Taking it into my own hands…

Today, I was in the Herts Ad (page 6) complaining about those pesky speed humps down my local park. Again I hear you cry! Yes, not because I’m a media whore (although some would argue that is the case) but to demonstrate to the council that I mean business and make local people aware that I’m starting a campaign on the matter (hopefully encourage other people, who have had similar trouble to come forward). I’ve already got Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson on board and that is just the tip of the iceberg. I feel passionately about this as the council have turned a perfectly accessible path which was used by everyone into an inaccessible route trying (and failing miserably) to slow cyclists down.

Councillor Julian Daley thought he was being clever and tried to make the article sound nonsense by saying ‘I am quite satisfied there is a problem and the officers need to come up with a solution’. I’d like to thank him for adding that because it perfectly illustrates my point that the council are ‘glossing over’ the problem. Julian said they are trying to find solutions but that is clearly just a way of buying time and hoping that I’ll quiet down after a while. I can safely say that whatever they suggest will have Sustrans (a cycle charity) firmly in mind because keeping them happy is far more important than the welfare of a local, disabled resident.

I know Julian won’t want me to put this in the public domain but I feel people should know. On Tuesday, I received an e-mail informing me that Cllr. Daly had urged that ‘any negative press publicity in the next 2 weeks will not be helpful’. I’m afraid that little attempt at suppression and controlling media output didn’t work. Unless I’m mistaken, Great Britain is a free country. Or has Julian Daly forgotten that? His fragrant disregard for what the electorate thinks, emphasised by his final statement of ‘his opinion is his opinion’ (patronising much?), suggests that he is out of touch with the whole idea of democracy and doesn’t want to listen to the public who put him in power.

If any of the councilors didn’t like my article in the local press, they won’t like it when I start calling in my contacts. If there is one set of people the media dislike, it’s politicians what with Leveson and the Royal Charter. So, they will take little persuasion. Watch this space!

Mark my words; I will have the last word on this issue. They either remove the humps now and shut me up or face a blistering campaign, which will last until the ‘waves’ are removed. Either way, it’s the same outcome.

Don’t mess with ‘Wheelchair Boy’.

Bye for now!