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“Just to point out…”
When you see those four small words crop up in a conversation about cycling or safety, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter (RIP), or even the local parents’ WhatsApp group, you know it’s never going to be pretty.
Well, we’ve got some Victim Blaming 101 to kick off the last live blog of the Twitter era (before we all revert to fax machines and Teletext, I presume) and this one is a classic of this most unfortunate of genres.
A father cycling his child to school – wearing reflective great, nee cargo bike, everything – was hit by a car outside school just now. Both came off bike – not sure how injured. It is so extremely upsetting.
— Pauline von Hellermann 🌳🌴🌹🌻🌍 (@PHellermann) November 17, 2022
Yesterday, Pauline von Hellermann, a lecturer in environmental anthropology, tweeted that a father riding a cargo bike to school with his two children in Eastbourne was struck by a motorist pulling out of the school’s car park.
According to Pauline, the dad and children were knocked off their bikes in the collision and taken to hospital by ambulance. They are reportedly fine but, understandably, left “very shaken” by the incident.
It was in fact two children, and the father and his children were hit by a car coming out of the school car park. I just raised it in one of the parent whatsgroup and instantly got this back: blame the victim!! The car rules pic.twitter.com/eE3IOuIYA5
— Pauline von Hellermann 🌳🌴🌹🌻🌍 (@PHellermann) November 17, 2022
However, after alerting other parents at the school in their shared WhatsApp group, Pauline was met with the following – rather startling – response: “Just to point out the bikes race down that hill and if a car pulling out onto the road with cars parked up either side dropping off as they can’t possibly park safely to drop off makes it very difficult to see a bike coming down the hill especially at speed.”
The message continues: “Unfortunately or fortunately the lady in the car had just pulled out. I agree something needs to be done but equally bike riders need not all but some[!] to slow down and equally be traffic aware.”
Wow, a lot to unpack there. But it gets worse.
Pauline replied to our victim-blamer-in-chief: “To be honest I would be surprised if a father with two children on a cargo bike would have been racing down the hill.”
Victim-blamer-in-chief’s reply?
“You would be surprised.”
Needless to say, the last of the Twitter users weren’t impressed with this response, described as “revolting” and “soul destroying”, with one branding the victim-blaming parent “an apologist for car violence”:
Oh, that’s a soul destroying response 😔
— Clare Tweets 📚🗺⛺️ (@ClareCJJames) November 17, 2022
What an apologist for car violence
The posting of a fool
— Jez Briggs (@Jezter1982) November 17, 2022
It’s just bizarre that people think like this. It’s as if cars have more ‘rights’ than people
— 💧George Crisp (@DrGCrisp) November 17, 2022
No, no, no, no! Cyclists cannot ever cycle in a way that justifies someone pulling out of a school park in a way that hits them without it solely being the driver’s fault. A school car park is hazard awareness zone taught in every driving lesson.
— Leonie Troke (@TvHLeonie) November 17, 2022
That’s how they’re taught to begin missives when studying at Karen University.
— *Big sigh* (@CouldntBeArsed1) November 18, 2022
You should agree and “just point out” that this is a strong reason to have cars banned within 500m of the school grounds.
Then thank her for her support in championing such an excellent safety Initiative.
— *Big sigh* (@CouldntBeArsed1) November 18, 2022
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