Car Sick Highway Engineers

Even in a car sick motor centric society like ours this takes some beating.  There are roadworks on Staines Bridge which means it has been narrowed.  The Highways Engineer has scrubbed out the cycle lane markings and instructed cyclists to dismount.
The above is a still from one of my Headcam videos here
I make some further intemperate comments on youtube; but really how can Highways Agencies employ people who think like this ?

My cycle training session

I have mentioned before on these pages that I was planning to have a session of cycle training and the particular concern, that I voiced when I booked, was over the aggression I was attracting from some motorists.
I met my instructor, Colin, at the Imperial War Museum and it was immediately apparent (and I do not blame cycle training organisations for this) that there were hoops to be gone through before we could take to the roads to deal with bikeability level 2 and 3. First the bike check which resulted in a rotating downwards of my brake levers to make it easier to cover the brakes the whole time (I commute on a flat bar bike). Then on an unused tennis court I demonstrated the ability to look behind without falling off and to do an emergency stop.

Finally on the roads Colin followed behind and had the following suggestions:

- Cover the brakes the whole time. I think this makes sense in heavy traffic and I do it instinctively if I am unsure about surrounding traffic. Novel idea for me to do it all the time.

- Road positioning. Was essentially good though I unconsciously come out before turning left (an HGV turn). I suppose I am trying to widen the turn and will think in future about slowing more and maintaining my position in the road until I can see into the left road before making the turn. Also left and right turns into a major road from a side road are made from the same position in the centre of the lane. This was news to me I have been taking the centre of the road before turning right and letting left turning traffic past to my left but this is apparently frowned upon.

-Signalling. I should not have signaled when in a left hand only lane. Apparently signalling with thumb at the top of the hand rather than at the bottom appears more assertive and is therefore recommended.

-Speed. My speed was appropriate, but when slowing when I had priority over a vehicle just in case he pulled out, it is better to carry on soft pedaling otherwise some motorists might think I was stopping.

-Right turn into minor road. My instructor would have liked me to take position in the centre of the road even earlier than I did (which I felt was quite a long way in advance of the junction).

It was not possible in Southwark to replicate my dual carriageway riding but we discussed it at length at the end of the two hour lesson. Colin at least affirmed that my road positioning was appropriate and his suggestion was 1.2 metres out from the kerb. I am generally in that region (the lanes are 3 metres wide). There was some discussion about slowing and letting traffic past but I think we agreed this was not a practical solution. The advice I got was that I am attracting hostility from bad motorists, not good ones, and I was firmly encouraged to report abusive behavior to the police. I have, of course, tried that and got nowhere (I will keep you posted on the correspondence I intend to have soon with the unsuspecting Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Chief Constable of Surrey on that topic.)

Overall, a useful session with some interesting observations and some reaffirmation that the hostility I am encountering is not due to inappropriate riding on my part.  I left with a piece of paper confirming that I have achieved bikeability level 3.

The Difference Between Cloth and Leather Gloves? Just Over a Million Dollars

At least that is the thought one might take from a jury verdict at the end of May in Maine state court. As reported by Michael Afthim's counsel, Peter Thompson and Associates in their blog, Maine Employment Lawyer, his complaints about the working conditions of the men he supervised led to his termination and subsequent suit under the Main Whistleblowers' Protection Act.

According to his counsel:
Mr. Afthim became concerned about a number of safety issues in the warehouse that he ran including the lack of ventilation, the company's decision to use cheaper cotton gloves instead of splinter resistant leather gloves, and the insufficient staffing on the second shift. Mr. Afthim noted that the ventilation was so poor in the warehouse that his employees were inhaling significant amounts of dust and dirt. Mr. Afthim made multiple reports and complaints to ALR's management about the ventilation issue but ALR did nothing. Mr. Afthim also noted that the company's switch to cotton gloves from leather gloves was leading to significant splinters for his employees who spent their days constructing and repairing wooden pallets. Mr. Afthim also brought this concern to ALR without an adequate response. Mr. Afthim then noticed that due to understaffing that the workers on the second shift were rushing to keep up with their duties and he became very concerned that this would inevitably lead to a serious injury such as a fall or an accident with the fork lift.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY MAINE JURY AWARDS WHISTLEBLOWER $1,015,000 IN DAMAGES.

A year earlier, the Maine Human Rights Commission had passed on filing a lawsuit in the case. See Commission Meeting Minutes of June 29, 2009. Although I am not sure of the significance since I don't know about Maine's process, apparently there had been no written objection filed to the investigator's report. Commission Meeting Minutes of April 13, 2009.

With the current popularity of whistleblowing in legislatures including Congress, and quite frequently with juries, this is a story that may frequently be repeated.

Some Facts on Breast Feeding Requirement Under Healthcare Bill

A hat tip to Employment Law 360 for their story, DOL Releases Guidelines On Breaks For Breastfeeding [pdf] ($) and inclusion of Fact Sheet #73 from the Wage and Hour Division, Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA.

It's the first official word I have seen on a provision contained in the major healthcare reform bill passed earlier this year, that was scant on details.

I am not sure this answers all the questions, but at least it's a start.

Etape Diary Monday 19th July

A leisurely start to the day but became more stressful as the taxi to the train arrived late and took 10 minutes to get the bike boxes into the back. The 1144 train turned out however to be running late. Hardly surprisingly dozens of cyclists needed to get bike bags and boxes onboard and there was hassle fitting them all on board exacerbated by the fact that the doors to my carriage had malfunctioned. Safely aboard we travelled northwest to Bordeaux before whizzing off to Paris. The train was a little late which only increased the stress of getting across Paris on the crowded Metro. With a bit of mutual assistance Angus and I managed alright and probably much faster than any taxi. I was, though, beaten to the Eurostar check in by two guys who had travelled light and not dissembled their bikes – so they rode from Montparnasse to Garde du Nord. This struck me as a good idea which I will look into if I ever do this again. It would save the shoulder wrenching experience of the Metro. There is one thing our transport services do much better here than in Paris and that is step free access.

Etape Diary Sunday 18th June

Already awake by the time of the 5 am alarm call. Breakfast at 0530, not a time at which I have much of an appetite. Then some time preparing bidons and finding room in jersey pockets for route card, food, telephone, wallet and (last but not least) some aspirin.
At 0620 I decided it was sufficiently light to venture out and I found my way to the correct start pen by about 0640. The Avenue de Pyrenees and the area surrounding Park Beaumont was packed with 10,000 cyclists. At 0700 a siren sounded and around 8 minutes later I rolled over the start. There was an immediate slightly hairy dip down to the station and a sharp left over the Gave River followed by a fairly speedy undulating ride until we hit the Parc National du Pyrenees at Escot and the start of the day’s first climb the Marie Blanque, a vertical climb of about 1,000 m over about 6 miles. The terrain was wooded providing shade from the early sun and was comfortable enough. The road did narrow though and there was congestion particularly as we picked our way past ambulances and other slow moving vehicles. Fortunately I was over the top before the congestion deteriorated to the point where people had to dismount and walk.
Over the top there was a fast descent and a flat stretch through woods with a bubbling brook on our right hand side. Then came the Soulor which took us up to about 1,500m over around 9 miles. With the heat increasing I found this harder but still manageable.
Over the summit and as I was picking up speed on the descent I heard a Frenchman yelling at a sheep. He was scaring the animal across the road into my path. I missed by a couple of feet and that was my scariest moment of this year’s etape. There was then a long long descent which took us almost to the foot of the Tourmalet. The field was a t last beginning to thin and groups were forming with gaps in between.
As we started to climb again I clocked up 100 miles in a steep sided gorge with a river to the right and cliff to the left. At this point I had been going for 6 ½ hours and I thought a silver at 8h15m could be achievable. It would require just 12 miles in an hour and three quarters.
However I had not reckoned on the energy sapping properties of the Tourmalet on a hot day. I had climbed this mountain before in the 2008 etape, though from the other side and on a positively cold and wet day. Early in the climb I was offered a coke from a Cyclefit feed station but I felt I could manage without and didn’t feel like stopping – that may have been a mistake. Before long, like most of my fellow etappers to whom I have subsequently spoken, I cracked. My feet were killing me and I was draining liquid from my bidons faster than I could get them refilled.
The locals were marvellous with their pouring of cold water over our heads. Some of the water offered was said to be ‘potable’ so I gulped it down. At the water stop at the treeline I gulped, filled bidons and sprayed my feet with water (unlike Mt Ventoux last year this water was on tap).  I took a couple of precious aspirins. Thus fortified I set out for the top. This could now be seen through the clear mountain air in the far distance. I ground on slowly as the kilometre signs counted down the distance to the summit. The last 2 km are the longest I have ridden on my bike. People were asking for and getting pushes up the mountain from the many spectators who had congregated near the top. Eventually after a final switchback to the left the summit was in sight and I passed over with a time of 08h40m for a solid bronze. Details of my ride can be found on my Garmin record..

