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Rant

Get some feckin lights

By: Andy
30-12-2011
Rant

I had to drive up to the office earlier to collect my bike and cycle kit for a ride tomorrow – first time off road for a while. Nothing annoys me more than a rider without lights.
I mean I know cyclists get a bad rep and I mostly stand up for those as an avid rider but we really do need to give drivers a chance – by being visible! Driving in the dark is hard enough with pedestrians, cars, changing light conditions, wet weather etc but riding without lights is just stupid. Makes it impossible to see someone riding without them. Like this picture (shot whilst stationary at traffic lights). Can you spot him? At first glance probably not.

Photo 2

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No working for free

By: Andy
06-10-2010
Rant

I found this little video on Twitter earlier from a variety of sources. It’s something I’ve been meaning to blog about for a while since developing and now selling my photographic services, but this video seems to sum it all up quite nicely. It’s amazing that people don’t seem to value the skills that you develop as a Photographer. There’s a comment that gets banded about when someone says “Wow, that camera takes amazing photos”, which is odd as you’d never say to a chef “wow that oven bakes amazing cakes”. But the other thing that also seems to wind me up is that so many people have DSLR that people think that anyone can take a good photo and to some extent that might be true. However I seem to have gone off on a bit of a tangent. This video sums up so many things about a relationship with a client, fortunately mine don’t seem to have this attitude but I’ve seen this type of thing many a time.

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EDF Van – L008 KNX

By: Andy
20-05-2010
Cycling, Rant

Today’s prick of a van driver. Didn’t even shout at him. Just got his number took a few photos and sent this to EDF. Will they respond? I doubt it. Will probably just get the usual corporate bullshit back as usual.

Hi,

I’d like to make a complaint about one of your van drivers please. The registration of the van is L008 KNX. Two photos of the van and the driver are also enclosed.

I was cycling past Euston Station this morning going North along Eversholt Street. I clearly indicated to pull out into the centre of the and safely pass a van which was parked on the left hand side of the road. Your van driver decided to accelerate rapidly past me far too closely almost knocking me off and then proceed to completely swing the van in front of me completely blocking my path. I was trying to maintain a safe position on the road. This is the kind of thing I expect from dodgy builders not a reputable company such as EDF.

I don’t know if any of you at EDF ever cycle on the road but actions like this don’t really help. It’s intimidating and completely unnecessary. It’s also dangerous. It didn’t get your driver to his destination any quicker as he quickly got caught in traffic again and I passed him where I took these photos. He was later speeding along Camden High Street, which is a 20mph zone, to rush through an amber light.

I would like to think that EDF have a policy in place to educate their drivers about courtesy to other road users, particularly cyclists. It would also be good to remind your drivers, this one in particular, that vans consist of a couple of tons of metal which poses a real danger to cyclists who aren’t wrapped in such a protective shell. I would like to know how you intend to resolve this and prevent this driver causing injury or even loss of life through his actions.

I also happen to be a customer of EDF at present although I may reconsider that depending on your response.

Fingers crossed. The auto response from EDF doesn’t look too promising though.

Thank you for your email. Should your mail require a response, we will endeavour to provide this and update your account within 10 working days.

This story is good though.

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a new route required

By: Andy
13-05-2010
Cycling, London, Rant

Whilst Peckham Rye is being dug up I found what I thought to be a little detour to avoid the road works and take me onto a quieter road. Unfortunately not. It seems to have placed me on the most dangerous roundabout I’ve ever had the misfortune to use. If you click on the map below it’ll take you to the street view version of it. You can clearly see the drivers going East not giving way correctly on the roundabout (the transit and grey 4×4). I take the route of the red car and have almost been hit a couple of times. When asking the driver if they saw me I’ve had some pretty shocking responses, one proceeded to ram me with her car and drive up on the kerb, one apologised for almost killing me and the other had their passenger get out and try and beat me up. I’d report them to the police but I’ve got little hope of them doing anything about it really. They’re just not interested in cycling related issues. They are interested in giving tickets out at red lights and raising revenue though.


View Larger Map

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Taking the piss

By: Andy
13-04-2010
Flickr, Photography, Rant, Web

I occasionally get emails from people wanting to use images I’ve posted to my Fickr account. I set all of my images with a Creative Commons license so that anyone can use them on blog, publications etc so long as they’re not for profit. I don’t see any problem with that as they’re mostly just for fun. Some of these emails are asking to use the images in books which publishers are putting together. I’ve donated a few mountainbike shots so far and usually they agree to send you a free copy of the book – I’ve never received any copies of these free books however.

The latest email came a few months ago though and I’m starting to think some of these people are out to take the piss really. The image in question is below – a picture of a tap which looks a bit like a face. The initial email asked to use the images, so I said “sure no problem”.

sad tap

However with these muppets, the problem is that they haven’t actually chosen your image yet, they want you submit your image for consideration. Heres the email from the good people at Lark Books


Thank you for writing back—we’re so pleased that you’re interested in Focus: Found Faces, which is scheduled for publication in March 2011.

