Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

doozerie

When it comes to doing things I don’t like I’m one of nature’s procrastinators. My dentist first told me that I needed a crown on one of my front teeth several years ago. At each subsequent visit when I mentioned that sure the tooth wasn’t looking so bad really she’d look at me and say “No, it looks terrible, but it’s your choice” (I like my dentist a lot, she is very professional but also speaks her mind, which is exactly what I want from someone I rely upon). So the years went by and I continued to delude myself that my tooth looked okay, helped by the fact that I don’t spend a lot of time in front of mirrors.

Then recently I developed a nasty toothache which persisted for several days. I couldn’t tell whether it was the “bad” tooth or the one beside it. In a fit of blind optimism I decided it was the bad tooth and booked myself in to get the crown done to sort out both issues at once. In the meantime the toothache eased off, which was a relief. But it wasn’t the bad tooth, of course, it was the one beside it. My useful lesson of the day is that while a toothache is bad, when it starts to ease off that might be worse as it might suggest that the root is getting damaged so rather than some minor dental work you might now require more significant dental work (so get it checked as soon as you can, basically). Cue some root canal work on a “good” tooth. Ouch! My mouth was like a building site for well over an hour, with all the machinery, traffic, and noises that go with that. I’m not a great fan of needles, so it didn’t help that I needed several doses of local anaesthetic throughout.

So my crown work was scheduled for another day. More needles. More building site, but this time with the addition of horrible smells - when you cut and grind away a tooth it smells a lot like burning plastic it turns out, the fumes of which go straight up your nose. I was left with what felt like a huge gaping hole where one of my front teeth used to be, that was weird. I was fitted with a temporary plastic tooth to return another day to have the permanent crown fitted. In the meantime I had to get a “shade” done so that the crown could be made to match the neighbouring teeth, so someone colour matched my teeth and sent off the details for the crown to be manufactured.

Back to the dentist again to have the new crown installed. There were some issues with the fit so she spent some time pushing it into place, checking it, and removing it again to tweak the fit. In the middle of this the dental nurse asked me if I wanted to see what I looked like without the crown. I did , so she handed me a mirror. I’m new to crowns, so it was news to me that you leave a column of the original tooth in place to attach the crown to. So I had a gap where my tooth used to be, but occupied by a short skinny stump of the old tooth. It’s not a great look, words like “yokel” and “redneck” spring to mind, I looked like something from a cartoon, but a cartoon which scares little children, and maybe big children too. There remained some issues with the crown so she glued it temporarily in place and I was scheduled to go back to the place that manufactured it.

So back to the manufacturers, who needed to remove the crown. My dentist had said that was likely so I was expecting that. What I wasn’t expecting was that they asked whether I was able to remove it myself. Cool, I thought, I get to pull out my own tooth. It felt a bit surreal, sitting there in what is basically a reception area, tugging on my own tooth for all I was worth. It was refusing to budge. It took a moment for me to realise that the odd taste in my mouth was some of the oil from my hands from when I’d locked my bike outside. As flavourings go I wouldn’t recommend it. So they produced “an implement”, nominally a specially crafted dentistry tool to assist in dental extraction, but really just a small crowbar with a fancy name tag. They swung from the front of the tooth. No joy. They swung from the back of the tooth, and *pop*, my crown flew out and skittered across the floor. “My toof!”, I almost yelled, “my really expenthive toof!” …turns out that a significant gap in your front teeth affects your speech. While they took my tooth/crown away to clean it up I recited the alphabet aloud to myself for comedic effect. I sounded funny, and I looked freaky …awesome.

They kept my crown to do some work on it and re-fitted my plastic temporary tooth that my dentist had sent over to them. The glue they used to fit it tasted and smelled like aniseed - ick! They suggested that I not eat for a little while as the glue set. All was well until last night when I flossed my teeth - with a less dramatic *pop* my plastic tooth dropped to the carpet. Hmm, minor crisis or Halloween opportunity, I wasn’t sure. I pushed it back in place and it seemed to hold. I wondered whether it would pop out during the night and I’d swallow it. The alternative was to leave it out and greet my wife and daughter with a less toothy but much more sinister grin in the morning. I want to keep my family so I left the tooth in. It’s still in there now, probably biding its time, waiting for the most embarrassing moment to fall out again.

