Police arrest man riding stolen motorbike in Richmond Park area as patrols increase due to bike-jackings; Lycrist infiltrator: the new MAMIL?; Point to camera…driver waits; UCI helps Afghan cyclists; Roubaix behind the scenes + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"We need Rentokil to deal with you lot": Anti-LTN group labels active travel councillor "worse than vermin" in heavily criticised now-deleted tweet
Completely normal fantasy of exterminating people who use a bike to get around London. pic.twitter.com/42ui1j30Ej
— Jo Rigby (@Jo_Earlsfield) October 12, 2021
One Tower Hamlets, a group “fighting for Liveable Streets to be halted”, has since deleted this grim reply to Jo Rigby’s announcement that she is passing on the active travel lead at Wandsworth Council. The account holder felt the need to mark the moment by calling her a “lycrist infiltrator”, before saying “your type are worse than vermin. We definitely need Rentokil to deal with you lot”…
Even ardent anti-cycling critic and TalkRadio presenter Cristo Foufas briefly called a ceasefire to address the hateful message…
Really don’t think tweets like this are helpful or kind @SaveColumbiaRd . Rats? Vermin? I don’t agree with much of what Jo has to say but resorting to this isn’t cool. Critique opinions. Critique policy. I don’t support you saying this and I suggest you rethink.
— Cristo (@cristo_radio) October 12, 2021
What is it about these “One” groups that makes them so godawful? The people on them do flower arranging and voluntary litter collecting in their spare time, then they join their local “One” group and become completely bilious https://t.co/OM1YkX7VgK
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) October 13, 2021
For a rundown on the Liveable Streets that One Tower Hamlets is so against, let’s take a look at Tower Hamlets Council’s website:
The Liveable Streets programme aims to improve the look and feel of public spaces in neighbourhoods across the borough and make it easier, safer and more convenient to get around by foot, bike and public transport.
We also want to reduce people making ‘rat runs’ and shortcuts through residential streets to encourage more sustainable journeys and to improve air quality and road safety.
Terrible, I know.
The good people of cycling Twitter tried not to take the hatred to heart…
That rat is stylish as hell though, look at him go
— Hannah 🚲 (@theeyecollector) October 13, 2021
I would wear a t shirt that said ‘lycrist infiltrator’ on it 👍
— Furcoat (@FurcoatNaeNicks) October 12, 2021
Bahrain Victorious tie down key riders: Sonny Colbrelli and Matej Mohorič pen multi-year deals
Bahrain Victorious have rewarded two of their standout riders from 2021 with new contracts. Paris-Roubaix winner Sonny Colbrelli and double Tour de France stage winner Matej Mohorič have both signed “multi-year deals”.
> The bikes that won Paris-Roubaix – Tubeless, disc and aero for Colbrelli and Deignan
Both riders enjoyed the best season of their careers, Colbrelli winning his first Monument two weeks ago, as well as becoming both Italian and European champion. Mohorič also became national champion, beating Tadej Pogačar to the Slovenian crown. The 26-year-old backed up his success with two stages of the Tour de France.
“I’m one of the few riders wearing this jersey since 2017, the very first season,” Colbrelli said. “Debuting in the WorldTour with Bahrain and arriving up to this stunning season. I can say I grew up with this group, and I must be more than thankful. I’m now where I am, also due to the support and trust that I’ve always felt.”
Mohorič’s season wasn’t without controversy. After the team’s bus and hotel was raided by French police at the Tour de France, he insisted the team had “nothing to hide”. Winning stage 19 a week later, Mohorič crossed the finish line doing the infamous zipped lips gesture made famous by a certain Lance Armstrong. The double stage winner denied knowing the Armstrong connection.
Bike train helps children ride to school — if only that bike lane was still there...
The Old Shoreham Road bike train is open for business…but parents wish they could just use the bike lane. The cycle lane was removed last month after councillors voted to scrap it. To help their kids continue to ride safely to school, about 20 parents and pupils turned up to the first train outing on Friday. It’s initially running once a week but parents told Brighton and Hove News they hope it will pick up in popularity and can be expanded.
