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| Chain reaction: Sebastian Evans at the spot where he used to lock his bicycle |
A row over cycle provision erupted this week after a 13-year-old boy from High Barnet was threatened with having his bike confiscated if he continued to lock it to a lamppost.
Sebastian Evans, of Hadley Ridge, found a note attached to his bike from Barnet Council saying it would be "forcibly removed" after he locked it to a lamppost in Hadley Highstone before catching the bus to school.
The lamppost is outside the home of Jeremy Parker, the coordinator of Barnet Cyclists, who subsequently offered to let Sebastian leave his bike in his front garden.
Patrick Evans, Sebastian's father, said: "It's lucky for us that he can leave it there, because there isn't anywhere else to leave a bike, so we'd have to drive him.
"This seems ridiculous. I can't see any reason why you can't lock your bike to that lamppost. It wasn't in the way of pedestrians, and maintenance workers would only have to move it round to get access."
Mr Parker raised the issue at the Chipping Barnet residents' forum on Monday, where ward councillors agreed to install a bike rack next to the lamp post by the end of the school Easter holidays.
However, Mr Parker said: "Considering that it seems to cost a couple of hundred pounds to put up a bike rack it doesn't seem a very good use of money.
"This is silly and if it really is a regulation, the council ought to get it changed. It begs the question, are they going
to have to install bike racks next to every lamppost in the borough?"
Ward councillor Wendy Prentice said the bike had posed a threat to pedestrians, particularly the elderly and partially-sited.
She said: "This has been blown completely out of proportion. We want to get rid of street furniture, and people are locking bikes up everywhere."
Cyclist Phillip Fletcher, a Barnet and Enfield Friends of the Earth campaigner, attended the residents' forum and condemned the council's heavy-handed tactics.
He said: "The message they're sending is don't ride a bike or you'll be punished'. For a 13-year-old boy it will feel like authoritarianism.
"I've sent an email to Friends of the Earth in Germany about it. I'm sure they'll find it quite funny."
4:39pm Wednesday 19th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: John Snow, Whetston on 9:17pm Wed 19 Mar 08
While I can't comment on this particular location, where I work in Central London it is plagued with bicycles chained to lampposts/parking meters. Even when there is a purpose built bicycle rack on the other side of the road, they still get chained there.
These bicycles do obstruct the pavement and when they fall over (as they often do, presumably after being knocked) then they pretty much completely cover the pavement.
I'm trying hard to stop this being an 'anti cyclist' rant. I'm sure there are cyclists out there who obey the laws of the road. A 13 year old shouldn't worry himself about such things - good luck to him!
While I can't comment on this particular location, where I work in Central London it is plagued with bicycles chained to lampposts/parking meters. Even when there is a purpose built bicycle rack on the other side of the road, they still get chained there.
These bicycles do obstruct the pavement and when they fall over (as they often do, presumably after being knocked) then they pretty much completely cover the pavement.
I'm trying hard to stop this being an 'anti cyclist' rant. I'm sure there are cyclists out there who obey the laws of the road. A 13 year old shouldn't worry himself about such things - good luck to him!
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