Arrrggghhh! You cut your research into Belisha literally one sentence before the sentence that explained the costume in Jay's video!!!!!!! Love a bit of Jay Foreman!
Hore - Belisha ......... in the UK we have Belisha Beacons (names after him) on the side of the road to indicate pedestrian crossing points and they have a big orange ball on top of a pole ...... so Jay was dressed as a Belisha Beacon !
@@WILFREDRUSSELL-h8n And the 'NEWish versions' being produced; Those with the white 'lit up' parts of the upright pole, along with and/or the white 'halo' now appearing around the orange. flashing globe top...
New Zealand, being more British than the British, also have the same crossing signals, although occasionally cheap out and substitute a 10" round disc in vibrant reflective orange in place of the glowing orbs.
you think he has any idea what that beacon looks like?? i don't. i read that sentence and had no clue it has anything to do with the costume. i am not from the uk.
There are crossing signals in the UK named "Belisha Beacons" - named after him, as he introduced them - which feature a rounded amber light on top of a black-and-white striped pole. The joke here being that Leslie Hore-Belisha actually looked like a Belisha Beacon - as if the man himself inspired the design, rather than just lending it his name only. (By the way, the light is actually yellow, really, most times I've seen one in real life. But, as you know, we Brits insist on calling yellow "amber" for traffic signals. It just sounds more fancy that way.) To clarify, Belisha Beacons are used with the black-and-white striped "Zebra" crossings. These crossings typically don't have actual stop / go lights for the cars or walk / don't walk (red and green man) lights for the pedestrians. Rather that patch of road is marked with stripes and the lights on a pole attract the driver's attention, so that it's very clear that this is a designated crossing point and vehicles are obligated - by the Highway Code - to slow down and stop and give pedestrians "right of way" to cross the road, where safe to do so. So, really, these type of crossings tend to be of the "voluntary" sort. You still have to pay attention and double-check that the cars really are stopping and that it's safe to cross. But having a specially marked place where this happens, ensures pedestrians and drivers are on the same page and know to slow down, stop and let people cross. (There are also zig-zag lines on the sides of the roads leading up to and away from zebra crossings - actually, all road crossings in the UK have this - and the zig-zag lines prohibit vehicles from parking within that zone. This ensures that there aren't any parked vehicles obscuring a driver's view of pedestrians lining up at the side of the road to cross. You're not allowed to park next to the crossings - on the zig-zag lines - which ensures nothing obscures the view of pedestrians, so you can see that they're there, waiting to cross.) They're used on the less busy smaller roads where that kind of scheme works. On busy roads, it's proper traffic lights - and a criminal offence to drive through a red light. I mean, you're a Beatles fan. You should know what a zebra crossing looks like from the famous album cover.
I was in Los Angeles, my first time in USA, and I asked a passer-by where I could catch a bus into the city centre. She laughed and walked on, as did the next 3 people. One person asked me what a bus was. I gave up and got a private hire coach to San Diego instead.
2:33 the child/person looks like a Belisha Beacon - striped body and flashing spherical yellow lamp- a flashing light used next to a Zebra Crossing - search for Belisha Beacon image 😂
The UK resolved the smog problem by doing 3 things. Stopped using leaded fuel. Forced all new cars to have better exhausts. Paid cash to people too scrap their old cars. Now smog is very rare in the UK. But not fully irradiated as the weather can effect the accumulation of smog.
Partly correct, Though I think unleaded fuel is not a help (with controlling smog), works much better in warm climates, lean burn would have been a better solution also to do with not having coal fires in houses, also to do with not having Steam trains. But a major advantage London has over San Francisco is the sun shine, or lack of it. Its also quite rare to have very calm (no wind) days in London. Removing the deiseal buses also helps.
@@paulqueripel3493 Once again sort of right, lead was not banned, but catalytic converters were made compulsory as you say and it messes them up. At the time, many UK cars were set up for lean burn, which gives a better exhaust than via a cat., for about 10-15 minutes in UK conditions, due to how long the cat takes to warmup and become effective, this was not true in California, where UK took is data from. Many UK journeys were shorter than the time taken for a cat., to warm up. Note lead in petrol was not banned as such, it remained available for about 10 years after cats were introduced, but began to be withdrawn as fewer cars needed it, I think you can still buy an additive to mix in when you fill your tank, if needed.
Jay's dance at the beginning was a reference to a Monty Python sketch called 'Party Political Broadcast (Choreographed)' that I'd recommend you check out.
About 20 years ago my wife and I rode bikes around Hyde Park Corner twice on our first date. (Don't ask) Amazingly we survived and weren't too emotionally scarred.
There was some common faults with the deaths and injuries of cyclists not just in London but in the whole of the UK , one was at junctions were if buses , HGV ( semi trucks ) etc was going to turn into another road they would move away from the curb / edge to get a bigger turning circle cyclists would go down the gap ( more so if the big vehicle had stopped ) and when the vehicle moved the cyclist would be heavily crushed . Another way they get hurt is at junctions and crossings were sometimes they don't stop at red lights or set off early the trouble is some motor vehicles do the same coming from a different direction and the two meet .
We have two main types of road crossings, a 'pelican' crossing, where a button is pressed, and a 'zebra' crossing, which is distinguished by black and white stripes on the road, and two flashing 'Belisha beacon' domed lights.
Cycling around London has gotten a great deal easier since Jay made this video, especially after Covid. But 7:56 is a great representation of what it’s like to cycle in virtually any other town or city in the UK. 😂
what a load of bollocks Thatcher-era British policies provided a damning contrast to the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, which disfigured their legacies by allowing HIV policy to become yet another front in the culture wars.