“I’d never dreamed of cycling along the road before due to the volume and speed of the traffic,” one dad, Ben Kelly, said. “The arrival of safe, dedicated lanes coincided with my son mastering his bike and we were devastated when they were removed.
“As well as providing a fun, safe, healthy and environmentally friendly service to the local community, we are shining a light on the growing need for a high-quality, permanent cycle lane that support parents, pupils, delivery riders and commuters.”
329 people have signed a petition on Brighton and Hove Council’s website asking for “permanent well-planned and high-quality cycle lanes for the Old Shoreham Road”.
Point to the camera...driver magically learns how to drive safely
The PassPixi penny-drop moment when I point to the sign. It works folks. Not all the time, but enough to make cycling safer #ClosePass #Cycling #PixiMagic pic.twitter.com/u45JNOpOaB
— PassPixi (@PassPixi) October 13, 2021
“I can’t be bothered to wait behind them. I’m going to try and undertake. Yep, I’m going for it. Here I go. Ahhhhh, nope. Right, think I’ll stay here… “
UCI helps evacuate female Afghan cyclists + Israel Start-Up Nation boss Sylvan Adams eyes FIFA World Cup bid for 2030
Israel Start-Up Nation co-owner Sylvan Adams has encouraged Israel to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Adams offered his services during an interview with the Jerusalem Post, saying he’s willing to help “as I did with the Giro d’Italia race, but we need the government’s help”.
Adams also discussed his role in helping 41 Afghan female cyclists flee Taliban rule. The businessman and philanthropist was contacted by IsraAid and worked with the organisation to help the women escape. The UCI, Asian Cycling Confederation, FIFA and governments were also involved in the project which saw 165 people safely evacuated, including female cyclists and members of the Afghan Cycling Federation.
38 have now reportedly been welcomed to Switzerland where the UCI hopes the riders will join the UCI World Cycling Centre, an international accommodation and training facility. It is believed the rest of the refugees will be welcomed to the US, Canada, France and Israel.
“It is very important for the UCI to make a commitment to the members of the cycling family who are suffering due to the current situation in Afghanistan,” UCI president David Lappartient said. “I am delighted that our efforts in this respect are providing opportunities for the people concerned in decent living conditions.”
Jo Rigby embraces life as a "lycrist infiltrator"
Born bad. pic.twitter.com/DRWNzfcrw7
— Jo Rigby (@Jo_Earlsfield) October 13, 2021
I’m just surprised One Tower Hamlets didn’t go for lycrist infiltraitor for some extra insult bonus points…
Behind the scenes at Paris-Roubaix with Ineos Grenadiers
Ineos Grenadiers have released their video round-up from Paris-Roubaix, including some behind the scenes footage of Gianni Moscon in tears on the team bus after his puncture and crash. We’re only disappointed there isn’t any new raging Luke Rowe content…
Lycrist infiltrator...reaction to anti-LTN group's abusive message to active travel councillor
I would wear a t shirt that said ‘lycrist infiltrator’ on it 👍
— Furcoat (@FurcoatNaeNicks) October 12, 2021
Lycrist infiltrator is a new one…Jo Rigby earned that tremendous title from the charming One Tower Hamlets anti-LTN group’s Twitter account holder. The rest of the message was pretty distasteful, as you’ve probably already seen, but plenty of people are getting on board with the marketing potential…it’s got a ring to it.
Tempted to make one for my own amusement. Anyone know the copyright holder of the drawing? Google image search doesn’t bring anything up. pic.twitter.com/tgfGxhh62H
— David (@FranticTeacup) October 13, 2021
I’m a firestarter,
lycrist infiltrator! pic.twitter.com/YMYIHrBe9k— Elisabeth Anderson (@velobetty) October 13, 2021
Thanks everyone for sharing the ‘did he really write that tweet’ moment. Humour will see us through.
Hopefully a cult t-shirt will land from @philipnormal
I got a follow from @hanleyPa out of this – which is as good as it gets for this forever Fall fan. #lyrcistinfiltrator
— Jo Rigby (@Jo_Earlsfield) October 13, 2021
Of course there was some more serious reaction too. Over on our Facebook, Kevin Blackburn replied to the story saying: “Threatening extermination! I think that is a hate crime.”