If you’d like to include your photograph/s for consideration in the project, I’ll need to receive the following by March 19th:

1. Your completed Entry Form via e-mail. Please resend in doc format; not as a pdf.
2. Your signed and dated Photo License Agreement via email. A scan with your original signature is preferred; if this isn’t possible, send a hardcopy to me in the mail at the address below and drop me a line so I know when to expect it.
3. Your photo/s. Please let me know if it’s available for download from Flickr. If it isn’t, you will need to place it on our FTP site, saved as a 300 dpi jpg. Ask me to send you instructions on uploading to our FTP site if it isn’t available for download.

So I’m GIVING you an image for FREE for you to make money out of and you want me to fill out all these forms on the off chance that I might get selected? Are you fucking shitting me? How about you choose the images you want to use and then make people fill out the forms and go through the hassle.

It really does take the piss. Needless to say I’m not quite as interested in licensing my images to people like this anymore no matter how crappy the image.

Edit: Gary just pointed me to two books on their site providing advice on running a successful photography business. How ironic!

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oops

By: Andy
17-12-2009
Rant

Just waited 45 mins to get a taxi and now I don’t have my keys. No locking up the office, no getting home. Best find somewhere good to lie down til the morning.

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Useless

By: Andy
17-11-2009
Architecture, Rant

Having spent 5 years at Uni in Portsmouth I shouldn’t really expect too much of the admin or accounts department in such an institution but the sheer uselessness of Kingston University has exceeded all expectations. Not content with trying to charge me £600 for deferring the course when the big flood happened they’re now demanding £1000 for un-paid fees! As usual it’s impossible to find anyone who knows what the fuck is going on.

Thank god I never have to go through any of these institutions ever again!

Reminder Letter

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Goodbye BibblePro – Hello Lightroom

By: Andy
01-09-2009
Geek, Photography, Rant

Since I got the Nikon D70 around 18 months ago I’ve been using BibblePro for all my RAW processing needs. It took a while to get used to it and it certainly has it’s quirks to say the least. However I’ve stuck with it hoping that the new version 5 sorts it all out. The thing is that version 5 has been promised for as long as I’ve been using it and has all but turned into vapourware as far as I can tell. I’ve also got sick of seeing this message on my machine.

Picture 2.png

So, no more BibblePro for me as I’m going to give Adobe Lightroom a try. Hopefully it will be a little bit more stable.

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If someone tries to kill you whilst cycling home…

By: Andy
17-07-2009
Cycling, London, Rant

…don’t ask the police to help.

No really. Don’t they don’t give a shit. Instead they’ll try and say that you should be arrested and charged an £80 fine. Small price to pay for dying on the roads I’m sure you’ll agree.

So, the full story. I was riding home after work tonight and I head through the top of Camberwell just past the Black Sheep pub. I pass another cyclist in the bike lane and a silver BMW comes past me honking his horn. He then rocks his steering wheel from side to side trying to knock me off. I obviously shout at the car as he’s a real danger to myself and the guy behind me. He’s getting even more aggressive at this point and starting to come very close to knocking me off. I go through the next junction on red as I was pretty scared at this point. He wheel spins through the lights after me and then does a U-turn in the road to try and knock me off.

I stop at the next lights and he’s one behind a police car. So I knock on the window and say that someone is trying to kill me can they help? So they get out, he gets out, details get checked including mine. At this point two other cyclists have stopped to offer witness statements. They tell one of them to go away. Thanks.

So they decide that the best way to settle it is with a ‘chat’ between us. He alleges that I banged his windscreen which is utter rubbish which the witness agrees with. Another guy turns up at this point who witnessed it all. Again they tell him to go away, thanks guys. So at this point it’s going nowhere so the numbnuts who pass for police officers offer to arrest us both and charge us £80 each for something or other? Unbelievable. So with a witness and some guy trying to kills a cyclist they still can’t be bothered to deal with it.

They then tell me that I can report it in the morning if I wish? Hold on, I have two police officers here, why can’t they deal with it? Not interested it seems.

Their solution, let me cycle home whilst they hold the guy. Brilliant thinking guys. If you thought he wasn’t actually a danger, why offer to hold him back?

So two things to do tomorrow, report to the police and then write to the IPCC. Thank you so much police people as well as Mr silver BMW. You’ve been great.

Updated:
It turns out it’s not the first time he’s done this. I’ve found someone who got knocked off by him recently. He drove off! They got his number plate though.

I was VERY lucky!

EDIT: Six months after the event. We have decided not to prosecute. Well thanks a fucking bunch.

Thanks guys

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Horne and Corden’s BBC show is not something to celebrate

By: Andy
02-05-2009
found links, Rant

Wow, I feel exactly the same way about this terrible show!

Horne and Corden’s BBC show is not something to celebrate

“I may not be in BBC3′s target audience, but I do know what funny looks like – and lame homophobic material and a fat bloke baring his flabby belly every 30 seconds simply doesn’t make me laugh. Besides, if that’s what BBC Three producers think their target audience wants, they are insulting them.”

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