I’ll be trick or treating with my daughter this evening. I’ll be wearing a Dracula cloak, she insisted and I have no credibility with our neighbours anyway (the anti-lycra-ists!) so why not. I could remove my plastic tooth and adopt the role of redneck Dracula, I’ll hold that option in reserve for those neighbours that are less than welcoming towards my daughter. I’ll pop my tooth out and yell “Thurprithe!” at them. It could be an interesting evening.

NamelessPhil

Doozerie last night :eek: ...

CramCycle

Much LOLs this morning as I drove instead of cycling (tore a calf muscle on Friday). As I drove down Goatstown Road I found my self behind a small VW Golf, who was obviously in a huge rush, sort of, couldn't see the wood for the trees type of driver. First light he ran was a pedestrian light. Traffic had passed it and was stationary only 5 metres up the road but the VW person had to run the light (foot down as amber went to red and crossed on red) as a pedestrian started to walk accross. Said driver then slammed on the accelerator at the lights at the next right turn with lights. Only to sit on a yellow box, the hilarity continues. We reached the left turn for spar where he/she amber gambled into the middle of a double light, blocking oncoming, right turning traffic who have a filter at this point. They finally escaped from me at UCD where they amber gambled the double and made it a whole 30 seconds before I caught up with them again.

In total for the short time I was driving behind this person, they broke 6 amber/red lights. Startled one pedestrian and one cyclist (at the Spar), and slowed down a minimum of 8 other drivers. All so they could, well, nothing, they were in the same position as me. Although at the right turn for Beaver Row I pointed at the giant black SUV that had blocked a yellow box to the Gardai who were behind her, but they took this as a sign that they should copy, although to be fair, she blocked two lanes of traffic, they manged to block just one. My normal commute of 20 minutes took about 45, I was colder in my car than I would have been on my bike, aand still my major gripe of the commuting world prevails.

Dear Vehicle users around the Donnybrook/Ballsbridge area. Stop parking on double yellows, you are blocking traffic, and stop parking on corners, if you can't tell why this is stupid, it is a wonder your friends and familty allow you to drive (for your own safety you should not be left alone in public), let alone that you have passed a state sanctioned exam of competency behind the wheel.

DaithiMC

CramCycle wrote: »

In total for the short time I was driving behind this person, they broke 6 amber/red lights. Startled one pedestrian and one cyclist (at the Spar), and slowed down a minimum of 8 other drivers. All so they could, well, nothing, they were in the same position as me. Although at the right turn for Beaver Row I pointed at the giant black SUV that had blocked a yellow box to the Gardai who were behind her, but they took this as a sign that they should copy, although to be fair, she blocked two lanes of traffic, they manged to block just one. My normal commute of 20 minutes took about 45, I was colder in my car than I would have been on my bike, aand still my major gripe of the commuting world prevails.

Liar - there's no such thing as a "short time" in a car on the Goatstown/Clonskeagh Rds at that period in the morning!

CramCycle

DaithiMC wrote: »

Liar - there's no such thing as a "short time" in a car on the Goatstown/Clonskeagh Rds at that period in the morning!

Not long if you left in time to account for the traffic, probably 25 minutes from Our Ladys Grove till the turn for Beaver row, or approx slow walking speed.

buffalo

I cycled in at 7am this morning, streets were almost deserted of other cyclists. It was bliss!

morana

buffalo wrote: »

I cycled in at 7am this morning, streets were almost deserted of other cyclists. It was bliss!

was i talking to you on saturday night?

buffalo

morana wrote: »

was i talking to you on saturday night?

You were! Is it a bit hazy? :P

I crashed the party a little after midnight, couldn't escape until near 2.30 thanks to The Crunch's inability to walk past anyone without talking to them. But he introduced me to lots of people, and then gave me a lift home, so I can't really complain too much.

rollingscone

Time for a short B-player story (Am more of a 410 D to Z team sub really)

Cycling into the City Centre along Camden St bus lane last night on the beater when a guy in a Freelander (Cork Reg, has never seen mud) zooms up to the back of the two or three cars ahead of me then swerves into the bus lane undertake a right turning car, causing me to grab the brakes while practically sitting on my back wheel.

