Live blog: Highways England ‘Get on your bike’ tweet backfires, drivers ignorant of mobile phone penalties, Toronto police overkill, Sagan spotted on new Venge? + more
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Mon, Jun 25, 2018 14:20
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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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Latest Comments
eburtthebike 3 hours ago
I wondered if parking in a cycle hire bay was against the law, so I googled it: it isn't unless there are road markings prohibiting parking. But, this little gem came up 'Obstruction: Even where a specific bay type might lack a dedicated motor-traffic prohibition, parking a vehicle in a way that blocks access to cycle hire docks, footways, or causes an obstruction is an offense.' Report it to the authorities and demand action. Don't patronise the place, obviously. And leaving rubbish reviews is definitely out. Absolutely, definitely out. Very absolutely definitely. Out.
eburtthebike 3 hours ago
".....dark clothing “has been deemed a contributing factor in many fatal or serious injury collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists” No. The dark clothing is not a contributory factor, the only cause of the deaths and injuries is drivers failing to observe. The list of police organisations above shows that motornormativity in the police is institutionalised, and just as rife as it is in the rest of society. The question is, how do we get them to change? Make all police ride bikes? Show them films of collisions where perfectly visible cyclists are mown down by drivers who weren't looking? Show them pictures of cyclists literally dressed up like christmas trees by are still hit by dumb drivers? The clincher might be the picture of the police car, festooned with hi-viz, after it had been hit by a driver.
bensynnock 3 hours ago
@mdavidford the standard practise is to ignore the consultation, start a petition, complain that the council doesn't listen to the public, and get your picture in the Bournemouth Echo with a headline 'Drivers fury at new cycle lane', or 'shopkeepers anger at lost parking space'.
eburtthebike 3 hours ago
"Serious cyclist injuries down 50% and overall road casualties continue to fall..." This is clearly fake news, invented by the bearded, sandle-wearing, bike-riding hippies who don't even live in Wales. Everyone who lives there knows that the frustration and cost to drivers of having to drive at the ludicrously slow speed of 20mph is worth so much more than a few dead cyclists. I live in the Forest of Dean, near Wales, and we've been trying for quite some time to get the national speed limit roads in the statutory forest reduced to 40mph, and 20mph in towns and villages. In fact, I mentioned it in the pub tonight, and the reaction from locals was, to say the least, not enthusiastic. It is a human right to be able to drive as fast as you want, and anyone saying different is an idiot. With Local Government Reorganisation, I was hoping that the Forest of Dean District would merge with Monmouthshire and then we could adopt the Welsh speed limits, but it ain't gonna happen, so sadly, we have to remain in England.
eburtthebike 4 hours ago
@andystow That's pretty much how new roads are justified. If ten million motorists save ten seconds a day over the next twenty years, and motorists time is worth a lot, then you can justify spending £372m on the new roundabout in Gloucestershire. You know, the place where the locals think that a cycle lane will destroy their life.
belugabob 4 hours ago
@rbrtribble as the driver was out of his vehicle, thereby not making it a driving offence, and the cyclists was stationary with their feet on the ground, there was no more need for a helmet than if the encounter had been between two drivers who had got out of their cars, or two blokes in a pub. Maybe all of those people who fall down the stairs and hit their head should wear a helmet? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, and accept that you were being sarcastic, but leave my comment for the benefit of those who think you were being serious.
the infamous grouse 4 hours ago
@chrisonabike if flash-mobbing by female cyclists dressed in french maid attire is what it takes to help the roads be safer for everyone, then i think it's something we should consider lending support to.
No Reply 5 hours ago
Personally, if I have to light myself up in Hi Viz, and add bells, trinkets and lights, just to help the poor motorists see me, the question needs to be asked, if their eyesight is so bad, should they be driving?
andystow 5 hours ago
@slc so it saves fuel and brake pads? Now we have to also weigh the lost profits of oil companies and car parts suppliers. Jobs or bonuses could be at stake.
Mr Blackbird 5 hours ago
@Pub bike Even when there are no cyclists, drivers and Telegraph journalists are still able to see them going through red lights. They have the eyesight of dishonest peregrine falcons.
