wot's going on here, then??

[simonineaston]

Bristol, yesterday, the first of August, early afternoon...
See here a video of lots of young fellows, behaving in a rather boisterous manner, if you ask me. Eagle-eyed viewers will see me and my chum Andy, participating, as pedestrians, on our way from the excellent Gambas, to the equally excellent Volunteer Tavern, in the fair city of Bristol. I am wheeling my Brompton, as opposed to wheelying it... So some key are issues are:
* Are these kids irresponsible?
* Why are there no girls in the group?
* Where were the police? Indeed, were police needed at all?
The whole group (50+ bikes?) ran at least 2 red lights... I know, because I was trying to cross the road at the time! Do we care? Do we applaud them for being young, energetic and cooperative, if only within the context of their own group? I have to add that the kids displayed some awsome skills and nearly every bike I could see looked to be clean and well-maintained. No harm was done, as far as I know, but there were multiple instances of near catastrophe as they all whizzed past, at speed, on back wheels alone!! Which was it - mayhem, anarchy or youthfull high-spirits & a display of awsome tricks?? Do we object, or mind, or perhaps just don't care at all...

[rjb]

its nice to see youngsters enjoying themselves. There are worst things they could have done. Good for them.

[simonineaston]

That's kind of my reaction, too Boy, there some near misses, tho'!
BTW, Reuters have just been in touch to ask where am I in it and the answer is 09:34 and 10:01... but don't blink!

brilliant picture of me, my Brompton and my mate Andy #1

brilliant picture of me, my Brompton and my mate Andy #2

[simonineaston]

Stop Press: No. 10 have just been in touch to ask if I think I'm going to get C19 as a consequence of it all... I told them I didn't know.

[thirdcrank]

I thought I saw at least one girl on a bike there, although I only noticed because of the suggestion that there were none.

Some spectacular bike-handling skills there - way beyond anything I might ever have attempted and certainly not achieved.

But it's memory lane time I fear. Some years ago I was called in for a discussion with the chief superintendent who was one of the country's top traffic men and only temporarily out to grass at Dewsbury. The time when there were top cops specialising in traffic enforcement is long-gone and I'm talking about early 1980s. IIRC, there had been complaints about children "dirt tracking" which was no more than kids riding around on waste land on old bikes. I didn't see much of a problem and little we could do about it.

I've remembered the gist of the boss's words of wisdom. He said he believed that young people who cycled with a purpose - sandwiches and a bottle of pop and ride somewhere far away - would grow up into careful road users. OTOH, those who hung about on street corners and for whom the dirt tracking was another distraction, would quickly graduate onto motorbikes when they would continue to act irresponsibly but with a lot more bhp at their fingertips. And then on to performing handbrake turns in old bangers or souped up motors.

As I keep saying, traffic policing has collapsed, so there's not much likelihood of much being done in cases like this and let's hope the stereotype about graduating to motor vehicles was misguided, because not much is done about that either.

[rjb]

Stop Press: No. 10 have just been in touch to ask if I think I'm going to get C19 as a consequence of it all... I told them I didn't know.

You were more likely to catch it in the pub.

[tatanab]

* Are these kids irresponsible?

It is not just kids. In my local city (much smaller than Bristol) you get individuals and groups who are obviously in their 20s riding wheelies straight through the pedestrian precinct as well as along the roads. This was in the days before pedestrian traffic thinned out due you Covid. There are the usual reports in the newspapers and comments about mowing them down by inconvenienced drivers. These people might have gone to the local BMX track to practice their stunts, but the track is closed down because - guess what - it wasn't being used!

On one hand I admire their skills that I do not have and I'd prefer them to do this rather than thundering around in "modified" cars. The problem is that they are reported as cyclists rather than LOBs - That's a new one for the "we are all cyclists" brigade - Louts on bikes.

[reohn2]

Sooner or later one of these cyclists* will get injured badly by some of the antics I saw in that video.
That said the tricks were amazing but very much out of context.
Kids need to express themselves but on the roads in heavy traffic isn't the place for such expression,though I suspect the roads in a city centre with lots of people to 'impress' is part of it.

BTW where did the policeman on the bike get to

They're part of a much larger problem IMO,elements of motorcyclist,cars drivers being the other two major parts but with much more potentially deadly consequences.




*like it or not they are cyclists.I'm part of no brigade just call a spade a spade and a cyclist a cyclist when I see one,as Louts/Yobs/idiots on motorcycles or in cars are still motorcyclists and motorists however Loutish/Yobish/idiotic their behaviour.
The problem isn't what we call them but what should be done about the problem but isn't being done

EDITED to add the part in bold script

[kwackers]

Kids acting up showing off with their mates.
Wouldn't like to be in the middle of them in my car but they're on bikes and when they're not with their mates they're probably still riding bikes and behaving a little more sensibly.

Perhaps they'll make better car drivers or even just stay with their bikes.
Biggest problem they've got is in 20-30 years when they're demonstrating how good they once were to their kids and discovering they only skill they've got left is falling off.

Do we want it to be a fad?
I hope it isn't but then I don't see anything like the numbers of groups of kids near me on bikes that I did a couple of years ago.
A relief for the worried middle classes no doubt but a bit sad if it is imo.

[Pebble]

* Are these kids irresponsible?

no more irresponsible than the vast amount of drivers I see playing with phones etc, no more irresponsible than the vast amount of speeding drivers that are now seen as the norm.

as long as they keep the wheelying and stunts off the path then no complaint for me. wish I was a bit younger and could join in. I could do wheelies as a lad (once managed 20 white lines (220 yards) ) but I have no comprehension how during a wheelie you could stand on the seat?

[mumbojumbo]

It confirms what many think

The West Country begins in Bristol-unless you come from D&C

[peetee]

I can see how this could be intimidating and unsettling for some people but, flagrant Highway Code transgressions by the minority excepted, these kids are having fun and being sociable not being offensive and rowdy. Let them claim the streets back now and again. The car rules the urban environment 24/7 and its impact is no less in-yer-face, it’s just that we’re more used to it.

[Navara]

I find the comments here a little strange.
If that were 50+ riders on Moto-X bikes I reckon 100% of comments would be along the lines of "idiots,dangerous,illegal etc,etc".IIRC dozens were prosecuted for a NYE ride-out a couple of years ago?
Just because they're on push bikes it's OK?No doubt had one of them collided with a motor vehicle of any description certain posters here would blame the motor vehicle.
Someone mentioned it's better than them driving about in modified cars.
It isn't.
Doing this on busy High Streets is stupid.

[Morzedec]

I think I can see Cummings in the background, pedalling a bike taxi for Boris ......

[Mick F]

Idiots.
Every single one of them, and if we had a police force, they would all be arrested.

Idiots.
Us for allowing the police force to be disband too.