You lot under the blog have been on fine form too…Philh68 wrote: “So these One Tower Hamlet folk are so opposed to liveable streets that they’ve forgotten what the opposite of liveable is?”
TriTaxMan did some digging, “I just had a look at the One Tower Hamlets Twitter feed and they claim to be a majority group of residents and business owners in Tower Hamlets…. all of these anti-LTN groups have about 1,000 followers, largely made up of other anti-LTN groups or cabbies/cab companies. I would have thought that if they were so popular with the residents in their areas they would have lots of unique followers….. not all the same people…. just saying.”
SimoninSpalding added: “I like term lycrist, it seems much more positive than MAMIL which involves facing my mortality and the reality that I will never win a race or be paid to ride my bike(s).😁👍”
AlsoSomniloquism pointed out it’s also more inclusive of age and gender than MAMIL. A nice touch. But what about the other ranks? Nnif reckons lycrist infiltrator/agitator/berserker could be the hierarchy…
Dorset Police investigate attempted robbery by trio on moped after teenager follower on way home from school
A Dorset mother urged people to remain vigilant after her son was the victim of an attempted bike robbery by a moped gang last week. The Dorset Echo reports the 16-year-old was followed as he cycled home from school across the A3049 footbridge near Sherborne Crescent, Poole.
The trio on a moped tried to push the teenager off but didn’t manage to take his bike. A police spokesperson confirmed the victim did not sustain any serious injuries in the incident.
“Dorset Police received a report of an attempted robbery in Poole. It is reported that the victim was cycling across the footbridge near to Tower Park when he was approached by three boys on a moped who tried to steal his bike. One of the boys tried to push the victim off his bike. Enquiries are ongoing into the report. No arrests have been made.”
Ribble opens shiny new Bristol showroom
In August it was Nottingham. In September it’s Bristol. Ribble has been expanding its showroom empire, opening this sharp new retail experience in The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. So whether you’re in the market for a new bike, or just want a nosey at what you could have, it looks well worth checking out…
Fancy winning Lachlan Morton's Alt Tour bike?
The bike Lachlan Morton rode around France for 16 days is being raffled off to raise money for World Bicycle Relief. Morton’s EF Education-Nippo team-issue Cannondale SuperSix Evo covered 5,510km over the full Tour de France route, including transfers, in a little over two weeks. You might want to give it some TLC first if you plan on taking it out on the roads…
Four EF Education-Nippo Pro Cycling jerseys signed by the Aussie are up for grabs in the prize draw too. Tickets cost £25, and a winner will be selected once entries close on Monday 1 November. If you want to enter follow the link here…
“During The Alt Tour, in my deepest holes, I wasn’t alone,” Morton explained, apparently not doing an impression of a horror movie trailer. “I could draw on the idea that with each pedal stroke I was sharing that freedom and joy with someone who hadn’t yet had the opportunity to experience riding. I could smile at the endless possibilities that a bike could bring them.
“In many ways, World Bicycle Relief helped me achieve my goals as much as they helped bring the beauty of the bicycle to so many. For both those reasons I’m forever grateful.”
Police arrest man riding stolen motorbike in Richmond Park area as Met increase patrols due to spate of bike-jackings
It’s worth making it clear from the top, there is no confirmation the man has been arrested in relation to the bike-jacking incidents in south west London these past few days. Only that he was arrested by officers from Operation Venice, a Met Police operation tackling motorcycle-enabled crime, who were deployed to the Richmond Park area because of recent events.
Royal Parks Police reported the news their officers had last night engaged and pursued the man, making tactical contact and arresting him after the motorbike he was riding was established to have been stolen.
The arrest came hours after Met Police’s Chief Superintendent Owain Richards confirmed they would be stepping up patrols in and around the park to deter offenders and engage with cycling associations.
