.the cc news

.bicyclist bashed by baroness' bag

Regular readers of citycycling will know that our stance on red light jumping is pretty much one of zero tolerance, but even here at cc Towers we wouldn't go quite as far as suggesting assault as a potential method of dealing with minor misdemeanours.

However, Lady Sharples, a Tory baroness, recently became a pin-up for the anti-cycling brigade after delivering a blow with her handbag to an errant RLJer. Her actions got coverage the country over, and brought out calls again (in London at least) for a bike registration scheme to come into being before cyclists everywhere are breaking laws willy-nilly and threatening the very fabric of society as we know it...

Never one to let facts get in the way of good entertainment the Daily Mail went to town with a fabulous image of an irate Baroness brandishing her handbag, ready for the next cyclist to come her way. Speaking to Lady Sharples, however, you get a slightly different slant, and find someone who is generally positive about cycling, and unhappy about all road users being just a little bit too selfish. She even goes far as admitting the registration scheme for bikes is likely to be a bit unwieldy and unworkable.

Still, it filled a few column inches didn't it?