and didn't have one handy, I wouldn't worry about it. One other thing - it is addictive. I got a cycle to work bike because I wanted a bike. Since it is suggested that at least 50% of your trips should be to/from work, I figured that I should at least try cycling to work on it. Now I find it highly frustrating to have to catch the bus/train/tube. It feels so much slower and more frustrating than it used to (and I used to quite like public transport!)

Thanks Sandperson. Will go for the daily option and then see how much I'm using it. If it does end up being more than once a week, I'll switch. I spoke to one guy getting a bike near Victoria, citizenED. He wasn't a journalist but did have a bike of his own so was just really trying it out rather than using it. A couple of people in the office are thinking about trying it - admittedly after I dragged them out to take a look at just how close to the office they were!

I'm quite tempted to sign up for the days when I don't have my bike with me and just want to go a couple of miles across the city. Can't decide though whether I'm likely to do that 45 times a year... or whether just to go for a daily pass. There's no real information whether you can start daily and then move to an annual one later. There's a docking station outside my office though and I saw a few people using them at lunchtime today.

I just got my renewal notice through the post. It says that you can keep driving while the new one processes but do need to send it in. The problem will be that your licence can't both be on holiday with you while you rent the car and with the DVLA being processed. There is a space on the renewal form to say that you can't return the licence because you've lost one/both parts of it. I genuinely have lost the photocard part so I spotted this. I'm not sure whether you could use that as a loophole - request your new licence from DVLA saying that you've lost the old one while actually taking it with you? Other problem, of course, might be that the rental company won't accept it.

giggirl Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I've had a big bust since I was a teenager, so I'm > used to it. Thankfully I've recently dropped a > few sizes so at the moment it's merely "big", > whereas it has previously been "visible from > space". giggirl - great post and this bit really made me chuckle since it feels so true to me too! (about my boobage - not yours!) And entirely second the 'get properly fitted' message. There are so many women wandering around with back sizes that are too big and cup sizes that are too small. M&S measuring was appalling last I tried it - they tried to put me in a 38 and then a 36 back with too small a cup size. Malfunctions ahoy - and that was just in the changing room! Bravissimo/John Lewis have me in a 32! And yes, Narnia, while there will also be some element of meeting society's dress codes - from smart/casual at work to not wearing a ballgown to EDF drinks - the most important thing is that you are comfortable in what you are wearing and have dressed for yourself in that regard.

Thanks Sophie - that reassures me a bit. Steve - tried that too but since O2 stopped the 'CPW do the billing' type resales a while back, they can't really help. After mailing Charles Dunstone's office, we did manage to get a goodwill payment that covers the difference in price between the data bolt-on and the iPhone price but they can't/won't change the contract. Mum's decided that once this one comes to an end, she's never going near CPW with a bargepole again.

My mother managed to get herself locked into another contract with CPW for 24 months. It's an OK deal but despite her mentioning that she was getting my old iPhone, it seems that if you've got an old O2 with CPW contract, they don't support iPhones. And despite complaining about that and pointing out that she was trying to pay more money per month, they're not the most helpful people. One person told her she could get a data bolt on (200MB a month) and another told her that he wouldn't recommend that since she could end up with silly bills. My iPhone data usage is rarely above 100MB a month so I think so long as she gets the right settings it should be OK. Long shot, I know... but does anyone here happen to have, or know anyone, who is happily using an iPhone or other smartphone on a CPW old-school O2 contracts with or without the data bolt-on?

Nope... flattering in general; giving lads a potential eyeful isn't the main aim. I will say that we're talking about DD+ boobage here really. Basically, if you wear a high necked top (turtle/polo or even a classic T), then, if you've got boobs, they will be massively accentuated since there's just a big wall of chest with nothing to break it up - all you see is the outer curve of the boobs. If you wear a scoop/V-neck, the expanse is broken up and it makes big boobs look more 'average'. Same as why you shouldn't have a T-shirt with sleeves that stop at the line of your boobs - again, it makes that expanse of chest look bigger. Conversely, small-breasted women do wear the T-shirts/polos since it accentuates what they have more. Having said all that, there's still a fine line between enough of a scoop neck to improve your appearance and letting it all hang out so that no-one knows where to look. If it's so low that you look like your boobs might fall out at any moment, it's probably too low.

It's a vicious circle. Those of us with boobage are encouraged to wear scoop/V necks as being more flattering to our shape. If we were to wear a high necked top, you may be even more distracted since the boobage looks even more pronounced generally. Alternatively, get a pair of darkish glasses and then no-one will notice where you're looking or take up cycling and go to your meetings in lycra?