He gets to a point 20m before the next traffic lights which are already amber, and in a position with another cyclist to his front and a Dublin bus about to pass on his right he swerves danger close around the cyclist's right and in front of the Dublin bus. Then stops immediately at the red light.

I decided to stay behind this 'super skillful' driver as we crossed the junction, but still made it out the bottom of Georges st before him, despite the evident importance of his journey. Wonderful.

PS: Did anyone else encounter the honking big hole at the very bottom of Sth Great Georges St (Southboud)?

I now return the talking stick to the grown ups.

Zzippy

Never posted in here before, but after meeting a candidate for the Darwin awards yesterday thought it was appropriate. Heading in the Headford Road in Galway, 9am Sunday morning, met a cyclist coming the opposite direction. Commendably keeping well out from the kerb, taking the lane and preventing following traffic behind him from attempting a dangerous overtake at a pinch point coming up outside the shopping centre. Unfortunately, the commendable riding was negated by the fact that traffic was actually coming towards him at said pinch point, as he was cycling in the middle of the lane on the wrong side of the road :rolleyes:

doozerie

On my commute home I cycle along the contraflow bus lane on Stephen’s Green. While going along there recently there was a line of buses stopped at a red light at the junction with Baggot Street. The bus at the head of the line had no indicator on so presumably it was going straight ahead. There is a bus stop head just after the junction so I stopped alongside the left-side rear wing of the bus so that I could keep behind it once it started moving.

The light changed green, and the bus moved off. It had to go slowly as several cyclists were directly in front of it and alongside the left-side front wing. So I rolled slowly along and dropped further off the back of the bus. The second bus in the queue started to move off. The front bus put its indicator on and started to pull left into the bus stop, I glanced behind to make sure that there was enough distance to the bus behind, which there was, and started to pull out a little behind the lead bus. The bus behind accelerated to pull alongside me to the right of my rear wheel, which seemed bizarre.

The lead bus was angled in towards the kerb when it stopped, the bus behind was preventing me from pulling out and it then overtook me fully and stopped within about 20cm of the back of the lead bus, completely boxing me in. I was now stopped beside the front doors of the second bus, and when the driver opened them to let people on (even as his bus was still out on the road), I asked him why he’d basically shoved me in off the road. “That’s a contra flow bus lane, you’re not allowed on it!”, he said. I told him he was wrong, but it was clear I was wasting my time, apparently I’d brought a bicycle to a bus fight and the rules weren’t exactly stacked in my favour. He dismissed my suggestion that he was driving dangerously with a derisory laugh, before dismissing me entirely with an impressively bitter “have a nice day”.

He was clearly ignorant, wilfully or otherwise, of the amendment that allows cyclists to use contra flow bus lanes. Nothing new there, but the belief that he was entirely justified in using his bus to shove around another road user just to prove a point is thankfully less common. He obviously operates off a very selective version of the Rules of the Road, one of the special Utter Twunt editions, no doubt. I can only assume that he is a similar ray of sunshine in all other areas of his life, charming wee fella that he is, latent aggression like that would be hard to just switch on and off.

rollingscone

Will you be reporting him?

doozerie

rollingscone wrote: »

Will you be reporting him?

No, I didn't get the reg of the bus (just the route number, 15B, which is perhaps enough though). To be honest I don't have the enthusiasm right now anyway to engage with Dublin Bus to explain that their driver was wrong on both counts, re whether I was entitled to use the bus lane and whether I was entitled to expect the driver of a massive vehicle to not drive like a knob.

Mind you, that might change, my anger is rising due to something totally unrelated at the moment and I might need an outlet shortly - Dublin Bus might fit the bill nicely!

droidus

He'll be done for allowing passengers on like that to begin with. You wont need to prove he dodgy driving on his part.

Stollaire

Was this the junction with Leeson street?

Reporting him would be a huge favour to every cyclist that has to negotiate that junction every day (especially with the left filter light and no safe stopping space if moving straight ahead). It also might cure some of his ignorance.

Valentine1

doozerie wrote: »

No, I didn't get the reg of the bus (just the route number, 15B, which is perhaps enough though). To be honest I don't have the enthusiasm right now anyway to engage with Dublin Bus to explain that their driver was wrong on both counts, re whether I was entitled to use the bus lane and whether I was entitled to expect the driver of a massive vehicle to not drive like a knob.

