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news
Cyclist and cab (CC BY 2.0 David Bleasdale:Flickr)Taxi leader says cyclists are the "Isis of London"
The head of London's largest taxi driver organisation, the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), says cycling campaigners who responded to the LTDA's opposition to new London cycleways are "almost the sort of Isis of London" and "loonies".
Comparing cyclists to the jihadist organisation responsible for ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and beheading and burning alive its victims, LTDA general secretary Steve McNamara told LBC radio: "These people, the zealots of the cycling world, are unbelievable. We have had cyber attacks on our websites. They are all over us like a cheap suit on Twitter and social media. We have had physical threats of violence. You name it, we have had it. It’s absolutely unreal.
“The loonies out there in the cycling world, they’re almost the sort of Isis of London. Their views and their politics – if you are not with them, and we are with the majority of it, then nothing is too bad for you. These people are unreal."
McNamara was talking to LBC about the new central London cycleways, dubbed the east-west and north-south cycle superhighways, which were approved by the board of Transport for London yesterday. The LTDA has threatened to call for a judicial review of the cycleways, because it doesn't like the routing of the east-west scheme along the north bank of the Thames.
In 2013, the LTDA used footage from a carefully-chosen junction to allege that 50 per cent of cyclists jump red lights, a finding completely at odds with more rigorous academic studies that have found the rate of red-light jumping of drivers and cyclists is about the same.
It's not hard to find examples of intimidation and attacks by taxi drivers against cyclists.
When news of McNamara's latest rant hit Twitter, road.cc product reviewer, Mike Stead supplied this story:
@johnstevenson_x @theltda I'm not a violent bloke at all, but when a thug uses a 2-ton weapon against a cyclist, he needs disarming.
— Mike Stead (@tweetymike) February 5, 2015
And if you want video evidence of the danger taxis frequently present to cyclists on the streets of London, here's helmet cammer CycleGaz' compilation of incidents:
McNamara later appeared to back down from his comments to LBC, before more or less repeating the allegation that cyclists were like ISIS.
He told Evening Standard journalist Ross Lydall: “Perhaps I would accept that was a bit strong. It was a live interview. I have had death threats. They say, ‘I hope people you know die screaming of cancer’. I’m convinced that if 99 per cent of cyclists knew some of the stuff we had received after expresing legitimate concerns, they would be horrified.
“I’m not going to be intimidated. I don’t take them seriously. We have not reported anything to the police because I don’t think there is anything in them. I think it’s just a few loonies, but they really have got a sort of religious zeal.
“Perhaps that was a bit strong [to compare them to Isis] but I can’t think of a single other movement in the world at the moment that behaves in such a vitriolic and aggressive manner.”
John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.
He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.
Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.
John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.
He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.
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83 comments
I think the vast majority of cyclists do obey the rules, and the traffic stats show that cyclists are responsible for a very small percentage of accidents and injuries.
Is there any evidence to suggest that there is a problem with aggressive cyclists?
McNamara is making deliberately inflammatory statements based on the alleged behaviour of some (unspecified) indviduals. That will reinforce the prejudices of less enlightened motorists about all cyclists. This sort of stuff needs to be challenged. That's not aggressive, it's just calling out people who trot out lazy generalisations and making them accountable for what they say.
I actually thought this was about Isis the egyptian deity...
Or the dog from Downton Abbey?
And I thought it was about either the Oxford student magazine or river. I wish the recent "Come work for us" story had been about road.cc asking for a proof-reader...
Not stopping for Red traffic lights;
Stopping in yellow box junctions;
Stopping on zig zags at crossings;
Using handheld mobile phone;
Lights not working.
All these are simple tickets or camera ones wIth points but without going to court.
Lol and they're all in black with no hi-viz.
Blimey, it's been a long time since I saw a black cab that was actually black!
A particular advertising trend that I don't like is these blasted things on the roof, as they often block your view and distract people.
What you have put in the headline is NOT what he said. Well done for fuelling the division and hatred.
Headline: Taxi leader says cyclists are the "Isis of London"
Actual statement: LTDA general secretary Steve McNamara told LBC radio: "These people, the zealots of the cycling world, are unbelievable. We have had cyber attacks on our websites. They are all over us like a cheap suit on Twitter and social media. We have had physical threats of violence. You name it, we have had it. It’s absolutely unreal.
“The loonies out there in the cycling world, they’re almost the sort of Isis of London. Their views and their politics – if you are not with them, and we are with the majority of it, then nothing is too bad for you. These people are unreal."
His comment was inappropriate. I don't necessarily agree with anything the LTDA say or do. However, the way you have reported this story is incorrect, inflamatory and unhelpful.
I like reading stuff on Road.cc most of the time. This type of stuff really p*sses me off though.
