It's been another proud day for pedestrian rights. 84 year-old Lady Sharples clouted a red-light jumping cyclist with her handbag today and if the tone of the Evening Standard was anything to go by was quietly supported by their Political Correspondent.
I'm against cyclists who run red lights and I'm tired of those cyclists who attempt to justify doing so. That said in this case there's no excuse for people to start attacking cyclists. Imagine if he'd fallen from his bike into the path of a car?
Lady Sharples was indignant saying she'd "not hit him hard enough"
It's a sad day when pedestrians feel such animosity towards cyclists that they resort to physical violence. I remember once waiting on my bike at the junction between Waterloo Bridge, The Strand and Aldwych (a red light running paradise) and being shouted at by another cyclist for not jumping the red light! I had ridden between two busses and was waiting in the "apron" for bikes preventing Mr Very Important from beating the traffic to the next junction. There should be a Cadburys Caramel Bunny at every junction just reminding people to "take it easy".
Let's be honest we're mainly talking about male, Lycra-clad speed warriors who feel that they're not reaching their desination unless they are turning a 53x14 and passing everything in sight. That sort of cycling simply isn't appropriate in London's busy streets.
The incident has served to resurrect another daft idea: bicycle number plates. Like compulsory helmet wearing it's an idea guaranteed to put people off cycling in the capital. This new form of road rage is a metropolitan thing - the pressure, population density, busy roads and lack of civic pride reduce people to caged rats who eventually start to turn on each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment