Cyclists on TV 17.02.11 - The One Show 7pm

[HLaB]

Missed it; is it worth catching it on iplayer later?

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Disappointing I thought. Same old diversions of cyclists never stop at red lights, cyclists don't have number plates, cyclists versus car drivers (instead of good road users versus bad ones). Nothing was achieved I'm afraid.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

On the one hand it's good to raise awareness about the dangers posed by vehicles to traffic but I don't think any of those drivers who might be thinking about making the switch from 4 wheels to 2 would feel encouraged about changing after watching that. It made cycling seem like warfare when many of us would say that, yes, sometimes it can feel like warfare but most of the time it's about getting on with each other in a shared space - there's lots of room for humour and courtesy. I think that the last 2 thousand miles I've cycled have all been done in London - and cycling is still fun.

(I had to do a car-bound trip up to the West End today and I think I averaged about 6mph in the car. Cycling is certainly infinitely more enjoyable than driving.)

 

[gaz]

Gaz, which bit was your video?

They didn't use any of my stuff.

Rather than showing loads of cyclists jumping red lights they could have used some of my undertaking left turning lorries/busses and actually said something EDUCATIONAL to silly cyclists!!

But on the plus side, what Martin and the officer that runs road safe had to say was spot on!

 

[thomas]

They didn't use any of my stuff.

Probably best. It's a bit too tame

Must say, hadn't seen some of the videos they showed, which is unusual, haha.

Rather than showing loads of cyclists jumping red lights they could have used some of my undertaking left turning lorries/busses and actually said something EDUCATIONAL to silly cyclists!!

But on the plus side, what Martin and the officer that runs road safe had to say was spot on!

I thought he might whittle on a little bit, but actually his bit was good.

 

[ufkacbln]

The good news is that the choice of videos was unequivocally appalling driving - no doubts about what had happened or the factthe drivers were at fault!

 

[ferret fur]

I thought it was about as sympathetic as this sort of thing is going to get. After all Griff Rhys-Jones and the presenter were both presented as car driver/cyclists which is never a bad thing. But if you wanted an example of why jumping red lights is selfish & counter productive to those of us who cycle this was it.

 

[Tinytwin]

It is regrettable that rather harsh words such as the "war" between cyclists and motorists, and cyclists "fighting back" were used. The end comment about drivers and cyclists learning to live side-by-side defused the issue a little. I was pleased to see that the programme put more emphasis on bad driving skills, than on bad behaviour from cyclists. Much of it was video clips taken of potentially lethal situations. - so much so, that my stomach curled after seeing each bad manoevre. One thing I would have liked the programme to have pointed out was that when a motorist does something stupid, someone else could get killed; when a cyclist jumps a red light, he has only himself to blame if he is hurt (or worse); a car is a lethal weapon; a bicycle (as far as I am aware) has not yet killed anyone. I hope this programme is the beginning: of cyclists being presented in the news in a fairer light.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Seeing MT's close shave with the tanker in technicolour, and seeing Mrs CP's reaction when I told her the driver was NOT prosecuted, was something else.

I really ought to get a camera. I don't get many close OTs, as I have a mirror, and usually see them/anticipate their line before they get to me. But I have had two VERY CLOSE calls with cars overtaking on my side of the road and forcing me off onto the verge.

 

[thomas]

It is regrettable that rather harsh words such as the "war" between cyclists and motorists, and cyclists "fighting back" were used. The end comment about drivers and cyclists learning to live side-by-side defused the issue a little. I was pleased to see that the programme put more emphasis on bad driving skills, than on bad behaviour from cyclists. Much of it was video clips taken of potentially lethal situations. - so much so, that my stomach curled after seeing each bad manoevre. One thing I would have liked the programme to have pointed out was that when a motorist does something stupid, someone else could get killed; when a cyclist jumps a red light, he has only himself to blame if he is hurt (or worse); a car is a lethal weapon; a bicycle (as far as I am aware) has not yet killed anyone. I hope this programme is the beginning: of cyclists being presented in the news in a fairer light.

Yes, well, people cycling have killed people. Much rarer though!!

 

[magnatom]

I haven't managed to see it yet. When I got in I forgot to set the recorder and I was busy helping to feed children at the time it was on. As soon as it is available on iPlayer I'll have a watch. Sounds like it is ok, but we certainly need to get rid of this image of there being a 'war' and it being 'cyclist v's driver'.

 

[Tynan]

I've just found my lost muvi on thr floor, which ia shame as it's been a busy week, culminating a rather Magna emergency stop coming down a long wet hill at 25mph towards a car waiting to run right across me that decides he can't wait any longer and goes way after the point i could have stopped, old school fish tailling of a locked rear with a genuine howl from me, he just cleared my path as I arrived at about 10mpg

Of late rlj from cars in the outer burbs of my route seems to be endemic, I get great amusement at pullng up and raising my eyebrows at the cars that do stop

erm no, I didn't see it

 

[mumbo jumbo]

Missed it. And it doesn't seem to be available on iPlayer. Does anyone have another link?

 

[HLaB]

Missed it. And it doesn't seem to be available on iPlayer. Does anyone have another link?

It will be on iplayer but not yet; I missed it too.

 

[joebingo]

Just watched it. A pretty good piece, I thought. It ended on a good note. They brought up RLJ and number plates, which is annoying but understandable - RLJing is a problem, and a lot of people think that us having number plates will do something (quite what, I don't know), so fair reporting.

What it did show really well, was the massive difference between cyclists being idiots (Oh, there's a cyclist there now, I'd better slow down for a microsecond), and drivers being idiots (Oh, I almost died and there would have been nothing I could have done).