The motorbike was established to have been stolen. Officers are continuing their investigation @MPSRichmond @MPSWandsworth
— Royal Parks Police (@MPSRoyal_Parks) October 13, 2021
The officers were seen in the park last night, not least by the Richmond Cycling Campaign who met officers near Roehampton Gate, and reported they were keen to reassure park visitors that they are taking the incidents seriously and working to catch the offenders…
And then saw two more officers arrive ar Sheen Gate. pic.twitter.com/q96KZ0hvD3
— Richmond Cycling Campaign (@RichmondCycling) October 12, 2021
On Friday, pro rider Alexander Richardson was knocked off his bike, dragged along the road and threatened with a machete by a moped gang. Then, on Sunday evening, a moped gang raided junior national closed circuit TT champion Mattie Dodd’s family home in Wimbledon, taking six bikes.
Yesterday, a picture of a moped rider and passenger carrying a road bike emerged on social media. Police confirmed there had been another bike-jacking on Monday evening, while parents at a school just outside Richmond Park said they’d seen another incident.
Monday’s victim today said he feared he would be “decapitated in the street” when a moped gang followed him, again threatening violence with a machete and making off with the bike.
13 October 2021, 07:55
13 October 2021, 07:55
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@mitsky Just checking the figures and apparently the 2026 average cost is £58,000 per year per prisoner; worth noting that is only the direct cost, you then have to factor in ten years of lost tax income from the prisoner, ten years that the prisoner is making no contribution to society as a worker or as a consumer, plus the fact that if they were the primary breadwinner very likely the costs will include benefits for their family as well. None of which should be a reason for keeping violent recidivists out of prison of course, nor drug/drink drivers who kill, but it is a factor worth considering for lower-level offences.
@Surreyrider I ride in Surrey a fair bit and absolutely many do look like that but the point is they all *think* they're driving perfectly reasonably (as one discovers when remonstrating with someone who's skimmed one by 30cm, "I gave you masses of room") so deterrent penalties have little effect. That's why we need to strike at the root cause and actually train drivers properly and test them stringently (and more than once over the course of a potential 70+ years of driving, it's absolutely absurd that competence and knowledge in what for most people is the activity in their life that will run the biggest risk of killing people you never have to have your qualifications renewed).
@mitsky Imprisonment currently costs over £50k p.a. per prisoner and obviously that will rise over the course of a ten-year stretch with inflation. Regarding culpability and mitigating sentences etc, of course I'm not against condign punishment for drivers who kill (and cyclists on the tiny, tiny handful of occasions when this happens), including prison as appropriate; I was objecting to the ridiculous and oft-repeated demand of MM that drivers who kill cyclists must get ten years, "no excuses, no exceptions".
Hey, but their wool blend cycling adjacent t-shirts are/were fantastic.
@Surreyrider Still the boss. Ride one, you'll see why
@Smoggysteve "Most would happily ride on the roads and be treated with respect by drivers". But people aren't - and as far as I can see they won't be. Not until there is a lot less driving and it's slower around cyclists, and far more people driving have "skin in the game" eg. they sometimes cycle and their friends and family do also. That's what leads to the model - which is perhaps most advanced in NL - where cycling, walking and driving are all seen as separate normal transport modes. Their needs, vulnerabilities and any dangers to others are considered. And *that* leads to "mix / share when possible, separate when necessary". But "possible" is "where your 10-year old would be safe to cycle unsupervised" - so very few motor vehicles, going slow! And AFAICS everybody - even "existing cyclists" - is happy with the result. (I dunno about a few pro cyclists - but don't they tend to have training camps in different counties anyway?)
@quiff as an Edinburgh resident I can confidently say he's speaking without moving his lips in one sense: - while as I noted in a separate comment there *is* now some real separated cycle infra, all the examples i can think of have *at least as much space* for pedestrians. The rest of the "cycle infra" is essentially similar to the situation in the rest of the UK: eg. bus lanes*, cycle lanes and shared use paths (eg. "build" infra by sticking up a sign). Edinburgh is one of the places with a moderately extensive network of former railways which have been converted to "shared use" paths (completely motor traffic few). However though shared they are not narrow by UK standards. And this is all effectively a "free extra" for all non- motorised users, not like the "sign a cycle path" where pedestrians do lose space. I think this all comes from the "popular understanding" of cycling in which ultimately cyclists are the "other". They don't fit "motor vehicle" or "pedestrian" (including wheelchairs on the very rare occasions people think about that). Thus "cyclists are cheating" in multiple ways! They shouldn't get their own space as "there aren't enough" of them. And "they can just use the road / path". But being able to *choose* "on the road" or "on the footway" (shared use path) is clearly unfair - nobody else gets to do that! BUT of course even if they did pick just one of road OR pedestrian space it's still not fair anyway because they're "too slow" for the road (don't pay "road tax" etc...) and "far too fast" for pedestrians... * Though some existing cyclists may appreciate them when there are few buses, buses and bikes are a very poor mix for several reasons.