We have several Bike Lanes that run for a few yards and then disappear primarily as a means of traffic control rather than any intended benefit to cycling
You might be interested in looking at the channel Not Just Bikes which has some really interesting stuff about how some cities have adopted for public transport and bikes instead of every journey needing a car. It has nothing to do with the UK tho
I LOVE your technique of looking things up so no time wasting and frustrating "Second Guessing" and that 5 or 10-second rewind means CONTINUITY and no one misses anything. I am 70 (first 29 just 2 miles from Central London and then in 1983 I made a fantastic move, just 11 miles to the very edge of South East London and Kent. I took driving lessins around "DEVILS CORNER on that Hyde Park Corner "every Man for himself" Roundabout PRE Traffic Lights. Cycling IS fine for those Under 50's commuting to work in Central London or The City Of London or in short journeys in INNER London. HOWEVER, Cycle Lanes in some OUTER London areas cause massive problems. I will describe them, now,in a second comment.
Cycling in London is very hazardous I don't live there any more but had a bunch of fairly serious accidents and 3 stolen bikes (in a period of about 6 years). My crashes include: A bus going to overtake me, then suddenly changing its mind to stop at the bus stop, swerving back and crushing me between the bus and bus stop (I was fine, bike was destroyed). Another I was going down a hill about 30mph - car pulled out in front of me, I swerved to go behind it as there was no way to stop in time - driver saw me, panicked - braked and stopped in the middle of the road - I went straight into the driver door and over the car. (minor injuries - bike ruined). Another whilst riding in a narrow bicycle lane (on side of road) traffic queued on the road. Passenger randomly throws door open as I am coming past - I crash into door. (bike survived! Yay!). Another whilst riding a cycle lane on the pavement (not on road) A random speeding car mounted the kerb and sent me flying (broken bike - broken arm). A numerous amount of smaller bumps.. junctions - roundabouts people pulling out in front, dog owners with retractable leads letting their dogs run across your path, tourists just walking out into the road and other cyclists who think the road rules don't apply to them and cause chaos behind them. I may be just unlucky, but I'd imagine most London cyclists have their stories. I ride fast but am a very defensive rider, never had a crash in a car.
Here's my story, I've cycled in London for 40 years, and i've fallen off once after hitting a pot hole and scraped my elbow. Of course i've had a few close shaves. I don't know how long you've been away, but many of the routes have improved considerably in the last 15 years or so, with fully separated lanes rather than just paint on the side of the road. Of course there is still a ling way to go. London is behind many of our European neighbours when it comes to infrastructure.
All the way to Amsterdam? On a quick Google search there I just came up with a two night mid week break for two in Amsterdam for around £160 each, including flights which are only about an hour and a half each way…and that’s from Glasgow, chances are you’ll find something cheaper from one of the London airports.
8:46 A point about this. Jay says “cars were banned from streets” They weren’t banned technically. I follow a great UA-camr called NotJustBikes who’s a Canadian who wanted to raise his kids in the opposite of a car dependent place so he moved with his family to Amsterdam. Dutch streets in urban areas are designed in a way that treats cars as intruders on a place designed for people, and not the other way around. Also since the 1990s, Dutch urban planning has defined three different types of carriageway for cars and never the three shall mix. Because what you then get if you try and serve multiple functions with a through way are things like stroads. Stroads are common all over the US and Canada and it’s when streets (which are destinations) are designed like roads (which are thoroughfare) and built to highway standards (which incentivise high speed of traffic because they lack traffic calming infrastructure to narrow lanes or make drivers slow down). The result is a hybrid carriageway designing to fulfill multiple functions of being a destination and a high speed connection between two places, and it creates an environment that is wholly pedestrian unfriendly and hostile to anyone not in a car. You live in California, good example of a stroad is Route 82 between San Francisco and San Jose. The length of it past downtown Redwood City is a stroad. Most LA streets are stroads. This kind of road, and I’m not joking, is virtually non existent outside of North America.
Thatcher was a disaster. Her government also banned state run bus services and forced them all to be private for-profit businesses. We now have rural locations with _zero_ public transport links. I was forced to buy a car when our unprofitable bus route was cancelled and i couldn't get to work anymore
The London assembly was created by Labour, after kicking thatchers Tories out in 1997. You have to wonder why anybody would vote for the Tories ever at this point
Just heard you say “he went all the way to Amsterdam to film this”, the cheapest flight from UK to Amsterdam £75 return flight so about £100 to centre of Dam
@@JJLAReactsmate we get entire holidays for £180 per person that includes flights, all inclusive hotel, transfer etc at resorts in the canaries, Tunisia, turkey, Spain etc. Flights for us in the UK is so so cheap. This guy says £70 for a flight, but I have a both ways flight to Amsterdam booked in 3 weeks that cost £22 total (booked way In advance). £11 each way. Also you can get city breaks for the weekend and deals can be under £100 sometimes which will give you flights and hotel for 2 days stay. Also I got Barcelona all the time because my sister lives there and usually spend about £50 for my both ways tickets. Everyone I know goes to Spain, turkey, Greece etc for at least a week every year EVERYONE I KNOW, even the working class/poor ones who will literally pay off their £500 family holiday with monthly payments
I'm not sure the traffic light sequence was the main issue. Having so many foreign lorries, going to and from the Blackwall Tunnel, (not most foreign lorries have the driver on the 'wrong side'). There were a large number of bus routes through the roundabout, including a contra flow (or 2 I believe). Fast approach roads. I think there is also the entrance to a fast food restaurant (Mc D). It used not to be very well lit. And a traffic calming system on Aberfeldy Estate, which basically forced any thing in that estate to exit via the Blackwall Tunnel Approach then go onto this roundabout. And road markings were interesting. At least it was quite close to Bow Church.
@ the traffic lights would go green at two junctions at once By the time the cyclists got going the oncoming traffic would be at going at speed In the end they added a second set of lights under the flyover
Linking back to music …. A ‘Belisha Beacon’ is what you find at either side of a ‘Zebra crossing’ … as per the ‘Zebra Crossing’ that featured on the ‘Abbey Road’ Album cover.
Just to let you know there is now an east west cycle track on the north side of the roundabout in Hammersmith now. Still not great when i come in from the south though
I'm not a cyclist, but have looked at a YT channel 'London cycle routes', It shows routes across London, just looking at the number of Routes he has shown over the last 3 years, suggests there have been some major improvements. Note each route has a smart phone app based map/directions, there is also a spreadsheet, showing all the routes he has done (About 170). Its no longer an opportunity for me (I moved out of London), but I think its worth considering. I think the main issue is Kensington & Chelsea, also having to plan your route, but I do think it is much better than it was.
