Critical Mass - March '09

I queried it with them. They started off life as a separate organisation to London Underground and got brought into Transport for London much later (that's why you used to have to blip into and out of the DLR to continue your tube journeys). The problem is not because of technical difficulties or health and safety issues. Apparently it is an insurance issue - they are not insured to carry bikes. Which is an arse when you are north of the river and your girlfriend lives in Greenwich and it's after 7pm at night and you have to walk through the Greenwich foot tunnel with your bike, including the down AND the up set of stairs. Caryying my bike up, well, both bikes in fact, because hers was a heavy mountain bike, so I carried it for her, up all 300-odd steps was unwanted effort after having cycled for miles. I definitely needed energy gels after that one. And lycra was a must.

BUT...

It looks like we could slap up the office of Mr Boris and nag them nicely to change their insurance criteria for the DLR, or however this is doen in a legalistic sense. One for the LCC, I suspect. But I think this one is definitely solveable with people-power.

I know only too well about the tunnel. I used to go through the Woolwich one twice a day on my commute.