#cycleconfident

Hello world,

Today, I’m quoting the email I just sent to TFL, which talks about my new bike and some casual racism, that honestly has nothing to do with design, but does have a lot to do with hierarchy, especially with the way I described it as compositions — like societies — structure around power that creates order and illusions to. 

“I'm writing to you to ask for a refund for a possibly overcharged journey that I paid for using my contactless debit card, but didn't properly check out because two of your staff members asked me to leave the station.

The reason for this was the bike that was travelling with me. I bought my first bike today after more than 4 years in London, and I was planning to take it home from Hoxton to Clapham Common via Overground. To give you context, I'm not a very good cycler, and definitely not someone who cycled in traffic before. That's why I took two beginner classes with TFL's Cycle Confident a few weeks ago, which was very very helpful, and decided to buy my first bike thanks to the encouragement of my instructor Barnaby. 

Understandably, I didn't want to ride my bike all the way back home yet. Plus, I didn't have bike lights and was worried that it was already getting dark. You also have to remember that I'm not from London, or the UK, or a cycler really, and not hugely familiar with the etiquette of travelling in the tube with a bike. I definitely remember seeing bikes in National Rail and Overground, and wasn't sure about the tube.

While I was already in Hoxton station, I realised that there were no Overground running to Clapham today, which stressed me already. So, following Citymapper's advise, I decided to take the Overground to Canada Water, then change to Jubilee Line to London Bridge and then with the Nothern Line to Clapham Common. 

When I got off at London Bridge station, I took the lift from the platform to change to Northern Line. When I got out of the lift, I realised that I had to check my card out of Jubilee Line, and then in again to get to Northern Line, which I thought would cost me two journeys instead of one. I was confused at this point and asked a member of staff how to change to Northern Line.

He told me that bikes weren't allowed, and I told him that I already was in, and trying to get to Clapham. Without an explanation, he called his colleague and told him that there was a 'lady with a bike'. The colleague approached from behind the barriers, opened the barrier and asked me to go to him, which I did. Then, he told me, very loudly and simultaneously using sign language, that I was not allowed in the tube with a bike. While I was already stressed and worried about how to bring my new bike back home, and quite shocked as I wasn't anticipating to cause such a scene at all, I felt extremely humiliated, extremely mortified to be told what to do like that like I was a child, or wasn't smart enough. I just was genuinely confused. He asked me to leave the station immediately and waited until I did, making me feel like I was causing some sort of a potential danger. I felt like I wasn't for some reason clever enough to deserve a decent explanation, that I couldn't afford a mistake, that I wasn't good enough to travel like everyone else. This was rude and unhelpful, to say the least, let alone being purely racist. I felt so small. 

To give you more context, I am a (hopefully) pretty normal looking, 30-year-old, human, who somehow manages to live normally in London that in itself proves a decent level of IQ. I also do have a foreign accent, even though I have been speaking English since when I was 7. I believe everyone who speaks a second language would agree that accents are extremely hard to get rid of, if ever possible, like a constant reminder to everyone that you're a misfit, a stranger, someone who doesn't quite belong. And all aside, I believe that any of these should affect how humans should treat each other, especially when they represent an institution like TFL. I do realise that your staff member was under pressure, possibly busy and even overworked. I'm just terribly sorry to receive such a disgraceful attitude overall. 

To sum up, I would like to kindly ask for a refund for today's journey that I never got to check out from. Naturally, I'd not want to be overcharged for the worst TFL experience of my life due to a staff mistreatment. I also have to tell you that this will act as a fuel for me to learn to ride my bike incredibly well and never have to commute with TFL again. So thank you.

And thank you very much for reading through this long email. Please feel free to contact me for any further information about the journey.”

Oh, obviously, buy design principle no. 4 HIERARCHY. It’s a notebook, obviously. Or don’t. Up to you. But definitely, speak up when you’re pissed off. Especially when you’re right. And ride on. Ride on.