Negative BBC Radio Segment on Cycling

[OldSkoolKona]

Sorry to post this as a newbie on cyclechat, but this has so incensed me I had to raise it here.

On Monday, I was listening to the radio on the way into work (had to drive in) and I was aghast at a segment on BBC Radio London about cycling and the comments from one of the presenters.

The background was an initiative in Southwark in London by the Met and TFL to have cyclists sit in the cab of a lorry - good enough idea and good to have the coverage on the radio. However, one of the presenters, JoAnne Good, used this as a platform to have a go at cyclists.

You can listen to it online now here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/london/aod.shtml?london/breakfast_mon

For those of you that don't want to bore yourself with the whole broadcast, here are some of the clinkers. (timings are time into the show as given on the player)

01:38 This is about when I tuned in
JoAnne – They are [cyclists], sorry I’m not generalising, yes I am, foulmouthed and very angry but I’ve said that a million times I won’t go into it.
Paul Ross – Not all cyclists though. If you’re a cyclist, give us a call. This isn’t turning into an anti-cycling rant.
JoAnne – Well, it might do

01:47 The infamous lorry caller - take care around Wimbledon for this guy!!!
JoAnne – Lets go to a lorry driver. Graham’s called us from Wimbledon Morning Graham.
Caller – Good morning Jo
Paul – So have you ever had a collision with a cyclist?
Caller – Yes, I drive for a living. I drive [some type of lorry] and I’ve got mirrors everwhere. [....] I was driving along this straight road. I saw this cyclist in front of me, about 100yds, and I caught up with him at the roundabout. I started to proceed over the roundabout and nearly got completed when the cyclist just decided to turn right.
Paul Ross – So he was crossing in front of you then?
Caller – Yes
JoAnne – That’s like David and Goliath, what a ridiculous thing to do
Caller – Well I class him as a professional cyclist
JoAnne – Oh yeah, the helmet and the day glo and the little tap shoes
Caller – [...] with wrap round sunglasses and I’m sure he had head phones on because he definitely didn’t know I was there. I knocked, I didn’t thank God knock him because if I did he wouldn’t be here today but I knocked his bike, he went flying and he actually enpierced (sic) himself on the handlebar. So he eventually came out of hospital. I can understand how lorry drivers are getting a bad name, but its not always their fault.
Paul Ross – And how long was he in hospital for?
Caller – About two, maybe three weeks
JoAnne – Well thank you very much for that Graham, let that be a lesson.

02:11 After a text message from a cyclist"]
JoAnne – What I hate about cyclists, and I’ve said this before and I’ll stop saying it soon, is that we are breeding a very bold generation of cyclists, they have so much freedom. We’re making them angry and bold and over confident. That is the danger. You know you should have humility when you are cycling

Plan is to write to the BBC, Ofcom and LCC. You get used to comments in the media of this type, but this was a whole show, and it was a missed opportunity to promote safer cycling AND safer driving. It coudl also be interpreted as justifying dangerous driving towards cyclists.

If anyone would like to join me in complaining the links are:
BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml
OfCom - http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/progs/

 

[bryce]

You know you should have humility when you are cycling

She's right. The whole militant, uber-cool, underworld cycling culture that some cyclists (particularly commuters) think they're a member of is dangerous. It doesn't exist either.

 

[PBancroft]

She's right. The whole militant, uber-cool, underworld cycling culture that some cyclists (particularly commuters) think they're a member of is dangerous. It doesn't exist either.

People should have humility when using the road, full stop.

Driving isn't some big club either. Last time I checked, we were all just trying to get somewhere.

 

[DJ]

She's right. The whole militant, uber-cool, underworld cycling culture that some cyclists (particularly commuters) think they're a member of is dangerous. It doesn't exist either.

Every one needs to show humility when driving, I haven't listened to the broadcast ( I'm at work ) but it does sound like she was having a dig just at cyclists.

I partly agree with you about the Uber-cool cyclists of which I may be one, however I think to others (non cyclists) it is easy to see us as a different species, they just don't get why we wear all this weird clothing have lights all over the place and always seem to be at the front of the traffic queue.

Cyclists should continue to try and get the message accreoss as well as try to ride in a road worthy manner that earns respect from other road users.

Car drivers and lorry drivers should realise that they are in charge of a potential killing machine and drive accordingly.

 

[mickle]

"What I hate about cyclists, and I’ve said this before and I’ll stop saying it soon, is that we are breeding a very bold generation of cyclists, they have so much freedom. We’re making them angry and bold and over confident. That is the danger. You know you should have humility when you are cycling".

This is the crux of the matter isn't it? Cyclists are perceived by many motorists as somehow 'getting above our station'. We have, in their minds, a lower status and should behave accordingly. Well they can fcuk right off.

I had an incident which illustrated this phenomenon today. Riding down the RH side of a line of stationary and slow moving traffic I came to a yellow box junction where a cyclist heading towards me was waiting to turn right. I pulled in front of a stationary car and stopped to let the cyclist across, and got a long beep from the driver behind me. He got a pair of Vs to which his response was to accelerate sharply and swerve towards me. Luckily for him I was in the process of having a lovely day or he might have found himself totally stationary for a jolly long time whilst I berated him for his attitude and appalling driving. The fact is that my small act of courtesy delayed his journey by zero seconds because he had to stop in the heavy traffic several times within a few hundred yards, allowing me to sail past with a cheerful wave.

 

[HLaB]

I've just listened to it her attitude is bad, its probably deliberate to get a bigger audience. IMO she was trying to turn an important safety message into an anti cyclist campaign to score cheap points.