I just had to rest my feet at the top before descending to La Mongie and begged a first aider for a half bottle of water shared with a similarly dehydrated rider. Eventually with loose shoes I headed down to the finish village and had my meal before heading down the mountain to Lourdes to catch a train back to Pau.  On the way this sign caught my eye (1.5m = 5 1/2 feet).

I smuggled my bike aboard the train with a young Englishman who had done a stonking time to the last climb and then, like me, had cracked and taken forever to cover the last few miles.
Once back in Pau I just made it for the planned dinner at 7.30 with Alex but, alas, he struggled on the mountain too and did not make it back. (Postscript: actually he was busy recording a video for the BBC).  So after a few bananas, snacks and whatever I could lay my hands on it was to bed for a deep sleep.

Etape Diary Saturday 17th June

A chance to explore the city of Pau. Its most noteable feature is the castle standing guard over the river and the passes from the Pyrenees. Stumbled across a plaque reporting where Lord Allenbrooke (the World War II CGS) had spent his early life; a reminder that there had been a British Military post here for many years after the Napoleonic Wars. We checked out where the start pens will be with but demonstrating admirable efficiency there was no sign of the chaos to come.. For lunch there was pasta in the City centre coupled with very slow service. For dinner the Garmin found us a small restaurant with very good steak and desserts. A dull day, it actually rained on us quite hard in the evening.

Etape Diary Friday 16th June

At 0710 we rolled into Pau and the four of us enjoyed a breakfast in the still relatively cool morning air. Through a complete miscomprehension of where my hotel was, I set off by foot with bike case to my hotel, enticing Alex to come with me. It was nowhere near as close as I had thought and after seeking directions we found our nearly adjacent hotels 6 kms away. To his credit there was never a word of complaint from Alex, though we did resolve to share a taxi back to the station on Monday morning. There are some limits to how low carbon I can make my holidays.
Got into the room and reassembled the bike before a very rare steak at a supermarket restaurant round the corner. Returned to my room to watch the Tour and then headed off to the etape village at the Racecourse, hoping to avoid the worst heat of the day. I duly presented my passport in return for my rider number. It did not take long to explore the village; just a very quick ‘Hi’ to Sandy at Bikefit, who recently fitted my feet out, as he was with a customer, before returning to the hotel, dinner and a chance to catch up some sleep.

One Stop Shopping for Whistleblowers

A hat tip to Today's Workplace, the blog of the Outten & Golden firm, for their link to OSHA's new whistleblower website, Office of the Whistleblower Protection Program.

