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Video: Motorists force their way onto roads closed for RideLondon
Last weekend’s RideLondon route went past Kristian Sturt’s house. At about 6.15pm on the day of the ride, he heard swearing, shouting and beeping outside. Despite the road being closed, motorists decided they’d had enough of waiting and went through the barricade, arguing with the young marshal who tried to stop them.
Sturt said that roads in the local area were advertised as being closed for about a month leading up to the event. On the days leading up to it, there were signs every 200 metres.
Roads were supposed to be closed between 7am and 7pm, but by 6.20pm some motorists had grown so frustrated that they decided to take matters into their own hands.
In Sturt’s video, a man can be seen angrily throwing cones out of the way while the marshal retrieves them. Whenever there’s a gap, motorists drive through – even if it’s on the wrong side of the road. One of them is a driving instructor.
A bystander helps the marshal gather the cones and once they’re back in place, the cone-throwing man returns in his car, pulling up on the wrong side of the road.
He is adamant that the road should have opened at 6pm and takes it upon himself to start removing the cones again. “All the other roads are open,” he says with some conviction.
As bystanders attempt to back up the marshal, other drivers join the argument. (We can only presume that robust debate continued until 7pm when the road was officially due to reopen.)
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- Hirsute 1 hour 23 min ago
Radar tells me their closing speed, if they are slowing and how far away. Then I decide to say a prayer. The change of light pattern is incidental.
- lonpfrb 1 hour 43 min ago
Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
- lonpfrb 2 hours 9 min ago
No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
- TheBillder 2 hours 55 min ago
In that £1000 exactly scenario, beginners should probably be made aware that pedals will be extra.
- don simon fbpe 3 hours 23 min ago
What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
- chrisonabike 4 hours 4 min ago
The relatives might of course disagree, but in general I'd countenance a relatively light sentence* if only we could fix it so that those who...
- ktache 4 hours 43 min ago
Id forgotten that I got a second hand set of project two's for my getting to work bike over twenty years back.
- Veganpotter 5 hours 40 min ago
My bet is that all these tires popping off are from people with bad pressure gauges or they're simply just putting too much air in on purpose. ...
- chrisonabike 6 hours 56 min ago
David9694 - you were right! These new autonomous vehicles really are conspiring to run out of control!...
Add new comment
52 comments
Sad, if it’s cyclists and horses on open roads it’s mainstream news, this should be on major news channels. Like the idea of stingers, nice big warning sign and then...
hopefully they will use something a bit heavier next year
Honestly cannot remember the last time I ever travelled by train...
Am I the only one who looks at the ticket clerk blankly when ordering a return ticket and they ask where to?
Back bloody here you dumbshit muppet!!!
I believe that they are asking for you intermediate destination and are sufficiently intelligent to understand that you would like to return to your current location at a later time. It is a shame that your underestimation of others intelligence leads you to anger so quickly. There are courses available to manage that.
Whoosh!
As for the video clip hawkinspeter, I have seen it, the only way that you'll know that I'm ignoring it is by telling you that I'm ignoring it and I refuse to make any comment, which is difficult because the only way that you know that I've seen it and am not commenting is by commenting.
Anyway, see the other thread where I clearly state that I have no bikes.
I didn't actually say that it was your bike.
Glad to see you taking the higher ground, though.
You've lost me... What video? I haven't seen it, so I can't comment on the bike.
I once bought a return train ticket and had no intention of going back!
I watched a great documentary on how the old steam engines were put together. Riveting!
Tim Vine?
An adapted Stewart Francis one-liner.
You absolute bastard. People like you should be strung up.
Sometimes its cheaper than buying a single but that's another debate.
You never see this kind of behaviour whe the London marathon is on so could it be the press demonising cyclists that causes these kind of issues.
As a side note I am a road runner and dont pay tax so failed argument.
Dont you just love warm southern charm!!
Ha! Got you! I pay tax and don't even have a bike!!!! What do you say to that then?
I reckon you're the kind of guy who'd sneak out of an all-you-can-eat restaurant before you're full.
Hell yeah! I'll show them who's boss...
Wasn't there something in the news a few weeks ago, where a woman was trying to drive through the Plymouth half marathon (IIRC)?
I wonder if the marshall didn't look official enough? They could have given him a stiff brimmed peaked cap and epaulettes and some sort of baton/stick: bet the motorists would have understood that. Oh, and one of those stingers I see the police using on cr@p Channel 5 programmes that I definitely don't watch out of choice... that would have sorted things out sharpish
(Actually, seriously, why couldn't they use stingers?
)
Perhaps we should get some French Gendarmes in; reckon they'd subdue that lot in seconds.
You clearly didn't watch the TDF this year! They were even in on it, pulling Froome from his bike.
Whilst pepper spraying any riders and the marshall?
IQ_after = IQ_before / MoneySpentOnCars
?
Self-entitled vigilante a*holes that believe they are more important than everyone else's safety
Idiots making their point, after all, they pay for the roads don't they...
No surprises.Try marshalling any road race.The last one i marshalled a local farmer decided to drive his tractor in front of the race.You could advertise a closed road for a year and it still wouldnt be enough notice.
I would love to buy every single one of those standing up against those drivers a pint.
At least the actual ride was over. At West Kensington, a car burst through the bollards by the 3 Kings into North End Rd and across us cyclists despite th3 best efforts of the two stewards.
We can at least hope that with such good quality footage that at least those 3 or 4 drivers that ignore the "road closed" sign are subsequently prosecuted for dangerous driving.
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