 

[Sig SilverPrinter]

Do you listen to her often because she talks cr@p most days

 

[HLaB]

Do you listen to her often because she talks cr@p most days

It the first time I've heard her but I've a feeling I'd agree with you

 

[Sig SilverPrinter]

I've listened to this station for years Danny Baker used to do the breakfast show then she took over and its just habit that i still listen although i like the travel reports!!

 

[PBancroft]

When somebody in the media says something like this, you must complain, otherwise it will only take root and flourish. That's exactly how the motorists got their way - thorugh lobbying, lobbying, lobbying.

There isn't anything wrong with it.

Contact the BBC - joandrowland@bbc.co.uk is the address for this show - and say that it is wrong for cyclists to be treated as second rate. Otherwise people will start to believe it.

 

[Lurker]

I think she has a point. The incident with the lorry highlights the dangers that cyclists face and yet the cyclist in question was dumb enough to cut in front a truck? Lucky they wasn't killed....

This doesn't match OSK's transcript:

"I saw this cyclist in front of me, about 100yds, and I caught up with him at the roundabout. I started to proceed over the roundabout and nearly got completed when the cyclist just decided to turn right.
Paul Ross – So he was crossing in front of you then?
Caller – Yes
JoAnne – That’s like David and Goliath, what a ridiculous thing to do
Caller – Well I class him as a professional cyclist
JoAnne – Oh yeah, the helmet and the day glo and the little tap shoes
Caller – [...] with wrap round sunglasses and I’m sure he had head phones on because he definitely didn’t know I was there. I knocked, I didn’t thank God knock him because if I did he wouldn’t be here today but I knocked his bike, he went flying and he actually enpierced (sic) himself on the handlebar. So he eventually came out of hospital. I can understand how lorry drivers are getting a bad name, but its not always their fault.
Paul Ross – And how long was he in hospital for?
Caller – About two, maybe three weeks
JoAnne – Well thank you very much for that Graham, let that be a lesson."

By the lorry driver's own admission, there's no evidence that the cyclist did anything wrong - or have I missed something here?

 

[Lurker]

?? I think you are.

Care to explain?

 

[mickle]

"I saw this cyclist in front of me, about 100yds, and I caught up with him at the roundabout. I started to proceed over the roundabout and nearly got completed when the cyclist just decided to turn right.

Don't any of you people watch CSI?

Lorry going straight on, cyclist turning right, lorry tries to overtake cyclist on a roundabout. Lorry going to fast for the conditions, failing to anticipate. Failing to allow. Which amounts to attemptered frickingmerder in my book. You simply can't punish people with the threat of serious injury or death because they didn't indicate properly.

 

[Lurker]

Well you mention that by the drivers own admission the cyclist did nothing wrong?

Yet the cyclist decided to turn right, coming across the front of the cab...I would not have thought that this is the brightest thing to do if the vehicle is moving, and the cyclist almost paid with their life.

A brief surf through the Highway Code comes up with numerous HC violations by the lorry driver - have a look below. It's very worrying that a professional driver such as 'Graham from Wimbledon' appears so ignorant of their responsibilities as set out in the Code. The crash he describes could have been avoided if he had obeyed - say - HC rules 146 and 147.

144-158: General advice
144

You MUST NOT

* drive dangerously
* drive without due care and attention
* drive without reasonable consideration for other road users

[Law RTA 1988 sects 2 & 3 as amended by RTA 1991]

146
Adapt your driving to the appropriate type and condition of road you are on. In particular

...try to anticipate what pedestrians and cyclists might do....

147
Be considerate. Be careful of and considerate towards all types of road users, especially those requiring extra care (see Rule 204). You should

* try to be understanding if other road users cause problems; they may be inexperienced or not know the area well
* be patient; remember that anyone can make a mistake
* not allow yourself to become agitated or involved if someone is behaving badly on the road. This will only make the situation worse. Pull over, calm down and, when you feel relaxed, continue your journey
* slow down and hold back if a road user pulls out into your path at a junction. Allow them to get clear. Do not over-react by driving too close behind to intimidate them....

184-190: Roundabouts

185
When reaching the roundabout you should

* give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights
* check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining
* watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all
* look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off

187
In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to

* pedestrians who may be crossing the approach and exit roads
* traffic crossing in front of you on the roundabout, especially vehicles intending to leave by the next exit
* traffic which may be straddling lanes or positioned incorrectly
* motorcyclists
* cyclists and horse riders who may stay in the left-hand lane and signal right if they intend to continue round the roundabout. Allow them to do so
* long vehicles (including those towing trailers). These might have to take a different course or straddle lanes either approaching or on the roundabout because of their length. Watch out for their signals

204-225: Road users requiring extra care

204
The most vulnerable road users are pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders. It is particularly important to be aware of children, older and disabled people, and learner and inexperienced drivers and riders.

Motorcyclists and cyclists
211
It is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are coming up from behind, coming out of junctions, at roundabouts, overtaking you or filtering through traffic. Always look out for them before you emerge from a junction; they could be approaching faster than you think. When turning right across a line of slow-moving or stationary traffic, look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic you are crossing. Be especially careful when turning, and when changing direction or lane. Be sure to check mirrors and blind spots carefully.

212
When passing motorcyclists and cyclists, give them plenty of room (see Rules 162-167). If they look over their shoulder it could mean that they intend to pull out, turn right or change direction. Give them time and space to do so.

213
Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make.

 

[hackbike 6]

Does she actually cycle?

It comes across here that she slags something off of which she knows nothing about still I should be used to that by now as the railways have been getting it for years.(from the press and media)

I really think sometimes that there are appalling attitudes out there.

At least I changed my attitude towards peds.