It is worth its weight in gold, if for no other reason than to find a link to all 18 statutes that OSHA currently is responsible for:
Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. §660


Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA), 49 U.S.C. §31105


Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), 15 U.S.C. §2651


International Safe Container Act (ISCA), 46 App U.S.C. §1506


Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 42 U.S.C. §300j-9(i)


Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), 33 U.S.C. §1367


Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), 15 U.S.C. §2622


Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), 42 U.S.C. §6971


Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. §7622


Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. §9610


Energy Reorganization Act (ERA), 42 U.S.C. §5851


Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR21), 49 U.S.C. §42121


Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability Act, Title VIII of the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX), 18 U.S.C. §1514A


Pipeline Safety Improvement Act (PSIA), 49 U.S.C. §60129


Federal Rail Safety Act (FRSA), 49 U.S.C. §20109


National Transit Systems Security Act (NTSSA), 6 U.S.C. §1142


Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), 15 U.S.C. §2087


Section 1558 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), P.L. 111-148
The statutes are up to date through the health care bill, but don't yet include those included in the Financial Reform Act which will not be signed into law until tomorrow. For a preview of those, which I am sure will be joining the list soon, see my earlier post, Financial Reform Passes - Major Whistleblowing Changes as Well.

And for two final tidbits, before the next OSHA investigation into a whistleblower complaint, you might want to look over the 190 page Whistleblower Investigations Manual and when you get ready to settle check out OSHA's policy for Approval of Settlements with Future Empoyment Waivers. Spoiler alert, it's on a case by case basis and they look at five factors.

As ENDA Lingers in Congress, a MDV in Maine

Just recently I was having what is a frequent conversation about what I do for a living, basically -- how interesting it is. And how although I am now 35 years into the practice I am still amazed at the new situations and the complexity of issues that I see, or as in this case read about.

And this one really does not even qualify very high on an unusual scale, except that it does reflect how often employers have to battle human nature.

The facts leading up to a $1,047,000 verdict from a Maine jury for Edward Russell are apparently these: Russell had filled in at least four times as General Manager for Express Jet at the Portland airport when the position was vacant. When he applied for the position on a permanent basis and did not get it, he sued arguing it was because he was gay.

So far, straight enough (no pun intended). The complicating factor is that in 2003-04 there had been a complaint from three female employees who had unsuccessfully applied for an open supervisory position. At the time, all of the Express Jet managers at the facility were gay men. The women complained that the gay general manager would only hire other gay men.

The theory of the case for the plaintiff -- the company did not want another gay man in the position. Toss in a few untoward comments and it all ends up to $1 million dollar plus verdict, which as the article notes will be reduced by some amount due to damage caps. See, Man wins gay discrimination suit, from the Portland Press Herald.

Discrimination is of course an individual act, and if his sexual orientation was the reason for his not being promoted, Russell clearly was entitled to recover.

But before one gets all righteous about how the wrong the company was, it is easy to imagine a circumstance, where an employer could, justifiably or not, be saying to themselves -- you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't.

I said my job was interesting, I never said it was easy.  Each piece of legislation, valid as it may be, just makes it more so.

When "Sabotgage" Becomes Illegal

I continue to see a number of articles about the need for anti-bullying legislation, much to my dismay. When there is an article about it in the weekly Sunday supplement that's in my local newspaper, you know the movement is gaining traction. See Workplace Bullying: Do We Need a Law?

At least the article had the good sense to include this quote from Victoria Pynchon, who blogs regularly at  Settle It Now Negotiation Blog:
Making a federal or state case over the day-to-day management of any workforce is just plain nuts. At best, it’s a jackhammer solution to an Emily Post problem. At worst, it’s a new scheme for extortion.
What prompted the chain of thought that led to this post was this article from the Official Wire,  California Pizza Kitchen Sued By Former Employee For Harassment And Sabotage Due To Sexual Orientation.

The connection to anti-bullying legislation? Sabotage at work is one of those ills that the statute is designed to protect against. A brochure supporting the Healthy Workplace Bill, includes this definition of bullying:
Verbal abuse, threats, humiliation, intimidation, work interference or sabotage. All of which prevent work from getting done and harm employee health. [emphasis added]
And what kind of allegations might we see in such "sabotage" cases?

