Considering the sheer scale of Jeremy Vine’s online database of cycling commuter clips and dodgy driving, which he publishes on social media on an almost daily basis, it’s understandable that a sense of déjà vu will creep in from time to time.
And that was certainly the case this week, when the pedalling broadcaster posted another snazzily edited video showing a bin lorry blocking a cycle lane in Camden – just over two months after Vine shared a clip of a driver working for the same company heading the wrong way down a cycle lane in, you guessed it, Camden.
> “Two wrongs?”: Jeremy Vine accused of jumping red light as he films bin lorry driver heading wrong way down cycle lane
While the waste collection company in question, Veolia, thanked the presenter last month for reminding their drivers of the importance of keeping bike lanes “clear at all times”, Vine claimed this week that they appear to be “quietly” resuming the “illegal and dangerous” practice.
“Bin operators do a hard job with great dedication and I respect them… But don’t park in cycle lanes!” the Strictly alumnus wrote in the video.
During the clip itself, captured by the ‘drone’ flying over Vine’s head at all times, as he says (because why not, it keeps the internet on their toes), the broadcaster – upon noticing the lorry blocking the lane – mutters to himself, “And now I have to go out into oncoming traffic here”, before telling the operators: “Guys, you can’t park in a cycle lane, I’m really sorry. People have to pull round you and they could get hit here.”
Meanwhile, recognising the cyclist (I suppose the so-called ‘drone’ helmet camera is a giveaway), one of the workers joked, “Where’s your bike? Didn’t it get mangled?” – a reference to an incident from last month which left Vine desperately banging on the back of a van as the driver reversed over his bike having turned onto a stretch of cycling infrastructure.
> Jeremy Vine's lucky escape as bike run over by reversing driver who turned onto cycle lane
“Listen I love you guys, but really come on, it’s not safe,” Vine said, before departing.
While his post elicited the usual complaints on social media – with some noting that the operators would only be stopped for a “short period” and that stopping in the road and wheeling the bins across the lane would still prove an “inconvenience” – Veolia yesterday apologised and promised to review its procedures while collecting bins near bike lanes.
“We continue to work closely with Camden Council and their highways team to determine best practice that keeps all road users and our frontline teams safe when collecting along busy roads with cycle lanes,” a spokesperson said.
"Health and safety is paramount to the work we do and we want to ensure the crew have limited contact with both cyclists and vehicles. We apologise for any inconvenience caused as we develop the safest course of action.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Camden Council added: “We are clear that cycle lanes must not be used or obstructed by vehicles and we are working with Veolia to ensure that our waste and recycling vehicles follow their set routes at all times and that drivers understand the importance of keeping cycle lanes clear.
“Where cycle lanes are repeatedly being obstructed by lorries, vans, and other vehicles we will seek to add additional road safety measures that keep our cycle lanes clear and all road users safe.”
Anyway… Same time, same place in December?
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Anyone else notice that the let the world burn, 15 minute city prison conspiracy nutter pro-drivist policies didn't seem to get the vote out.
What stopped them being able to drive to the polling stations...
Well, they won'ta changed their tiny minds so it was either the price of oil or a traffic jam. Or perhaps they were so eager to get to the voting that they became entangled in a vast "accident" so spent the day blaming each other, unsuccessfully?
More wankpanzers
"And all kids should wear stilts to be seen"
On that Abrams tank point, there's a diagram I saw out there on the internet which compares the sight lines for various modern "pickups" and SUVs vs the tank. They don't come out well...
When I were a nipper we were taught the green cross code and to check before crossing. And that was in the days of cars with solid metal bumpers, non deformable front ends, no forward collision detection and north south engines under bonnets the length of football pitches.
Is this what you were thinking of
Probably Vine at his most entitled. The binmen are in a no win situation, what's the alternative, stop in the road and then they are crossing the cycle lane with rubbish to get to the back of the vehicle. They're doing a job and not "parked up" it was zero effort to pass them (he had time to stop in the road and moan, to get another click bait vid for X, formerly Twatter). It would have been worse IMHO to try and pass them on the nearside between pavement and dustcart if they were stopped in the road as they are working. Basically if you want your rubbish cleared, whatever vehicle you are in, once a week if you time it badly (or maybe deliberatly to get a video?) you may be inconvenienced for a couple of minutes.
The van though, that is a different story and clearly a bellend.
I think your point about crossing the lane is important. More chance of a collision with people moving bins to and fro and being unsighted as a natural outcome.
It seems obvious and common sense. You can see the oncoming traffic far easier than you would see the binmen working at the back of the dustcart. Sadly common sense is a rare thing today.
I'd say that you should always approach bin lorries with caution (and reduced speed) as they usually have people working around and behind them.
Absolutely, a lot could happen. Overfilled bin spill etc.
There isn't a cycle lane in any residential area that doesn't have delivery vans stopping on it constantly. It's rare to ride in a cycle lane and not to have to pull into the road to get past one. The rules are clear, they aren't allowed to stop there, and doing so creates danger for cyclists. It doesn't matter that they're doing a job, or how they are parked up for, they're creating danger for me when I need to be passing them. I don't care that they'll be gone in 30 seconds, so will I, if I survive.
