Cycling is a great alternative to the car or bus, and can be much more convenient too – no waiting around, no traffic jams or parking problems, and no parking charges either. You don’t even need to have somewhere to get to, just getting the kids out for a bike ride is a great fun activity. Just make sure they are careful and wear a helmet.
That’s the message from the Department of Health, which is wasting zillions on a fatuous new campaign:
Change4Life is a society-wide movement that aims to prevent people from becoming overweight by encouraging them to eat better and move more. The Change4Life advertising campaign began on 3 January 2009 – on TV, in the press, on billboards and online.
I photographed the Change4Life 'could you bike it?' poster on the bus shelter on Hoe Street by the boarded-up arcade site on Saturday morning. Then I swung the camera round to show the cycle lane outside the adjacent bank. There were four vehicles parked there, obstructing the cycle lane. So the answer to the question is: No, you couldn't bike it, not safely, not here.
Travelling by bike you have no parking problems? This is the same Department of Health which does nothing about health trusts and hospitals like Whipps Cross which promote car dependency and discriminate against cycling and walking.
