Getting a grip upon a serious problem
From time to time Rust contributors blast away on this organ against the vast and ever-growing army of cyclists who in these politically-correct times are given far more support and encouragement than they deserve, not least the “cycle lanes” increasingly bringing traffic in our cities to a halt as pompous “virtue signalling” national and local politicians waste huge amounts of taxpayers’ money currying favour with this “woke” lycra-clad potential voter group.
I’ve never been a fan of cyclists who by definition not only make life misery for motorists everywhere by just generally “getting in the way” and holding us up, but also represent a constant menace to pedestrians with their insistence upon riding on pavements, the wrong way down “one way” streets and – worst of all – speeding through red traffic lights at 15 to 20mph whenever they bally well feel like it.
In short, they’re the outlaws of the British motoring infrastructure.
In my view all cyclists should be microchipped, required to pass an official “riding test” and obtain a licence (suggested charge £250 per cyclist) before ever being set loose on a public road.
Any cyclist subsequently found without a valid licence and/or a riding a cycle without valid fully-comprehensive insurance should automatically be banned immediately from riding one for life with no right of appeal.
Furthermore, their bike should thereafter be sent straight for scrap with the proceeds going firstly, towards the NHS costs of dealing with pedestrians and others injured as a result of irresponsible cycling incidents and secondly, to a new initiative by which every British citizen over the age of 65 would be provided with a personal free Uber taxi account so that they can travel around the country without hindrance or inconvenience.
And that’s just for starters.
Yesterday, on my trip to purchase my daily papers from the newsagents across the road just 150 yards from where I live, there were few people about because of the (early) time of day.
Thirty yards from the shop, as I was in the act of taking out and donning my face mask, it was only by sheer good fortune – or possibly instinct – that I threw myself to one side and thereby avoided being “run over” without warning by a lout standing on one of those infernal electric scooters flashing by me in the opposite direction at a speed I would estimate in excess of 10 mph.
These “means of travel” are a scourge upon society and in my view should be “controlled” in a similar manner to my simple solution for cycles set out above.
If any Ruster wants further evidential proof of what I’m blogging about today, I suggest he or she follows the following link to a piece by Chris Chol, consumer editor, that I spotted overnight upon the website of – ITV
