A London cyclist has described his shock at seeing another rider pedalling along with one hand on the bars while pushing his daughter in a pram.
John Newby spotted the parent and child on Shand Street in Bermondsey, which passes beneath the railway lines out of London Bridge station.
He filmed the incident, which took place on a street that motorists regularly use as a rat run, with footage posted on Metro.
“I was just driving down the same road I use every day, near London Bridge, when I saw the cyclist pushing a pram,” he said.
“I only looked over quickly because I was more busy looking where I was going, then I just thought ‘there’s a baby in that pram’.
“That’s why I was so shocked. It was 9am so I guess he must have been to drop one of his other children at school.”
He continued: “When I looked around, the little girl was smiling – oblivious to the risk her father was opening her up to.
“I couldn’t believe it. It’s a side road, but cars still go up and down it at about 20 miles per hour.
“You can’t see it on the video but there were men and women on the other side of the road looking at it as well.
“I thought ‘this can’t be right’. I was in a bit of shock.
“The little girl could have fallen into the road if her dad had swerved or hit the kerb. Her dad was just using one hand as he cycled along.
“The girl, by all accounts, looked to be enjoying herself.
“It’s just the stupidity of her father and what could happen that worried me,” he added.
He said that he told the child’s father: “Personally I think it’s very dangerous.”
17 thoughts on “London cyclist filmed pushing child along in pram”
I wouldn’t do it, but all
I wouldn’t do it, but all this kid’s friends probably get driven 1km down the road. Half the parents are probably on their phone anyway and all of them are belching out fumes more likely to shorten this kids life more than a fun and maybe irresponsible bike trip with Dad. This doesn’t rank highly on the list of transport issues we need to be worrying about.
Jackson wrote:
I agree. More like “look how irresponsible cyclists are behaving”
seiklmeikl wrote:
Yet it was reported by another cyclist.
Grahamd wrote:
Almost like cyclists are just like any other group in society and don’t all behave alike or have one homogenous point of view.
Grahamd wrote:
“He filmed the incident” – possibly a filmmaker on a bike, or a perv, or one of those hi viz tabard and helmet wearing fingerwagging vegan types…
beezus fufoon wrote:
But, but…. think of the children…. clutches pearls
seiklmeikl wrote:
Exactly. You often see joggers pushing those tricycle push-chairs, easily at this speed. You often see parents forced to take their prams on the road because of parking-obstructed pavements. You often see parents stupidly pushing the buggy in front of traffic to bring it to a stop.
But this was something done by a cyclist, so it must be irresponsible.
seiklmeikl wrote:
The bit that most struck me as being dangerous, was the film maker choosing to overtake at speed on the narrowest section. If the film maker thought it was such a dangerous situation, why didn’t he take more car of his fellow road users?
Also, did you notice theres a link on the page to at least one confirmed ‘fake news’ article.
Jackson wrote:
Except ofcourse it is central London and so most people don’t own a car. Most of the people who live in central London know it isn’t worth a twenty minute drive to go 1 km.
Because pushing a pram on the
Because pushing a pram on the roads with a bike is a new thing, who is it harming exactly?
if he crashes into someone else at that speed (fast walking speed) IF he does, it’ll be a excuse me at worst. This is only an issue to handwringers and those not understanding their own responsibilities.
Is that photo the street in
Is that photo the street in question? Are we quite sure it’s an actual street, because there are wider *corridors* in my local shopping centre… Seriously: why are motor vehicles able to use *that* as a rat run??
Cycling has more than its
Cycling has more than its fair share of idiots
earth wrote:
No, it has exactly its fair share of idiots. (Possibly even slightly less than its fair share, given the large number of motorists who damage their own and everyone else’s health by unnecessarily driving short journeys.)
A fair share of idiots is still a significant number of idiots, admittedly.
earth wrote:
Statistically it should have less, as some of the idiots get themselves injured and therefore can’t ride for a while. Whereas idiots in cars often hit and injure cyclists.
Prior to accidents and injuries, I’m guessing the ration for cars and bikes is similar though
What he’s doing is no more
What he’s doing is no more irresponsible than parents shouting at their kids in the backseat while barreling down a residential road at 30mph. In fact less of a risk to himself, his kids or other road users.
I think the stupid thing here
I think the stupid thing here is he has the baby buggy out on the road side of the bike; To me that seems to be placing the buggy in far more danger. I also do, with 3 children myself, and having ridden London’s roads, think it is an egregiously dangerous and stupid thing to do. There are far safer ways of getting yourself and your child around in an environmentally friendly, health encouraging manner.
What a busybody prick.
What a busybody prick.