20 thoughts on “Live blog: Highways England ‘Get on your bike’ tweet backfires, drivers ignorant of mobile phone penalties, Toronto police overkill, Sagan spotted on new Venge? + more”
Toronto cyclist was a bit of
Toronto cyclist was a bit of a dick, wasn’t he? Why couldn’t he be polite: “I think you’re wrong officer” rather than immediately going on the offensive? Politeness costs nothing.
FrankH wrote:
Yes, he was impolite but you must know that’s besides the point? Whether he was polite, or rude, you have five police officers misunderstanding the law at his expense. This isn’t an uncommon situation, and in many “developed” countries we are seeing cyclists treated as second-class citizens for no reason other than ignorance. It’s common from motorists to hear “get in the cycle lane” and cyclists battle punishment passes on a daily basis for merely minding their own business. When police officers are propogating this attitude it’s scary and alarming.
I have bigger concerns with the officers’ ignorance rather than the cyclists’ attitude.
FrankH wrote:
Absolutely right. What a world we live in.
simonmb wrote:
,
Yeah. Fuck you, you polite, little, diseased scrotum.
Ush wrote:
— UshCongratulations! You are the winner.
Only the fifth comment and you managed to drag the discussion into the gutter. Give yourself a pat on the back.
Simon E wrote:
Congratulations, you are officially a thick-as-fuck cunt. Give yourself a kick up the arse, Ms. Manners.
I think the cop was being a
I think the cop was being a bit of a dick. To detain him (i.e hold him under threat of assault and imprisonment) for no reason.
I supect the real crime he was stopped for was “cycling whilst black”.
Deeferdonk wrote:
Police officer was no WASP either. Stop playing the victimization card all the time as it may lose its purchase.
On a lighter note, it was
On a lighter note, it was good to see the support that the Toronto cyclist had. Big thumbs up to the members of the public that ensure that they were not merely passive bystanders. I think that probably had a big outcome on the result of this, which would otherwise plausibly have resulted in this man being beaten up and framed.
$127,000 salary for being a
$127,000 salary for being a traffic cop? Good gig when you can get it. You’d think there’d be a requirement to know the law for that sort of money…
jestriding wrote:
I can’t think of any other jobs where you can get away without even knowing the basics of your own job, let alone wasting time and resources on doing the wrong thing. Excepting politicians, of course.
I wonder if HE are ever going
I wonder if HE are ever going to learn? I mean, they’ve just had a new cycling strategy, including making sure that they consult, and that all new infrastructure is actually fit for purpose, but they still don’t consult and their infrastructure is a joke.
Obviously the police officer
Obviously the police officer hadn’t done his cycling rules homework but the cyclist got a chip on his shoulder and was pretty much begging for a confrontation in order to prove that he was the victim of police brutality (which, unfortunately, happens all too often but *not* in this case).
Boss Hogg wrote:
Because when you’re harrassed for no good reason, assaulted with the cop driving within 18″ and on top of that cops ignore you when people on bikes are mown down THAT is the result, you’ve had enough and it’s time to stand up for what is right.
Or maybe you think allowing those who supposed to keep the peace keep on doing the same old shit time after time with a pass through go and collect £200?
Get lost snowflake.
LA cyclist need to give out
LA cyclist need to give out some free ‘I parked in the cycle lane’ bumper stickers… er wait, what are the guns laws like in CA?
The cyclist was a complete
The cyclist was a complete dick, he was loving the whole process playing it up for his you tube audience thinking about all the likes and views he was going to get, he even made sure to get his own face included in the video on a few occasions for his big 15 minutes.
MaxiW wrote:
One comment, eh? Well, hello there, officer!
MaxiW wrote:
No he wasn’t. He would have been perfectly happy to go about his business if it wasn’t for the dickhead of a cop trying to unlawfully detain him. He had every right to call out the cop’s bullshit and if he wants to post it on YouTube, then why not? It’s about time incompetent police were named and shamed so they can go learn the actual rules that they are supposed to be enforcing. They have literally one job to do.
Love how all the police cars
Love how all the police cars end up parking in the cycle lane to “clear the road”, thus forcing the other cyclists that come along into the road.
Should have given themselves tickets for blocking the bike lane!
That Highways England ‘Get on
That Highways England ‘Get on your bike’ tweet is appalling – does nobody there look or even think before they send off their soshul meeja stuff?