Pale Rider
Legendary Member
As a cabinet minister, Grayling might have been travelling with a police protection officer who might have thought the safest course was not to hang around too long.
Chris Grayling doors a cyclist
- Thread starter growingvegetables
- Start date
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- cyclist
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deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
If so, it's a shame he didn't pick a safe course, and turned a potential danger into a real danger.
jefmcg
Guru
Have you watched the video? There are no police there. And Grayling spends a lot of time talking to the cyclist, he could have easily handed him a business card or said "I'm Chris Grayling, please call my constituency office if there is a problem"
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Nah. He put on a whiny voice and said, "My name is Corbyn, Jeremy Corbyn. Please call my constituency office. Hail Trotsky!"
Would've fooled me.
Would've fooled me.
Globalti
Legendary Member
I haven't read all the comments on here but what I hated about the video was the patronising over-long double handshake. I'd love to be able to hear what Grayling said but I'm guessing it was something like: "Terribly sorry old bean; hope no bad feelings? You were going a trifle too fast! Let's say no more about it eh?"
Dayvo
just passin' through
- Location
- 59° 50′ 5.55″ N, 10° 47′ 41.89″ E
You'd be surprised how many tories cycle in London, particularly to jobs at banks
It's easy when you've got your support vehicle behind you.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Actually, the cycle lane started back in Parliament Square and then abruptly vanishes for a while while the road is narrowed by those black barriers past Parliament and restarts again just ahead of where the collision occurred. Or they might have changed the layout yet again since my last ride in that area.
(Edit: I confused myself and they're heading TOWARDS Parliament Square. The lane also farks off and vanishes through the dodgy narrower bit in that direction, of course.)
Do you really think Grayling is being driven around central London in unlocked cars where any Tom Dick or Jeremy could pull him out, what with how popular he isn't? I don't, so I think the driver probably released the central locking for him.
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Pale Rider
Legendary Member
You assert there's no police presence, but the video shows someone inside the Grayling's car pulling the rear door shut after he got out.
So there were at least two people other than Grayling inside the car.
Could be anyone, the person in the back might have been his mistress, sorry, researcher.
For what it's worth, I doubt Grayling routinely travels with a police officer, not least because the transport brief is mundane so the minister responsible for it is unlikely to attract much interest from loonies/terrorists.
But were you responsible for his security, you might think it OK for him to have a few words with the cyclist, but probably best not to prolong the encounter any longer than absolutely necessary.
jefmcg
Guru
Seriously, you think that he might have a security detail that is protecting him by hiding in the back of the car and communicating with him telepathically?
There is no sign that the interaction was ended by anyone other than Grayling. And even he was bundled away by security, they could have left his assistant to exchange details - you know, the one who cowardly pockets his ID near the 50 second mark as the cyclist gets up and could read it.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I do actually know the C.I. responsible for parliamentary security. I'm surprised any of them are still breathing!
TreeHuggery
Senior Member
- Location
- brinsley
maybe their position in that role is deliberate?
Philhh
Active Member
Section42 road traffic act 1988-no person shall open or cause or permit to be opened any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger other road users- currently it's a criminal offence with a £1000 fine- thanks to today's guardian for that!which as far as I'm concerned means he's guilty
- Location
- London
mm - that is one hell of an assumption to be honest. Can you lipread?
jefmcg
Guru
It's obviously pure, if humorous, speculation, but the victim was reported quoting Grayling as saying he was going too fast. And surely he apologised, or at least expressed sorrow that cyclist ended up on the ground.
- Location
- London
Fair reply jef
This set up a debate on BBC Radio London by the way.
Yes the cyclist was entitled to be where he was.
And Grayling shouldn't have opened the door on him.
Or, if he did, say that the cyclist's speed was a factor - hard to imagine where cyclist speed would be a factor at all unless in a very controlled pedestrian environment.
In Grayling's defence he didn't exactly do a runner. Or get a flunky to handle the debate/interface with the cyclist.
This set up a debate on BBC Radio London by the way.
Yes the cyclist was entitled to be where he was.
And Grayling shouldn't have opened the door on him.
Or, if he did, say that the cyclist's speed was a factor - hard to imagine where cyclist speed would be a factor at all unless in a very controlled pedestrian environment.
In Grayling's defence he didn't exactly do a runner. Or get a flunky to handle the debate/interface with the cyclist.
