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Alien cycle safety video still.pngVIDEO: Don’t be an illegal alien - say no to pavement cycling says University of York
The University of York has created a series of videos on how to cycle safely - by not following the example of a little green illegal alien.
The films, in conjunction with City of York Council, are a sort of politer version of New York City’s ‘Don’t be a Jerk’ cycling campaign.
Here’s the pavement cycling film; other instructional videos in the alien series cover bike locking, riding with lights at night and encouraging students to buy equipment at the Student’s Union shop.
Despite the university claiming the videos had been a 'big hit' with students, each had been viewed fewer than 100 times since being uploaded in September
Councillor Dave Merrett, Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability, said: “With the announcement of Le Grand Depart even more people are choosing to cycle, as this is a low cost form of transport, but also a leisure activity too. It’s really important that we can help provide information so that new cyclists to York can learn how to cycle in a safe and courteous manner - so that everyone can enjoy cycling.”
Fiona Macey, the University of York’s Travel plan coordinator said, “We need to raise students’ awareness to cycle safely, their obligations to comply with the law and their responsibility to other road users. The videos achieve this in an engaging and fun way. The alien is proving very popular!”
The project is part funded by the four-year i-Travel York initiative, which benefits from £4.6 million of government funding which the council successfully bid for in 2011.
Who knows - the campaign might bring York the next cycling champion. In 2008 Chris Hoy revealed that his greatest cycling inspiration was E.T.
He told the Telegraph that he had seen the film at the impressionable age of six.
He said: "The BMX scenes were fantastic so I pestered my dad into taking me along to the local track at Danderhall where I saw all these kids having terrific fun. That was it, I was hooked and it all sort of spiralled from there."
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14 comments
Round about 10s in I think the cyclist caused the guy to jump back instead of crossing the road with his eyes on his mobile phone. Probably saved his life from getting run down by the BMW.
People always think of the downsides of pavement cycling.
When most towns have signs all over the place telling cyclists that the pavement is the right place to be its no wonder all these students are pottering around on the footway.
Digging the groovy jazz double bass soundtrack
So much negativity!
How would you suggest a campaign to educate cyclists riding in town should be run?
FWIW in York yesterday I saw a crazy piece of cycling, pretty young student on a shopping bike, no lights despite it being dark, she rode off the pavement, up the opposing lane of traffic round a blind bend, back on to the pavement, off the pavement then went to weave in and out of traffic!
Thankfully she made it through and hopefully home in one piece, I'm sure in a different corner of the internet there is a thread berating a cyclist for riding in that manner..
And an alien cartoon on a blue bike is going to make her responsible on a bicycle.... Let me think about it for a minute???????
mmmmmm NO!
The mum at 0.09 looks quite fit and the little bike the alien is riding looks cool.
That is my contribution to the debate.
Seems a pointless waste of money
How about a "Don't be an illegal alien - say no to pavement driving" video, I reckon that would have far more impact on the number of pedestrians "taken out" by vehicles who are driving on pavements.
Even when cycling perfectly legally on a segregated cycle path, the peds always seem to prefere walking on the cycle path rather than the footpath provided right next to it. Either that or their pet dog on a ten foot bungee is merrily trotting along the cycle path.
So, cycling on footpaths is dangerous.
Except:
Down alleyways and paths away from roads..
In Parks
Anywhere a shared-path sign has arbitrarily been placed.
F**kin retards.
Or any large junction or roundabout you might feel was too dangerous to cycle around, like turning right when cars are overtaking you at speed.
The fact that they feel the need to use a comedy cartoon alien to demonstrate fairly uncomplicated concepts certainly speaks volumes about York University's assessment of the intellectual level of its students. You know where to send your kids if they fail their A-levels folks.
Ironic that in the US the term 'illegal alien' is highly contested and considered offensive by some.
Pathetic.........