Jon Snow / London VeliB-oris -R4 half an hour ago.

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sunnyjim

Senior Member
Location
Edinburgh
Just listening to Jon Snow + random WVM on R4 The World This W/E.

Message received:

Cycling on the road is dangerous. Lucky if you reach destination alive.
Cyclists are covered in hi-viz, arrogant, and get in the way.
City is not designed for cycling.
Cyclists get in the way - except the 'good' ones, who keep out of the way.
VeliB-oris bikes very heavy ('you'd be dead after 15 mins' & difficult to cycle. Probably dangerous.
Motorists are justified in thinking cyclists get in the way.


With friends like these...? - I pity the poor Londoners.
 

Ben1982

New Member
 

wafflycat

New Member
Obviously I'll be lying (again) or getting it 'out of context' (again) if I say I heard Jon Snow say in that programme, of folk new to cycling, that they won't be aware "...of quite how dangerous it is." Or if I say I heard him say that motorists are absolutely right to feel frustrated about cyclists as we're extremely badly behaved, or that of cars and bikes on roads, cars are "not a good mix with the bicycle" or that London streets are not designed for cycling as they are normal streets; how cyclists need to be cautious and aggressive (note, aggressive, not assertive). The thing was a picture of how dangerous cycling is and how badly behaved cyclists are and how we need to be separated from cars and able to jump red lights.

So there we have it, the president of the CTC publicly stating how dangerous cycling is and how bikes and cars should be separated (cars and bikes not a good mix) and how we should be able to jump red lights to turn left. Well, thanks. I've never felt the need to be aggressive when cycling. I'm assertive, yes, but never aggressive, which hints at being badly behaved rather than simply being confident about cycling. Nor do I cycle in a way that's badly behaved in I've never felt the need to jump a red light (on a left turn or any other) and if it was so damn dangerous as made out, I wouldn't want to get on a bike in the first place. Yes it can be hazardous, but there are ways to deal with the hazards, and there are a lot of benefits which outweigh said hazards, and how a new cyclist can pick up the skills to do this, and how there are reasons why cyclists might be cycling in the middle of the lane, and how most of the time, motorists aren't actually out to get us etc. etc. So how about putting across cycling in a positive light instead of emphasising how 'dangerous' it is? How about mentioning driver education? Adult cycle training? Health benefits? Fun? Yes, cycling usually is enjoyable! Yes, there's the odd hairy moment, but there's the odd hairy moment in life when not cycling too. Why on earth would a member of the public want to consider taking up cycling when the president of the CTC is telling them it's dangerous?

When Mr Snow came out with similar comments to what he's made in this programme, prior to taking up the presidency of the CTC and I queried this, I was made out to be a liar and a fool and of course he'd never have said such things... from various people and the bastards know who they are who made me out to be a liar back then. But I wasn't lying. And in this programme he is saying similar theme to what was said back then.
 

dondare

Über Member
Location
London
Not the best case for cycling in London or London cyclists. Someone should ask me if I consider it dangerous, if I feel compelled to break the Law or obstruct other traffic, they'd get a rather different picture.
 

Lurker

Senior Member
Location
London
.... Why on earth would a member of the public want to consider taking up cycling when the president of the CTC is telling them it's dangerous?...
Couldn't agree more. Talk about a missed opportunity to promote cycling, and explain to drivers like the van driver on the programme why people cycle well out in the lane. Has Jon Snow had cycle training? It sounded as if he could benefit from it.
 

wafflycat

New Member
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

http://www.dailymail...cle-safety.html

Copied below:-

"As figurehead of a society which represents the interests of Britain’s 20million cyclists, news presenter Jon Snow might be expected to set an example behind the handlebars.And indeed he does. A bad one.

Despite being a vocal campaigner for cycle safety, the 62-year-old flouts the rules with astonishing regularity.

Watched on his three-mile journey home from Channel 4 News’s office in central London, Snow committed at least 12 offences, risking hefty fines.

All of which might come as something of a surprise to the Cyclists’ Touring Club, which has 60,000 members and which made him its president in 2007 when he announced: ‘In particular I want to play a part in making cycling safer.’

Snow, who appeared on Radio 4’s The World This Weekend yesterday criticising motorists, was monitored last Wednesday evening as he left the office at 8pm following his evening bulletin.

For starters, he set off riding along the pavement, an offence which carries a £30 on-the-spot fine, rising to a possible £500 if dealt with by magistrates.

Fifty yards down the road, he charged past a line of waiting traffic to jump a red light and turn left into a single narrow lane of oncoming vehicles.

As he darted in and out of incoming traffic on his mountain bike in his suit, his ankle clips revealing his trademark fluorescent


socks, he seemed oblivious to the taxis and lorries thundering close by him. Further down the same road, he failed to stop at a box junction when an ambulance, with sirens blaring, approached from the left.


He instead chose to ride into the junction allowing the ambulance only a few feet to pass in front of him. Moments later, he jumped a red light. For some reason Snow decided to stop at the next red light ... but not for long.

Having waited for some 30 seconds, he had clearly had enough of hanging around and set out across the busy box junction regardless, with the light still on red.

Having developed an impressive head of steam, it is perhaps not surprising that he failed to stop when a pedestrian stepped out on to a zebra crossing, causing the man to shout in protest.


Snow, who was a judge of Transport for London’s Cyclesafer Challenge for three consecutive years, then stopped off to take part in a quiz in a bar, riding along the pavement to get there.

After a noisy evening, he appeared newly enlivened as he left for the last leg of his journey home to Primrose Hill, where he lives with his recent bride, AIDS researcher Precious Lunga, 35.


Several further incidents followed, including another ignored red light and Snow using a mobile phone and even apparently sending a text while steering one-handed.


As Snow is doubtless aware, careless cyclists can be fined up to £1,000 in court, while dangerous cycling attracts a fine of up to £2,500. He declined to comment last night."



The article has lots of pictures with it - including the amublance incident, apparent RLJing, pavement cycling, and what appears to be a distinct lack of lights whilst cycling at night (but that may be the angle of photography?)
 
Certainly some of the photos of red lights could have been taken as the lights turned red.

And the "pavement cycling" looks to me like he is just starting and stopping (which isn't good on its own, but isn't like the other problematic riders around).

Mobile call = no no.



In general - he is sounding like a bit of a prat...
 

Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
Wow. The Daily Mail REALLY hates cyclists don't they?

Regardless of what Jon did, they've obviously heard him talking on Radio 4, and someone high up has decided RIGHT we can't have someone pushing a pro-cycling agenda lets go after him!

Jon has clearly let us all down, but seriously what a bunch of nasty, insiduous, selfish little creeps the Daily Mail are.
 

Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
Oh and, I'm not a member of the CTC, but is Jon Snow's position there now utterly compromised?

Can we really have a figurehead of the UK's largest cycling pressure group who is a total stereotype of everything cyclist-haters hate about cyclists?
 

mark barker

New Member
Location
Swindon, Wilts
Can we really have a figurehead of the UK's largest cycling pressure group who is a total stereotype of everything cyclist-haters hate about cyclists?

He doesn't wear lycra! :tongue:

Oh and, I'm not a member of the CTC, but is Jon Snow's position there now utterly compromised?
Probably... So, will the CTC stand by their man, or will he be umped before the end of the week? If he is, any suggestions for his replacement?
 
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