Following Cycling Mikey’s alleged altercation with a texting motorist, covered yesterday on the blog, more London cyclists have come forward with reports of their own run-ins with phone-wielding drivers:
The phone-using driver of this BMW X5 SUV pulled out in front of me on Kings Road, Chelsea on xmas eve. After politely challenging him, he punched me on the head with his hand, verbal abuse and as I was cycling away deliberately rammed me off the road. Driver arrested by Met. /1 pic.twitter.com/VL2ooYQYdH
— Nathan (@NathanP3333) January 14, 2022
Nathan’s story led another Twitter user to recall one particularly harrowing experience on the same road with a certain maverick Italian football manager:
Can't punch you with anything else. Claudio Ranieri nearly ran me over on Kings Road once. I stay away these days!
— Paul Cave (@CaveyYNWA) January 14, 2022
Going by the location, I assume this incident took place when Ranieri was in charge of Chelsea. Maybe the Tinker Man was too busy contemplating whether he should drop Damien Duff or not… Or perhaps he was texting his No. 8 to get him a coffee?
Great news - we’re exactly one month away from the stupidest day of the year!
But have no fear, as you can make the guilt-infested capitalist showpiece that is Valentine’s Day slightly more palatable with these rather brilliant ‘honest’ cycling-themed cards from Band of Climbers.
Although if you were really being honest with yourself, you would just go on your planned spin anyway and leave all of the unnecessary obligation to Hallmark. Have I made it clear how much I dislike Valentine’s Day?
A newly published study in the Journal of Transport Geography has claimed that people with a university degree are far more likely to cycle for transportation than other city dwellers.
The research, undertaken by Dr Ansgar Hudde at the University of Cologne, examined the socio-economic status of people who cycle to work, analysing over 800,000 journeys by 55,000 people between 1996 and 2018.
He found that, irrespective of age, gender and even location, individuals with college degrees were 50% more likely to ride bikes.
Dr Hudde’s study builds on earlier research which has shown that people choose their transport method based on travel time, cost, and its symbolic value – in essence, how others will perceive it.
Traditionally, this has been linked to motorists who buy large, expensive cars to signal their socio-economic standing - I'm sure we've all heard the old 'cyclist saving up to buy a car' joke - while also (perhaps unconsciously) pointing out that they don’t care that much about the environment.
“With the bicycle, it’s exactly the opposite,” Hudde claims.
“People with higher educational qualifications usually do not run the risk of being perceived as poor or professionally unsuccessful, even if they are on the road with an inexpensive bike. Rather, they can gain status by cycling.”
Riding a bike, according to the study, can also mark out an individual as “modern, health-conscious, and environmentally aware. In contrast, people with a lower level of education might be more likely to use an expensive car as a status symbol to show that they have ‘made it.’”
The growth in bike usage, Hudde argues, is therefore linked to rising education levels.
However, he believes that more should be done to encourage a wider demographic to cycle, and that the increase in cycling infrastructure in cities could actually exacerbate social inequality.
“We need targeted policies that reach those who stand aside from the current bike boom: people outside the bigger cities and with less education.”
So what do you think? Is bike riding as a mode of transport a status symbol intrinsically linked to your education?
A Victorian viaduct, derelict for over half a century, has been reopened for cyclists and walkers.
Bennerley Viaduct originally opened in 1877 and runs between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. It was closed due to railway cuts in 1968.
Despite several attempts by British Rail to demolish the “Iron Giant” – the only UK structure on the 2020 World Monuments Watch list – repairs to the viaduct have been under way since 1986.
We are open for business! The wait is over. After 54 years of closure, David Pemberton, director of Railway Paths (in orange) announces the works are complete. The Railway Heritage Trust (RHT) funded £560k of the Bennerley Viaduct project which has cost £1.7m. https://t.co/K8LlFvBnmn
— Bennerley Viaduct (@TheIronGiant_) January 12, 2022
While there were initial concerns over what the bridge would be used for, it was finally decided that a cycling and walking route would be installed.
The newly revamped Bennerley Viaduct was officially reopened yesterday, with Andy Savage from the Railway Heritage Trust the first person to cycle across it.
So, I was knocked off my bike on Sunday morning by a car driver turning right. He told the police he was very sorry but had the sun in his eyes. Police told my wife it was an unfortunate accident….1/n
— Martin Porter QC (@MartinPorter6) January 13, 2022
Yesterday on the live blog we featured another example of the kind of standard-fare, pointless cycling safety question posited by backbench MPs with the sole aim of shifting the onus of road safety on to the most vulnerable users.
Now, as the last week, or month, or years have shown, politicians may not feel that their opinions, attitudes, or indeed their actions have any real-life consequences. But judging by the experiences of barrister Martin Porter this week, after he was knocked off his bike by a motorist, some perceptions of cycling safety appear to align with those of the Honourable Member for Bosworth.
On Sunday Porter, who used to blog under the moniker ‘The Cycling Lawyer’, was hit by a motorist who was turning right and claimed the sun was in his eyes. Porter suffered two broken ribs and damage to his teeth.
What followed was a series of incidents which seem to underline the place of cycling and cyclists when it comes to road safety.
According to Porter, the police told his wife it was “an unfortunate accident”, and every clinician and dentist treating him inquired whether he was wearing a helmet.
Most tellingly, when Porter informed the hospital physiotherapist that he had broken his ribs before while out cycling, she apparently replied “and the moral is?” Blimey.
Of course, this is an isolated incident and certainly cannot be said to reflect general public opinion. But it does once again highlight the level of miscalculation in Transport for London’s controversial ‘See Their Side’ advert. Empathy, eh?
Londoners have been advised to avoid strenuous physical activity in the city today due to extremely high levels of pollution.
According to the government’s forecast pollution levels will reach band 10 on the Air Quality Index, the highest level on the scale.
A combination of light winds and an intense area of high pressure currently covering western Europe has resulted in a lack of air movement across the city, which means emissions from motor vehicles and other pollutants will linger in the air for longer and won’t be as easily blown away.
Older people and those with heart or lung problems have been warned not to undertake strenuous physical activity, while even healthy people should “reduce physical exertion, particularly outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms such as a cough or sore throat”.
So who will suffer the most from these extremely high levels of pollution caused by massive car congestion? That’s right, cyclists.
Cycling commentator and writer Ned Boulting summed up the paradox at the heart of the government’s advice:
Told by the authorities to be careful today when I have to cycle into town for a meeting. This is because of the pollution from motor vehicles. If you are driving today in London, please consider whether you have any alternatives.
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) January 14, 2022
I really have no idea. I guess they think I should drive?
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) January 14, 2022
In effect, the government’s advice seems to boil down to: “Maybe best not to cycle into work today because of all the car fumes. Could you drive instead?”
The Guardian’s Peter Walker had another solution:
For avoidance of doubt, I'm not *actually* advocating this, but in a more just world, on days like this, the 2/3 of people in my borough without cars should be allowed the physical activity of building permeable barriers on their streets and tossing the keys to SUVs down drains. pic.twitter.com/eJO55UT2p0
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) January 14, 2022
This week London’s mayor Sadiq Khan said car use in the city had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels and that “if we do not double down on our efforts to deliver a greener, more sustainable future, we will replace one public health crisis with another – caused by filthy air and gridlocked roads.”
Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, was even more blunt: "Londoners are literally stewing in their own juice with our own fumes trapped in still air for days. It is a stark reminder of how much we need to reduce building emissions as well as traffic emissions. Please do not burn wood on Friday!"