Southampton's naked bike ride attracts 150 cyclists (From This is Hampshire)
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Southampton's naked bike ride attracts 150 cyclists
10:02am Saturday 13th June 2009 in
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- By Jon Reeve » Education Reporter
WEARING nothing but their safety helmets, scores of cyclists took to the streets of Southampton for the third annual Naked Bike Ride.
To the amazement of unsuspecting passersby, around 150 brave activists stripped off for the protest ride, campaigning about our car culture and dependency on oil.
With many sporting little more than colourful slogans and pictures, the riders also aimed to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists on the roads.
The ride started and finished at Southampton Common, but left a trail of bemused and amused onlookers in their wake on a six-mile course through Portswood and the city centre.
Organiser Rob Jordan told the Daily Echo: “It’s a protest and a demonstration, but a joyous one, and we generally find that people give us a really warm reception.”
Comments(9)
gristle
says...
2:59pm Sat 13 Jun 09
sadtobehere
says...
9:56pm Sat 13 Jun 09
Sadie_is_angry
says...
11:40am Sun 14 Jun 09
@Denzil B.N.P.- There were some VERY fit birds doing it! :-)
@Sadtobehere- If you think a bunch of fun-loving freaks on bicycles are bullies I'm not surprised you're sad. Why not join in next year, what have you got to lose?
pomdownunder
says...
1:36pm Sun 14 Jun 09
downfader
says...
5:24pm Sun 14 Jun 09
sadtobehere wrote:Yeah because its really easy to bully half a ton of plastic, metal and glass on a 7kg bike. *rolls eyes*
They are just bullies on bikes who respect no-one. Where are the helmets? Where were the police? Nowhere as usual, the police in Portswood are never seen in the vicinity. They should take lessons from the Eastleigh beat officers - they are always active and patrolling their areas.
Compared to southampton there are fewer people. The beat will be easier in that respect. I think you're being unfair on the plod, if people generally behaved then their job would be a lot more straight forward..
..having said that nobody was under any threat of harm here. Nothing was vindictive or dangerous so why waste police time with it.
Treas
says...
5:37pm Sun 14 Jun 09
X Old Bill
says...
7:34pm Sun 14 Jun 09
pomdownunder wrote:Simple Public nudity is not illegal. Unless there is an intention to cause distress or alarm, obviously not in this case.
Hmmmmm, the idea of seeing a load of naked people riding bikes through Southampton. Not a nice thought, especially when over half of them didn't have the age or kind of physic that should be nude in public! Thank goodness my kids didn't see it....it would have damaged them for life!!! What the hell is Southampton thinking about allowing this to happen? Isn't public nudity against the law?? Where were the police?? Probably in another area in Southampton fining dressed cyclists for not wearing a helmet!!!
Riding a PEDAL bicycle without a helmet is not illegal. It only applies to MOTOR bicycles, again obviously not applicable on this occasion.
I understand that when a similar, larger,event takes place in London the Metropolitan Police actually organise the route and provide officers to direct other traffic.
The same may be the case in other towns and cities. it is after all a worldwide event.
stmarysmush
says...
1:16pm Mon 15 Jun 09
sadtobehere wrote:Having a larff aint you. When the Fair Oak Cricket Club had there sight screens smashed and covers broken by 50 youths the EASTLEIGH POLICE didnt have any transport to get just a few miles down the road so they had to get a bus which took forever. So because of this £5000 worth of damage.
They are just bullies on bikes who respect no-one. Where are the helmets? Where were the police? Nowhere as usual, the police in Portswood are never seen in the vicinity. They should take lessons from the Eastleigh beat officers - they are always active and patrolling their areas.
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Denzil B.N.P says...
11:06am Sat 13 Jun 09