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Bournemouth Town Hall (Graffity, Wikimedia Commons)Bournemouth cyclist films himself passing 'no less than 1,300 cars' during bank holiday 'carmageddon'
A Bournemouth man has claimed that he cycled past no fewer than 1,300 cars during a recent two-hour bank holiday ride. A certain proportion of those commenting on a Bournemouth Echo report apparently believe that the cyclist in question was responsible for the tailbacks he was passing.
Dave Williams recorded footage of what he termed ‘carmageddon’ via a helmet-mounted GoPro camera on Monday, August 28.
"On bank holiday Monday, the cars were struggling to do one mile per hour," he said. "I was doing 12mph without even trying."
He said one solution would have been to close town centre roads to cars.
"If I was a councillor, I would have got this sorted before the Monday and publicly announced that all roads within a two-mile radius of the town centre were only to be open to cyclists, motorbikes, buses and delivery vans – no personal cars allowed.
"Buses would transport people in with their children and luggage, and those on two wheels could park easily in the current available spaces near the seafront.”
With somewhat confusing reasoning, he then explained why he didn’t think it would be a good idea to encourage people to cycle instead of drive.
"I don't think it's possible or wise to get everybody to cycle. People just aren't going to do it, not with the amount of traffic on the road."
Here at road.cc we don't really have the mental resilience to read too many of the comments on stories such as this.
However, some of the point-missing highlights on this occasion include:
- “Counting cars rather than looking where he was going!”
- “These idiots cause more congestion than cars do, the tailbacks I've seen because of an idiot on a bike riding in the middle of the road rather than use an expensive cycle lane.”
- “Curious as to why he's squeezing down the middle of these cars rather than sticking to the left. I wonder how many wing mirrors he clipped.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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I would like to see a Venn diagram showing the intersection of people who voted for Brexit, people who never spend more than five minutes off their backside over the course of a week and people who blame cyclists for traffic congestion. I'm guessing there's a lot of overlap, but that's probably just me being a lefty Guardian-reading traitor.
What a shithole Brexit Britain is going to be. A nation full of obese people choking on each other's fumes and blaming everyone but themselves.
...and that's really different to Britain was when we were in the EU. Oh yes. Oh how I remember the days of everyone fit and healthy, getting on their bikes humming the tour de france theme tune, eating olives and embracing each others little foibles... ah those were the days my friend, I thought they'd never end..
Yep.
The difference in the way different demographics voted has sweet F A to do with this...
I'm fortunate enough to come from an affluent area with high employment and a good education level; pretty much everyone I know voted remain.
These very same people are still those affected by hideous congestion. In fact, given that a fair portion of my friends/family drive SUV's to get themselves to work, they are causing the congestion. Hell, I cause congestion and huge amounts of pollution in my old Fiesta (I do cycle cycle to work/uni half the time though).
The 5.2 litre engine in the aircraft I fly at the weekends also belches fumes straight into the atmosphere without a catalytic converter.
So regardless of which way people voted, until something such as practical and small electric vehicles become commonplace, we'll keep suffering.
In the mean time, I ride my bike in the countryside and enjoy life
Might I suggest that the solution to too many cars on the roads is to find a way to reduce the number of cars on the roads? Is that too sensible as a way to approach the issue?
If I'm filtering down the middle of a dual carriageway, do vehicles to the left and right of me count for the purposes of number of vehicles overtaken? Just asking for, um, reasons.
Yes, but that's the number of cars you're holding up, obviously.
You don't even have to be on a bike. Sometimes I get the same experience when walking on the pavement - passing slow-moving stop-start queues of cars, almost all of them with one person in. Though when walking you tend to pass the same car repeatedly, as they pass you then grind to a halt again.
Tonnes and tonnes of metal and plastic being moved about, and huge volumes of crap being emitted into the air in the process, just to move a small number of people - and not even particularly rapidly. It seems a bit mad to me.
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The people who write nonsense on local news websites are pretty much the same as their predecessors who would write letters in the local rag: retired, resentful and very 'local'. If they're not complaining about bicycles on the road, they're likely to be moaning about pedestrians clogging up the pavements.
The comments section of the paper is a microcosm of Britain today. Sad people blaming everyone else except themselves, and especially blaming the person not contributing to the problem.
The traffic was appalling that weekend. Me and the missus did Bournemouth to Weymouth 100 mile spin and the Lulworth/Durdle door road was completely blocked for about two miles (because of people parked on verges buses became stuck) the road between Corfe castle and Swanage had about three miles of stationary traffic waiting for a junction, and there was a three hour queue for the ferry. I told the missus to smile as much as she could so the motorists could see how much fun we were having!
The comments
Massive traffic jam caused by huge amount of cars, yet a bunch of dimwits still blame a cyclist
The irony is, cycling is very accessible and is quicker across town...
Weaving dangerously through the traffic. He should have stayed at the back & waited for the traffic to clear in due course.
Goodness knows why people bother to drive to Bournemouth/Purbeck/NewForest on a bank holiday, in good weather, as it's always car hell at some point. I can also think of many other places I'd rather cycle too when drivers are nose to tail for hours.
Are we really surprised at the comments? You should read the comments section in my local rag. Even the articles not about cycling usually get around to some pillock blaming the regions ills on cyclists!
the last time I saw a wing mirror on a car was in the 70's so I'm guessing he clipped zero, although it is Bournemouth, the town where time stands still
You couldn't make it up. The comments section of of that paper is seriously depressing.
This country has a huge problem/obsession with cars/driving.
Same old drivel spouted by fat, lazy, impatient, reckless, ignorant drivers.
Edit 'Fat lazy bastard impatient reckless ignorant drivers.