Whilst a shame for any employees, their bib shorts had the worst chamois pad I’d ever encountered, utter waste of my money. Even though they were Strava challenge discount purchases, still a waste of money.
Thanks, just going to have to suck it up. Got next week off and will take the easy, if expensive option...
@ktache Just go for the TNT Sports only package, £30.99 for a month. Alternatively have you considered experimenting with a VPN for a few pounds, allowing you to sign up for a free stream abroad, e.g. SBS Australia which streams the Tour live? If I didn't have a kind mate's login that's what I'd do!
48 thoughts on “Police arrest man riding stolen motorbike in Richmond Park area as patrols increase due to bike-jackings; Lycrist infiltrator: the new MAMIL?; Point to camera…driver waits; UCI helps Afghan cyclists; Roubaix behind the scenes + more on the live blog”
I like term lycrist, it seems
I like term lycrist, it seems much more positive than MAMIL which involves facing my mortality and the reality that I will never win a race or be paid to ride my bike(s).??
Plus it is much more
Plus it is much more inclusive of age and gender.
Edit: Although I now just have the first few lines of Here comes the Hotstepper in my head.
Indeed – and it opens up a
Indeed – and it opens up a whole host of roles:
Lycrist Infiltrator/Agitator/Beserker :o)
I’ll take Lycrist Beserker. I
I’ll take Lycrist Beserker. I already have the beard and the scars.
kil0ran wrote:
“I channel my aggression, that’s what I do; every day I ride the Tour de F- you!”
SimoninSpalding wrote:
Maybe you need to move out of Spalding and to somewhere with a few hills 😀 😉
Have you looked on a map of
Have you looked on a map of this area, we have Peak Hill, Chapel Hill and Weston Hills!
Plus riding in the wind (which we do have plenty of) is a skill in itself.
Realistically the limitation is that I am old and enjoy food and beer too much, which in addition to my lack of natural talent really holds me back!
I lived on Park Road for 12
I lived on Park Road for 12 years … 🙂
Biggest hill I could find was the ramp to the swimming pool car park …
My favourite is the Queens
My favourite is the Queens Bank bridge over the A16. Admittedly I can ride it in top gear on a good day!
Having had the privilege (?)
Having had the privilege (?) to cycle through Spading and other parts of the region I can confirm that the hills as such exist. Though nothing prepared me for the Fen Blow. I remember one occasion it made little difference what direction I pointed there always seemed to be a block headwind. There was no respite whatsoever.
Sadly, I have just found out
Sadly, I have just found out we have lost another of our own in this part of the world.
http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/amp/cyclist-dies-after-tractor-collision-9220484/
I just had a look at the One
I just had a look at the One Tower Hamlets twitter feed and they claim to be a Majority Group of Residents and business owners in Tower Hamlets…. all of these anti-LTN groups have about 1000 followers, largely made up of other anti-LTN groups or cabbies/cab companies.
I would have thought that if they were so popular with the residents in their areas they would have lots of unique followers….. not all the same people…. just saying
What I don’t understand is
What I don’t understand is the loathing of cabbies and private-hire drivers for LTNs. Since they’re paid by the mile / minute depending on speed, anything that slows them down or extends their journey actually makes them more money.
Or is it the abject fear that someone who used to take a cab to the shops might instead hop on a bike or walk?
Fursty Ferret wrote:
nobody outside of Mayfair takes a cab to the shops instead of walking. Black cabs are for tourists, people on business accounts in the city and drunk people leaving nightclubs. Normal Londoners rarely use them due to the expense – they are literally for the elite
Definitely the last bit.
Definitely the last bit.
Suspect it’s more complex
Suspect it’s more complex than that
Taxi drivers probably make more money by taking as many fares in a shift of time,than fewer journeys that just take longer. So get frustrated at delays or being held up for longer in traffic queues because that delays them getting the next fare.
