Cyclists "strongly advised" not to go on bike ride next Monday

[sunnydaytoday0]

Ok they've now U-turned on their advice (not the first organisation to do so after the inevitable backlash) but why on earth would British Cycling think this was a good idea?

"British Cycling strongly recommends that anybody out riding their bike on the day of the state funeral does so outside of the timings of the funeral service and associated processions, which will be confirmed later this week"

www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/13/worthy-of-the-stasi-british-cycling-in-queens-funeral-u-turn-after-ridicule

In which case, a press release basically setting out your entire post would've been much more sensible.

There are a plethora of views on this whole issue, but one thing that's very clear is that the funeral is going to be a big event and it imposes significant logistical challenges on our normal systems. Whatever anyone thinks of any of it, given that the event is taking place as it is and that it's a short notice bank holiday, all of this is inevitable. Organisations would be better to explain that they're affected by the relevant logistical issues, or that they think people they usually represent might be, rather than dress it up in increasingly nonsensical and almost invariably toadying expressions of respect.

If what they actually mean is maybe think a bit more carefully before going off the beaten track on a day where the emergency services are going to be even more thinly stretched than usual, say that.

Exactly. They are all terrified of doing something wrong & being 'cancelled'. There's a terror of not being seen as suitably grieving for the monarch & so now everyone is out performing everyone else.

I agree.

Back in the first lock down, the company I work for could have stayed open. Our factory is massive and we could have safely continued working. However, several FB posts “shaming” us led to us closing down for a time.

This time, my boss is terrified of it happening again, he’s decided to close. We had suggested that those who wanted to take the day off could (using their holiday allowance or unpaid leave) but that we would remain open for those who wanted to come in. But, he’s decided to close and now no one has a choice.

I’d already booked the day off as I’m taking my DD back to uni, but plenty of my colleagues were more than happy to work.

Are people really having this much issue with not understanding what "we recommend" means over YOU MUST. No one has said you must not cycle. No one has said you can't cycle to work.

At the end of the day it is MAMIL's who are the dicks on the road 99% of the time. I am a BC member, and also volunteer heavily for BC. I attend kiddical mass events. I marshal for large races. I am very pro cycling.
But 99% of the time it is MAMILs who cause all the problems. I see it way too often. They tend to have no sense of responsibility and appropriateness. So yes, I think BC saying this to those MAMILs is quite sensible.

@YourLipsMyLipsApocalypse that is some outstanding creative swearing

@Greensleeves MournHub is fantastic as well!

I like to think we'd all be friends in real life 😂

@ThrowingSomeCrumbs that’s not the point though - or it if it was, they’d say that every weekend (MAMILS being annoying all year round!) It’s the fact they had the audacity at any point to tell people what they can/can’t do with regards to an activity which has no baring whatsoever on the queen’s funeral which is so bonkers, MAMILS or no MAMILS.
I’m a MALIL and I’m going out. Fuck you, British cycling. You don’t get to tell me what to do!

Well unfortunately I have to work and I get there by bike so …

@Oldrockingchair But they're not saying you can't go out. They recommend it, but no one is saying you can't go out riding. You're being pathetic and childish, which really does sum most MAMILs up sadly.

Considering how many accidents and deaths occur in the home, perhaps it'd be safer if we all went outside and exercised instead. Though I suppose that we could sit in our chairs and do nothing for the whole day but then we might develop DVT.

We really have gone insane. It's not enough that some people are visibly mourning, the whole country has to be forced into a show of collective mourning with everything shut and people being told not that cycle or do anything that makes it look as though they're daring to enjoy life, even if some of us really don't give a toss.

Remember at the start of the pandemic when everyone went a bit bonkers and got caught up in a kind of mass hysteria? It's happened again. I don't think for a second that the Queen would object to me riding the lanes of Wales, in fact, it's quite a nice reflective thing to do, and good for mental health. Something I might want to do if it was my Gran who was dead, rather than someone I've never met.

I don't normally wear lycra but I'm off out especially to get some for my Monday ride 🙄

Police officers all over the country are paying off their overdrafts with this overtime bonanza, so don't worry too much time about depleted forces. DH is quite gutted not to have been called, £400 for a day's work. His usual workload has been totally unaffected, sitting at a desk in Edinburgh while other colleagues rake in the overtime. Shift patterns allow for quite a few officers to be called in extra. Granted it is not usually on this scale, but police are almost constantly responding to one operation or another.

I was at buckingham palace yesterday and near st james park cyclists were shouted at by the police and told to get off their bikes and walk. No idea why

I have sod all else to do next Monday other than going for a bike ride. I have no interest in watching the service so I will be going for a bike ride.

Considering the state of public transport, I may have to rent a fucking bike to get to work.

Tossers.

Go for a ride but don't try and lock it up in Norwich

That was literally my response, word for word! 😂

Urgh the fucking performative genuflecting mass griefwank MUST END!

100%

@sunnydaytoday0 thanks for this thread and the idea, provided the weather holds I think we'll take a picnic and go for a bike ride with the children. I'm confident that having a nice family day out is a suitable way to honour the queen's memory. Definitely preferable to hanging around at home trying to encourage a 10yo and a 7yo to watch a funeral. Also DH isn't British and is finding the non stop coverage a bit extra.

I've been muttering that for days now.

It's just nuts.

Oh no! Really! <splutters out Diet Coke>

im away atm, about to fly back in after 48 hours away and was hoping I’d escape it here. No. BBC world news mentions the odd bit of other news but otherwise it’s rolling on British channels available here.

I don’t remember it being this bad with Diana. I sanded me floors - not while actual funeral was on, but before and later on for sure.

im horrified at how this event is playing out and I am just not party to all these strong feelings seemingly expressed everywhere all the time.

I’m heartened to hear that I’m actually not alone.

i admired the queen, I really did and it’s sad we’ve lost her, but This is just off the charts bonkers.

i don’t think the RF should continue now she’s gone tbh, and bizarrely this mass grief hysteria is making it MORE likely that we become a republic or somewhere where the royals just live among us like in Holland/Belgium etc.

I agree. I won't be disrespectful, but it does all seem a bit too much now.

It's a good job that they can't see into my house and the fact that I will probably be knitting and listening to podcasts, rather than watching the funeral.

I would watch a wedding, but my mum died 4 months ago and I can't face a funeral.

I’m not too huge on twitter and am at an airport waiting for bay drop to open and am crying laughing at this GrieveWatch account

traffic lights being removed, estate agent windows

<wheeze>

It's getting to the point where anyone not mourning and grieving is going to be hung for high treason

Perhaps there is a concern that anyone who is involved in an activity in which there is an increased risk of danger will not be able to gain support from the emergency services if there is an accident? Police from all over the country are being drafted into London and the bank holiday always puts additional pressure on medical services which will run on a skeleton crew. Depressingly, perhaps the advice to stay indoors and watch the funeral is vaguely sensible in the circumstances.