Ed Writes A Short Bicycle Story: This short story is fiction loosely based on obvious facts. (Ed)
The story begins:
Ed “Have you ever ridden a bike Gordon?”
Gordon “Do you mean without stabilisers?”
Ed “Yes.”
Gordon “I rode one for around half an hour when I was sixteen. I remember it well. They took the stabilisers off that morning and I wobbled off on it in the afternoon.”
Ed “What happened?”
Gordon “I crashed into a Rolls Royce parked by the side of the street, and tore the side of it. I wouldn’t care but I was only discovered by the fact the chauffeurs were sitting in the Bentley behind. I recall them telling the judge that my face through the Bentley’s windscreen as I bounced off the bonnet and continued over the roof was a picture to behold, and they’d know me anywhere. Their solicitors also pointed out there were no cycling signs at both ends of the street.”
Ed “Oh dear Gordon that is a sad story. What did the Judge give you?”
Gordon ” He awarded me damages of one hundred pounds against the owners of both vehicles. Two hundred in all. Saying That ‘as I had no visible injuries he could not justify awarding me more’. He also said that as cyclists are a law unto themselves and can do no wrong, I must be the victim.”
Ed “You mean things like cyclists not taking enough care to avoid car doors opening, even though they know it can happen, when it only takes a little extra physical effort to avoid?” This is the real reason they need dedicated cycle lanes.
Gordon “Yes. A cycle on the road is just another vehicle and should be ridden with due care and attention. They should not be on the road anyway. The riders get tired, careless, cut corners, and being too close to parked vehicles is cutting corners, they crash, and blame everyone else.”
End of story.
Make mine an electric tricycle driven by a Gdicm self powering motor.
I remember the solution to heavy lorries struggling along the roads and blocking the following traffic for miles was to make the lorries even bigger with bigger engines. Much safer.
