Police Kettling Cyclists outside Olympic Opening

Sorry, I decidedit was too nice a day to waste arguing on here again, so i went out for a bike ride and a swim. I see some of you just stayed on here arguing.

Bet ya didn’t!

Ima gonna call you Che connor from now on, have you got a range of iconic posters I can buy for my bedroom wall?

ha ha! Why, do you need to frighten burlgars away?

CTC rides never seem to have these sort of problems.

Interestingly enough, nor do the Sky Rides.

Or the Tweed Run. Or the WNBR. Etc. Etc. Etc.

It’s almost as if some of those rides really are a celebration of cycling.

And, in the words of Sesame Street….One of these rides is not like the others, one of these rides is not quite the same…..Can you guess which it is, kids?

No Che, because you can lead us on to a better tomorrow.

Perhaps.

With your flat pedals.

and your amazingly organized not-organized-at-all fellow cycling celebrants.

I love how you stick it to the man, how you make people sit up and think, but most of all how you smell…

Sorry, I decidedit was too nice a day to waste arguing on here again, so i went out for a bike ride and a swim. I see some of you just stayed on here arguing.

You don’t see any irony at all in this statement?

some people will be forever opposed no matter how much you try to explain things.

For all this ‘explaining’ you claim you keep doing, you’ve still not answered my question. Is it a secret or something?

Interestingly enough, nor do the Sky Rides.

Strange, because I have seen confrontations between drivers and cyclists on Sky Rides. In fact, you get a high number of very inexperienced cyclists causing all sorts of problems on those rides. Maybe they should all stay at home instead?

And the Tweed run; is that the one with blokes with big moustaches and pipes on penny farthings and the like? Because I once saw a bit of a scene with some of them and a taxi, near St Pauls I think it was. Mayb e they’re all confrontational asshats?

And if you actually attendee CM rides, you’d know that there is seldom any trouble. Which is why normally there are hardly any police in attendance.

Interesting how you can twist things to suit your own narrow view, isn’t it?

but most of all how you smell…

It’s the garlic. My girlfiend both loves and loathes it in equal measure!

My girlfiend

Steady on lad, don’t be insulting her until you’re sure she’s the one.

Have you got a straggly beard; it’d look better on the posters..

I myself have been threatened with arrest under Section 12. As I stated earlier, I simply ignored the threat, explained to the officer why they had no real power to arrest me for such an ‘offence’, and went about my business.

Must be interesting business to even come across a police officer let alone be threatened with arrest under section 12.

I’ll leave to to you lot to figure out why this ‘order’ was invalid, and obviously unenforceable, given that all but three people have actually been charged.

I’ll leave that to Metropolitan Police, CPS, and magistrates court to decide.

I reflected on the fact that in situations like this some people will be forever opposed

Challenging people’s opinions simply polarises those opinions.

Most of my friends vote the other way. Every time they argue with me, it doesn’t sway me to think “hmmm yeah see their point, maybe I’ll vote that way next time”.
(Actually I vote tactically, but they vote for the 1 party I’ll never vote for, unless BNP are a genuine contender, but that’s another story).

Strange, because I have seen confrontations between drivers and cyclists on Sky Rides.

Thought they were traffic free rides? ❓ 😕

Thought they were traffic free rides?

They stare at each other, across the boundary, hard.

Thought they were traffic free rides?

I have seen groups of cyclists with skyride tabards on numerous public roads. I don’t know if they are part of the official route, but many of those cyclists seemed inexperienced and inept at riding on roads with traffic.

My girlfiend

I had to look hard to spot what was wrong there!

Have you got a beret?

I bet t’other half has; see if you can borrow it for the poster pic.

Have you got a beret?

No but i have got a bucket hat. Or at least I did have, until she stole it!

many of those cyclists seemed inexperienced and inept at riding on roads with traffic.

How DARE they take part in an event specifically intended to help them gain confidence and enjoy riding. HOW VERY DARE THEY!

😕

People riding in Sky Ride tabbards! Just a thought Mike, but if I put a United replica shirt on, it doesn’t mean I’ll be jogging onto the old Trafford pitch next to Wayne Rooney when the season starts.

Anyway…. Have you got any pithy and defiant quotes you’d like to go on the t shirts? I thought the classic Che pose, with you staring ruggedly into the middle distance.

Incidentally, our cats called Che Guevara! We could have a picture of you holding him, with your top off for the posters. In high contrast black and white? Or Is that a bit 80’s Athena?

How DARE they take part in an event specifically intended to help them gain confidence and enjoy riding. HOW VERY DARE THEY!

Calm down. It was an observation, not a criticism. And proof that your statement was incorrect, in my experience.

Or Is that a bit 80’s Athena?

I don’t think a poster of me in a short tennis dress, scratching my bare arse would sell very well. Although it might, who knows?

DNR.

our cats called Che Guevara!

that’s the second time you’ve mentioned that. try-hard. 😆

anyway, i’m a long way from the action, down here in the sunny south west. i live in a ‘city’ but we’re still busy tying to get electricity and the wonder of TV. you’d be amazed how much effort i have to go to, to post this.

CM appears designed to shape opinion. i heard of it years ago and thought ‘that sounds kinda cool’. sorry. not any more. my opinion has been shaped by these events and the reports thereof.
sorry i can’t investigate in person but as it goes flights to syria are thin on the ground too.
as stated very early in the thread ( we’re quiet at the mo, what can i tell you? ), we should be natural allies ripe for the picking on here, but like the sticker says ‘just because i ride a bicycle, doesn’t make us friends’.
if CM cannot police itself it will be policed by outside agencies as you have found.
you ‘campaign’ for cyclists. so does the CTC. you’ve reminded me i need to renew my subscription to an organisation that actually achieves positive results for cyclist’s benefit in this country.
cheers!