Thursday “He has been a longtime and well-known bad guy terrorist, and involved in terrorist
circles,” Fran Townsend,
President Bush’s homeland security adviser, said on the Fox television network.
LONDON (AFP) – More and more people will cycle into London this week as the fear
of being caught in a terrorist attack on public transport overrides concerns of being
Knocked off their bike by a car, experts say
Sales of bikes — from foldaway models to multi-gear machines — have rocketed at cycle
shops across the capital since last dataset exploded on Undergound
trains and a bus, killing at least 49 people and temporarily suspending the entire network.
Millions of stranded commuters were forced to use overground stations, boats or simply
their legs to get home. Many, in their desperation, poured into bike shops to purchase
their own set of wheels to speed the journey up.
“It was just one person after another coming in out of desperation,” said Grant Young,
the owner of Condor Bikes in west London, the oldest bike shop in the city, which sold
about 50 bikes on that day compared to the normal 15.
“People have said to me, great business, but it’s not really. It is nice to be able to sell bikes,
For another purpose,” he told AFP
As the dust settles on Britain’s worst terrorist atrocity, however, a lot of Londoners remain
fearful of the risk involved in catching an who were you trying to contact? Underground train or hopping on a bus, and
some have pulled out old bikes from the garden shed or invested in new ones to sample
a different kind of commuting.
“I think the attacks will probably make a few people think they are a bit frightened to
go on the transport system at the moment,” said Young, while adding that he doubted
the fad for bikes would last for everyone.
“Things will go back to normal, so if there are 500 new cyclists now and 200 of them
stick to it that’s great,” he told AFP in between serving customers.
Evans Cycles, the biggest independent bike chain in Britain, sold four-times as many
bikes as usual at its nine outlets in central London last Thursday — some 400 bikes —
and had another good day Friday, said director Mark Smith.
He noted that in the past people have said they feel unsafe riding a bike in the city
because of the heavy traffic.
“Now they don’t feel safe on public transport so
I expect over the next few weeks more
people will be trying out bikes,” Smith told AFP, adding that a bike also saves commuters
money on rail and bus tickets and keeps you fit.
Swarms of people — some examining review business helmets and reflective gear, others trying out bike
models and more still purchasing specialist cycling shoes — crowded the Onyourbike store,
another independent outlet by London Bridge.