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Video: BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty hits back at anti-cyclist comments on live TVNaga Munchetty and Ian Collins (BBC Breakfast still).JPG

Video: BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty hits back at anti-cyclist comments on live TV

Presenter takes issue with Ian Collins' claim that "There’s nothing a cyclist likes more than jumping a red light”...
by Simon_MacMichael
Sun, Jul 15, 2018 14:25
37

Presenter Naga Munchetty gave a guest on BBC Breakfast short shrift yesterday after he made anti-cyclist comments.

Fellow BBC broadcaster – and daily cycle commuter – Jeremy Vine was among those to tweet footage of the exchange on Saturday morning’s show.

Vine said, “I don’t know who this guy is” – in fact, it’s another radio show host, Ian Collins of LBC, who certainly has a bit of previous when it comes to criticising cyclists and investment in infrastructure for them.

Reviewing the newspapers on the sofa on the BBC Breakfast set at Salford's Media City, Collins was discussing an article published in The Times yesterday with the heading Bike bells could become mandatory under safety drive.

“There’s nothing a cyclist likes more than jumping a red light,” claimed Collins.

“Well as a cyclist who doesn’t jump red lights,” Munchetty replied – drawing a sarcastic “You sure?” from Collins, the BBC presenter said that she was in favour of bells on bikes because of the need to alert pedestrians to her presence when using shared-used paths.

That prompted Collins to return to a criticism he has voiced in the past related to cycling infrastructure.

“In London where they’ve spent like a hundred trillion pounds on cycle lanes and you can be driving your car but the cyclist isn’t actually in the lane, they’re on the road, I have no understanding of that.”

“I’ll tell you why,” Munchetty responded. “Potholes.”  

“Potholes? What, in the cycle lane?” retorted Collins, sounding fairly disbelieving.

“Yes,” said Munchetty, “and lots of rubbish and road debris ends up in the cycle lane and they’re not cleaned.”

“Are you sure that’s what it is?” retorted Collins.

“Yes. Sure thing,” Munchetty responded.

“Not just abject inconsideration?” the LBC presenter asked, prompting Munchetty to say, “Are you anti-cyclist?”

“No, I do cycle,” said Collins, greeted by laughter and a comment of “Are you sure?” from Munchetty.

At that point, her co-host, Steph McGovern chipped in with, “I did get sworn at by a cyclist yesterday, but I did deserve it,” going on to explain that she had stepped out into a cycle lane without looking.

Munchetty is undertaking a series of cycling challenges this year to raise money for the charity Action For A-T.

In May, she spent four days riding from London to Paris and later this month will tackle the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 later this month.

Finally, in September, the 43-year-old will undertake a three-day ride from Bedford to Amsterdam.

BBC Breakfast
Naga Munchetty
Ian Collins
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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37 comments

Avatar
userfriendly | 6 years ago
20 likes

"You sure?"  What a patronising twat faced sad excuse for a man. Unbelievable!

Avatar
ktache | 6 years ago
8 likes

Allez Naga, Allez.

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
12 likes
Quote:

“There’s nothing a cyclist likes more than jumping a red light,” claimed Collins.

I think that I can confidently say that every set of traffic lights I come to at least one, sometimes two or three, car(s) jump the red. That's every set of traffic lights I come to cars jump the red. I was told by a Manchester taxi driver to fuck off after he was the third to run the lights on Friday as I gave a toot on the horn, he might actually know me though...

Go Naga.

Avatar
FrankH replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
4 likes
don simon wrote:
Quote:

“There’s nothing a cyclist likes more than jumping a red light,” claimed Collins.

I think that I can confidently say that every set of traffic lights I come to at least one, sometimes two or three, car(s) jump the red. That's every set of traffic lights I come to cars jump the red. I was told by a Manchester taxi driver to fuck off after he was the third to run the lights on Friday as I gave a toot on the horn, he might actually know me though...

Go Naga.

Just because they happen to be driving doesn't mean they're not cyclists, lots of cyclists drive. Cyclists driving, that's who jump red lights.

You know I'm right. angel

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to FrankH | 6 years ago
3 likes
FrankH wrote:
don simon wrote:
Quote:

“There’s nothing a cyclist likes more than jumping a red light,” claimed Collins.

I think that I can confidently say that every set of traffic lights I come to at least one, sometimes two or three, car(s) jump the red. That's every set of traffic lights I come to cars jump the red. I was told by a Manchester taxi driver to fuck off after he was the third to run the lights on Friday as I gave a toot on the horn, he might actually know me though...

Go Naga.

Just because they happen to be driving doesn't mean they're not cyclists, lots of cyclists drive. Cyclists driving, that's who jump red lights.

You know I'm right. angel

Oh bollocks! yes

Avatar
fizrar6 replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
0 likes
don simon wrote:
FrankH wrote:
don simon wrote:
Quote:

“There’s nothing a cyclist likes more than jumping a red light,” claimed Collins.

I think that I can confidently say that every set of traffic lights I come to at least one, sometimes two or three, car(s) jump the red. That's every set of traffic lights I come to cars jump the red. I was told by a Manchester taxi driver to fuck off after he was the third to run the lights on Friday as I gave a toot on the horn, he might actually know me though...

Go Naga.

Just because they happen to be driving doesn't mean they're not cyclists, lots of cyclists drive. Cyclists driving, that's who jump red lights.

You know I'm right. angel

Oh bollocks! yes

It's quite simple really. If you ride a bike you're a cyclist. If you drive a car you're a motorist. It doesn't matter if you do both it's what you're doing when you jump the red light that counts.

I know you're wrong.

Avatar
Jitensha Oni replied to fizrar6 | 6 years ago
5 likes
fizrar6 wrote:
don simon wrote:
FrankH wrote:
don simon wrote:
Quote:

“There’s nothing a cyclist likes more than jumping a red light,” claimed Collins.

I think that I can confidently say that every set of traffic lights I come to at least one, sometimes two or three, car(s) jump the red. That's every set of traffic lights I come to cars jump the red. I was told by a Manchester taxi driver to fuck off after he was the third to run the lights on Friday as I gave a toot on the horn, he might actually know me though...

Go Naga.

Just because they happen to be driving doesn't mean they're not cyclists, lots of cyclists drive. Cyclists driving, that's who jump red lights.

You know I'm right. angel

Oh bollocks! yes

It's quite simple really. If you ride a bike you're a cyclist. If you drive a car you're a motorist. It doesn't matter if you do both it's what you're doing when you jump the red light that counts.

I know you're wrong.

Whooosh! 

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