Mayor Boris and members of his transport team - including Transport
Commissioner Peter Hendy and the Mayor's Director of Transport Policy
Kulveer Ranger - were out and about on their bikes on Friday morning
just gone cycling around in east London, doing a bit of scouting
around in connection with the upcoming "Cycle Super Highways" project,
when this happened on Narrow Street in Limehouse... (video):

http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/05/video...narrow-es.html

Pretty terrifying - I've never seen anything quite like it. Thankfully
no one was injured. It appears as though the rear doors on the lorry
weren't properly secured, and thus came loose as it went over a road
hump or speed table, or possibly just a bump.

There's more reportage from The Wharf (a local freebie paper) and the
Guardian he
http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/05/boris...-after-tr.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...ling-near-miss

Reports of this incident will inevitably link cycling with danger -
however, were the situation slightly different, an incident such as
this could prove pretty dangerous to other types of road users as
well, i.e. pedestrians and drivers/occupants of other motor vehicles
on the road. Nasty.

Mizter T wrote:
Mayor Boris and members of his transport team - including Transport
Commissioner Peter Hendy and the Mayor's Director of Transport Policy
Kulveer Ranger - were out and about on their bikes on Friday morning
just gone cycling around in east London, doing a bit of scouting
around in connection with the upcoming "Cycle Super Highways" project,
when this happened on Narrow Street in Limehouse... (video):

http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/05/video...narrow-es.html

Pretty terrifying - I've never seen anything quite like it. Thankfully
no one was injured. It appears as though the rear doors on the lorry
weren't properly secured, and thus came loose as it went over a road
hump or speed table, or possibly just a bump.

I like the lorry driver's reaction: he seems to be thinking "Oh bloody hell,
that's the 5th time in an hour that's happened."

On May 24, 5:11*am, "John Rowland"
wrote:

Mizter T wrote:
Mayor Boris and members of his transport team - including Transport
Commissioner Peter Hendy and the Mayor's Director of Transport Policy
Kulveer Ranger - were out and about on their bikes on Friday morning
just gone cycling around in east London, doing a bit of scouting
around in connection with the upcoming "Cycle Super Highways" project,
when this happened on Narrow Street in Limehouse... (video):

http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/05/video...narrow-es.html

Pretty terrifying - I've never seen anything quite like it. Thankfully
no one was injured. It appears as though the rear doors on the lorry
weren't properly secured, and thus came loose as it went over a road
hump or speed table, or possibly just a bump.

I like the lorry driver's reaction: he seems to be thinking "Oh bloody hell,
that's the 5th time in an hour that's happened."

Yeah, the video does almost suggest he was somewhat nonchalant -
though I'm sure he was as shaken as everyone else. I think this video
should be compulsory viewing for each and every lorry driver - it
really send the message that one should 'make sure your vehicle is
secure'.

One thing I was thinking is whether the driver should have moved the
lorry afterwards. I can only presume that he didn't drive off, but as
the video shows he unhooks the back door from the mangled car and
moves the lorry out of the way, seemingly so as to clear the road for
other traffic. I suppose that as no-one was hurt then it was legit to
move the vehicle - though someone could so easily have been hurt of
course. Not that people always think quite straight after something
like this has happened. He must have got a further shock as he saw
Boris being one of those inspecting the carnage! That's not to make
light of this though - an ugly incident, no doubt.

Mizter T wrote on 24 May 2009 01:39:23 ...
Mayor Boris and members of his transport team - including Transport
Commissioner Peter Hendy and the Mayor's Director of Transport Policy
Kulveer Ranger - were out and about on their bikes on Friday morning
just gone cycling around in east London, doing a bit of scouting
around in connection with the upcoming "Cycle Super Highways" project,
when this happened on Narrow Street in Limehouse... (video):

http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/05/video...narrow-es.html

Pretty terrifying - I've never seen anything quite like it. Thankfully
no one was injured. It appears as though the rear doors on the lorry
weren't properly secured, and thus came loose as it went over a road
hump or speed table, or possibly just a bump.

It looks like a speed table to me. At that point the lorry is well over
to the right to overtake cyclists riding two-abreast. He then has to
move left to avoid the first parked car, which throws the loosened door
open.

There's more reportage from The Wharf (a local freebie paper) and the
Guardian he
http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/05/boris...-after-tr.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...ling-near-miss

Reports of this incident will inevitably link cycling with danger -

The danger to other road users of cycling two-abreast, you mean?
:-)

however, were the situation slightly different, an incident such as
this could prove pretty dangerous to other types of road users as
well, i.e. pedestrians and drivers/occupants of other motor vehicles
on the road. Nasty.

Agreed.

--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

"Mizter T" wrote ...
Yeah, the video does almost suggest he was somewhat
nonchalant - though I'm sure he was as shaken as
everyone else. I think this video should be compulsory
viewing for each and every lorry driver - it really send the
message that one should 'make sure your vehicle is
secure'.

Unless in Calais, UK bound, passing a crowd of potential immigrants - I
always wondered why those doors, not only sealed for safety reasons, but
also for customs regulations, seem to flap open as soon as someone wants to
hop aboard!

Mizter T wrote:
On May 24, 5:11 am, "John Rowland"
wrote:

Mizter T wrote:
Mayor Boris and members of his transport team - including Transport
Commissioner Peter Hendy and the Mayor's Director of Transport
Policy Kulveer Ranger - were out and about on their bikes on Friday
morning just gone cycling around in east London, doing a bit of
scouting around in connection with the upcoming "Cycle Super
Highways" project, when this happened on Narrow Street in
Limehouse... (video):

http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/05/video...narrow-es.html

I think this video
should be compulsory viewing for each and every lorry driver - it
really send the message that one should 'make sure your vehicle is
secure'.

It should also be compulsory viewing for the councils who put speed bumps
in... and for the people who decide whether a lorry design is safe or not.
Maybe all lorry doors should roll up.

"John Rowland" wrote:

I like the lorry driver's reaction: he seems to be thinking "Oh bloody hell,
that's the 5th time in an hour that's happened."

No kidding. Just reverse a bit, close the doors and drive off like it happens
all the time.

On May 24, 4:36*pm, Robert Neville wrote:

"John Rowland" wrote:
I like the lorry driver's reaction: he seems to be thinking "Oh bloody hell,
that's the 5th time in an hour that's happened."

No kidding. Just reverse a bit, close the doors and drive off like it happens
all the time.

I *very much* doubt that he drove off.

On Sun, 24 May 2009 09:18:12 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:

It looks like a speed table to me. At that point the lorry is well over
to the right to overtake cyclists riding two-abreast. He then has to
move left to avoid the first parked car, which throws the loosened door
open.

Not at that point on Narrow Street, I think, but I'll have a look in
the morning.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk