Any Worcester readers could soon spot a familiar face pedalling about town as the city's newly elected mayor has pledged to cycle to events in a bid to promote the "health and environmental benefits of cycling".

Cllr Louis Stephen, the city's first Green Party mayor, was elected earlier in May and shared a snap on social media of him posing next to his bike, announcing his promise to "endeavour to arrive at all events by bike".

"My promotion of the health and environmental benefits of cycling will not stop whilst I'm mayor," he said. "Possible rare exceptions may be when I'm being accompanied by the mayoress and a posh hat is required."

Speaking to Worcester News (link is external), Cllr Stephen said he wants to "lead by example" and prove he is "talking the talk" on green transport.

"I've always used my bike and I try and travel using it whenever I can so I don't see why the next 12 months should be any different," he told the local news website.

"Obviously a lot of occasions will call for suits or fancier dress but I'm going to be trying my best to attend every duty I can by bike. There are a range of benefits to cycling when you can including the physical but just as importantly the mental health side and it even frees up some road space for people who do need to use a car.

"If you can use your bike then I think it's a very good thing to do and so I want to be a leader and show people that if the mayor of Worcester is doing it, then so can you."

Marking the start of his role, Cllr Stephen joined the city's children and volunteers for one of their morning cycle buses, helping youngsters cycle to school.

https://road.cc/content/news/new-mayor-pledges-cycle-all-events-301417

Why does the term ‘virtue signalling’ spring to mind?

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Any Worcester readers could soon spot a familiar face pedalling about
> town as the city's newly elected mayor has pledged to cycle to events in
> a bid to promote the "health and environmental benefits of cycling".
>
> Cllr Louis Stephen, the city's first Green Party mayor, was elected
> earlier in May and shared a snap on social media of him posing next to
> his bike, announcing his promise to "endeavour to arrive at all events by bike".
>
> "My promotion of the health and environmental benefits of cycling will
> not stop whilst I'm mayor," he said. "Possible rare exceptions may be
> when I'm being accompanied by the mayoress and a posh hat is required."
>
> Speaking to Worcester News (link is external), Cllr Stephen said he wants
> to "lead by example" and prove he is "talking the talk" on green transport.
>
> "I've always used my bike and I try and travel using it whenever I can so
> I don't see why the next 12 months should be any different," he told the
> local news website.
>
> "Obviously a lot of occasions will call for suits or fancier dress but
> I'm going to be trying my best to attend every duty I can by bike. There
> are a range of benefits to cycling when you can including the physical
> but just as importantly the mental health side and it even frees up some
> road space for people who do need to use a car.
>
> "If you can use your bike then I think it's a very good thing to do and
> so I want to be a leader and show people that if the mayor of Worcester
> is doing it, then so can you."
>
> Marking the start of his role, Cllr Stephen joined the city's children
> and volunteers for one of their morning cycle buses, helping youngsters cycle to school.
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/new-mayor-pledges-cycle-all-events-301417
>

--
Spike

QUOTE: Cllr Louis Stephen, the city's first Green Party mayor, was elected earlier in May and shared a snap on social media of him posing next to his bike, announcing his promise to "endeavour to arrive at all events by bike".ENDS

That was my promise on my BP Personal Safety Action Plan for 10 years and I kept to my pledge every day.

On 23/05/2023 06:37 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> QUOTE: Cllr Louis Stephen, the city's first Green Party mayor, was elected earlier in May and shared a snap on social media of him posing next to his chav-bike, announcing his promise to "endeavour to arrive at all events by fairy-cycle".ENDS
>
> That was my promise on my BP Personal Safety Action Plan for 10 years and I kept to my pledge every day.

Did BP have a rule to avoid leaping from high places in its "Personal
Safety Action Plan"?

If not, shouldn't they have?

QUOTE: Marking the start of his role, Cllr Stephen joined the city's children and volunteers for one of their morning cycle buses, helping youngsters cycle to school. ENDS

Watch out for the angry fruit loops who hate to see kids cycling to school.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Marking the start of his role, Cllr Stephen joined the city's
> children and volunteers for one of their morning cycle buses, helping
> youngsters cycle to school. ENDS
>
> Watch out for the angry fruit loops who hate to see kids cycling to school.

Nothing quite like virtue-signalling self-promotion, is there?

--
Spike

On Wednesday, 24 May 2023 at 05:39:35 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> QUOTE: Marking the start of his role, Cllr Stephen joined the city's children and volunteers for one of their morning cycle buses, helping youngsters cycle to school. ENDS
>
> Watch out for the angry fruit loops who hate to see kids cycling to school.

What is it about this that causes so much hatred?

https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_gallery/public/media/%5Bfile%3Amime%5D/back_to_school2.jpg?itok=-KSVSPYC