received this from my boss

Paul E

shearno wrote:

It should read...

Are you catching the cycling bug? Please take care.

Dear all,

I know that a lot of people working in our hospitals are keen cyclists, and with the British cycling team doing so well in this year's Olympics, I am sure that more and more people will be picking up the sport during summer.

As such, I would like to take this opportunity to remind people how important it is to take care when you're out and about cycling as some drivers seem to have no regard for other vunerable road users,

and to wear a helmet while you're on your bike.

During my career, I have treated cyclists, including lots of children, who have been very badly injured while out riding, and I know first-hand the difference that a helmet can make unless you are crushed by a bus/lorry in which case it won't make any difference

All too often, these injuries could have been lessened or avoided if the cyclist had been wearing a correctly fitted helmet - wearing a helmet is a matter of life and death.

The helmet debate hits the headlines
Last week, the winner of the Tour De France and Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins called for wearing a helmet while cycling to be mandatory.

I agree that cyclists should wear helmets and was interviewed about it on BBC Radio Surrey this morning. If you have a spare couple of minutes, you can listen to the interview here (it starts at 1h 41mins).

We all have a responsibility whilst on the road
Cycling can be a great way to get around: it keeps you fit, it's cheap and it's good for our environment. But it can be dangerous if drivers don't take care and look properly as roads aren't dangerous, bad drivers are basic road safety is ignored.

Of course, cyclists have to help themselves by focusing on what they're doing - if you're cycling, you shouldn't listen to music or get distracted by your phone. state the bl00dy obvious but certain types are left to the laws of natural selection

Motorists should also recognise that they share the road with vunerable (compared to a car which is a nice steel protective box)cyclists and should be aware of cyclists at all times. Those of us in cars and other vehicles have to understand the damage we can do to cyclists and 'Think Bike' and don't drive like c0cks

So, before getting on your bike, make sure you:

put on your correctly fitted hard shell safety helmet;
make sure your lights work and switch them on;
switch off your personal music system; WTF I don't carry a early 80's ghettoblaster
switch the phone off; erm no, if i fall off I want to be able to ring right away not wait for my phone to start up
make sure you can be seen easily.by covering yourself in dayglo hivis but that won't make a driver look at you
For more information about cycling safely, visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/cycling.

Kind regards

Dr --- ----
Joint Medical Director

airbag

CiB wrote:

Respond with this:

Dear Dr -- ----

I note your concern for cyclists, although I feel it would be better targeted at car users. It cannot have escaped your notice that virtually every car accident these days no matter how apparently trivial the collision may have been, the end result is whiplash injury. This is not a scare story plucked out of thin air in an attempt to create a climate of fear that can only be resolved with polystyrene clagging; it is a widely reported fact that all insurers will confirm. The prevalence of whiplash injury is at endemic levels. It is surely far more important that this real and on-going crisis is addressed, rather than worrying about a low-level problem of cyclists that isn't resolved by the use of polystyrene hats.

Please send a similar message to all staff requiring all car occupants to wear a neck brace when travelling in cars, either their own or as passengers. It's the only way to address this problem that is already out of hand.

With deepest sympathy in your loss of comprehension.

Shearahhh.
4-1.

my vote goes for this . It does come across as fairly patronising, but mostly it's just an unfortunate fact that plenty of people will shout 'you encouraged me to cycle and now I'm injured, it's all your fault', but no-one will shout 'you encouraged me to drive instead and now I'm fat': even when there is no chance at all of being sued people feel like they need to cover their backs.

Alternatively, you could send a respectful email detailing your concerns that, although well intentioned (which it is), she is fearmongering and not focusing on the real dangers, inexperienced cyclists and impatient or lazy motorists. Explain she might see the people who have been saved by a helmet, but not the far greater number who've been saved by good advice and courtesy.

Alternatively still, send her an email simply saying 'No' and cycle in naked, your helmet proudly on display as a political statement

mtb-idle

Cib's response does it for me.

Perhaps you could add that the car drivers should turn off their radios and mobile phones too for extra comedic value?

But seriously, let it lie.

bails87

Actually....genuinely useful suggestion here.

Speak to her and the council's safe cycling/bikeability bod, try to get an afternoon of training sorted for new/nervous cyclists, as free time out of the office.

