Singer James Blunt has waded into Cycling Twitter™ in a big way. The English singer, known for his popular tunes “Goodbye My Lover” and “Beautiful,” replied to a tweet posted on X by British broadcaster and cycling advocate Jeremy Vine.
Vine, who often posts his near-misses while riding, shared a video of himself cycling when a delivery truck pulled into the bike lane. The journalist and television presenter, riding a penny-farthing no less, expressed his disappointment over the incident on X.
“Dear Ocado Driver, Cyclists have priority over your vehicles in cycle lanes. Especially when they are on penny-farthings. Thanks so much.”
Van stops in lane
In the video, Vine comes to a halt as the delivery van stops squarely in his path. Some replies suggested that the driver had the right of way because they were there first, but this was quickly rebutted.
Here in Canada, notably Ontario, there has been increasingly heated dialogue between cyclists and drivers. Although many cyclists are also drivers, some comments highlighted a growing schism between the two—as part of a so-called “war on cars.”
Recently in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford’s government passed Bill 212, which restricts new bike lanes and could also lead to the removal of existing ones, most notably in Toronto. The cycling community continues to fight the law—despite its passage—with protests and legal action.
Blunt and to the point
Blunt, who says he is both a cyclist and a driver, attempted to bridge the divide with a Quote Tweet calling for more unity. “As both cyclist and driver, I don’t think we should pit ourselves against each other. Maybe try to share, rather than compete, for the space… and a little patience and tolerance would go a long way—especially to the Ocado guy delivering people’s turkeys. Happy Christmas,” he posted.
Born on this day, February 22, 1974:
James Blunt, musician, here riding in aid of wounded and injured military personnel in London, UK, 2013.
Happy #bicyclebirthday, James!#BOTD pic.twitter.com/gWY3kPUSJc— Cool Bike Art (@CoolBikeArt1) February 22, 2022
Jeremy Vine said that “sharing the road” results in 1,700 deaths annually, emphasizing the need for segregated lanes to protect vulnerable road users. He explained that he shared the post lightheartedly, noting how even segregated spaces are often encroached upon. According to Vine, such encroachment increases danger, discourages…
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