Interesting and entertaining - thanks! I commute 20k each way into central London most work days and have done for 20 years. The biggest change in that time, other than the volume of cyclists, is the acceptance by car/van drivers that general congestion will defeat them so they might as well not bother trying to overtake me (coz I'll just pull ahead at the next lights anyway). I did used to see a sign at least once a month asking for witnesses to a serious/ fatal incident involving a cyclist (especially around Elephant and Castle), but hardly ever see anything like that any more. Through the changes that Jay described, most road users seem to have taken a collective chill pill, nice!
They've actually fixed Hammersmith now. It has one of the best cycle lanes. Today I was putney to Mortlake one scary bit on the junction of priory lane, lights were green car in front of me lorry 🚛 on right they weren't moving - traffic - but to go ahead id need to cut through say if the lorry 🚛 moved. But I had to collect bunny from the vet which was closing. A pedestrian walking straight out in front of us did not help. Usual day, lucky to be alive, both of us x
I used to cycle all the time in London. I'd feel MUCH safer there than down here in Poundshop Florida! (Cornwall) (and I wouldn't have to deal with all these effing hills)
I still own a set of five Air Horns that play "La Cucuracha" - Sadly the law says I can only fit them to old cars. Luckily both my cars are old, one is VERY old. I DON'T WANT A NEW CAR!!
We have the World Naked Bike Ride every year around June, so there's that! I spend a lot of time in Valencia, Spain and they have managed to add cycle lanes by reducing the pavement/side walk and to be fair they have the weather for cycling.
The Cycling Proficiency Test, not sure if they do this anymore? At age 11 in the 80s every one in my year who had a bike had to take this test. It taught everything from road signs to hand signals, how to maneuver on the road correctly, over shoulder looking and how to make right/left turns when needing to go into center of road safely. This was so good the knowledge I gained from this and riding my bike correctly helped me to be a better driver from my first lessen. You also got a sticker for your bike, a certificate from the police man teaching the class. All children should be doing it, not only for cycling makes you a better driver as well.
I remember seeing Evan Edingers videos on cycling in London, and it both made me want to try it with some friends but also not trust myself to survive 😅
The main problem with the first separated cycle lanes were that the cyclist would have to be ready to give way at any sort of side junction, cars could drive across the lane before reaching the stop, or give way, line. That made it both easier and/or safer to just use the road. Added to that was in some places, they were used to park cars.
Part 2 of this video is titled "Why drivers should want cycle lanes". ua-cam.com/video/_DNNIB_PdaA/v-deo.html And I'm puzzled why you were puzzled by the GLC/boroughs thing, because you've already reacted to Jay's videos "Why London has 32 boroughs" and "What's wrong with London's boroughs?".
Have you seen the map men's Geoguesser video? He really does fly to these places for seemingly no apparent reason other than to get the shot! He's either crazy or a very good editor!
In the 70's and 80's cycle helmets were not a thing! I never wore one and I was only just not horribly faciably disfigured. People were super hard then :D
He starts the video in Kilburn. You can tell it's an old video because the he can still use that part of pavement. They're building something new there right now so the part he's on is fenced off up to the bollards.
Leslie Hore- Belisha. Where we get the name for the flashing orange lights on a Zebra crossing. The Belisha Beacon. If you had read the next sentence in his bio, you would have learned this. The " new car" ad is not real !! I often think that we should go back to using horses as transport. At least when they die, unlike the car ... you can eat them ! It is NOT a legal requirement to wear a cycle helmet in the UK. BOW is pronounced as in LOW .
I would love to see you react to India/Bangladesh - the World's worst border as well as The mystery of the squarest country, which I think are two map men videos you haven't done yet. ❤ Btw, no reactors have reacted to the India/Bangladesh map men video yet, you could be the first!
Please also react to Road Guy Rob's video "Let's FIX the HIGH SCHOOL... with 152 ROUNDABOUTS!", an American take, exception really, on traffic safety in one particular city. And for how little roundabouts America has, this one city has the most roundabouts in the entire world.
Hore Belisia if you ever wondered why Jay foreman was swearing a space helmet, well it wasn't a a helmet It was a Belisia beacon a yellow globe on a pole denoting a zebra crossing put forward by Hore Belisia as yo would have found out if you had continued reading.
You skipped over the paragraph that explained Belisha. Its a round flashing light at pedestrian crossing. Known as a Belisha Beacon. In the video he was dressed as a Belisha Beacon.
Thatcher abolished the GLC and the Metropolitan Counties that ran the major conurbations in England. They were seen as a focal point of opposition to her - interestingly in one form or another (English Combined Authorities and Metro Mayors, and the London Assembly and Mayor of Greater London) they had to be recreated as the borough councils just did not have the strategic overview to run the conurbations. Of course the old Met Counties and GLC were not run by the Conservatives, hence their abolition.
Sadly, cycling tends not to be an option for the elderly and disabled who still need above-ground transport so even if you're anti-car, buses and trams remain necessary in city centres.
It's interesting to see which city will begin the cycling revolution in the US. Sorry, sir, but I don't believe that LA will be the first :) In my country (Russia) Moscow really likes its bike lanes. They are very nice. Moscow has a lot of parks too so there are a lot of beautiful green places to cycle. As for other cities, they do what they can afford. In many cases it means not much - there are lots of other infrastructure which needs building and maintaining.
Update since you asked: since this was made London has abolished cycling entirely - it is now illegal to cycle in London - being caught with a bike in public is an offence punishable by 20 years in prison. All the bike lanes have been sold off and been turned into massive drive through McDonalds.
I know a lorry driver who got pissed off about cyclists holding on to the back of his lorry to get a bit of speed up to go round a roundabout or a big corner
Back in the 50s, lorries were easy to keep up with. A cyclist was carrying a box of eggs, so put them on the back of a lorry he was following to make it easier. The driver realised what was happening so speeded up, leaving the cyclist watching his eggs disappearing into the distance.
