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Bournemouth councillor fantasises about attacking pavement cyclists

Bournemouth Cycling Forum says Nick Rose’s comments will “fuel hostility towards cyclists”

A Bournemouth councillor has said he "would love to stick a broom through the spokes" of bikes being ridden on pavements. Nick Rose made the comments after a presentation about cycle-friendly locations in Holland at Westbourne Community Forum on Thursday.

Local residents association chairman, Reverend Chris Colledge, told the Bournemouth Echo that the meeting descended into a “shambles” after Rose’s comments.

“I was somewhat disconcerted when Councillor Rose explained to the meeting that if he should find himself sharing a pavement with a cyclist he would insert a stick into the spokes of their wheel. We do not attend these meetings to hear councillors make puerile remarks.”

Rose responded: “If someone is cycling along the pavement irresponsibly and telling people to ‘f-off and get out the way’, I would love to stick a broom through his spoke. And I got a round of applause for that from the audience. It was obviously a joke. There was no-one angry… the only person angry was this Rev Colledge.”

Colledge, disputes this.

Angela Pooley, spokesperson for Bournemouth Cycling Forum, called Rose’s comment ‘irresponsible’.

"Bournemouth Cycling Forum does not condone irresponsible behaviour by cyclists and believes that all road users should treat each other with respect whether you’re a cyclist; motorist or pedestrian.

"We therefore believe the comments made by Councillor Rose are irresponsible and fuel hostility towards cyclists. Fortunately, there is a significant number of councillors and council officers that are actively working with the forum to promote safe cycling in and around Bournemouth."

Council leader John Beesley, who usually chairs the Westbourne Community Forum as well as the West Cliff community forum which was also presided over by Rose recently, said: "I am disappointed if they didn’t go as smoothly as they have done on every occasion up until last week."

In January and February, Rose organised four ‘action afternoons’ targeting pavement cyclists. Writing on his website, he explained:

“A PCSO stands at the entrance of the Westbourne Arcade at around 4.30pm to catch those who are two [sic] lazy to cycle around the one way system, but cycle on the pavement instead.

"At the same time they stop anyone cycling correctly on the road, but without lights. In such cases, tickets are issued, but they are "torn up" if the owner can show a receipt for a new set of lights within 7 days at the police station.

“Sometimes, if a person cycling on the pavement is "considerate" to pedestrians, or is a child and it would be dangerous to cycle on the road, the PCSO will ask them to get off their bike, ask them to push it and not issue a ticket. But if they are causing danger, tickets will be issued immediately.”

Although Rose said that he would post figures from these exercises, none have yet been published.

Transport minister Robert Goodwill has previously said that cyclists may ride on the footway, provided they do so considerately, and that police officers need to exercise discretion.

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21 comments

Avatar
HalfWheeler | 7 years ago
0 likes

To be honest if I see someone cycling towards me on the pavement I'll slyly try and obstruct them. Pavement cyclists are just as bad as RLJs.

Avatar
trevorparsons | 8 years ago
5 likes

"...to catch those who are two [sic] lazy to cycle around the one way system, but cycle on the pavement instead."

Ah well there's your problem: the one-way system.

No wonder the councillor chose to orchestrate his pointless enforcement exercise there. Big one-way systems in town centres predictably result in people cycling on the footway.

One-way systems don't just make you cycle further than you need to, to places you don't want to go. They also expose you to greater hazards than ordinary two-way streets, what with the extra junctions, multi-lane sections and higher-speed traffic.

Get rid of the one-way system, which exists solely for the convenience of motor traffic, and most people will ride along their high street on the carriageway, as they did before the one-way system was put in.

Motor traffic already has a nearby bypass, in the form of the delightful Wessex Way.

Avatar
Dr. Ko | 8 years ago
4 likes

Great, the next time I see  a car parking illegally on the pavement, I will consider:

- censored

- censored

- wait till the driver returns and censored

 

Avatar
Darkhairedlord | 8 years ago
3 likes

He is and always was "Tim, nice but dim" from Harry Enfield and chums. 

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HarrogateSpa | 8 years ago
4 likes

The Donald Trump of Bournemouth. This is not intended as a compliment.

Avatar
eddyhall | 8 years ago
4 likes

Aye, it makes me worried about how I cycle the kids to school in the morning. Whilst I have one on the front and one on a tag-along, I go on the pavement (moving to the grass when pedestrians come past). If I was asked to dismount instead, there is no benefit compared to walking. When the kids are off, of course I come back on the road.

