It’s time to put brakes on antisocial cyclists
January 12, 2007
Brian Hennigan had a wonderful rant against what he described as antisocial cyclists in Tuesday’s Edinburgh Evening News.
He targeted:
- Pavement cycling: “If you don’t have stabilisers on, the road is the only place we should find you whizzing along”.
- Running red lights: “Apart from anything else, your invisibility to other road-users might just be proven in a way you did not envisage”.
- Those who cycle where it is prohibited: “one day someone is going to get fed-up with your selfish behaviour and you will be amazed how far you can travel without a bicycle when someone jams a stick in your rear-wheel”.
- Stealth ninja cyclists: “Cycling without lights at night is not some environmentally courageous way of showing how you and the owls are as one; it’s a way of being on a bicycle that says: “I don’t care about anyone else other than myself”.
- And of course, helmets: “Anyone who thinks pedalling au naturale is fine deserves whatever non-indicating delivery van might lie in their future”.
I found myself agreeing with every point and it made a refreshing change to read a well written rant (compare it to Erin Baker’s awful Telegraph piece from last November).
January 14, 2007 at 6:46 pm
I saw it to and posted about it here. I think its the best statement out there so far. As more bikes hit the streets, biker confrontations rather than those with cagers will be the main obstacle to a civil public environment.
January 14, 2007 at 7:56 pm
This is a great piece. Thanks for posting the link.
January 17, 2007 at 12:54 pm
I thought this post was ironic. And then I read it again and realised that it is meant sincerely. Boy, am I glad that I don’t spend any time on the C+ forum…
January 18, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Are the above mentioned points for pedestrians aswell? I get more and more worried as larger numbers of those hit me on the street everyday.
January 25, 2007 at 2:11 am
You agree with a trolling journo that someone riding without a piece of polystyrene on their head “deserves” to be run into by a van driver?
Wow, the propaganda’s really getting to you.
February 11, 2007 at 2:19 am
Ah yes, the ole invisabilty factor. I personaly agree with this, and take it so far as to say that I will NEVER assume that someone can see me, it’s all in my own hands. Therefore, I will never arbitrarily run or stop at a light without looking first. Don’t make the mistake of comlatency by legal right. I work as a courier, I’m still pretty new at it, but if there is one thing that I have learned it’s that you have to be aware and make judgement based on whats safest (and sometimes fastest) for you, in spite of the law.
I don’t ever want my parents to have to sue some idiot who hit me and be able to win because I was legaly “right”
I’ll stay wrong and alive
NhattattacK