Bicycle Irony.

Today is the London Freewheel, a celebration of cycling in London. In a city overflowing with traffic, whose residents don't have enough time in their busy schedules to get enough physical exercise, promoting cycling seems like an obvious win-win. For the Freewheel, they close off nine miles of central London streets to cars, allowing cyclists to pedal without the hassle of competing with cars for a day.

I would be participating if I had a bicycle. Mine was stolen a week ago in the middle of the day from the LSE campus. Its lock was cut and the bike was taken away in full view of a CCTV camera owned by no institution other than the Royal Courts of Justice.

This is, of course, all too common. There is a saying that in London, you don't buy a bicycle, you lease it from the bike thieves. LSE security told me stories about bikes stolen on campus resurfacing on campus again only days later, having been re-purchased by another LSE staff member or student from the bike launderers that operate with impunity in London's many outdoor markets.

We should applaud the Freewheel, but not just as a celebration. It should also be a reminder all the other more substantial things -- such as taking bicycle theft more seriously -- that need to be done to encourage cycling in London.