Well according to the harassed pizza employee Kenneth Abramowitz it was a homophobic kitchen manager who:
allegedly sabotaged Aramowitz by delaying his food orders, when Abramowitz tried to expedite his customer’s food orders Aguilar would degrade Abramowitz’s homosexuality with verbal and physical slanders.
While I don't want to minimize the problem, and here the verbal abuse might make this a case that would seem actionable, I have griped about slow food service too many times myself to think that it should give rise to a cause of action.

I don't think there is a disagreement that the workplace should be more civil, but adding another layer of legislation is surely not the only way to get there.

He keeps saying and saying and saying .....

Has It Really Been 8 Years?

Since I posted my first jot here? For Lack of a Green Card

Apparently so.

Thanks for all who stop by.

Invest in Museum Risk Management - Don't Always Count on Someone Being There When Disaster Strikes

Back in June 2008 flooding damaged areas of Iowa. One place hit by the rising waters was the University of Iowa's (UI) art museum. The good news is that the Figge Museum in Davenport was able to house and protect some of UI's artwork after the flood. Just as when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and other nearby states, several art museums came to help out institutions affected by the disaster. However, long-term help cannot always be counted on. In UI's situation, Lloyd's of London will not insure a new museum building for UI if they construct it in the same spot. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) has just denied UI's request for funds to help build a new museum. The lesson is that an investment in risk planning can help a cultural institution mitigate or prevent problems later.

Etape Diary Thursday 15th July

A morning spent swapping in larger sprockets and packing the bike box, then the train to St Pancras. I still miss the demise of the International Terminal at Waterloo as it takes an extra hour to get across London via Richmond and Hammersmith so as to avoid stairs to St Pancras. However the compensation came in the form of the restaurant at St Pancras where I met a work colleague for a late lunch to discuss, amongst other things, how to take forward our sports law expertise within 2 Temple Gardens. My contribution is some knowledge of cycling!




That discussed, I moved through security, my bag was comprehensively swabbed for explosives and I set off on the fast journey to Paris. Not much more than 10 minutes to get to the M25 which is impressive but almost all in tunnels. I celebrated being underneath the Channel with an expresso in the buffet. In France my Garmin GPS recorded 190 mph.
Once in Paris, the presence of bikebags gave etappers away. Angus and I struggled together jointly by hot metro to Austerlitz. There was time for a beer and a snack before we were joined by Alex, who I know from 4th cat races at Hillingdon. At around 11pm we boarded the sleeper, where I was berthed with another English etapper, Paul – like Lance Armstrong he has come over to cycling from being a triathelete. There was an area for bikes which we were able to make use of once a pilgrim to Lourdes, who appeared to be intent on spending the night curled up in the luggage area, had been persuaded back to a seat. My bed was comfortable but we seemed to be making haste through the countryside in wheel shaking jerks which I did not find conducive to a good night’s sleep. In the middle of the night peace descended as we stopped up somewhere for a long time, presumably while the train to Biarritz was being detached.

There is no doubt that the French do trains better then we manage.

Operation Andromeda - Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Command Press Release

CONDENSED PRESS STATEMENT (TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN)
Unedited original available at
www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Cittadino/Informazioni/ComunicatiStampa/2010/Luglio/20100716_100000.htm

On July 16, 2010, the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Command presented to the press ... three hundred thirty seven exceptional archaeological finds, from Lazio, Puglia, Sardinia and Magna Graecia, dating between eighth century BC and fourth century AD, and returned from Geneva, Switzerland on June 25, 2010.

Among the many outstanding heritage items are ... loutrophoros, marble statues depicting the goddess Venus, Apulian and Attic volute craters, craters mask Canosa, kylix Chalkidiki, bronzes, frescoes from Pompeii, a basket and two nuraghic warriors, whose value is determined on the illicit market based on their size in centimeters (about ten thousand euros per centimeter).