Mind you, that might change, my anger is rising due to something totally unrelated at the moment and I might need an outlet shortly - Dublin Bus might fit the bill nicely!

If my experiences are anything to go by there must be something about that route seems to bring out the worst in Bus Drivers.

buffalo

Stollaire wrote: »

Was this the junction with Leeson street?

Reporting him would be a huge favour to every cyclist that has to negotiate that junction every day (especially with the left filter light and no safe stopping space if moving straight ahead). It also might cure some of his ignorance.

I had a similar experience some time last week - at the red, first bus was heading straight ahead, but I reckoned it was going to pull in, so sat behind it. Second bus behind me, I was quite clearly visible.

Through the lights, first bus pulls in at the stop. I indicate and move out and around, second bus blasted past with about two foot to spare. I had a good aul' roar at him at the next lights.

doozerie

There was a thread recently about obnoxiously bright bike lights, this post might belong there but it’s really a rant so I’ll just drop it as a steaming heap here instead. I’m a fan of bright bike lights, but generally not a fan of using them to basically blind other road users. The combination of a very bright light, set to one of the more aggressive flashing modes, and angled straight at the eyes, is one that I really hate.

My eyes seem very sensitive to light, which is why I always wear some form of sunglasses when on the bike. Even unusually bright car lights (do people really need to drive their car with all 4 front lights lit up? *really*?) tend to blind me, but extremely bright flashing bike lights add another dimension by making me feel ill as it seems to bring out the symptoms of a bad bout of migraine. My thoughts turn quickly to how to make the bright lights stop, they are often quite dark thoughts funnily enough despite the oppressively bright lights that feel like they are melting my eyes.

So one evening this week I was not happy to find myself behind a cyclist with a very bright rear light set to a fast flashing mode. I stopped behind him at a red traffic light, and had to look anywhere but straight ahead to stop myself from being blinded. Even in the periphery of my vision the flashing was causing me problems. As soon as the traffic light changed green I made sure I got past him. The relief lasted only as far as the next set of lights as he weaved past me while I was stopped and planted himself directly ahead of me again. The same sequence repeated at every set of lights.

By now I was feeling both fed up and nauseous, it was becoming a question of whether I’d throw up on him first, or wrestle him to the ground and tape his own light to his eyeball first. Perhaps both - after all he was both a shoaling git with a casual attitude towards the rights and safety of pedestrians, and also a blinding eyesore on the road, no court would have convicted me. It turned out too that I wasn’t safe in front of him either as I discovered when traffic congestion meant he caught up with me between the sets of traffic lights - his bright front light was on flashing mode too, and the circle of white light flashing where it landed on the road just ahead of me was doing its best to call the contents of my stomach out to play.

Thankfully I lost sight of him after he broke a couple of red traffic lights in a row. I guess if you are oblivious to the blinding effect of your own lights then a red traffic light certainly won’t impinge on your consciousness much either.

Turns out though that he was just priming me for an evening commute filled with exasperation. Like my encounter with the two guys cycling slowly side by side to have a chat in Rathmines, weaving (without looking behind) like conjoined twins between and around cyclists and cars alike to maintain their conversation, and then shoaling ahead of everyone at traffic lights. And like my encounter with the cyclist behind me that decided that my stopping behind a car that was pulling out from the kerb was stupid so he tried, and failed, to push past the car instead and then tried, and failed, to push right in on top of me as I started to move off behind the car. And like my encounter with the car driver who considered it perfectly acceptable to try to “encourage” me out of his way with his car and then thought that “fcuk you” was an appropriate response when I asked him what he was doing (while he was sitting on the yellow box dead centre of a junction that he was blocking illegally). The roads seem to be more than usually filled with gob****es at the moment. I’m telling Santa on all of those hoors.

CramCycle

doozerie wrote: »

The combination of a very bright light, set to one of the more aggressive flashing modes, and angled straight at the eyes, is one that I really hate.

I had the same with a guy behind me that when I glanced behind at any point, all I seen was a wall of white (as my eyes were not adjusted for it) and I could not see other traffic if I needed to pull out, overtake, turn right etc.

