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Cyclists are not criminals
• I HAVE walked Hampstead Heath for more than half a century but I have no recollection of ever seeing, or being involved in an accident with a cyclist, though cycling (lawful and unlawful) has been going on all that time (Heath is big enough for cycles and feet, October 19).
Yet Mr Hillier, Chairman of the Heath and Hampstead Society declares in his letter if lawfully extended, there would be “near certainty that many people would meet accidents from collision with cyclists’” That is alarmist speculation, not fact. Heath cyclists are generally safe and careful people. Years of evidence suggest no such “near certainty”. It suggests the reverse.
Worryingly, he invokes Health and Safety. Yet there has never been any prosecution of any Heath cyclist under that legislation. The only single example of such a prosecution, relates to a motor vehicle poorly supervised. Regrettably, the Heath seems to teem with vehicles nowadays. For my part, I would like to see more of the Heath’s many managers including the Superintendent, on bikes rather than in assorted land cruisers, cars and vans.
As for the paucity of Heath constables (in reality park keepers) it may be because their salaries defy the laws of supply and demand. They are I believe, paid significantly more than Community Support Officers with whom they should compete in the local labour market. Instead, they constitute a cash absorbent, premium priced, over-hyped, park-keeping service disguised as a police service.
If we are to debate cycling on the Heath, let us stick to the reality of experience and known facts. Nor, drag in ‘health and safety’ which, in the hands of dull local government zealots, anaesthetises too much human life already. Most of us have had enough of a culture of leisure time castration by “health and safety”. It was cited to remove the diving board from the Lido and wholly mistakenly, in the attempt to enclose the swimming ponds. We all know the ludicrous ‘health and safety’ stories about window boxes, conkers, mountaineering, children’s’ playgrounds and last week, teachers unable to escort children across a road when a lollipop lady became unwell.
Experience of a free and democratic society shows generally, that giving people responsibility makes them responsible. I want to live in a society where individuals have the liberty to exercise judgement and responsibility over their actions, not to criminalize reasonable and innocent behaviour, like riding a bike on Hampstead Heath.
Robert Sutherland-Smith
Widecombe Way, N2
• ACCORDING to Tony Hillier’s letter there are not enough constabulary to enforce the cycling bye-laws even on the “four paths to which they are theoretically confined”. In that case we should have had all the accidents he gloomily predicts. In fact it has not happened. His prediction is proved mistaken by the evidence. Game set and match I think to the case for letting people to ride their bikes anywhere on Hampstead Heath. Thanks to Mr Hillier for proving the point so well.
Kate Woad
Friary Road, N12
• NEVERMIND getting run down by cyclists on the Heath, I very nearly didn’t get that far. On my way to the Heath I narrowly missed being run down on the pavement by a cyclist so, please, could we extend the Heath for Feet campaign to Pavements for Feet, too?
Angela Humphery
Willoughby Road, NW3
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