The total asset value of the works exceeds fifteen million euros. The exhibits were seized earlier this year by the Swiss authorities and by the Carabinieri, as a result of an investigation commonly known as "Andromeda" in the free port of Geneva, where they were stored by an art dealer and a Japanese Swiss businessman ....

...

Financial Reform Passes - Major Whistleblowing Changes as Well

Thanks to Jacob Zuckerman at the Employment Law Group for his on the spot reporting about the new whistleblowing provisions contained in the major financial bill that was passed earlier today. See Dodd-Frank Bill Provides Robust Whistleblower Protection, including a link to a download of all the whistleblower provisions contained in the legislation.

Among the interesting provisions:
  • A reward to whistleblowers who provide information to the SEC which results in monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million.  There are lots of caveats and discretion given to the SEC, but if the award is below 30% of the amount recouped, the individual can file an appeal to a federal court of appeals.
  • There is also protection for retaliation against anyone who provides information in accordance with this incentive program.
  • There is a new Whistleblower statute for Financial Services employees which focuses on conduct related to consumer financial product or services, but has quite a broad scope of coverage.
  • A reward to whistleblowers who provide information to the Commodity Futures Trading Commissions, with similar provisions relating to an appeal if the individual does not like the award they received, although it differs from the similar statute under the SEC in that it does not have a 30% standard that must be met before an appeal is filed.
  • Closes a possible loophole in Sarbanes Oxley coverage by making it clear that subsidiaries of publicly traded companies are included if their results are included in the consolidated financial statements. The statute of limitations doubles to 180 days and precludes SOX claims from being covered by mandatory arbitration agreements.
  • There is also a strengthening of the False Claims Act whistleblowers retaliation provision and sets the statute of limitations at three years.
Given that it takes a number of years for employment law legislation to work its way into the framework of  the law of the workplace, it may be a few years before the impact of today's legislative action is really determined.  And because they are statutory and industry specific, it may even take longer for these particularl statutes.

But it is a pretty impressive body of new law and those in the affected industries would do well to take note.

No Prison Means No Deterrence

Crimes against culture rarely appear on the radar of law enforcement authorities. And when such crimes are investigated--oftentimes after years of time and effort--many prosecutors tend to let such cases fizzle. That is what happened again today when a plea bargain was accepted in a Utah courtroom. A federal district court judge sentenced Brent Bullock to five years of probation supervision and sentenced Tammy Shumway, widow of the infamous antiquities looter Earl Shumway, to three years of court ordered supervision after a half year of home confinement.

The over two year inevstigation into antiquities looting and trafficking in the Four Corners area of the United States is just latest example of intense investigative efforts being rewarded with light sentences. Five defendants have now been convicted and sentenced to no time in prison. To be fair, one of today's defendants received a time-served sentence. But serving three weeks pre-trial time in jail is different from being sentenced to jail.

Prosecutors across the country took years to recognize that domestic violence was a legitimate crime. When it was acknowledged as a crime and jail sentences were pursued by the authorities, there came a marked increase in the detection and deterrence of the criminal activity. Crimes against culture require this same kind of recongnition.

That is why crimes against culture must earn meaningful court sentences that include incarceration. Weighty sentence tell other law enforcement and prosecution agencies that this crime is serious. Moreover, meaningful sentences tell other would-be grave robbers and antiquities traffickers that the price of doing illegal business by erasing history includes losing one's liberty. If the cost of site looting is of no consequence, then there is little incentive to deter a looter or trafficker.

Organizations like the Archaeological Institute of America and others must continue to educate authorities about the damage done when archaeological material is ripped from its context. That is to say, the irreparable harm caused by removing evidence of our past from the ground without proper documentation.

