Speeding cyclist hits NbW columnist

WITH all those speeding cyclists making the towpaths so dangerous, it just had to happen—one of our columnist getting hit by one.

It was our Ralph Freeman who was unlucky enough to be the first whilst he was working one of the Stoke locks on the Trent & Mersey Canal, and complains Ralph:

"I was seriously annoyed to be hit by a bike at 7-30am whilst locking! The cyclist knew I hadn't heard him, but wouldn't slow down or stop. Tried to go between me and the lock! Where the hell did he think I was off to with a windlass in my hand and my boat a few yards away?"

Kamikaze Commuters

In his column he points out the problem of British Waterways having converted the towpath in this area into an urban highway for 'Kamikaze Commuters' on mountain bikes, and that the 'two tings' of a puny bell means the rider will not be applying the brakes and the onus is on the person obstructing 'their' highway to get out of the way!

He tells us that's twice in less that 18 months he has had brushes with cyclists, both times because they simply would not wait for him to get out of their way whilst mooring up or locking.

Read his full story on Wednesday morning.