Do remember the famous British weather! As a Traffic PSCO for 12 years, I sadly attended numerous bent and squashed cyclists. I think it really is a very dangerous thing to do in London - since you really are putting your life in the hands of thousands of idiot drivers, white van man, boy racers, blind lorries and impatient buses. If they are all paying attention, focused on what is around them, they can usually avoid problems... but as you are probably aware, often they are not. Add to that the fact a large percentage of cyclists do not follow the rules, jump red lights, and act like they own the road. Would also add Amsterdam is around 60 square miles compared to London's 600 square miles - I ride a motorcycle and many journeys I make, in London, still take well over an hour and up to two hours. An "Armadillo" at 4am on rainy foggy morning, nearly killed me, since it was pretty much invisible when I hit one at 20mph in North London.
The attitude of British drivers is far worse than 30 years ago. Many are deliberately dangerous when they pass. You have national newspapers that spread misinformation which amounts to incitement to at least injure, if not kill. Britain is without doubt the worst place I have ever cycled, and I lived in Turkey for 8 years. The drivers there are bad, but they don't actively try to hurt you. So no, it's not better it's far worse.
Continued.....NOW the DISADVANTAGES of Cycling around London. I have driven around 500,000 miles in mostly, short journeys, in and, mainly, around London since 1980 so 44 years. Without a car, I could not have accomplished 20% of what I have achieved. or been, having had 3 accidents in those 44 years. Tomorrow night, after Football,I will take 20 minutes to drive 9 miles home to Kent and I will be DRY, WARM, and SAFE, with my choice of company and playing great music and it will be enjoyable. As we PROGRESS people want MORE "Creature Comforts" and not to come home bedraggled in the English constant rain. Cycle Lanes in Outer London are, rarely, used but cause so much pollution, as cars are now forced into in one lane only.
I live in outer London and use bike lanes all the time, alongside plenty of others, so that's not true. And the myth about bike lanes creating pollution is just that, a myth. There is far more evidence to show that they reduce pollution and congestion. Bike lanes are good for everyone. Constant rain? No, fewer than half the days of the year, actually, most of which are showery or drizzly so it is raining. Do you really think that the low countries have better weather? How do they manage to use bikes? Even if you decided to only cycle on dry days (because you're made of sugar or something), that's over half the year. PROGRESS (sic) is not more cars and more pollution for the roughly half of all Londoners who don't have cars. Your 9 mile journey is not typical of London journeys, 2/3 of which are 5km or less and of these half are under 2km. If you need to drive 2km to get somewhere then you have medical issues or a disability. Of course more people on bikes would mean easier travel for the disabled who HAVE to use cars, but nor for those dropping off kids at school when the catchment area for schools means they are overwhelmingly less than 2 miles away from school. No wonder we have so many fat kids (and adults). So prefer to drive your nine miles, makes sense from what you said, but don't pretend like those are the typical car journeys that take place in London. I have a car and drive when I need to go longer distances to places which are not easy to get to by public transport, so I'm not anti car, just pro facts.
I suppose we have to consider the more recent increase in cyclist road deaths in London as relative to the much higher numbers cycling using the roads, and hopefully make changes to prevent any further increases while encouraging the use of bikes. Maybe make car drivers feel more personally vulnerable or liable.
Arrrggghhh! You cut your research into Belisha literally one sentence before the sentence that explained the costume in Jay's video!!!!!!!
Love a bit of Jay Foreman!
Awe damn!!!
Haha, yes, we were all willing JJ to read on one more sentence.
Im so glad others noticed this too!! I was going crazy 🤪 😅
When Jay does things like this I really don’t know if he is deliberately trolling viewers. A half glance down shows the answer so clearly.
I've never understood why they were called "Belisha beacons", which just sounds silly, rather than the much more sensible-sounding "Hore beacons."
Hore - Belisha ......... in the UK we have Belisha Beacons (names after him) on the side of the road to indicate pedestrian crossing points and they have a big orange ball on top of a pole ...... so Jay was dressed as a Belisha Beacon !
… and the pole has black and white stripes, like the T-shirt, ta-da
@markthomas2577 It was a nice look for him.
@@WILFREDRUSSELL-h8n
And the 'NEWish versions' being produced; Those with the white 'lit up' parts of the upright pole, along with and/or the white 'halo' now appearing around the orange. flashing globe top...
New Zealand, being more British than the British, also have the same crossing signals, although occasionally cheap out and substitute a 10" round disc in vibrant reflective orange in place of the glowing orbs.
Part 2 is called "Why Drivers Should Want Cycle Lanes"
Driving around Hammersmith was scary enough in a car!
Who else was shouting at the screen to read just below the bit he was reading!!! Where it said that he was associated with the Belisha Beacons! 😂
@shelleyjackson8793. Uh......well now, that's a nice image. 😊
We all were!
you think he has any idea what that beacon looks like?? i don't. i read that sentence and had no clue it has anything to do with the costume. i am not from the uk.
There are crossing signals in the UK named "Belisha Beacons" - named after him, as he introduced them - which feature a rounded amber light on top of a black-and-white striped pole.
The joke here being that Leslie Hore-Belisha actually looked like a Belisha Beacon - as if the man himself inspired the design, rather than just lending it his name only.
(By the way, the light is actually yellow, really, most times I've seen one in real life. But, as you know, we Brits insist on calling yellow "amber" for traffic signals. It just sounds more fancy that way.)
To clarify, Belisha Beacons are used with the black-and-white striped "Zebra" crossings. These crossings typically don't have actual stop / go lights for the cars or walk / don't walk (red and green man) lights for the pedestrians.
Rather that patch of road is marked with stripes and the lights on a pole attract the driver's attention, so that it's very clear that this is a designated crossing point and vehicles are obligated - by the Highway Code - to slow down and stop and give pedestrians "right of way" to cross the road, where safe to do so.
So, really, these type of crossings tend to be of the "voluntary" sort. You still have to pay attention and double-check that the cars really are stopping and that it's safe to cross. But having a specially marked place where this happens, ensures pedestrians and drivers are on the same page and know to slow down, stop and let people cross.