Racing

Obviously with the Tour underway the thoughts of many of us turn to racing.  Anyone who followed my reports of the Winter Series will have gained the fair impression that I am a lot more enthusiastic than talented.  This is my third season.  In my first (2008) I scored 2 points with an 8th place in a torrential downpour; last season I managed 2nd in a 'Go-Race' after a long 2 man break but 'Go-Races' do not really count and I got no points all season.  In my last etape preparation report I proudly boasted a 9th place and 1 point in a Circuit Race at Hillingdon.
Last weekend I picked up 7 points.  1 for a 10th place at Dunsfold following a long, but ultimately unsuccessful, 2 man break with the guy who was strongest in the race (he proved that by winning the bunch sprint); then on Sunday I kicked myself for missing the 3 man break in roaring winds at the Omega Thornley Island Circuits, but managed to get in the second break of 3 and outsprinted the other two for 4th place and 6 points.
A flash in the pan? - or am I finally finding some racing legs? - time will tell though time is already running out for me this season with the etape and the (for me, non-cycling) summer holiday.
For the uninitiated, at the lowest level of British Cycling 10 points are required for promotion from a 4th category to a 3rd category rider.  The rules are deliciously vague about whether these points need to be acquired in any particular time; but since many take the view they should be acquired in one season I shall continue a 4th cat as long as I can, whilst still trying to do the best I can in races.
My recent focus on racing may backfire at the etape if I go off like a rocket and lose all oomph after a few hours.

Post Office



Alright it is poor driving that is all too frequent on the roads and not by any means exceptional.  However the Post Office have a lot of vehicles varying from large to enormous.  It would be good to think that they were trained and drove to the highest standards.
Here is my e mail to the Chairman (surprise, surprise the website does not volunteer an e mail address to comment about driving so better head for the top).

"Dear Mr Brydon,

Please find attached some footage showing how I was overtaken by a Royal Mail van BX08NHM in Chiswick this morning. Clearly the driver should not have overtaken me alongside a traffic island and even with my swerve to the nearside this was much too close.
I am sure you would wish Royal Mail drivers to demonstrate the highest standards of competence and safety. They should no doubt all be very familiar with the Highway Code including rule 163 (I attach a part of the code for you convenience).
It is a sad fact that many vehicles give cyclists insufficient room and thereby endanger them. Please do not think I am picking unfairly upon the Post Office. However I hope you may find this of interest and be able to respond constructively with appropriate improvements in driver training.
Yours faithfully,
Martin Porter"

The attached part of the code was of course this:

I have received a reply the material part of which reads as follows:
"I have therefore spoken to the Acton Delivery Office Manager and passed with my concerns regarding this matter. I have also forwarded your footage to them so they can appropriately address the matter with the driver in question. They have also confirmed that they will be speaking with our other drivers to remind them of the importance of driving safely and appropriately, so as not to endanger other road users. I am confident that this action will be sufficient to prevent a reoccurrence of this problem in the future.
Please be assured that all of our drivers are subject to ongoing driver training and assessment, and we take instances such as this extremely seriously and I will ensure that the information you have provided is utilised to make further improvements where necessary."
It seems to me to be a reasonable response.

Heard nothing yet from AXA or from Tellings Golden Miller to whom I have directed similar e mails.

Etape - 2 1/2 weeks to go

With the Grand Depart in Rotterdam on Saturday, and the Etape on 18th, we are onto the final countdown.  I managed to top 1,000 miles in June (1,007 to be precise) in 67 hours with quite a few 4th cat (got 9th and a BC point at one of these!) and LVRC races at Hillingdon; one 3/4 at Eelmore (I still get dropped there with the constant accelerating required).  Only been able to make one Surrey League Handicap Race, unfortunately, but discovered and did my first of their Dunsfold Park series.  Two cyclosportives and a club run for greater distance and the usual handful of commutes.  I probably will not be doing an awful lot more before I head off two weeks from today on the Eurostar.
Got my weight down to (well more or less) what it was last year to tackle Ventoux, and have taken steps to try and alleviate the footpain I have been getting on longer rides.
I now have my entry number, 2904, which is closer to the front than I have been before, so hopefully I won't have to pick my way past quite so many people on the first hill.
I'll be riding in my Thames Velo kit, so if you see me there, say hello.
Enjoy this year's Tour

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