James is an avid cyclist. Unlike his father; I live at the top of a hill so every journey I'd have to make would involve some serious uphill pedalling on the homeward leg. (I'm not as young as I used to be!) And then there's the traffic. Where James lives there are some pretty cool cycle paths and then there's the dedicated cycle lanes in the city centre. Unless, of course, some cretin in a car decides to park in it. I'll let James describe what happened to him on Wednesday morning cycling to work...
I cycle this road every day but got caught out this morning. The driver parked in the bike lane pulls out without indicating, all the while obstructing the cycle lane divider from my view (which I forgot was there). When I finally see it, it's too late for me 😖@Chris_Boardman pic.twitter.com/HmDJfFLUPY
— James Medd (@jamesmedd) January 11, 2023
The footage was caught on dashcam by the driver following James. He pulled over to make sure my son was alright*. Thank you, whoever you are.
...
Kraftwerk - Tour de France (1984)
* Nothing broken, thankfully. Just a few cuts & bruises.
Arghh, that's awful! So glad James is ok after that, looks nasty. As I was watching it I was wondering who had captured it on camera - really heartening to know that the driver stopped to check on him. I'm not a fan of the whole dashcam thing generally, for fear of finding yourself splashed all over social media after being spotted picking your nose or something, but in cases like this and other accidents it must definitely be a benefit. Safe cycling, James.
ReplyDeleteThank you, C. I don't think I'm nimble enough to contemplate city streets anymore. That said, my planned London bridges sponsored bike ride in the Spring means I'll have to be on top of my game; I may well rope in James for sherpa duties.
DeleteOof, that looks nasty and could have bee much worse. Glad James was ok. I cycle a lot and have to say Manchester isn't the most cycle friendly of cities, especially the roads that lead into the city centre. Cycle lanes are great where they exist but not if drivers park over them like the one above.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Adam. Obviously I wouldn't have put this up had James not shared it on Twitter but, yes, it can be hairy scary when two wheels meet four...
DeleteWow, I'm so glad that James wasn't seriously hurt. I drive a lot for work and it's clear that whether in a city, town or countryside, there are some car drivers taking it to a whole new level of ignorance, stupidity and entitlement.
ReplyDeleteThat's awful but glad it wasn't more serious. Really kind of the driver behind to stop though and dashcam footage a bonus (although not for you having to watch it). I will double my efforts at being a considerate driver where cyclists are concerned as it makes you realise how quickly an accident can happen.
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