(There are also zig-zag lines on the sides of the roads leading up to and away from zebra crossings - actually, all road crossings in the UK have this - and the zig-zag lines prohibit vehicles from parking within that zone. This ensures that there aren't any parked vehicles obscuring a driver's view of pedestrians lining up at the side of the road to cross. You're not allowed to park next to the crossings - on the zig-zag lines - which ensures nothing obscures the view of pedestrians, so you can see that they're there, waiting to cross.)
They're used on the less busy smaller roads where that kind of scheme works. On busy roads, it's proper traffic lights - and a criminal offence to drive through a red light.
I mean, you're a Beatles fan. You should know what a zebra crossing looks like from the famous album cover.
I was in Los Angeles, my first time in USA, and I asked a passer-by where I could catch a bus into the city centre. She laughed and walked on, as did the next 3 people. One person asked me what a bus was. I gave up and got a private hire coach to San Diego instead.
2:33 the child/person looks like a Belisha Beacon - striped body and flashing spherical yellow lamp- a flashing light used next to a Zebra Crossing - search for Belisha Beacon image 😂
And you just missed it in his Wikipedia entry. It was the next sentence / new paragraph after you stopped.
I used to cycle to and from work in the centre of London in the 1980s. I can't beleive I came out of it alive.
The UK resolved the smog problem by doing 3 things.
Stopped using leaded fuel.
Forced all new cars to have better exhausts.
Paid cash to people too scrap their old cars.
Now smog is very rare in the UK.
But not fully irradiated as the weather can effect the accumulation of smog.
We don't have smog in London because coal was banned for heating and smokeless fuel was brought in.
Partly correct, Though I think unleaded fuel is not a help (with controlling smog), works much better in warm climates, lean burn would have been a better solution
also to do with not having coal fires in houses, also to do with not having Steam trains.
But a major advantage London has over San Francisco is the sun shine, or lack of it.
Its also quite rare to have very calm (no wind) days in London.
Removing the deiseal buses also helps.
Lead was banned as it poisons catalytic converters, which were made compulsory for new cars after about 1991.
@@paulqueripel3493 Once again sort of right, lead was not banned, but catalytic converters were made compulsory as you say and it messes them up.
At the time, many UK cars were set up for lean burn, which gives a better exhaust than via a cat., for about 10-15 minutes in UK conditions, due to how long the cat takes to warmup and become effective, this was not true in California, where UK took is data from. Many UK journeys were shorter than the time taken for a cat., to warm up.
Note lead in petrol was not banned as such, it remained available for about 10 years after cats were introduced, but began to be withdrawn as fewer cars needed it, I think you can still buy an additive to mix in when you fill your tank, if needed.
Jay's dance at the beginning was a reference to a Monty Python sketch called 'Party Political Broadcast (Choreographed)' that I'd recommend you check out.
ARMADILLO !!! Crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle.
About 20 years ago my wife and I rode bikes around Hyde Park Corner twice on our first date. (Don't ask) Amazingly we survived and weren't too emotionally scarred.
They do say that people sharing extreme trauma create close personal bonds.
JJLA: "Morden?"
Me: "Ooh ooh! I'm ready!"
Both in unison: "show me on a MAP!"
I'm a sucker for a fun catch phrase.
Morden it's the perfect mix of Mordor and Molten.
There was some common faults with the deaths and injuries of cyclists not just in London but in the whole of the UK , one was at junctions were if buses , HGV ( semi trucks ) etc was going to turn into another road they would move away from the curb / edge to get a bigger turning circle cyclists would go down the gap ( more so if the big vehicle had stopped ) and when the vehicle moved the cyclist would be heavily crushed .
Another way they get hurt is at junctions and crossings were sometimes they don't stop at red lights or set off early the trouble is some motor vehicles do the same coming from a different direction and the two meet .
We have two main types of road crossings, a 'pelican' crossing, where a button is pressed, and a 'zebra' crossing, which is distinguished by black and white stripes on the road, and two flashing 'Belisha beacon' domed lights.
Jay IS a comedy genius!
Cycling around London has gotten a great deal easier since Jay made this video, especially after Covid.
But 7:56 is a great representation of what it’s like to cycle in virtually any other town or city in the UK. 😂
There is a great video by Evan Edinger from a few months ago titled "Do London's New Cycleways Actually Protect Cyclists?"
Fun fact: Morden Tube Station is the southernmost on the London Underground network, which happens to be on the, ahem, Northern Line!
I love the way you've taken on the hatred of Thatcher, her and Reagan were best buddies and that's why HIV/AIDS was treated so badly in both countries
what a load of bollocks Thatcher-era British policies provided a damning contrast to the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, which disfigured their legacies by allowing HIV policy to become yet another front in the culture wars.
We have several Bike Lanes that run for a few yards and then disappear primarily as a means of traffic control rather than any intended benefit to cycling
You might be interested in looking at the channel Not Just Bikes which has some really interesting stuff about how some cities have adopted for public transport and bikes instead of every journey needing a car. It has nothing to do with the UK tho
Fake London!
I LOVE your technique of looking things up so no time wasting and frustrating "Second Guessing" and that 5 or 10-second rewind means CONTINUITY and no one misses anything.
I am 70 (first 29 just 2 miles from Central London and then in 1983 I made a fantastic move, just 11 miles to the very edge of South East London and Kent. I took driving lessins around
"DEVILS CORNER on that Hyde Park Corner "every Man for himself" Roundabout PRE Traffic Lights. Cycling IS fine for those Under 50's commuting to work in Central London or The City Of London or in short journeys in INNER London. HOWEVER, Cycle Lanes in some OUTER London areas cause massive problems. I will describe them, now,in a second comment.
The cycling helmet only became a thing in the early 90's.
