Be careful whom you choose to run down

Britain is undergoing a true cycling renaissance. Hardly a day goes by when we don't hear about some new initiative, or new "bike sheds," or the hue and cry of a stolen cycle in Tottenham. But today, a Reading official has gotten a bill passed that bans all cyclists in the Woodley precinct.

Apparently, Ms. Liz Creighton -- Woodley city manager -- was herself almost knocked down by a cyclist.

“I get so many complaints about cyclists. I’ve nearly been knocked over and other people have said they have too.

“I think everyone will be happy about it.

“The only people who won’t be happy are the cyclists.”

Previously Woodley has been praised for its shopper-friendly town centre.

So there you have it: The assumption here is that bikers are not shoppers, and shoppers are not bikers. We'd suggest that all Woodley cyclists -- and it sounds like you're a real critical mass -- take your money and yourselves out of Woodley for a while. And then maybe some last-Friday-of-the-month, y'know...

(For the record, this is probably a bit like Minneapolis' ban on bikes on Nicollet Mall -- which we religiously observe, in honor of the messengers who can legally use it, and in horror of the buses, which also can use it. But at least the roads revert to The People after 6 PM. Photo (CC) by smcgee.)