If you’ve had a nice Christmas holidays and don’t want it spoiling, I would avoid reading this article by Matthew Paris on why cyclists are deserving of a bit of decapitation article here. – note link is nofollow – which means the Times don’t get any benefit from the link
In a nutshell he advocates ‘we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists’
His reasoning for this all too typical anti cyclist hysteria is that cyclists must be responsible for all the litter on the side of the road, which is about as convincing as arguing cyclists clandestinely cycle onto motorways at night to throw away lucozade bottles (which of course cyclists wouldn’t use anyway)
He also claims that cyclists are worthy of our wrath because they wear lycra and helmets.
Maybe, he means it as a joke, but, unfortunately it is a not a joke for cyclists who get deliberately knocked over by motorists. – There are many people who seriously advocate the position he has explained.
I know some people who ride bikes are inconsiderate, after all, most people have at some time ridden a bike. People riding a bike are just a reflection of society.
But, unlike motorists, cyclists are not responsible for the over 3,000 annual road deaths in the UK.
I wish newspapers would not print such irresponsible rubbish. If the term cyclist had been substituted for another type of minority – like for example homosexuals, Muslims, Jews, e.t.c. The article would have received widespread media coverage.
I hope Matthew Paris is made to cycle the streets of London for several hours. – He might start to realise that 3,000 death on British roads are not caused by the lycra clad cyclists but dangerous drivers who are mostly unaware of how badly they drive.
emm… luv it.