Cycling in London is very hazardous I don't live there any more but had a bunch of fairly serious accidents and 3 stolen bikes (in a period of about 6 years). My crashes include: A bus going to overtake me, then suddenly changing its mind to stop at the bus stop, swerving back and crushing me between the bus and bus stop (I was fine, bike was destroyed). Another I was going down a hill about 30mph - car pulled out in front of me, I swerved to go behind it as there was no way to stop in time - driver saw me, panicked - braked and stopped in the middle of the road - I went straight into the driver door and over the car. (minor injuries - bike ruined). Another whilst riding in a narrow bicycle lane (on side of road) traffic queued on the road. Passenger randomly throws door open as I am coming past - I crash into door. (bike survived! Yay!). Another whilst riding a cycle lane on the pavement (not on road) A random speeding car mounted the kerb and sent me flying (broken bike - broken arm). A numerous amount of smaller bumps.. junctions - roundabouts people pulling out in front, dog owners with retractable leads letting their dogs run across your path, tourists just walking out into the road and other cyclists who think the road rules don't apply to them and cause chaos behind them. I may be just unlucky, but I'd imagine most London cyclists have their stories. I ride fast but am a very defensive rider, never had a crash in a car.
Here's my story, I've cycled in London for 40 years, and i've fallen off once after hitting a pot hole and scraped my elbow. Of course i've had a few close shaves. I don't know how long you've been away, but many of the routes have improved considerably in the last 15 years or so, with fully separated lanes rather than just paint on the side of the road. Of course there is still a ling way to go. London is behind many of our European neighbours when it comes to infrastructure.
All the way to Amsterdam? On a quick Google search there I just came up with a two night mid week break for two in Amsterdam for around £160 each, including flights which are only about an hour and a half each way…and that’s from Glasgow, chances are you’ll find something cheaper from one of the London airports.
I would be there once a month if I lived in Britain!
@ needless to say it’s a popular destination for a Stag Do (Bachelor Party). Though I believe that the beer is on the pricier side.
pretty sure he uses greenscreen in lots of his videos.
8:46
A point about this.
Jay says “cars were banned from streets”
They weren’t banned technically.
I follow a great UA-camr called NotJustBikes who’s a Canadian who wanted to raise his kids in the opposite of a car dependent place so he moved with his family to Amsterdam.
Dutch streets in urban areas are designed in a way that treats cars as intruders on a place designed for people, and not the other way around.
Also since the 1990s, Dutch urban planning has defined three different types of carriageway for cars and never the three shall mix.
Because what you then get if you try and serve multiple functions with a through way are things like stroads. Stroads are common all over the US and Canada and it’s when streets (which are destinations) are designed like roads (which are thoroughfare) and built to highway standards (which incentivise high speed of traffic because they lack traffic calming infrastructure to narrow lanes or make drivers slow down). The result is a hybrid carriageway designing to fulfill multiple functions of being a destination and a high speed connection between two places, and it creates an environment that is wholly pedestrian unfriendly and hostile to anyone not in a car.
You live in California, good example of a stroad is Route 82 between San Francisco and San Jose. The length of it past downtown Redwood City is a stroad. Most LA streets are stroads. This kind of road, and I’m not joking, is virtually non existent outside of North America.
Thatcher was a disaster.
Her government also banned state run bus services and forced them all to be private for-profit businesses.
We now have rural locations with _zero_ public transport links.
I was forced to buy a car when our unprofitable bus route was cancelled and i couldn't get to work anymore
The London assembly was created by Labour, after kicking thatchers Tories out in 1997.
You have to wonder why anybody would vote for the Tories ever at this point
The belisha beacon is an orange orb by pedestrian crossings which flashes on and off all the time.
Just heard you say “he went all the way to Amsterdam to film this”, the cheapest flight from UK to Amsterdam £75 return flight so about £100 to centre of Dam
Whoa 😮
@@JJLAReactsmate we get entire holidays for £180 per person that includes flights, all inclusive hotel, transfer etc at resorts in the canaries, Tunisia, turkey, Spain etc. Flights for us in the UK is so so cheap. This guy says £70 for a flight, but I have a both ways flight to Amsterdam booked in 3 weeks that cost £22 total (booked way In advance). £11 each way. Also you can get city breaks for the weekend and deals can be under £100 sometimes which will give you flights and hotel for 2 days stay. Also I got Barcelona all the time because my sister lives there and usually spend about £50 for my both ways tickets. Everyone I know goes to Spain, turkey, Greece etc for at least a week every year EVERYONE I KNOW, even the working class/poor ones who will literally pay off their £500 family holiday with monthly payments
@@JJLAReactsThe green screen he uses is even cheaper.
he uses greenscreen in a lot of his videos. pretty sure he wasnt actually there.
Or you can just get the train.
Hyde Park Corner isn't a roundabout but a traffic circle, you'd think Jay of all people would know the difference..
The bit about what Hore-Belisha did was right under the section of the Wiki you were reading but you skipped past it :D
In London bikes are much faster than cars.
Bow roundabout was notorious for accidents due to the order of the traffic light sequences
Thankfully they changed them and things have improved
I'm not sure the traffic light sequence was the main issue.
Having so many foreign lorries, going to and from the Blackwall Tunnel, (not most foreign lorries have the driver on the 'wrong side').
There were a large number of bus routes through the roundabout, including a contra flow (or 2 I believe).
Fast approach roads.
I think there is also the entrance to a fast food restaurant (Mc D).
It used not to be very well lit.
And a traffic calming system on Aberfeldy Estate, which basically forced any thing in that estate to exit via the Blackwall Tunnel Approach then go onto this roundabout.
And road markings were interesting.
At least it was quite close to Bow Church.
@ the traffic lights would go green at two junctions at once
By the time the cyclists got going the oncoming traffic would be at going at speed
In the end they added a second set of lights under the flyover
I cycle in London every day. I love it. If I had to get the tube everywhere I think I would just give up on living in the city
Linking back to music …. A ‘Belisha Beacon’ is what you find at either side of a ‘Zebra crossing’ … as per the ‘Zebra Crossing’ that featured on the ‘Abbey Road’ Album cover.
You read so far then stopped at the crucial point that explained what a Belisha Beacon is.
Just to let you know there is now an east west cycle track on the north side of the roundabout in Hammersmith now. Still not great when i come in from the south though
I'm not a cyclist, but have looked at a YT channel 'London cycle routes', It shows routes across London, just looking at the number of Routes he has shown over the last 3 years, suggests there have been some major improvements. Note each route has a smart phone app based map/directions, there is also a spreadsheet, showing all the routes he has done (About 170).