Although as 1 of the 5 'benefits' of LTDA membership is:
"Normally when drivers accumulate 12 points on their licence they receive an automatic 6 month ban, but in the case of LTDA members, over 90% of those represented by our barristers receive a ban of just 1 month, or in most cases, no ban whatsoever."
I doubt CPD is high on the priority list!
How the hell does someone driving a taxi get points on their licence? They can't speed - firstly because they're in London and secondly because taxis are sloooow. Must be from careless/dangerous/drunken driving?
Jumping a light can get you three points.
That policy is one of the reasons I criticise the LTDA. A responsible organisation wouldn't support such a policy, as even from self interest it would damage their image and reputation. They often try to take the moral high ground on public safety issues, and it's not reflected in their policies.
Some may also remember they ran quite a high profile campaign against the enforcement of advanced stop lines.
Taxis might look (and drive) like they're from the 50s, but even London Cabs can make it over 30 mph. And there are now enough 20mph zones that even the most decrepit cabs can get a speeding ticket if they try.
More seriously though: If I had to bet, my money would be on red light cameras.
Every profession does Continuing Professional Development.
Perhaps LTDA could issue a simple module on 'Bikeability' and then their members might stand a chance of knowing about 'taking the lane' & 'primary position' a bit more.
Aside from all the tribalist nonsense going on in this thread, cabbies have to take along good look at the person who is representing them.
For Steve McNamara to compare other (mostly law abiding, and no less so than his own members) road users to a barbaric fundamentalist organisation that use rape, torture and public executions to 'correct' peoples behaviour and enforce adherence to their skewered religious sect, is, to put it bluntly, beyond the pale.
He is obviously now a desperate man who will say anything to try and demonise other road users, shows that he knows he has lost, and so is losing it.
I say give him a bit more rope.
That should defuse any tension then, Mr McNamara.
Well, honestly it made me laugh
Think in all honesty he's made things a lot easier for cycle campaigners, provided they don't stoop to his level, by shredding his credibility. He's joining Sarah Palin as a politician become a punchline.
Absolutely my reaction. I was listening to it live and to use a somewhat crude expression, I thought he'd shit the bed. Whatever action he attempts now to block the CS routes, those words are going to be thrown back at him.
Currently in Melbourne , so the following can be viewed as a "THREAT "?
PLEASE , think , before YOU ride in a " LTDA Vehicle " ! You are putting YOUR Cycling safety at risk , when YOU give these people the opportunity to have YOUR Money !
Find " UBER " , use their services ! When you behave like "Ralph Nader " and give YOUR Support to ther Alternative , perhaps the " Ordinary Taxi Driver " will VOTE this Buffoon OUT of the JOB !
Every Cyclist has SOME Experience of being Intimidated , whilst riding , so WHY support a Service Industry , headed up by THIS Nutter ?
Thinks he is " Clarkson " , or " Son of Clarkson ?
Decide a Date , that ALL Cyclists and their Families can relate to , THEN , every Taxi Journey THAT DAY , should NOT be with a Black Cab !
What a shame it could not be for the WHOLE Month of March!
Well, we'll have self-driving cars soon enough. One of the best uses for them is a taxi-like system with by the minute hire... just saying.
Wow, talk about a bunch on complaining cabbies. They don't want Uber, they don't want Oxford St closed, they don't want cycle way ... and then watching the video, they're just a bunch of douchebags.
Bring on uber to drive them out of business for good. They're no longer relevant.
I wouldn't crow too much. Uber drivers are hardly going to be an improvement. I wonder if the kinds of people who currently take black cabs would happily switch over to cycling. I don't think in general they would as most black cab journeys are taken by (and I have absolutely no facts to back this up) business people; tourists and drunks.
Actually, reading some of the comments from some of the posters on road.cc, I think he might not be wrong in stating that (some) cyclists are loonies.
Uber should put the final few nails in the black cab coffin soon enough - they're just doing so kicking and screaming while they feel the squeeze. Ignore and carry on - they'll be confined to the history books soon enough.
They are cabbies for a reason. Can you really expect them to drive with intelligence when they have very little.
1 step away from the Argos stockroom.
It's exactly this kind of comment that gives cyclists a bad name. They tar us with one brush and your response is to tar them all with another. Not cool, not clever and not a solution.
Agree entirely- my point exactly.
The Argos stockroom actually sounds like the nice, quiet end of retail to me. Not customer-facing, quite relaxing.
I know someone that's done it a few times. Have you ever seen Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times?
Really? A little elitism creeping in here?
Good to know there are worse human beings on here than that McNamara chap.
Stop talking bollocks.
Seeing as your post count is so low, I'm guessing that you've not been here long so feel free to find somewhere else that isnt populated with "worse human beings".
The fucking nonsense some people come out with is incredulous.
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