Capita plc (link is external)has apologised for what it described as an “offensive and inappropriate” decal that a road.cc reader spotted on one of its highway maintenance vans in west London last week. It showed a ‘cyclist tally’ similar to the markings denoting enemy planes shot down that pilots would display on the side of their aircraft during World War Two.

The road.cc reader noticed the decal on the van as it was being driven on Cromwell Road last Tuesday, and was quick-minded enough to take a photo of the vehicle.

While the decal is not clear in the picture, the reader was able to find versions of it being sold on eBay (link is external) (as shown bottom left in the picture above), accompanied by icons depicting a dog, wheelchair user and a pensioner using a Zimmer frame, each with their own tally alongside them.

A number of sellers on the online marketplace sell similar decals, some of them customisable, and with sales in some cases running into the hundreds of stickers.

“I would like to believe it's the number of bikes the driver of the vehicle owns, but suspect not,” our reader told us.

“What made it more offensive is that it was on a Capita highway maintenance vehicle, stupid on their part as they are supposed to be working for all road users and looking after their safety.”

We contacted Capita for their response to the picture, and after investigation a spokesperson for the company told road.cc: “We can confirm that one of our drivers had applied an offensive and inappropriate decal to one of our vans.

“The decal has now been removed and we have commenced a disciplinary process.

“We are sorry that this individual’s actions fell way below our corporate standards and values.”

Capita is a leading provider of outsourcing services to the public and private sector.

Last year it announced that its contract with Transport for London (TfL) to manage the capital’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ), Congestion Charge, Direct Vision Standards and recently introduced Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) had been extended for a further five years from its expiry in October 2021.

The FTSE-250 company also works on highways projects for local authorities in London and elsewhere throughout the country, including installing cycle lanes, and the spokesperson added: “We are proud to have worked on a number of schemes to make Britain’s roads safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.”

https://road.cc/content/news/capita-apologises-offensive-cyclist-tally-decal-288625

On 13/12/2021 01:53 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Capita plc (link is external)has apologised for what it described as an “offensive and inappropriate” decal that a road.cc reader spotted on one of its highway maintenance vans in west London last week. It showed a ‘fairy-cyclist tally’ similar to the markings denoting enemy planes shot down that pilots would display on the side of their aircraft during World War Two.
> The road.cc reader noticed the decal on the van as it was being driven on Cromwell Road last Tuesday, and was quick-minded enough to take a photo of the vehicle.
> While the decal is not clear in the picture, the reader was able to find versions of it being sold on eBay (link is external) (as shown bottom left in the picture above), accompanied by icons depicting a dog, wheelchair user and a pensioner using a Zimmer frame, each with their own tally alongside them.
> A number of sellers on the online marketplace sell similar decals, some of them customisable, and with sales in some cases running into the hundreds of stickers.
> “I would like to believe it's the number of fairy-bikes the driver of the vehicle owns, but suspect not,” our reader told us.

What would the number of fairy-cycles owned by the driver have to do
with the fairy-cycling "reader"?

> “What made it more offensive is that it was on a Capita highway maintenance vehicle, stupid on their part as they are supposed to be working for all road users and looking after their safety.”
> We contacted Capita for their response to the picture, and after investigation a spokesperson for the company told road.cc: “We can confirm that one of our drivers had applied an offensive and inappropriate decal to one of our vans.
> “The decal has now been removed and we have commenced a disciplinary process.

"Fairy-cyclist" will doubtless soon find its way into a revision of the
OED as a synonym for "humourless prig".

> “We are sorry that this individual’s actions fell way below our corporate standards and values.”
> Capita is a leading provider of outsourcing services to the public and private sector.
> Last year it announced that its contract with Transport against London (TaL) to manage the capital’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ), Congestion Charge, Direct Vision Standards and recently introduced Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) had been extended for a further five years from its expiry in October 2021.
> The FTSE-250 company also works on highways projects for local authorities in London and elsewhere throughout the country, including installing fairy-cycle lanes, and the spokesperson added: “We are proud to have worked on a number of schemes to make Britain’s roads safer for fairy-cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.”

> https://road.cc/content/news/capita-apologises-offensive-cyclist-tally-decal-288625

What possible business of the fairy-cyclist was the decal on the van?

Who was being harmed by it?

On Monday, December 13, 2021 at 1:53:16 PM UTC, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

brooksby replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 8551 posts | 3 hours ago
3 likes

I imagine the driver usually uses that vehicle so thinks of it as "his vehicle". Probably got a teddy bear cable-tied to the front bumper, too.

enova20 wrote:

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

Fine if the arsehole wants one of these on his personal car, but to put it on a corporate vehicle is the height of dumbness.

I'd think that would be considered very telling of a driver's attitude to cyclists if they caused an accident and had to defend themselves in court. It could easily be used against them.

would probably be removed quite quickly in the event of an accident.
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/capita-apologises-offensive-cyclist-tally-decal-288625

On Mon, 13 Dec 2021 09:10:40 -0800 (PST)
"swldx...@gmail.com" <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> would probably be removed quite quickly in the event of an accident.
> >
>
We don't call them "accidents" any more, they are "collisions".

On Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 8:07:27 PM UTC, Rob Morley wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Dec 2021 09:10:40 -0800 (PST)
> "swldx...@gmail.com" <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > would probably be removed quite quickly in the event of an accident.
> > >
> >
> We don't call them "accidents" any more, they are "collisions".

In some cases, quite deliberate.
Punishment passes and road rage etc.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/14/motorist-jailed-for-running-over-cyclist-who-spat-on-his-car