That traffic queues are the result of more vehicles on the roads and not cyclists and not cycling infra is the point lost on them.All they see is cyclists making much easier progress around those hold ups, they see cycle lanes that they wish if only they could use theyd get to their next fare quicker and after all how many cyclists are using them if they arent as congested as the roads are and then so they start to blame the cyclists for causing the hold ups.
Chuck in the same average motorists outlook towards cyclists, and you end up with a bunch of drivers who think all congestion is solved by building bigger roads, so dedicating more space to others becomes an anathema to then, and just want pesky cyclists out of their way.
Whilst surfing through teh
Whilst surfing through the Twitterati’s musings, I read @closepassescardiff’s response to JVs tweet. A link to a rather good essay I thought. Now, must get back to work….
http://closepassescardiff.smokewriting.co.uk/index.php/2021/04/02/cyclists-goths-and-football-fans/
Thanks – looks interesting. I
Thanks – looks interesting. I’ll read later but just struck by their “counterfactual” example at the top because for a second I actually thought they’d got this directly from a road.cc poster of times gone by:
“Don’t they sometimes make you want to just drop a breeze block off a motorway bridge and listen for the smash?’”
Legseleven, or something
Legseleven, or something close, and it was a paving slab.
Left the site and left the UK for the wonders of Amsterdam, and it’s wonderful cycling provision.
Really good read; thanks for
Really good read; thanks for the recommendation.
Hmm maybe, it reads to me as
Hmm maybe, it reads to me as one of those essays that wants to really focus on an entirely different subject, but has to stretch the analogies to fit to make it something related to cycling, because well its tagged as a cycling site primarily.
I don’t know: I thought they
I don’t know: I thought they made some good points.
(And let’s face it, we all know allegedly cycling sites which get diverted off into completely off-cycling topics…).
Awavey wrote:
Interesting. I took it that the focus was on the othering and hatred of an out group, and a demonstration of the objectively harmful outcomes that come as a result. The example used was the of football supporters in the 70s and 80s, culminating in Hillsborough, and followed by the continued vilification of the victims for decades afterwards, and a denial of the justice they deserved. I don’t believe that this was an analogy.
I felt it broke it down into constituent parts of psychological cause and effect that were applicable not just to football supporters, but to a wide range of people including us.
The “jokes” that are made by “characters” such as Christo, Clarkeson, Liddle, Parris, Ferarri et al (generally demeaning, dehumanising or even violent in tone), do have real-world effect, even if considered indirectly – and we know that, as we are on the receiving end.
We often joke that now racism is illegal, these bigots need to find someone else to hate. However, if that hate is real, and the outcome is somewhere on a scale between intimidation through violent assault to murder, can the bigots be considered to be any more morally respectable just cos they are more cleverly selective in identifying their targets?
I just felt it was something
I just felt it was something they clearly wanted to write about Hillsborough and the treatment of football fans in that era versus the establishment be that government or police, which is fair enough it’s their site they can write what they want. But its not at all about cyclists or how cyclists are treated and they had to stretch the analogy of ‘othering’ all those types of people so it still broadly met their cycling theme.
The hillsborough section is
The hillsborough section is probably a quarter of the whole article. And it is probably the biggest example of people believing stories about a group of people and so believing anything said about them.
A minority of football fans were hooligans. Yet people believed, (and still believe to some extent) that Hillsborough was caused by drunken fans, and they abused the Police and emergency services.
A minority of cyclists go through red lights or cycle very antisocially. However in every discussion about a cyclist you see the bingo of RLJ, knocking people over, etc.
And the press / columnists used to fan the flames of football hooligism back then and now fan the flames of cyclists always behaving badly now. So no, I don’t see wanting to write about a certain thing but tenously linking it to cycling, I actually do see the paralels being pointed out.
Very good read. Thanks for
Very good read. Thanks for sharing.
Looking at Christo’s tweets at the time he appears to suggest transport choice is soley a personal choice, devoid of any financial, societal or environmental pressure. This would suggest he believes every motorist is partly personally responsible for the estimated 28,000 premature deaths each year caused by air polution. Which makes his stance on cycling difficult to understand…
kt26 wrote:
Get outta here, with ya…. fffacts, and, and,and….. lllllogic….