On a seperate note, this working during daylight malarky is crazy. Maybe I was to sensitive, but I see so much crazy sh1t during rush hour, the law must be different durig dawn and dusk (eg odd numbered DBs don't have to stop at red lights, texting is mandaory on narrower roads if other traffic is present, if its light 1 in 10 cars will have high beams on, if it is dark 1 in 3 will have eiter parking lights only or one bulb missing or one bulb incorrectly set, 1 in 5 cyclists underaking motorbikes and cars at pinch points and then hanging a right etc.*).
On the plus side it seems to be desensitizing me, I am literally numb with shock at the stupidity and ignorance on display.
* all stats are ficticious and grossly overexaggerated but totally believable if you travel the same route as me.
On the same note, have 2 DBs on camera running reds that were changed for at least 3 to 5 seconds, is it worth passing off to the gardai?

CramCycle

Got hit by a car this morning who decided to pull up on the pavement and throw on his indicators mid maneuver. Luckily the pavement was low and I could bunny hop and glance off the side of the car while shouting FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF*ck.

He wound down his window immediately (nicer if he got out) to check was I OK, apologised profusely. If the kerb was a bit higher I would be in hospital right now. He was genuinely shook, I pointed out that there was now a huge gash in the side of his brand new car. He did briefly say he didn't see me at the start, didn't notice my lights so I turned the fork so he could see the two of them on the front. I was alright, just the right place to be hit like that. I wasn't hurt, neither was the bike, I was too shook to do my usual, "do us a favour and either pay more attention or don't drive" spiel. I really should have as he got off lightly for a collision that in other circumstances would have been far worse. I managed to stay on the bike, thank you spd-sl, or else I also would have planted into the car or the pavement.

Valentine1

CramCycle wrote: »

Got hit by a car this morning who decided to pull up on the pavement and throw on his indicators mid maneuver. Luckily the pavement was low and I could bunny hop and glance off the side of the car while shouting FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF*ck.

He wound down his window immediately (nicer if he got out) to check was I OK, apologised profusely. If the kerb was a bit higher I would be in hospital right now. He was genuinely shook, I pointed out that there was now a huge gash in the side of his brand new car. He did briefly say he didn't see me at the start, didn't notice my lights so I turned the fork so he could see the two of them on the front. I was alright, just the right place to be hit like that. I wasn't hurt, neither was the bike, I was too shook to do my usual, "do us a favour and either pay more attention or don't drive" spiel. I really should have as he got off lightly for a collision that in other circumstances would have been far worse. I managed to stay on the bike, thank you spd-sl, or else I also would have planted into the car or the pavement.

Frightening stuff, fair play for not only staying on but also for remaining cool enough to not smack the head off him.

CramCycle

Valentine1 wrote: »

Frightening stuff, fair play for not only staying on but also for remaining cool enough to not smack the head off him.

I am not sure if it because I handled it well, because it was too early in the morning but I was very calm. I suspect that it was mainly down to his saying sorry and asking was I alright. It is amazing how a bit of niceness can diffuse a situation.

eeeee

CramCycle wrote: »

I am not sure if it because I handled it well, because it was too early in the morning but I was very calm. I suspect that it was mainly down to his saying sorry and asking was I alright. It is amazing how a bit of niceness can diffuse a situation.

Scary stuff though. It's amazing how the brain can kick in unexpectedly!

I would have been shaky for a good long while after that, I sadly lack the cool head though, fair play to you. You were lucky you weren't hurt. Takes a nice chunk out of you for the day.

doozerie

I had the nerve to be a pedestrian briefly today. I even waited for the green pedestrian light before crossing the road. My actions were clearly an affront to the cycling courier on the other side of the junction, to the extent that he broke his light and got out of the saddle to start to sprint across the junction at/through me while I was crossing.

He didn’t deviate from his line, not for a moment, he clearly expected me to move out of his way. Which I duly did. He didn’t appreciate my pointing out the red light. Clearly I was entirely in the wrong and he was there to make me see the error of my ways, or something.

I should have been grateful to him I suppose, I was getting above my alloted station as a mere pedestrian by expecting him to delay his illegal progress just for my personal safety. In fact, I did feel a very strong compulsion to, you know, “bond” with him in appreciation of his actions. I briefly toyed with the idea of hugging him, in fact I considered hugging him right off his bike. I’ve not felt such a strong desire to embrace a cyclist since a couple of years back when a guy broke a red light and skimmed past my wife and daughter. But I didn’t.

