pcruciatti / Shutterstock.comThe Mayor of London and the man who inspired the name ‘Boris Bikes’ is in trouble for pedaling his wife through London on a bicycle made for just one person.
People have been up in arms after London Mayor, Boris Johnson, gave his wife, Marina Wheeler, a ‘backie’. This is when a bicyclist gives another person a lift on a bike that is meant for just one person. Typically, the extra passenger sits on the saddle, whilst the bicyclist stands on the pedals and steers.
Under the 1998 Road and Traffic Act, it is illegal to give someone a ‘backie’ on a bicycle with offenders receiving possible fines of £200.
After caught in the act by members of the general public, Boris has profusely apologised for the mistake, saying he did not know ‘backies’ were illegal until now.
The video, caught by the Sun Newspaper, shows Boris riding the bicycle with his wife sitting on the saddle with no helmet, carrying her handbag.
An official spokesperson for Boris further pointed out: “[Boris] wasn’t intending to ride all the way home from North Kensington to North London with Marina on the back; rather he was attempting to transport his wife to a main road, from where they hailed a black cab for her. As everyone knows the mayor is a huge supporter of cycling, and an even bigger fan of the black cab trade, hence his desire to combine the two!”
You catch Boris in the act here:
