Death Wish!

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Spasspecker

Active Member
Location
Margate, Kent
Is it just the paper boys/ girls of Thanet that seem to have got fed up with living? It doesn't matter how many I pass on my cycle into work every day but they all seem to wear the same uniform..... A bike with no lights or reflectors and as dark a colour clothing as they can find. It scares me every day!
I'm sure the parents of these kids usually do everything in their power to keep them safe but for some reason are happy to send them out amongst the traffic in the mornings basically invisible!
 

sidevalve

Über Member
Just part of the "it's somebody else's responsibility" society we live in today. Strangely many of the parents would also be straight on the ball to claim "compensation" if anything happened to their little darlings, although how money can "compensate" for the loss of a child has always eluded me.
 
I think it's kids everywhere, and for most of us (many of us) it is as we were at a similar age.

Better that these little tykes are out and about getting some exercise and seeing the sun come up.

A paper round is hard work for little reward.

I like to think I'd police my offspring and ensure they had their lights on and so on... but I don't when they go to cadets, band practice, friends' houses, footie training and so on... so in truth I probably wouldn't.

I am strongly in favour of lights on bicycles and I quite like my issue to wear bright colours when riding... although too much reflective gear seems more about fashion and conspicuous membership of HSE Anonyomus than about being seen.

Road sense is a good box to tick, but as these little monsters in Thanet seem to be surviving their near-invisibility, they seem to have that.

Good for them! They are out on bicycles when many their age are sleeping off last night's X-Box session fighting a pretend war against pretend baddies in a pretend world.
 

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
There's a cycling "paperboy" who's about 50 years old who i often have to avoid while driving to work. He's easy to spot as he wears a fluorescent workmans coat, but he takes risks, and puts other road users as risk by his riding on the right of the road,pulling out in front of oncoming traffic etc. I've seen him manoeuvre onto a busy A road when motorists would've held back he's that crazy!:ohmy:
 

DRHysted

Guru
Location
New Forest
When I was running newsagents, we were also responsible for checking they had working lights. When it got dark I'd always have to make a couple of them walk their rounds before the message got through.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Mate of mines in his 70's and does a paper round and he despairs as none of the kids have lights.

Any child of mine will have lights and use them of the bike will end up on eBay with all profits going to charity (ie, me).
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I thought most paper boys/girls were on the pavement anyway....:whistle: and if they have no lights it's probably where I'd rather they were.
 

Sandra6

Veteran
Location
Cumbria
I'm fed up of having the same conversation with parents buying lights for kids at work.
"These lights will be ok won't they?" hands over the cheapest, tiniest lights in the shop.
"Well, it depends. Do you have other lights on your bike aswell?"
"Other lights? no."
"Well, these are really more of a back up light, so you can have a constant light and then these as a flasher to make you more visible. Or to clip on to your helmet. And if one fails, you've got a back up"
Blank look.
"It's usually a question of whether you want to see, or be seen. But personally I wouldn't rely on just these. I can talk you through the full range and see what we can find you"
"oh, it's just for my son/daughter to do their paper round. They don't really ride on the road. I don't want to spend a lot of money. It'll be ok"
"Fine, who wants to keep their kids safe anyway?"
Ok, I don't say that outloud, but it's only a matter of time.
 

Chris S

Legendary Member
Location
Birmingham
A bike with no lights or reflectors and as dark a colour clothing as they can find.

I think you'll find that they are commonly known as 'Ninja cyclists'.
 
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