About 11:30 last night we took one of the cycle rickshaws around London and then to Waterloo station. It was quite an interesting experience going around Convent Garden and charging through the traffic in the Strand – very scary as the rickshaws didn’t seem to have brakes and the driver seemed to have no sense of fear or self preservation.
We scattered groups of pedestrians and without losing momentum charged in front of cars in the backstreets of London. However the scariest bit was going across Waterloo Bridge which has a long downward slope culminating into the large busy Waterloo Bridge roundabout – where cars aggressively challenge each at other at speed.
The rickshaw speeded up – about a hundred yards from the roundabout – we jerked suddenly to the right – blocking a taxi – yes – a taxi – and it backed off – and then momentum built up. Cars were rushing around – our driver sped up – he stood up – so that he could kick down harder – closer – I could see the cars – I could see the trucks – and we were still speeding up – I shut my eyes – we hit the roundabout – and the cars just parted – and a minute later we were whizzing up the pavement outside Waterloo. I paid and walked rather shakily to the station.