Folding bikes - H&S not "gone mad"...

[DavidT]

Some may be interested in this.

Admittedly rather sparse details on the HSE website, but it seems a Supermarket has been told it may have misinterpreted things...

http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting ... icycle.htm

Happy cycling.
David

[Winders]

My wife is banned from taking her bike trailer into the reception of our local council as its a security risk apparently...


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

[Redvee]

The guy in question is poster on the forum too, first he was told he couldn't take his Brompton in the shop, then he could via social media then he was told no when he next went in.

[Lance Dopestrong]

My wife is banned from taking her bike trailer into the reception of our local council as its a security risk apparently...

Did they elaborate on what risk it causes, or how they accommodate similarly sized wheelchairs without them either exploding or stealing payroll? What about the cars parked outside that could conceal a tonne of explosive?

[rmurphy195]

My wife is banned from taking her bike trailer into the reception of our local council as its a security risk apparently...


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

Security risk, or simply obstruction of fire exits?

[Zigster]

When London Bridge staff told me (in no uncertain terms) to fold my Brompton before going through the automatic barriers they claimed it was on Health & Safety grounds because I might ride it off the platform and on to the railway lines! I was only pushing it, not riding it.

I asked them how it was so dangerous for me to wheel my bike when there were a number of people around me wheeling suitcases.

[iviehoff]

I have wheeled my non-folding bicycle onto the platform at numerous central London termini, including London Bridge a couple of times, to catch or leave a train without any complaints, at times of the day when one is permitted to do this. I also wheel my bicycle on the platform at Marylebone up to twice a day in peak hours, as the parking facilities are on the platform.

I expect the real reason was that they knew that only folding bikes are allowed at peak hours, but didn't know more than that.

[Lance Dopestrong]

When London Bridge staff told me (in no uncertain terms) to fold my Brompton before going through the automatic barriers they claimed it was on Health & Safety grounds because I might ride it off the platform and on to the railway lines! I was only pushing it, not riding it.

I asked them how it was so dangerous for me to wheel my bike when there were a number of people around me wheeling suitcases.

I have asked them what's to stop you unfolding it and then going for a ride. It doesn't suddenly cease being a bike because it's been folded. You can't beat a uniformed Nazi on minimum wage when it comes to sensible exercise of authority.

[Tom Richardson]

Did they elaborate on what risk it causes, or how they accommodate similarly sized wheelchairs without them either exploding or stealing payroll? What about the cars parked outside that could conceal a tonne of explosive?

Its claims culture rather than anything to do with health and safety. Someone will catch their coat on it and make a claim against the building owner for the anguish and distress caused. The owner will fight it and when it comes up in court the judge will recall it as one of those ridiculous velocipede things that once got stuck in the front grille of his Bentley, with absolutely no place in a municipal building or any other public place come to that, and will order the council to pay up. Every building owner that imagines this happening to them will then ban them from its premises.

[661-Pete]

When London Bridge staff told me (in no uncertain terms) to fold my Brompton before going through the automatic barriers they claimed it was on Health & Safety grounds because I might ride it off the platform and on to the railway lines! I was only pushing it, not riding it.

Shhhhhh.............ugar! I've more than once ridden my bike right onto the platform at Burgess Hill station, before dismounting. This is because they're often understaffed there and they then leave the ticket barriers open (wannabe fare dodgers take note!). I must have broken every rule in the book, plus quite a few that aren't yet in the book! Why I'm not yet doing a stretch in Lewes gaol, I can't imagine....

[661-Pete]

Talking about 'not being allowed to wheel my bike somewhere' - I recall an occasion years ago (some time in the 1960s) when I was a student at an Oxford college (for my sins ). I and a fellow student arrived at the college entrance on our bikes, dismounted and prepared to wheel our bikes across the quad to the bike racks, as per usual. On this occasion the porter stopped us. "Sorry gents, can't have bikes taken in today, it's a special day, the Queen's coming to pay us a visit."

Well, we knew about the queen's visit, of course, but it was still over an hour before she was due to arrive. Was the porter thinking, it would take us that long to wheel the bikes across the quad, hence running the risk of her Maj catching sight of this "eouhhhh-how-common" form of transport?

We found another way in, unguarded . And the Q did turn up on schedule. No bicycles assailed the royal eyes....

Pity this wasn't in Holland. There, the queen would probably have turned up on her own bicycle.

[Richard Fairhurst]

I've more than once ridden my bike right onto the platform at Burgess Hill station, before dismounting.

I did once ride my bike directly into the vestibule of a 'Turbo' train at Charlbury station. I was very late. (And much younger.)

[rmurphy195]

Talking about 'not being allowed to wheel my bike somewhere' - I recall an occasion years ago (some time in the 1960s) when I was a student at an Oxford college (for my sins ). I and a fellow student arrived at the college entrance on our bikes, dismounted and prepared to wheel our bikes across the quad to the bike racks, as per usual. On this occasion the porter stopped us. "Sorry gents, can't have bikes taken in today, it's a special day, the Queen's coming to pay us a visit."

Well, we knew about the queen's visit, of course, but it was still over an hour before she was due to arrive. Was the porter thinking, it would take us that long to wheel the bikes across the quad, hence running the risk of her Maj catching sight of this "eouhhhh-how-common" form of transport?

We found another way in, unguarded . And the Q did turn up on schedule. No bicycles assailed the royal eyes....

Pity this wasn't in Holland. There, the queen would probably have turned up on her own bicycle.

Common security restriction at such events - see what the IRA did with bicycle bombs, and think what could be done with modern explosives packed into frame tubes - no need for baskets or saddlebags!!

[Mike Sales]

Common security restriction at such events - see what the IRA did with bicycle bombs, and think what could be done with modern explosives packed into frame tubes - no need for baskets or saddlebags!!

What did the IRA do with bicycle bombs?

http://www.john-adams.co.uk/category/bicycle-bombs/

John Adams has been unable to find any examples of the sort of bicycle bomb you describe (as opposed to a bomb in a bag on a bike).

Has anyone, anywhere, ever, been killed by a pipe bomb disguised as a bicycle? I have been pursuing this question since last June with the help of the Internet and the BBC’s Today Programme and World Service. So far the answer appears to be “not yet”.

[gaz]

There was a lady wheeling her solo MTB around the aisles of the local Tesco yesterday, with a toddler in the child seat on the back.

I didn't stay long enough to see if she got challenged by security. Perhaps she could have tried to explain it away as a designer pushchair .