Avatar
ribena | 8 years ago
8 likes

Quote:

Although Rose said that he would post figures from these exercises ...

Some seem to have appeared on his website:

"The police reported back that during those 4 sessions, they issued 4 penalty tickets to cyclists riding in the dark without lights. All 4 people who received those tickets presented themselves to the police station within a week, and showed the duty officer a receipt for lights they had purchased. Those penalty tickets were then torn up, as the purpose of the exercise was to improve road safety, not to fine people."

Seems they didn't find anyone cycling on the pavement!

 

 

Avatar
Darkhairedlord | 8 years ago
6 likes

Nick Rose is, and always has been, a class A tw@t.

He used to turn up to the Manor night club in the late nineties dressed in day-glo wearing white gloves and yellow smiley medallion.

He was bang on it but about ten years too late.

Avatar
maldin | 8 years ago
6 likes

"I'd love to throw a brick through the windscreen of the car that passed too close to me whilst hooting". I mean that as a joke of course. Round of applause... Would he think that's a responsibile comment to make even as a joke?! 

Avatar
bendertherobot | 8 years ago
10 likes

Why is he carrying a broom around with him?

Avatar
bsknight replied to bendertherobot | 8 years ago
5 likes

bendertherobot wrote:

Why is he carrying a broom around with him?

 

He's a witch?

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to bsknight | 8 years ago
3 likes
bsknight wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Why is he carrying a broom around with him?

 

He's a witch?

He turned me into a newt !

I got better...

Avatar
brooksby replied to fukawitribe | 8 years ago
2 likes

fukawitribe wrote:
bsknight wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Why is he carrying a broom around with him?

 

He's a witch?

He turned me into a newt ! I got better...

Well, there are ways of telling if he's a witch...  3

Avatar
OldRidgeback replied to brooksby | 7 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

fukawitribe wrote:
bsknight wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Why is he carrying a broom around with him?

 

He's a witch?

He turned me into a newt ! I got better...

Well, there are ways of telling if he's a witch...  3

 

Yep, chuck him in the sea and if he drowns, he's not. Now for a round of Monty Python quotes, "Burn the witch, burn the witch."

Or maybe we won't turn things back to the Dark Ages and we'll stick with reasoned debate and make him look like the fool he is. At least it's good to know he's keen on wearing high visibility apparel when he's a pedestrian.

Avatar
jasecd | 8 years ago
6 likes

I don't really understand how someone who holds public office can just publicly express prejucide against a group of people, even if they are only being defined by their mode of transport and not face any official reprimand.

His comments might have been in the form of a joke but the words he chose show exactly his prejudices. I'm assuming in the interests of balance and impartiality he has also organised "action afternoons" against motorists and pedestrians who may be behaving irresponsibly.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... | 8 years ago
12 likes

Can't get that worked up about this - I've had similar thoughts, at least with the aggressive pavement-racers and zebra-crossing ignorers.

Of course that's matched by day-dreams about driving tanks over cars obstructing the pavement (which is the main problem with pavement cycling - there's no room to cycle there anyway, due to all the parked cars).

Avatar
riotgibbon | 8 years ago
8 likes

round our way, the police cycle on the pavements ...

Avatar
giff77 replied to riotgibbon | 8 years ago
5 likes

riotgibbon wrote:

round our way, the police cycle on the pavements ...

Same up my way. They also cycle against traffic. Jump lights. Don't use lights in the dark. Fail to indicate their intentions. 

Avatar
kil0ran replied to riotgibbon | 8 years ago
7 likes

riotgibbon wrote:

round our way, the police cycle on the pavements ...

Luxury!

round our way, cars drive on the pavements

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to kil0ran | 8 years ago
4 likes

kil0ran wrote:

riotgibbon wrote:

round our way, the police cycle on the pavements ...

Luxury!

round our way, cars drive on the pavements

 

round our way anyone who tried to cycle or drive on the pavement would have to keep pulling into the carriageway to pass the parked cars.

 

one yellow line = half on the pavcement,  2 yellow lines = completely on the pavement.

Avatar
karlssberg replied to kil0ran | 8 years ago
2 likes

kil0ran wrote:

riotgibbon wrote:

round our way, the police cycle on the pavements ...

Luxury!

round our way, cars drive on the pavements

"The police can do what they want!" is what I was told when I challenged them over riding motorbikes on the pavement. I'd like to see what happens when councillor Rose sticks his broom in their wheels. Not so big now are you tough guy!

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