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Video: Cyclists come to aid of London motorist who had broken down ... while others drive by

Four riders help move car off cycleway

You could be forgiven for thinking it is open season on Britain's cyclists at the moment, with the Charlie Alliston case sparking a slew of highly opinionated and often ill-informed commentary across the media as well as the government promising an "urgent review" of "cycling safety" in the wake of that case.

Here's a video posted to YouTube by heelmetcam user 4ChordsNoNet though that casts cyclists, especially those in the capital, in a much more favourable light than you might imagine had you read, say, this piece yesterday from The Economist's 1843 Magazine.

A motorist's car has broken down on a Cycle SSuperhighway on Harleyford Road by The Oval cricket ground in South London and while other drivers pass by, it's four cyclists who stop and together help get it off the road.

Chapeau, gents - perhaps some motorists might have helped too had the car been blocking the road itself?

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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18 comments

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Harmanhead | 6 years ago
1 like

  You lot arguing! 

I did this a few months back. Bloody hard pushing a car in cleats. Car drivers drove by. 

Ps I'm white and the driver was Asian. 

Just in case anymore wants to carry on the argument 

angel

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OldRidgeback | 6 years ago
1 like

The parable of the Good Samaritan springs to mind.

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CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Whilst I'm fixing things, it's "helmetcam" not "heelmetcam" and "Superhighway" not "SSuperhighway" (I could argue whether these are even words, but that's a discussion for a cold night in front of a roaring fire witrh a bottle of single malt).

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beezus fufoon replied to CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
3 likes

CygnusX1 wrote:

Whilst I'm fixing things, it's "helmetcam" not "heelmetcam" and "Superhighway" not "SSuperhighway" (I could argue whether these are even words, but that's a discussion for a cold night in front of a roaring fire witrh with a bottle of single malt).

FTFY

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CygnusX1 replied to beezus fufoon | 6 years ago
1 like

beezus fufoon wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

Whilst I'm fixing things, it's "helmetcam" not "heelmetcam" and "Superhighway" not "SSuperhighway" (I could argue whether these are even words, but that's a discussion for a cold night in front of a roaring fire witrh with a bottle of single malt).

FTFY

Touché (although I'm not the one publishing articles on the web)

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fenix | 6 years ago
2 likes

While out running we came across a car blocking half of the road. It appeared that it's handbrake had broken and it had rolled down the drive. Motorists were just driving round it so we pushed it out of the way and chocked the wheel.

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brooksby | 6 years ago
4 likes

Do you think this is because motorists are insulated/isolated inside their boxes, so everything outside-even a broken down "fellow motorist" - is just Somebody Else's Problem?

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SteeveB | 6 years ago
1 like

Done this twice at least. Other car drivers kept on driving. 

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simonmb | 6 years ago
1 like

A bit sad that this should be considered 'news-worthy'. Don't you think?

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dottigirl | 6 years ago
6 likes

I've done this - was leading a club run and an old Buick had broken down right in the middle of the roundabout. I called a stop to help the guy.

I really enjoyed it as he appeared to be the type to loathe cyclists and it really hurt him to mutter thanks to all of us. angel

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Valbrona | 6 years ago
0 likes

White people helping black people ...

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CygnusX1 replied to Valbrona | 6 years ago
7 likes

Valbrona wrote:

White people helping black people ...

Fixed that for you.

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Canyon48 replied to CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
4 likes

CygnusX1 wrote:

Valbrona wrote:

White people helping black people ...

Fixed that for you.

+1

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ts437 replied to Valbrona | 6 years ago
4 likes

Valbrona wrote:

White people helping black people ...

 

WT-actual-F??

 

I wonder if you'd make that comment if your  full name was attached to it

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Zebulebu replied to Valbrona | 6 years ago
7 likes
Valbrona wrote:

White people helping black people ...

You, sir - and I don't say this lightly - are a cunt

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ClubSmed replied to Valbrona | 6 years ago
0 likes

Valbrona wrote:

White people helping black people ...

I think the reaction to this comment raises some very interesting points. Why are we so offended by segregation by skin colour but fine with segregation by transport mode. There are no complaints from anyone saying that it should be "road users helping road users"! Are we adding to the us verses them mentality by segregating ourselves in stories like this?

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davel replied to ClubSmed | 6 years ago
2 likes
ClubSmed wrote:

Valbrona wrote:

White people helping black people ...

I think the reaction to this comment raises some very interesting points. Why are we so offended by segregation by skin colour but fine with segregation by transport mode. There are no complaints from anyone saying that it should be "road users helping road users"! Are we adding to the us verses them mentality by segregating ourselves in stories like this?

Yes. But we are segregated.

Slice and dice it whichever way you want, you can't really help feeling segregated when the nth impatient twat of a driver nudges past your elbow just to get ahead of you.

The stats, say, of drivers killing cyclists vs cyclists killing drivers, are pretty segregated, too.

I'm all for us just getting along, but you can't just shout 'ceasefire' and everything will be OK, not when one side has tanks and is addicted to them, and the other is completely unarmed.

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Metaphor | 6 years ago
2 likes

The very pillars of society.

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