That will do far more than helmets and turning off an ipod.

cookdn

walkingbootweather wrote:

[....] The patronizing content is just padding around the obvious advertisement for her radio moment.

+1, I thought exactly the same when I read it. But keep your head down, not worth it.

[Edit] Go with bails87 suggestion:

bails87 wrote:

[....] Speak to her and the council's safe cycling/bikeability bod, try to get an afternoon of training sorted for new/nervous cyclists, as free time out of the office.

That will do far more than helmets and turning off an ipod.

Best regards
David

mybreakfastconsisted

Tell her you are much more likely to get a head injury in a pub than on a bike and she should go down her local Wetherspoons and hand out helmets.

Jay dubbleU

walkingbootweather wrote:

I have been greatly impressed by the freshly laundered and pressed shirts worn my many of the Olympic presenters and think this is a look that I'd like to cultivate. However I am somewhat concerned by the the number of head injuries attributed to ironing boads and covers. Could you please ask the good doctor for some advice before I embark upon this hazardous activity?

What you need is this http://www.extremeironing.com/

Jay dubbleU

walkingbootweather wrote:

I have been greatly impressed by the freshly laundered and pressed shirts worn my many of the Olympic presenters and think this is a look that I'd like to cultivate. However I am somewhat concerned by the the number of head injuries attributed to ironing boads and covers. Could you please ask the good doctor for some advice before I embark upon this hazardous activity?

What you need is this http://www.extremeironing.com/

walkingbootweather

I was rather hoping that you would tell me that what I really needed was an au pair. I did suggest it but for some reason Mrs WBW wasn't keen :?

Headhuunter

Seems to me like your boss hasn't got enough to do with her time... Seems a bit of a random email to send round on a Wed or Thu afternoon. What area do you work in?

shearno

Headhuunter wrote:

Seems to me like your boss hasn't got enough to do with her time... Seems a bit of a random email to send round on a Wed or Thu afternoon. What area do you work in?

The NHS

graham.

Sorry, not read the whole thread, just the email.
My first and only thought was;

"I've been on the radio and I'm so proud I want everyone to know"

Graham.

vermin

I love the spirit and content of the email. It shows great enthusiasm and encouragement for cycling. The writer is a medical professional, so it's no wonder she is advocating helmet use by her staff - advocation of helmet use seems pretty much unanimous amongst health professionals. Ha, what do they know? People with no knowledge of medical matters always know best re helmets!

I agree fully with Bails' suggestion of cycle training and with Clarkey's comment on near-side overtaking of trucks. I reckon you would be thanked and respected for recommending those two. Plus, if you can get something going on the training front, you can impart your knowledge and experience whilst helping to reduce the number of hopeless nodders on the commute.

unclejimbo1983

Whilst the last thing I want to do is kindle a helmet debate, it should be pointed out that many many medical professionals are ill placed to comment on safety issues. This applies even if they are experts in head injuries. Trauma doctors/surgeons/nurses are experts in fixing damaged people, not avoiding the damage in the first place. They are at the mercy of sampling bias just like any other anecdotal evidence. (caveat - unless they actually are statisticians in the field)

E.g. An A&E worker might see a high number of cyclists with serious head injuries not wearing helmets. This could tell them that not wearing a helmet contributed to their injuries, or it could tell them that loads of people don't wear helmets, thus increasing the pool of potential victims. In a town where nobody wore a helmet A&E would be full of helmetless victims. In a town where everybody wore a helmet A&E would be full of victims wearing helmets. Neither is any use to the debate.

Also, health experts tend to err on the side of caution. Highly trained doctors will trot out the "5 veg a day" message knowing full well the number is arbitrary, as the alternative is to admit that less might be enough which would probably validate some quite destructive behaviour in already unhealthy people.

To get back on topic - I'm with the "patronising but well meaning" camp. If you take issue with someone who asks you to be safe, you're likely to come across as knob, even if you have a valid point.

SimonAH

Yup, as many have said, this is a 'look at me' and nothing more.

Can't do any harm, but you can't like her for it.

Ignore.

rick_chasey

I thought my boss was weird.


That is weird.

davmaggs

Nevermind the content of the email, why on earth is she spending time interferring (or "raising awareness") on how people get to work. It is none of her business.