Sure so have them stop in the road and ride up the cycle lane between the truck and the rubbish their collecting. This is nothing more than vine level entitlement with no common sense.
Well, I think it'd maybe be better for the bin lorry to be going the correct way up the street, but maybe this is for better driver visibility between them and any approaching vehicles?
Regardless, we've had a massive expansion in the delivery industry over the last decade or so. That is different - I guess the question is just to accept it's now a thing* and adapt our streets and rules to catch up. I'm not sure we can turn the clock back and say "do we need this? Why should private industry get a free pass in this way to drive the most dangerous vehicles ** through dense urban areas and park for free, often where they shouldnt?"
*... although countries with better support for localism and active travel seem to show that a slightly different model is possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYHTzqHIngk
** According to the PACTS analysis of UK fatalities vans and light goods vehicles are proportional the most dangerous. Not surprising given their patterns of use and design.
https://www.pacts.org.uk/pacts-report-what-kills-most-on-the-roads-2/
I love the photo of Harry Hall Cycles providing race support in one of the smallest cars available at the time. Quite a contrast to today's racing teams.
Must have had a very limited supply of spares as the wouldn't stop for me when I had a puncture in the Manchester div champs back in the 70's.
I rode many LVRC (League of Veteran Racing Cyclists) races in the early 90s in which Harold was also a participant. He was nice enough but not inclined to suffer any kind of cycling foolery - could be a bit "superior" towards any breaking the conventions of his racing cyclist generation.
On the other hand, he pitched in with organisational help as well as mechanical rescues. A chap worth knowing, despite his prickles and the odd bit of ankle-biting.
His bike shop was also typical of the age. Rather like Huey's Ribble Cycles shop in Watery Lane, Preston, but better informed albeit always very ready to take yer money and get you out of the door with your new shiny thing.
There seemed to be something alike in all the old fashioned cycle shops, my local one was Cowans cycles on Hyde road, Gorton and if you went in to ask for a puncture kit they would hand you a nail! But if you were in one of the local clubs you would get invited into the back room where the kettle was always on and they were great for Saturday morning repairs before a Saturday afternoon race.
Ain't this it? I mean, why would you get in to the business? It seems to involve long hours to make a slender living, and deaing either folks with no idea (but who expect things fixed for free) OR opinionated "cyclists" like ourselves who are also very "careful with their money"!
Was taking to someone who'd been in the business and he was reminiscing about friends he had - but commented that there seemed to be an excess of what he termed "neurodivergence"!
RE: Cycling a potential “pathway to improved health and well-being in adolescents,” study finds
I'm always glad that someone checks these things but I'd suggest this is getting towards "no shit Sherlock" territory.
One possible example: kids in NL (and then parts of Scandinavia) are apparently some of the happiest in the world. Now there are lots of different things which could contribute there but the importance of "personal autonomy" is noted. Perhaps being able to get about without your parents driving you (plus "incidental exercise") is an important part of that? (Plus much less traffic noise - increasingly recognised as a major stressor etc.)
This. One does get the impression that those studies are kicks into the long grass.
So what happens to a baby once it has been signed? Not framed and put on the wall I hope...
I believe they become teenagers and get emancipated from the parents that held them down as a baby and allowed a stranger to scribble on them...
If they can avoid washing it, until they're 18, they can get it tattooed over
Occupational hazard for some. The birth of a messiah is often accompanied by signs. Same for the children of George Foreman - they were so good he put his name on each of them.
Vine stopping in the middle of a 'dangerous' road to reprimand the operatives is as daft as a road-rager stopping to get out of their car to remonstrate with a cyclist for holding them up.
Sometimes Jeremy Vine sounds unbelievably entitled, and this is one of those occasions.
Well, it wouldn't make sense to stop in the cycle lane as that was blocked. I haven't watched the clip (I don't do Twitter/X), but as I understand it he wasn't so annoyed about being held-up, but by the danger that cyclists are being subjected to by blocking the lane. The problem is that the cyclists wouldn't be part of the usual flow of traffic on the road and so have to negotiate joining the existing traffic - that's usually the more dangerous part as most drivers are only looking for big car-shaped objects and often won't see a cyclist trying to merge from their left side.
I don't follow, listen or watch Jeremy Vine apart from reading about his exploits here, so I'm not defending him per se, but it doesn't sound like he's being unreasonable in this instance. I've got no problem with bin lorries or their crews as they'll often need to temporarily block roads, but blocking the cycle lane does introduce danger to cyclists. If the bin lorry leaves the cycle lane clear and blocks the road, it doesn't create any danger for the drivers and cyclists can watch out for the bin lorry crew as they cross the cycle lane (I'd give them priority and stop if necessary).
There's no traffic coming in either direction, if there had been I expect he would've pulled round the lorry before speaking to them. No harm no foul.
Given there isn't a specifically designed waste collection facility and its a retrofit on an existing street I don't really see they have much alternative. That van though
The alternative is to stop on the carriageway as they would if there were no cyclelanes. This may delay traffic as bin collections do most places but doesn't put cyclists lives at risk.
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