It's what lead to the Hitler video really, channelled the annoyance into something more fun (Hitler = fun, who knew?).
It was partly my own fault taking the route home through the centre of town (though it IS my most direct route). But then I started thinking, but why would that be my 'fault', it just shouldn't be that way.
It's also partly down to the fact that after 7 months of working from home I'd forgotten how choked and aggressive the roads are at rush hour (especially as it gets to festival time).
In the one commute there were:
Clogged junctions with cars at sixes and sevens, often on narrow bits of road leaving no safe or logical place to cycle by;
Impatient close passes, or shifting of position without looking properly;
The completely closed cycling infrastructure on George Street;
A bus tailgating as I cycled up to a junction to turn right (that one will be going to Lothian Buses);
Pedestrians wandering aimlessly in what little cycling infrastructure there is, vehicles in ASLs, 3 point turns ahead in narrow roads without checking the way is clear, macho must-get-in-front cyclists, and just general.... unpleasantness.
I've a complete video from the bottom of Lothian Road, along George Street, up North Bridge, and down the Royal Mile to the Parliament, which I'm going to upload in its entirety some time tonight, just to give a reflection on the city centre of Edinburgh for cycling.
It's abysmal. Truly abysmal. I couldn't care less what the Council thinks about what has been 'achieved' or how hard people are 'trying'. They are failing, pure and simple. I'd rather they were honest and said it was all hot air when they talked about cycling, or just had the balls to make some tough decisions and annoy a few people in the short term to turn this city into what it could be. Because at the moment Edinburgh is a motorised mess.
And relax.
Until the commute at 5.