Cyclists on TV 17.02.11 - The One Show 7pm

[AndyB]

Here is a link to it on iPlayer.

 

[sheddy]

Starts at 2mins in

 

[Jezston]

we certainly need to get rid of this image of there being a 'war' and it being 'cyclist v's driver'.

Yeah but that wouldn't be as dramatic and exciting.

 

[magnatom]

I've just watched that, and whilst it wasn't terrible it still leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Citing this as a war/battle/fight etc just adds more fuel to the fire.


There is no, battle between cyclists and drivers. It does not exist.


The vast, VAST majority of my interactions with drivers are positive. In fact yesterday I had at least 4 occasions where I thanked or was thanked by another road user. As I tried to get across on the Five live interview is that the battle is against bad road users, and I think this is where our focus needs to go, and exactly why it is important that we make sure cyclists clean up their act as well.

I've heard many cyclists say, 'what's the point in stopping at reds etc... it does no-one any harm'. Yes it does. It perpetuates the us v's them mentality. The more non-cyclists see cyclists breaking the rules the more they feel anger towards us as a group. The problem with RLJing and pavement cycling is it is very visible, and so it is easy to incorrectly conclude that all cyclists do it.

So to change that focus, we have to accept that RLJing, pavement cycling (I know this is a tough one as I can understand why some do it) is wrong and stop the petty arguments surrounding it.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't use my camera as a weapon against drivers, it is a weapon against bad road user, whoever they may be, and that on occasion includes me.

 

[GlasgowGaryH]

Personally if I was a car driver watching that I would of thought more of cyclists RLJ than how to get along with cyclists on the road

 

[Bodhbh]

Hrmm I'm getting Deja vu all over again. Wasn't almost the exact same feature with the same video clips on about 2-3 weeks ago? I'm not sure where, BBC London News or Breakfast TV or something.

 

[magnatom]

Hrmm I'm getting Deja vu all over again. Wasn't almost the exact same feature with the same video clips on about 2-3 weeks ago? I'm not sure where, BBC London News or Breakfast TV or something.

To be fair, I was surprised that the One Show went ahead with this as a similar feature was shown on BBC breakfast a couple of weeks back. My tanker footage was shown in both.

 

[magnatom]

Does anyone know how to get this into youtube? It seems to have protection when you download it.

 

[her_welshness]

<br />To be fair, I was surprised that the One Show went ahead with this as a similar feature was shown on BBC breakfast a couple of weeks back. My tanker footage was shown in both.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

I suppose as others have mentioned its cheap to make. I'm not surprised that your tanker footage was shown, yours and the poor chap that got hit on the roundabout are the most shocking and appalling videos that I've seen. It's both the impact and proximity that appals.

I agree with you in that its not a battle, and it should never be expressed as such - people are f*cking discourteous and value life as cheap. My husband works in the loading bay of one of the towers in Canary Wharf. A packaging lorry was reversing into said loading bay when one cyclist thought it would be OK to sneak past the lorry. Que much shouting from security staff, the lorry driver thought he had actually killed the cyclist. Security staff march up to cyclist, they all have RFID tags on their bikes which they swipe to gain access, it gets cut off his bicycle and he is instructed to park his bicycle outside. Cyclist goes ballistic at my husband and the other staff and goes upstairs to wail and complain.

Result? Cyclist received a final written warning from his employers and he is no longer allowed to park his bike in the building.

 

[HLaB]

Does anyone know how to get this into youtube? It seems to have protection when you download it.

Look here

 

[magnatom]

Look here

Jolly good!

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Just looked at it again, and it was a lot better than I remembered it after the first time.

 

[beanzontoast]

I've just watched that, and whilst it wasn't terrible it still leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Citing this as a war/battle/fight etc just adds more fuel to the fire.


There is no, battle between cyclists and drivers. It does not exist.


The vast, VAST majority of my interactions with drivers are positive. In fact yesterday I had at least 4 occasions where I thanked or was thanked by another road user. As I tried to get across on the Five live interview is that the battle is against bad road users, and I think this is where our focus needs to go, and exactly why it is important that we make sure cyclists clean up their act as well.

I've heard many cyclists say, 'what's the point in stopping at reds etc... it does no-one any harm'. Yes it does. It perpetuates the us v's them mentality. The more non-cyclists see cyclists breaking the rules the more they feel anger towards us as a group. The problem with RLJing and pavement cycling is it is very visible, and so it is easy to incorrectly conclude that all cyclists do it.

So to change that focus, we have to accept that RLJing, pavement cycling (I know this is a tough one as I can understand why some do it) is wrong and stop the petty arguments surrounding it.

Realistically, the arguments will go on.

While the rlj-ing and pavement cycling continues, it gives motorists reason to complain. While some motorists continue to have a negative attitude towards cyclists, cyclists will continue to complain about their attitude and driving.

It may well be that a rule-breaking minority causes generalisations in the media of an 'us v's them' kind, but unless and until 'bad' cycling and 'bad' driving are done away with (and I can't see how this will ever happen; those breaking the rules know they are doing it already), the fuel for the arguments will be plentiful.

Unintentionally - and I fully accept you use your helmet cam defensively - the increasing media attention given to on-road video, as well as exposing incidents in an educational sense, also serves to fuel the debate and further polarise opinion.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Unintentionally - and I fully accept you use your helmet cam defensively - the increasing media attention given to on-road video, as well as exposing incidents in an educational sense, also serves to fuel the debate and further polarise opinion.

Because the media never mention the clips most of us post of bad cyclists, including Gaz's Silly Cyclists series. If they did that, it would prevent them from perpetuating this "war" myth that helps them keep their ratings up.

 

[skudupnorth]

I've just watched that, and whilst it wasn't terrible it still leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Citing this as a war/battle/fight etc just adds more fuel to the fire.


There is no, battle between cyclists and drivers. It does not exist.


The vast, VAST majority of my interactions with drivers are positive. In fact yesterday I had at least 4 occasions where I thanked or was thanked by another road user. As I tried to get across on the Five live interview is that the battle is against bad road users, and I think this is where our focus needs to go, and exactly why it is important that we make sure cyclists clean up their act as well.

I've heard many cyclists say, 'what's the point in stopping at reds etc... it does no-one any harm'. Yes it does. It perpetuates the us v's them mentality. The more non-cyclists see cyclists breaking the rules the more they feel anger towards us as a group. The problem with RLJing and pavement cycling is it is very visible, and so it is easy to incorrectly conclude that all cyclists do it.

So to change that focus, we have to accept that RLJing, pavement cycling (I know this is a tough one as I can understand why some do it) is wrong and stop the petty arguments surrounding it.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't use my camera as a weapon against drivers, it is a weapon against bad road user, whoever they may be, and that on occasion includes me.

Very true.I drove in for the past two days after getting fed up a bit with bad driving only to get the same sort of crap whilst in my car ! Where has good road sense and general thought for other road users gone ? I just kept thinking this morning cyclists have no chance against the small minority of idiots who cause so much grief.
Back on the bike after my "rest" next week just in case anyone thinks i lost my mojo !