2008 MCN London Motorcycle Show Excel London

Officers from Bikesafe-London Team, working together with our partners from the City of London Police, Transport for London (TfL), Borough Road Safety Officers and Motorcycle UK Ltd, attended the London Motorcycle Show at the Excel Centre.
For the four days of the show, from January 31st until February 3rd, they staffed a stand promoting the Bikesafe-London scheme. Bikesafe-London is very popular and well respected by London’s motorcyclists as evidenced by the number of Skills Day attendees that came on to the stand in order to meet the officers they had worked with, and to encourage their friends to go on a Bikesafe day	During the show 1,200 registered an interest in attending a Bikesafe Rider Skills Day. These people will be subsequently booked in to a course. This was as well as answering numerous and varied questions relating to policing matters (both general and traffic).

BikeSafe-London Team Accompany Fenlanders Harley Owners Group On Their Fund-Raising Run to Great Ormond Street Hospital. 16th September 2007.

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Michael Wallace
Police Sergeant 28 TD
BikeSafe-London

Dear Michael and Colleagues

A Thank You from Amazon Heart

I write to thank you all for your support, work and skill in escorting the Amazon Heart Thunder riders into London on 1st September.  As you’ll perhaps know, the ride, in addition to raising awareness and funds, is intended to be a life affirming experience for the women taking on the challenge.  Whilst the ride organisers can arrange the route and accommodation, it is support from people such as yourselves that raises the event into an unforgettable experience for the participants.

Having the escort into London was a real privilege and an incredible experience: one you can be assured the women appreciated – you’ll have seen the smiles on their faces, and the tears in their eyes - and one they will always remember.

Already we’re getting feedback from the participants about what the ride has meant to them, how it’s changed them and their view of how they can live with cancer.  You were part of achieving that. Thank you.

Yours sincerely

Chair, Amazon Heart Trust UK

Second Deaf Bikers Day

It was almost two years ago to the day that BikeSafe-London hosted the first Deaf Biker day at the Ace Café so it was time to do it again.

Deaf bikers historically have been excluded from either assessments or further training, as it is difficult to cater for their specific needs. After speaking with Robin Hancock, who is an active member of the Deaf Bikers Club and an IAM Observer with Kent Advanced Motorcyclists, the BikeSafe-London Team put their second Deaf Biker day on the calendar.

Following the initial presentations, we found that everyone was keen to learn and asked loads of relevant questions, keeping Mark busy throughout the whole morning.

With the help of both Robin and the Met’s Diversity Team, a qualified interpreter was employed and three British Sign Language (BSL) assistants were asked to come and help us out with communication issues, ensuring that the BikeSafe-London presentations were delivered and the riders could interact with both the presenter and the officers they rode out with.

All of the interpreters came on their bikes thus enabling us to communicate throughout the whole rider skills day.
Rider briefings were conducted on a one rider, one officer, one interpreter basis and the officers found it easy to get their message across.

During the ride outs both in the morning and afternoon there was no difference between riding with a Deaf person or a hearing one as, when you are on your bike, all communications are done using hands, mirrors and signals. I rode with Andrea who was a very competent rider, even though she told me that she had only ridden for just over two years and only then if the sun was out!

Having a toddler myself who was taught to sign by my wife before he could talk, helped me in very basic communication with Andrea. I summoned all of my knowledge to show her what I knew in sign - however she didn’t need any milk, a nappy change or a nap and was not that interested in my vast vocabulary, or in farm and domestic animals! At least I could say please and thank you though!

Half way round the officers debriefed the riders on the first section of their ride and again the interpreters were there to help them out, ensuring that all the relevant messages were passed to the rider and that the officers could answer any questions posed. The whole day passed without any incident and the riders not only enjoyed themselves, but learnt things too. The officers enjoyed the day and by the end were even trying out signing themselves.

Special thanks have to go to the riders for coming, Mark, Jason, John and Richard for giving up their time to communicate for us.

The message I took away is that it doesn’t matter who or where you are in society, when you get on a bike and ride your position in the world is irrelevant, we are all the same – motorcyclists.