Its no longer an opportunity for me (I moved out of London), but I think its worth considering.
I think the main issue is Kensington & Chelsea, also having to plan your route, but I do think it is much better than it was.
JJ - “NEW CAR!” sounds like a Steven Toast voice over aka Matt Berry. You’d probably like Toast of London
You need to react to "Not Just Bikes" it's a channel about infrastructure in The Netherlands and North America!
Interesting and entertaining - thanks! I commute 20k each way into central London most work days and have done for 20 years. The biggest change in that time, other than the volume of cyclists, is the acceptance by car/van drivers that general congestion will defeat them so they might as well not bother trying to overtake me (coz I'll just pull ahead at the next lights anyway). I did used to see a sign at least once a month asking for witnesses to a serious/ fatal incident involving a cyclist (especially around Elephant and Castle), but hardly ever see anything like that any more. Through the changes that Jay described, most road users seem to have taken a collective chill pill, nice!
They've actually fixed Hammersmith now. It has one of the best cycle lanes. Today I was putney to Mortlake one scary bit on the junction of priory lane, lights were green car in front of me lorry 🚛 on right they weren't moving - traffic - but to go ahead id need to cut through say if the lorry 🚛 moved. But I had to collect bunny from the vet which was closing. A pedestrian walking straight out in front of us did not help. Usual day, lucky to be alive, both of us x
I used to cycle all the time in London.
I'd feel MUCH safer there than down here in Poundshop Florida!
(Cornwall)
(and I wouldn't have to deal with all these effing hills)
He did say right at the start he was going to explain as much as he could in '10 mins'. So at least he's honest.
Part 2 is equally brilliant JJ. check it out
It is only a 1 hour flight from the U.K. to Amsterdam.
The horn sound is "La Cucuracha".
I still own a set of five Air Horns that play "La Cucuracha" - Sadly the law says I can only fit them to old cars. Luckily both my cars are old, one is VERY old. I DON'T WANT A NEW CAR!!
We have the World Naked Bike Ride every year around June, so there's that! I spend a lot of time in Valencia, Spain and they have managed to add cycle lanes by reducing the pavement/side walk and to be fair they have the weather for cycling.
The Cycling Proficiency Test, not sure if they do this anymore? At age 11 in the 80s every one in my year who had a bike had to take this test. It taught everything from road signs to hand signals, how to maneuver on the road correctly, over shoulder looking and how to make right/left turns when needing to go into center of road safely. This was so good the knowledge I gained from this and riding my bike correctly helped me to be a better driver from my first lessen. You also got a sticker for your bike, a certificate from the police man teaching the class. All children should be doing it, not only for cycling makes you a better driver as well.
I think many Primary/Junior Schools require pupils to take this or a similar test (and pass) in order to be allowed to cycle to school.
I'm not 100% sure but it sounds like the voice of the "New Car" advertisement is Mark Cooper-Jones...
I remember seeing Evan Edingers videos on cycling in London, and it both made me want to try it with some friends but also not trust myself to survive 😅
Belisha was a beacon of hope...
The main problem with the first separated cycle lanes were that the cyclist would have to be ready to give way at any sort of side junction, cars could drive across the lane before reaching the stop, or give way, line. That made it both easier and/or safer to just use the road. Added to that was in some places, they were used to park cars.
You stopped reading about Belisha just before the only interesting bit!!😂
Cycling is literally everywhere in London. How old is this video?
I used to cycle to work every day. My bike has a blue dragon mask on the front.
did you not notice the cars on the road with the Belisha film clip 🙂 !
Part 2 of this video is titled "Why drivers should want cycle lanes".
ua-cam.com/video/_DNNIB_PdaA/v-deo.html
And I'm puzzled why you were puzzled by the GLC/boroughs thing, because you've already reacted to Jay's videos "Why London has 32 boroughs" and "What's wrong with London's boroughs?".
Love your reactions!
Can you please react to "The unfinished Northern line" and "Why do maps show places that don't exist?", both by Jay Foreman? :)
Look up Hammersmith took my mum to theatre there a few months ago, scary place to drive
ALL the way to amsterdam, its only an hour away :)
Have you seen the map men's Geoguesser video? He really does fly to these places for seemingly no apparent reason other than to get the shot! He's either crazy or a very good editor!
It's amazing what a few good lobbyist and a case full of money can do to make great changes.
In the 70's and 80's cycle helmets were not a thing! I never wore one and I was only just not horribly faciably disfigured. People were super hard then :D
The space helmet is because of the Belisha Beacons he introduced at road crossings in the UK. When you see one the joke will land!
Bloody Thatcher.
😂
Used to regularly drive through Hammersmith, I REALLY don't miss it!
😂
I live near Morden and was born in Perivale. Whoop🎉
He starts the video in Kilburn. You can tell it's an old video because the he can still use that part of pavement. They're building something new there right now so the part he's on is fenced off up to the bollards.
1:56 big up Thornton Heath lol. It so rare for us to appear on tinternet. Unless it’s to do with the police lol
Cycling safer for cyclists but much more dangerous for pedestrians.
Leslie Hore- Belisha. Where we get the name for the flashing orange lights on a Zebra crossing. The Belisha Beacon. If you had read the next sentence in his bio, you would have learned this.
The " new car" ad is not real !!
I often think that we should go back to using horses as transport. At least when they die, unlike the car ... you can eat them !
It is NOT a legal requirement to wear a cycle helmet in the UK.
BOW is pronounced as in LOW .
I would love to see you react to India/Bangladesh - the World's worst border as well as The mystery of the squarest country, which I think are two map men videos you haven't done yet. ❤
Btw, no reactors have reacted to the India/Bangladesh map men video yet, you could be the first!
Maybe you find Just no Bikes interesting ( Canadian moved to Amsterdam); his youtube channel: www.youtube.com/@NotJustBikes
Please also react to Road Guy Rob's video "Let's FIX the HIGH SCHOOL... with 152 ROUNDABOUTS!", an American take, exception really, on traffic safety in one particular city. And for how little roundabouts America has, this one city has the most roundabouts in the entire world.
