Mann: Cops urge road users to respect each other - 'Safe Pass'

‘When I find myself behind a cyclist on a tricky road it's best to wait and pass with caution. After all they are on a bike and comparatively exposed you have a car wrapped and strapped around you.’

Cycling! It brings back happy memories of narrow roads in the Connemara gaeltacht and glorious endless sunshine. Perhaps I should have stuck to two wheels and I might not be so corpulent. Cycling is the big thing these days in Mann we even have cycling Ministers and cycling lanes. We also have busy roads!

Leaving Douglas yesterday I passed a Police ‘pull in’ at Braddan bridge with some sort of contraption like a burger van parked up. I think god it's not the road policing unit autumnal lights and indicators festival that usually coincides with Hop tu naa - but I’m wrong I find via Paul Moulton at MTTV that it's a ‘re-education’ unit (link):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGnLYUXMddw&feature=youtu.be

However the interview indicates that ‘re-education’ by the IOM Constabulary is more low key than that by the Chinese Police I mentioned in my article about the Uighur earlier.

Paul is enjoying the fresh air and he enjoys outings with the cops (I wish I could reciprocate on the latter). The cops have Paul round on occasion to look at there armory or other bits and bobs he's kind of a ‘Media Special Constable’. Gary should enroll him he could project the positive side of policing..is there any other!.

The police officer Paul is talking to avers that there is a lot of issues over interaction between cyclists and motorists. One wonders WHY THIS IS on an Island this size where even having to travel slowly and wait to pass is going to hardly prolong your journey to much.

When I find myself behind a cyclist on a tricky road it's best to wait and pass with caution. After all they are on a bike and comparatively exposed you have a car wrapped around you.

Even groups travelling in pairs don’t irritate me and it's often the vehicle driver behind you who gets more vexed because of your prudence. Still I’m an old codger with all the time in the world so perhaps I’m more dégagé.

Most cyclists I find on a busy road even if in pairs will drop to single file to let motorists pass but apparently ‘re-education man’ says this isn’t always the case and in any event they are allowed as road users to double up if they wish.

Still the open road. The wind in your hair (before cycling helmets became de rigueur). What’s not to like.

I drift in into a gaelic mist of gorgeous scenery, sandy beaches, bikes, the pub and the craic!

Image: Mweenish Island 1976 the thin guy back left is me in the days when I could still get on a bike! The hairy man front is Will Kelly with David Fisher behind the camera. They are both Manx speakers and were honing their Irish language skills in the gaeltacht. There was also as I recall a lot of beer, ladies of course and some humourless German hikers. Happy days!

Bernard Moffatt