Over 2,000 young people on cycles are expected to take part in Bikestormz Ride Out this Saturday, June 1, leaving from Southwark Park and returning back there three hours later.
The Ride Out organised to Bikestormz to promote their message of ‘Knives Down, Bikes Up’ and will start at Southwark Park at 11am, the Ride out leaving at 12noon. It is anticipated to go onto Jamaica Road, then St Thomas Street and into Southwark Street before entering Lambeth.
It will then return by Tower Bridge onto Jamaica Road again, before coming back to the park by around 2pm – with the event finishing at around 4pm.
Southwark Police have confirmed that they will be a police presence at the start and finish as well as on route and have said members of the public should speak to officers at the “locations if you have any queries”
It’s a nice idea to get the youth to stay away from guns and crimes and get them active, however, from two experiences of such event a lot of bikers were misbehaving, I found the environment to be unpleasant for three reasons:
*A lot of bikers were going against the direction of traffic, which could obviously cause accidents
*Bikers also invaded pedestrian space by going on the pavement, passing by people too close at high speed, blocking way.
*verbal abuse towards drivers mainly
Was unfortunate to be in London Bridge area when it was on. They were mounting the pavements at speed and treating it like a hooligan ride. When I shouted at one as he knocked my leg with his wheel and made an old woman very nervous as he swerved round her on the pavement he shout obscenities. If this was about campaigning against knife crime then I think the organisers had it wrong. More like gang culture and promoting what come with it.
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