Cycling death on TV drama

[661-Pete]

Just watched the first episode of a serial called Single Father on BBC1, partly because I heard somewhere that it features a cyclist fatality. And so it did. Cyclist hit side-on by police car jumping the lights at speed.

I know, shouldn't really grumble, but I can't help feeling it reinforces the 'cycling is dangerous' mindset. Oh very well, OK cycling is dangerous when you take in all the facts. I just wish they'd chosen another way of causing the 'single father' to come to be.

Anyone else watch it?

 

[on the road]

I didn't see it but I don't have a problem with them having a cycling death in it, after all dramas supposed to be a reflection of what happens in the real world. Now if they had a cycling death every show then I would be concerned but if it's just a one off then I don't have a problem.

 

[PaulSB]

Well I watched it, because I enjoy David Tennant and the reviews were good, and would say the cycling death is irrelevant. The point of the young mother's death is the devastation it brings to the family and the consequences of her death in day to day life. Cycling isn't dangerous and this programme did nothing to suggest it was. People on cycles do get killed, as do motorcyclists, car drivers, railway passengers, airplane passengers etc. It was a just a method to widow the main character.

I suppose it made a point about police cars jumping red lights with only their lights on, no siren was heard, and highlights the irresponsibility of a police driver behaving in this manner. Presumably if a siren had been sounded it would have warned the cyclist and she wouldn't have sailed gaily through the junction? I did feel the cycling bit was rather romanticised, although I've never ridden in London, I don't imagine many people are able to ride around in the middle of the week the way this actor did?

 

[GordonB]

..........although I've never ridden in London, I don't imagine many people are able to ride around in the middle of the week the way this actor did?

According to the David Tennant website it's set in Glasgow.

Gordon

 

[661-Pete]

Having slept on it - perhaps you're right - the matter was treated quite sensitively, and is only a small part of the plot. I suppose my early reaction was "oh no not again" - like when you read of such a tragedy in real life - on this forum.

According to the David Tennant website it's set in Glasgow.

Gordon

Undoubtedly, from the accents of the characters!

Don't know whether I'll bother with watching the remainder - the plot seems to have developed on rather predictable lines - or maybe I'm getting cynical... If you're a David Tennant fan, forget the quirky humour of his Doctor Who...

 

[Jaguar]

I didn't watch it, but Mr J called me in saying "this is why you shouldn't ride a bike!"

He is, sadly, a very typical male driver (aggressive, speeding, RLJing you name it)

 

[661-Pete]

Just had a glance at the Guardian's review. Contains this:

The drama opens with harried middle-class Scottish couple Dave (David Tennant) and Rita (Laura Fraser) trying to get their kids off to school. All seems well enough, but we know it isn't, because the show is called Single Father and because Rita rides a bicycle to work.

Why the "because"? That bothers me a bit... is the character doomed because she's a cyclist?

 

[John the Monkey]

I suppose it made a point about police cars jumping red lights with only their lights on, no siren was heard, and highlights the irresponsibility of a police driver behaving in this manner. Presumably if a siren had been sounded it would have warned the cyclist and she wouldn't have sailed gaily through the junction? I did feel the cycling bit was rather romanticised, although I've never ridden in London, I don't imagine many people are able to ride around in the middle of the week the way this actor did?

Surely for verité, it should have been some pillock answering a text what done it? Certainly on the evidence of our offs in Commuting, very few of us have been hit by emergency vehicles.

IME Emergency vehicles can barely get through the traffic at the times I'm cycling - they'd be lucky to make 15mph.

 

[CopperBrompton]

OK cycling is dangerous when you take in all the facts.

No it's not. It's safer than driving.

 

[yello]

It's essential imho. It shows that those with "no insurance and who don't pay road tax" are actually human rather than figures to despise. Every cyclist is someone's mother/father/sister/brother etc etc etc.

 

[Jaguar]

Every cyclist is ....

... holding up the traffic and causing accidents. See, she just rammed that police car deliberately

 

[upsidedown]

Made me a bit extra paranoid this morning , didn't seem to bother the great van driving fraternity of Stourbridge too much though.

 

[taxing]

There are a lot of car crashes on TV, so I don't see why they shouldn't have a cyclist death. If it reminds drivers that cyclists are people too, maybe it'll do some good.

 

[2Loose]

I didn't watch it, but Mr J called me in saying "this is why you shouldn't ride a bike!"

He is, sadly, a very typical male driver (aggressive, speeding, RLJing you name it)

Show him the F1 grand prix crashes and say 'this is why you shouldn't drive'

 

[yello]

... holding up the traffic and causing accidents. See, she just rammed that police car deliberately

as equally there are cyclists that want to maintain the 'us and them' divide.