This reminds me of my cuz he was cycling in London and was run down by a taxi
Hore Belisia if you ever wondered why Jay foreman was swearing a space helmet, well it wasn't a a helmet It was a Belisia beacon a yellow globe on a pole denoting a zebra crossing put forward by Hore Belisia as yo would have found out if you had continued reading.
You skipped over the paragraph that explained Belisha. Its a round flashing light at pedestrian crossing. Known as a Belisha Beacon. In the video he was dressed as a Belisha Beacon.
Thatcher abolished the GLC and the Metropolitan Counties that ran the major conurbations in England. They were seen as a focal point of opposition to her - interestingly in one form or another (English Combined Authorities and Metro Mayors, and the London Assembly and Mayor of Greater London) they had to be recreated as the borough councils just did not have the strategic overview to run the conurbations. Of course the old Met Counties and GLC were not run by the Conservatives, hence their abolition.
This must be a very old video. I was cycling in London more than 10 years ago and there were plenty of people already.
Sadly, cycling tends not to be an option for the elderly and disabled who still need above-ground transport so even if you're anti-car, buses and trams remain necessary in city centres.
12:24 you need to look up GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN! legends
Leslie's mum wrote that short bio... probably.
Amsterdam is a nightmare!! As a pedestrian I was so scared!! Cyclists take priority!!
That's a pretty obvious observation. You always have to check a lot before crossing
New car?
It's interesting to see which city will begin the cycling revolution in the US. Sorry, sir, but I don't believe that LA will be the first :)
In my country (Russia) Moscow really likes its bike lanes. They are very nice. Moscow has a lot of parks too so there are a lot of beautiful green places to cycle. As for other cities, they do what they can afford. In many cases it means not much - there are lots of other infrastructure which needs building and maintaining.
And countries that need invading of course. Not sure Kiev's bike infrastructure is as good as Moscow's these days, eh?
Ironically you stopped reading just as the wiki was about to explain the space helmet joke
Update since you asked: since this was made London has abolished cycling entirely - it is now illegal to cycle in London - being caught with a bike in public is an offence punishable by 20 years in prison. All the bike lanes have been sold off and been turned into massive drive through McDonalds.
I know a lorry driver who got pissed off about cyclists holding on to the back of his lorry to get a bit of speed up to go round a roundabout or a big corner
Back in the 50s, lorries were easy to keep up with. A cyclist was carrying a box of eggs, so put them on the back of a lorry he was following to make it easier. The driver realised what was happening so speeded up, leaving the cyclist watching his eggs disappearing into the distance.
We usually are
The outfit is a 'Belisha Beacon'
NEW CAR!!! :D
Do remember the famous British weather! As a Traffic PSCO for 12 years, I sadly attended numerous bent and squashed cyclists. I think it really is a very dangerous thing to do in London - since you really are putting your life in the hands of thousands of idiot drivers, white van man, boy racers, blind lorries and impatient buses. If they are all paying attention, focused on what is around them, they can usually avoid problems... but as you are probably aware, often they are not. Add to that the fact a large percentage of cyclists do not follow the rules, jump red lights, and act like they own the road. Would also add Amsterdam is around 60 square miles compared to London's 600 square miles - I ride a motorcycle and many journeys I make, in London, still take well over an hour and up to two hours. An "Armadillo" at 4am on rainy foggy morning, nearly killed me, since it was pretty much invisible when I hit one at 20mph in North London.
Cycling is much better nowadays, thank god.
The attitude of British drivers is far worse than 30 years ago. Many are deliberately dangerous when they pass. You have national newspapers that spread misinformation which amounts to incitement to at least injure, if not kill. Britain is without doubt the worst place I have ever cycled, and I lived in Turkey for 8 years. The drivers there are bad, but they don't actively try to hurt you. So no, it's not better it's far worse.
Well, Hores flaws seemed to have been taught to the following MPs till now. Seems to be a prerequisite.
Continued.....NOW the DISADVANTAGES of Cycling around London. I have driven around 500,000 miles in mostly, short journeys, in and, mainly, around London since 1980 so 44 years.
Without a car, I could not have accomplished 20% of what I have achieved. or been, having had 3 accidents in those 44 years. Tomorrow night, after Football,I will take 20 minutes to drive 9 miles home to Kent and I will be DRY, WARM, and SAFE, with my choice of company and playing great music and it will be enjoyable. As we PROGRESS people want MORE "Creature Comforts" and not to come home bedraggled in the English constant rain. Cycle Lanes in Outer London are, rarely, used but cause so much pollution, as cars are now forced into in one lane only.
I live in outer London and use bike lanes all the time, alongside plenty of others, so that's not true. And the myth about bike lanes creating pollution is just that, a myth. There is far more evidence to show that they reduce pollution and congestion. Bike lanes are good for everyone.
Constant rain? No, fewer than half the days of the year, actually, most of which are showery or drizzly so it is raining. Do you really think that the low countries have better weather? How do they manage to use bikes? Even if you decided to only cycle on dry days (because you're made of sugar or something), that's over half the year.
PROGRESS (sic) is not more cars and more pollution for the roughly half of all Londoners who don't have cars. Your 9 mile journey is not typical of London journeys, 2/3 of which are 5km or less and of these half are under 2km. If you need to drive 2km to get somewhere then you have medical issues or a disability. Of course more people on bikes would mean easier travel for the disabled who HAVE to use cars, but nor for those dropping off kids at school when the catchment area for schools means they are overwhelmingly less than 2 miles away from school. No wonder we have so many fat kids (and adults). So prefer to drive your nine miles, makes sense from what you said, but don't pretend like those are the typical car journeys that take place in London.
I have a car and drive when I need to go longer distances to places which are not easy to get to by public transport, so I'm not anti car, just pro facts.
I suppose we have to consider the more recent increase in cyclist road deaths in London as relative to the much higher numbers cycling using the roads, and hopefully make changes to prevent any further increases while encouraging the use of bikes. Maybe make car drivers feel more personally vulnerable or liable.