One would be forgiven for
One would be forgiven for thinking Christo may be recieving contributions from parties who are interested in keeping people in cars – I mean there’s a first for everything right…
Thank you for posting that
Thank you for posting that link, an excellent, informative, erudite read. And it reminded me that I’m still banned from twitter for calling Cristo a cretin, despite my appeal now being in its tenth month, or as soon as possible according to the twits. I might throw it a birthday party at the end of December.
The article also includes a link to “Negative attitudes to cyclists may affect road space given to them: variation in drivers’ perceptions of adequate space when overtaking a cyclist on the road” which I’ve not read yet.
https://psyarxiv.com/7659j/
Thanks for the link, a
Thanks for the link, a superbly well-written and thought provoking essay. The points made are very good, and compare to my experience of being one of the only people in my company who regularly cycles to work.
In the name of humour, many of my colleagues will make unfavourable remarks about cyclists, whilst trying to make it clear it’s supposed to be funny. It isn’t funny (in fact it is mind-numbingly predictable), but I pick my battles carefully, and these are battles I don’t need to win and will not win anyway. In fact earlier this year when I was knocked off on the way to work (over the bonnet of a volkswagen – not recommended), despite being lit up like a christmas tree and with video footage to show it wasn’t my fault, along with some significant injuries, many of the comments I received fell into the categories of
a. victim blaming; or
b. making jokes at my expense.
This clear bias (conscious or unconcious) runs through wider society and is a worrying trend. These are every day law abiding decent people in many respects – yet when a cyclist is mentioned the hate comes streaming through.
doodlydiddle wrote:
It’s staggering isn’t it? When driver training for my company, I’d describe the circumstances around, and the experience of being knocked off by a car driver. In fairness most people engaged really well. That is except for the individual who immediately asked “what were you wearing?”……
Same here. Knocked off on way
Same here. Knocked off on way home from work in the hit and run I’ve posted up enough times. https://youtube.com/channel/UCoomimAd4tfsRCNLQbK0M_Q
Advice from colleagues “You should wear a helmet, you were lucky you didn’t land on your head”. A few years ago a colleague turned their car upside down on a country road and ended up with severe concussion amongst other soft tissue injuries. I remember there being far more sympathy about it being an accident, black ice, dangerous road and all manner of excuses when the reality was almost certainly excess speed for conditions but everybody was too polite to say anything about that.
Mungecrundle wrote:
Did you ask them if they were wearing a helmet?
Hate’s so debilitating.
Hate’s so debilitating. Between the One Tower Hamlets tweet and Rendel I’m confused – so are One Tower Hamlets saying cyclists are Lycrist (“lycraist”?) tories?
chrisonatrike wrote:
Lychrist, perhaps….
At least nobody had to invoke
At least nobody had to invoke Godwins Law, given the historical usage of describing an outgroup as ‘vermin’ which have to be ‘exterminated’.
Err, wait a minute…
So these One Tower Hamlet
So these One Tower Hamlet folk are so opposed to liveable streets that they’ve forgotten what the opposite of liveable is?
Lycrist infiltrator – am I
Lycrist infiltrator – am I the only one that associates this with someone like Morrisey or Billy Bragg sitting alone in a bedsit trying to make words rhyme?
Daveyraveygravey wrote:
Punctured bicycle, on a hillside desolate…
Steve K wrote:
Winner.
I’ve had relations with bikes
I’ve had relations with bikes from many nations, I’ve rode passes on cycles of all classes.
I can see the kitchen light,
I can see the kitchen light, from the road where I park my bike.
Also BB:
Also BB:
The chain that fell off my bike last night
Is now wrapped round my heart
Charles Wesley got there
Charles Wesley got there first!
[I]My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.[/i]
Well how did he follow
Well how did he follow someone if his chain fell off? Must have been on a descent…
No that’s a lyricist
No that’s a lyricist 😉
Hell of an echo on that Allez
Hell of an echo on that Allez Opi-Omi link.
Van Aert wishes he was as
Van Aert wishes he was as aero as that rat.