With regards to the Kwik Fit thing, perhaps she was stuck in traffic or waiting for a safe moment to filter over in order to turn - perhaps even into Kwik Fit to blow up tyres? Without seeing it, it's hard to know but it's unlikely she was just sitting/standing stationary on her bike in the middle of the road for absolutely no reason. But you're right that there are some cyclists who do some really stupid things - pulling out without glancing behind and signalling, being so obsessed with getting in front of stationary/slow traffic that they take some big risks and going through red lights - and, to be honest, using iPods at all on busy roads. The worst thing is that there are so many who do push the boundaries that it encourages others to do the same and see it as normal. But just as not all cyclists deserve to be tarred with the 'red light jumper' tag, not all coach/bus/lorry/taxi drivers deserve to be classed as bad drivers. Unfortunately there is a sizeable minority of both though. It would be a good thing if both sides could spend some time in the others shoes - the cyclist in the cab of a big vehicle and the drivers a few miles in a saddle.

Karrie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- They did say to me > that it is an every day occurence when cycling. If > this is what it is like to ride a bike, then sorry > Boris, not interested in cycling, sounds too > stressful. Perhaps they've been unfortunate or aren't assertive enough on the road. I've only recently started commuting by cycle (more because I had got the bike via a Cycle to Work scheme so thought I should at least give it a go than because I'm a rabid cyclist) and I'm truly enjoying it. I've been pleasantly surprised by the majority of drivers in terms of the room they've given me when passing. I've really only had one absolute tosser who just shouted abuse as he drove off rather than doing anything dangerous. He shouted at me to use hand signals more (how I was meant to indicate I was going straight on when I was already in the lane for going straight on, I'm not sure) so I did... or perhaps that was more of a finger signal ;-p

Not entirely sure of the sums involved but last time I looked, if you were only going to be doing two single leg journeys, PAYG Oyster was better than the Travelcard. So, if you plan on walking to the stations at either end and not using public transport on non-work days, then PAYG should be cheaper. If you do get caught out one day and have to take a different route, it will be capped anyhow. But if you're going to hop on buses to/from stations and work at least 5 days, then go for the Travelcard

Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Its slowly being raised to heaven. Salvation is on > the way. The Sally Army are promoted to the light - that always makes me smile when I read it on the bottom of Booth's statue there.

No, they don't have to. As randombloke says, it is an invitation to treat rather than an offer. However, it may be that Trading Standards are interested that they are advertising something with no intention of selling it at that price (unless of course they had a notice saying 'limited stock' or 'for a limited time' etc. Good luck.

Mockney - try restoring it and then reinstalling. It helped with my 3G that I'd upgraded. I did at one point find a guide to downgrading the 3G but it's a bit technical - will dig it out if you find it useful though. ?35 seems ridiculous though - although perhaps it's due to you being in contract. O2 switched my Mum to a ?15 a month one to use my old iPhone.

Robyn, sorry to hear that and that it's still having an impact on you. I was mugged in my driveway a few years back. While I was slightly jumpy for a while afterwards, it did however give me, strangely enough, more confidence in my area. I screamed, multiple neighbours responded (many in nightwear since it was near midnight) which I truly appreciated. It gave me hope that nothing worse would happen if so many people would still respond to a woman's scream. I now walk down my road, if late at night, prepared to scream blue murder rather than tell the mugger to F'off first (which obviously he ignored!)

I have a question - does anyone know of a cycle maintenance course locally? Or anyone who is good at cycle maintenance who could share a few tips in exchange for a drink or two? I'm conscious that if I'm commuting, I should be more aware of what might go wrong and what's easily fixable.

I caught a school bus on my own from 5 onwards. I 'let' my mother accompany me for the first 2 days before telling her I could manage on my own. From 10, I caught a train 30 miles through to Edinburgh, caught a bus and then walked to school. Again, basic rules were drummed through my head, what to do in emergencies etc and it made me pretty self-sufficient. If the parents are intelligent enough to have done a 'risk-assessment' which it sounds like they have, then this seems like an extreme reaction unless the head has already done the 'private conversation' route. It feels more like the head is worried about potential bad publicity if anything should go wrong rather than the well-being of the children. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with it until the youngest was a year or two older but I don't know the kids in question. In terms of cycling, West Dulwich is pretty nice to cycle around even on the roads and given these two are on pretty wide pavements (and I'd doubt going particularly fast), I wouldn't have said it was particularly risky - especially if any road crossings have lollipop/pelican crossings.

Get to the police for a crime reference number and speak to the consulate who might be able to sort out an emergency one. Don't just turn up at the airport. There was a guy a few behind me at the check in queue at Barcelona a couple of years ago who was on the phone to his wife to tell her that he'd had his passport lost/stolen en route to the airport. He hadn't reported it yet or been to the consulate but expected to get on the flight. That was the last time we saw him - he wasn't on board. sazzle - I often just shown a bank card in lieu of photo ID while flying domestically but I'd be surprised if that worked on international flights, even EU ones.