Auckland Harbour Bridge cycle rally: Arrested cyclist says access to bridge needed to modernise city
Tēnā koutou. The man who was arrested at the cycle rally over the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Sunday says having cycle access on the bridge is key to modernising the city.
Epsom resident Jason Mathieson arrived early and broke through the police blockade at the Curran St on-ramp to the bridge shortly before Bike Auckland's 'Liberate the Lane' rally began.
Mathieson, who works as bicycle messenger and claims to “live on my bike”, believes a cycle path over the bridge is the key to unlocking Auckland as a modern city.
“It should be an exciting project for the city.”
After unsuccessfully pressuring police to “let this happen”, Mathieson saw his opportunity to throw himself and his bike over the gate when one of the police officers momentarily glanced away.
“It's not like you are trying to break the law, but rather break and idea, the idea that bikes can’t go over the bridge.”
As Mathieson made his way to the bridge, he thought he had made it, until he saw another police blockade in his way, where he was arrested.
“I watched everyone go over the bridge from the back of the police car.”
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In one word, how would you define 2024?
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️