Dame Joan Collins is 'right' to vent her anger at dangerous cyclist

27 February 2023 , 19:13

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A dangerous cyclist nearly sent Dame Joan flying on the pavements of London (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Never did I ever believe I’d have anything in common with Dynasty actress Joan Collins.

No, we aren’t both partial to turnips. I also have no clue about her views on whether Harry comes to the Coronation or not. Or why millionaire superstar Al Pacino is charging fans £2,250 for an audience with him when he comes to the UK next month.

But I’m foursquare with Dame Joan when she vents her anger at the dangerous cyclists who nearly sent her flying on the pavements of London the other day.

Urging London mayor Sadiq Khan to take action, she wrote about a road closure on Instagram adding: “…that didn’t stop a masked cyclist with no lights and weaving onto the pavement from crashing into me, almost knocking me over…Why don’t you do something…?”

A dangerous cyclist nearly sent Dame Joan flying on the pavements of London (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

It isn’t solely a London thing. Having worked in many of the UK’s cities I’ve had several near misses with cyclists weaving in between members of the public in pedestrian areas instead of using cycle lanes or, shock horror, the roads. Worse still, I’ve been with older friends, aunts of a similar age to Joan, and even kids left shaken by the inconsiderate nature of some cyclists’ behaviour.

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The Highway Code’s rule 64 makes clear it is forbidden to cycle on the pavement.

The vast majority of cyclists are respectful of that message. So this isn’t an attack on them. Best wishes, in fact, to TV presenter and responsible cyclist Dan Walker as he recovers from his mishap last week.

But lots of us have either witnessed or had the experience of errant riders leaving pedestrians terrified or injured.

At 89, it is more of an issue for the likes of Dame Joan than it would be for me (I’m younger than I look).

The frustration, however, is the same. Just as we motorists are hammered when caught straying outside our
lanes, the Local Government Act of 1988 (which states the maximum penalty for cycling on the pavement is a £500 fine) should be more rigidly enforced to protect the rest of us.

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