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Critical Mass in Southampton

Joe Public | 12.07.2005 17:06 | G8 2005 | Ecology | South Coast

In solidarity with everyone protesting against the G8 and global poverty, as well as to highlight a positive step people can take towards reducing global pollution and climate change (go by bike!) roughly 35 cyclists set off from Hoglands Park in central Southampton- also the meeting point for the Make Poverty History demo which, unlike our little outing made the local TV news...

Gathering at Hoglands Park
Gathering at Hoglands Park

Off down high Street
Off down high Street

On towards to the Avenue
On towards to the Avenue

Civic minded citizens passing the Civic Centre
Civic minded citizens passing the Civic Centre


The undamaged Car
The undamaged Car





With cheers of support from the gathered crowds, we set off down to the bottom of the town along with two police cyclists, one acting as a corker. Then up past the Bargate and the city centre with a few cheers from the public along with a few bemused looks...

Along the way any 4x4's that we spotted recieved a "Public Aware" sign. We then proceeded down along the High Street passing the Civic Centre and the Royal Courts of 'Justice'.. and then onto inner avenue where the police decided to leave us to it for 10mins...typical that was time when angry motorists decided to have a go and one irate driver hit the back of a cyclist's bike when he deliberately drove into the back of him.

However- surprisingly, he did no damage to the bike but managed to trash his radiator!! (I think they call that 'instant karma'!) There is more than a little poetic justice in that fact. The second person he drove into was also unhurt. Not only did he ram 2 cyclists and leave the scene, he also mounted the grass verge. We will not be bullied. Being in a hurry is never an excuse to knock down pedestrians or people off their bikes. The police have been informed about the driver leaving the scene of the accident and up to 40 cyclists are willing to give evidence to make sure he gets points on his licence and his insurance premiums go up. He may have been in a rush but a little less haste could have saved him a lot of money!!! (...and not a cop in sight.)

It must be remembered that we slowed traffic for just under an hour on one day&whereas normal traffic clogs up our streets (and air) EVERY DAY, TWICE A DAY. Plus if each one of us on a push-bike that day had done the same journey by car- the traffic would have been even worse. Anyway, it was a positive experience- about 50 cyclists at the end&most encouraging that a few people joined in along the way. Same again next sat 9th July...12pm- Hoglands park, Southampton town centre...see you there.

Joe Public