Ah, Twitter. Widely renowned as a place for thoughtful, considerate debate (isn’t it?), the social media platform can also – surprisingly – provide a largely anonymous refuge for the more toxic opinions of certain groups.
And so it proved, when over the weekend Jeremy Vine posted another video of his commute in London, which showed a van driver mounting the footpath to get past a taxi on what used to be the cycle lane on Kensington High Street:
Yesterday, Kensington. 😡@Trafficwmp @SurreyRoadCops @roaddangers @Lord_nikon0131 @London_Cycling @KensingtonVan @kensington @KensingtonRoyal @kensingtonband @betterstreetskc @BetterChiswick @AracerRacer @rant_rate @ormondroyd @danbamb @jonburkeUK @RailtonLTN @LoveFor2Wheels pic.twitter.com/H8LzO2TD9G
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) March 19, 2022
One particularly unpleasant taxi driver’s response to the broadcaster’s video was, let’s say, rather blunt:
@theJeremyVine … u are a sad twat
— Tom (@tjab1425) March 19, 2022
In fairness, Vine didn’t hold back either:
So sad that you have a licence to embarrass London. Please find a different job.
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) March 20, 2022
You don’t understand do you? The more people cycle, the clearer the roads are for you to pick up passengers. But you have a strange loathing for cyclists instead of loving us.
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) March 20, 2022
After a few more childish and largely meme-based taunts (I would probably avoid visiting Tom the cabbie’s profile, as it’s pretty unsavoury), one user came up with handy idea for cyclists to avoid any anti-bike taxi drivers:
Wish toxic Twitter taxi drivers would put their Twitter handles on the side of their taxis so you could avoid them. There are so many lovely taxi drivers, but there is the concern you could end up with someone who has all this hate.
— Railton LTN (@RailtonLTN) March 20, 2022
This prompted some cyclists, including road.cc’s very own Simon MacMichael, to share their favourite bike-related taxi stories:
My fave London taxi story? Cutting it fine for Eurostar, grab cab from Paddington.
Driver: “Effin’ cyclists, think they’re in Tour de France. Anyway, where you off to guv?”
“Paris. Presentation of route of next year’s Tour de France. Don’t worry, don’t think Euston Road’s on it.” https://t.co/a6rLsbb2aP
— Simon MacMichael (@simonmacmichael) March 20, 2022
Some of the Edinburgh ones not much better! https://t.co/Ok9d8cec1X
— Deacon Thurston 🚴♂️ (@DeaconThurston) March 20, 2022
And my personal favourite, from cycling author Chris Sidwells:
Mine is. Irish female taxi driver. “What do you do?”. Me, “I write about cycling” Her, “I hate fuckin’ cyclists.” Then, “do you know Sean and Stephen?” Me, “Yes I do” Her, “Ah, they’re lovely fellas.”
— Chris Sidwells (@ChrisSidwells) March 20, 2022
Others, however, were keen to point out that Tom the cabbie certainly doesn’t represent all taxi drivers:
Tubes were playing up one morning so I got a cab to Euston. Said I cycle to work and he asked which club I rode for ‘Catford’ (at the time). ‘Oh, I’m West Kent RC’. Lovely trip.
— Rob Bullyment (@RobBully) March 20, 2022
But so many lovely drivers who have been a great deal of comfort at dark and sad times.
— Railton LTN (@RailtonLTN) March 20, 2022
The last time I was in a taxi, a few weeks ago in the coastal town of Bray, just outside Dublin, we spent almost an hour chatting to our driver, a retired café owner who used to race mountain bikes, reminiscing about local cycling legends like Peter Crinnion. Thankfully he didn’t keep the meter running…
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-21-march-2022-291231