Maybe I should have. He could then have gone home and told his mammy all about it afterwards and she could have given him a squishier hug than I was offering. I’m sure he must live with his mammy, sure he is obviously used to a sense of privilege with everything being done for him by others, expecting others to clear a path for him on the roads in this particular instance. Maybe Santa can bring him some maturity and a sense of personal responsibility for Christmas. And some soap.

CramCycle

doozerie wrote: »

He didn’t appreciate my pointing out the red light. Clearly I was entirely in the wrong and he was there to make me see the error of my ways, or something.

I got told to F off this morning by a cyclist as I moved off with a green light for me. Every other cyclists, including me, duly stopped to let him get to his emergency. I also felt the need for a hug to help dissipate his rage towards the world, to help him slow down, and thetn wondered if I had have done it would he appreciate that there are more important things in life than getting somewhere only slightly late, such as, getting there at all. That said as everyone pulled off, for a second time, a Toyota Avensis pulled through the Red and proceeded to cut through crossing traffic while giving the finger to the guy who stopped to avoid him. Last I seen a guy in a car was getting out to help him out of his car, presumably to help push it out of the way :eek:

Harrybelafonte

doozerie wrote: »

I had the nerve to be a pedestrian briefly today. I even waited for the green pedestrian light before crossing the road. My actions were clearly an affront to the cycling courier on the other side of the junction, to the extent that he broke his light and got out of the saddle to start to sprint across the junction at/through me while I was crossing.

He didn’t deviate from his line, not for a moment, he clearly expected me to move out of his way. Which I duly did. He didn’t appreciate my pointing out the red light. Clearly I was entirely in the wrong and he was there to make me see the error of my ways, or something.

I should have been grateful to him I suppose, I was getting above my alloted station as a mere pedestrian by expecting him to delay his illegal progress just for my personal safety. In fact, I did feel a very strong compulsion to, you know, “bond” with him in appreciation of his actions. I briefly toyed with the idea of hugging him, in fact I considered hugging him right off his bike. I’ve not felt such a strong desire to embrace a cyclist since a couple of years back when a guy broke a red light and skimmed past my wife and daughter. But I didn’t.

Maybe I should have. He could then have gone home and told his mammy all about it afterwards and she could have given him a squishier hug than I was offering. I’m sure he must live with his mammy, sure he is obviously used to a sense of privilege with everything being done for him by others, expecting others to clear a path for him on the roads in this particular instance. Maybe Santa can bring him some maturity and a sense of personal responsibility for Christmas. And some soap.

Shut up... PED!

buffalo

CramCycle wrote: »

I got told to F off this morning by a cyclist as I moved off with a green light for me.

I was told to 'calm down' by a guy who broke a red to cycle out in front of me and forced me to hit the brakes, after I called him an effin' eejit.

CramCycle

A slight turn up for the books this morning when I got hooked by a cyclist. Heading up through Google Street, a bike in front of me was overtaken by two cars, he was going fairly slow, but was holding the road. Nothing wrong with that, forcing everyone to do a decent overtake. I pulled out as he drifted to the right, then just as I passed, he swerved left, straight into my side. i don't know how but neither of us fell, he hit my ankle at the 3 o clock position on the upstroke. He looked at me disgruntled, I shouted at him to effin indicate, he waved his arms and tootled off.

Oddly enough i looked at on camera afterwards in case I had missed him indicating (he never even looked behind him) but because I was facing forward, it looks like I just bounce and then start shouting at this disgruntled guy on a BSO crossing the road.

buffalo

Just had a very entertaining lunch watching doozerie trying to eat four large slices of rye bread. Apparently they're not suitable for closed sandwiches.

doozerie

buffalo wrote: »

Just had a very entertaining lunch watching doozerie trying to eat four large slices of rye bread. Apparently they're not suitable for closed sandwiches.

By coincidence, I'm sure, the whole world has taken on a horrible linseed flavour this afternoon and my stomach is currently in dispute with gravity. It looked appetising as I was putting the sandwiches together last night, that was the last association of that word with rye bread in my mind, ever...