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news
Beckenham cyclists puncture (picture supplied).PNGTack attack: Cyclists puncture as drawing pins strewn across popular south London cycle route
Tacks were strewn on a popular cycling route in south east London today causing a number of cyclists to puncture in what appears to have been a deliberate attempt to target people riding bikes, road.cc has learnt.
Emergency legislation aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus virus allows people to undertake outdoor exercise, including cycling, provided they do so alone or with household members.
We've reported previously about unofficial signs being erect in rural areas seeking to discourage people from riding through villages.
This is the first time, however, that we have seen an apparent attempt to disrupt people riding bikes by causing them to puncture.
Claire, who supplied the above picture, took ir when she was out cycling in Beckenham, south east London, today and said that she intends to report the incident to the Metropolitan Police.
She told road.cc: “My boyfriend and I were cycling north along South Eden Park Road (A214) in Beckenham this afternoon, and passed half a dozen cyclists on the pavement, mending punctures, mostly on the southbound side of the road.
“Just before we got to the roundabout (where the road meets Monks Orchard Road), we saw four cyclists picking up drawing pins (photo attached), who told us someone had scattered tacks across the road
“It must have happened a few minutes before we got there at 14.43. That road is used by lots of cyclists as it’s the quickest route out of the city from South-East London.
“Obviously, it’s dangerous – and scary – as it could have caused a cyclist to have a serious accident at a time when the emergency services are stretched.”
She added: “I’m planning to report it to the Met via their ‘report a road traffic incident’ form.”
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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35 comments
Tacks don't discriminate. I would imagine that they could puncture the tyres of key workers returning home from a long shift or those travelling to work.
A doctor or nurse could get a puncture and be late for work meaning their team is short-staffed which, however unlikley, could then lead to an unnessary death.
Small actions can have large consequences. Do things born of hope not hate.
I blame Rishi Sunak. He did warn that his Coronavirus measures would result in more tacks.
And now we know that Little Ballington parish council cycle-haters read this site, can we expect the same greeting there?
The tacks could puncture a car tyre as well bear in mind. I used to go that way regularly taking my son and his team mates to football games when he played for a local team.
Who ever would scatter tacks on a road has something not quite right in the head IMHO.
On the bright side the Bethlem is really close by in case the perpetrator wishes to voluntary admit themselves or be admitted under Section 136 of the MH Act.
Imaging being so stupid as to think that people riding bikes on their own spread the virus, and at the same time so cowardly that, rather than stand outside your house shouting nonsense at them, you scatter some drawing pins in the road and watch the riders puncture from behind your net curtains.
Odds on this prat has shared pics of this with friends. Hope they get dobbed in.
Perhaps it's a meme (in the classic sense of an informational/cultural virus-analogue rather than a kewl picture of a kitten), and that parish councillors are particularly sensitive...
Unbelievable...what if the health professional looking after your sick relative had an accident due to this stupid action? I suggest the MET consult any CCTV and trace the lunatic responsible.
Maybe the mentality is that:
health professionals = heroes and people
cyclists = villains and non-humans
With no overlap
My wife and I cycled along that road, southbound, less than an hour before. She is an NHS doctor.
Damn cyclists panting coronavirus past my house, I know let's give them punctures....
Damn cyclists standing outside my house fixing punctures....
I was about to post something similar. All they have done is ensured cyclists are now congregating on the pavement outside of lots of houses and sweating and touching walls and such.
I passed that road a couple of hours later. People fighting to save (their) lives whilst in isolation, going out of they're way to put peoples lives in danger...what is the message, I struggle to interpret.
I struggle to interpret your post.
I reckon that's gone through an algorithmic translator from another language.
I think they meant:
I passed that road a couple of hours later. I don't understand the actions of people who are fighting to save their own lives whilst in isolation then going out of their way to put other peoples lives in danger.
(or alternatively, they're a really badly written bot...).
If you're going to be pedantic...
I don't know - is that being pedantic or is it being specific and clarifying the purpose of the sentence?
other people's lives....if you're really going to be pedantic
I did think it was a bot.
I did read it wrongly then as I thought it was (another) attack on cyclists, moaning that cyclists were going out of their way to be adjacent to people fighting for their lives.
You might be right - I might be being too generous...
Struggling to see how this could result in a serious accident. It really not analogous with concrete blocks that would be piano wire that has been used on cycle paths in a couple of stories I recall on here.
Front tyre goes down suddenly, rider makes unexpected dismount, injury varying in severity from bruised ego to fell on a load of thumb tacks to death... I guess.
I've had loads of punctures over the years. I've had tyres go to nothing in 15- 20 seconds. I've never felt in danger of anything as a result.
Not concrete blocks as such, but a front blowout at speed with a car close passing......= Serious Accident.
I have read about blowouts where the whole tube explodes due to the valve, inner tube pinch, sidewall failure. I'm not clear how a simple sharp could have the same effect, otherwise none of us would risk cycling surely ?
In most cases a simple sharp would not. However we are talking about multiple "simple sharps" and also a metal head stuck in the tyre which would also reduce traction as well.
Anecdotally on blowouts. I had a big blowout the other month where the tube came through a split in the sidewall and pinch flatted instantly. I was travelling at 25mph on a flat section of road but it was luckily the back tire which is more stable so retained control. If it had happened on the front wheel it might have been a different story though.
Google is such a useful tool.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/...
At what level of potential lethality in booby traps do you draw the line?
I don't think a peleton at 60kph is really equivalent to the suburbs here. No doubt people are travelling 20m apart or so as per roadcc guidelines.
I have had glass, stone, bit of metal I've even ended up with a screw in my tyre. If you really think the risk outcome is that high then it surely it is best to avoid cycling as getting a puncture is a given.
Your argument seems to be that punctures cannot lead to serious injury. I have found one article in 30 seconds on Google that demonstrates different.
TdF may not be exactly the same, but have you considered that the injuries caused by crashing as a result of punctures in the normal course of cycling by normal people with normal bike handling abilities simply go unremarked and certainly unreported? Also the differences in puncturing a tubular or tubeless compared to what can be quite a more immediate failure of a tube.
But to answer my question. What level of potential lethality in a booby trap is acceptable to you? Especially at this time where most people are being super careful not to add strain to NHS A&E departments?
Hmm, yes, things should be kept in perspective.
Intent to cause criminal damage maybe?
The definition of Criminal Damage: The Criminal Damage Act 1971 classifies criminal damage as: 'A person who, without lawful excuse, destroys or damages any property belonging to another, intending to destroy or damage any such property, or being reckless as to whether any such property would be destroyed or damaged. '
Or obstruction of the highway?
Section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 says that “if a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence”. The penalty for this offence is a fine and not imprisonment.
I'm not a lawyer so am not sure whether the conditions here could be met - I just did a quick google search or two. Wonder if Mark Hambleton would have a view?
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