Here’s the reason why this city in England closed a bike rack.
Norwich, England resident Jeremy Hutchinson, who goes by @TheMightyHutch on Twitter, shared a somewhat surprising sign posted by Norwich’s City Council following the Queen’s death, City Council closed a bike rack for 12 days.
Is this sign for real or is someone just trolling us?
It’s 100 percent real and, according to witnesses, there’s a very good reason for it.
First, check out Hutchinson’s photo below.
Because of the royal period of mourning, you can’t lock your bike to a cycle rack in Norwich. pic.twitter.com/QuFYmUizLj
— Jeremy Hutchinson (@Themightyhutch) September 11, 2022
If you’ve been living under a rock, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at 96 after a 70-year reign.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe U.K. is officially in a Royal period of Mourning which lasts from the Sept 9-26. The 26th is seven days after the Queen’s funeral.
Cities around the U.K, Norwich included, are holding special ceremonies and events to celebrate her life.
Earlier today Norwich held a formal Proclamation of Ascension for King Charles III.
As such, government buildings, like Norwich City Hall, are places where locals and tourists can pay their respects by leaving flowers, keepsakes, and remembrances to the late Queen.
According to the Eastern Daily Press, there’s also an official book of remembrance at City Hall where anyone can leave a few words in the Queen’s honor.
“Norwich City Council is making a book available in the Mancroft Room on the second floor of City Hall…Norwich City Council says people can leave flowers at City Hall’s steps, but has urged people to remove any cellophane.”
Hutchinson’s infamous closed bike rack is located at Norwich City Hall and seems to be in the path where people are queuing to sign said book as well as leave flowers.
There was a reason. It is outside a town hall where people are queuing to sign a book of condolence to the Queen and are laying flowers there, so they’ve shut one bike rack as people are queuing past it
— theoddoneout (@Booksandchoc13) September 11, 2022
Thanks to Google Maps, if you zoom out near Hutchinson’s photo, you can see the extent of their “closed bike rack” campaign, it’s a lot less dramatic than what the photo makes it out to be.
The racks are where the man in the green shirt is walking.
At most, Norwich closed four bike racks.
Oh, the humanity.
So, there’s a perfectly sane reason for closing the bike racks, it’s not just because of the Royal Period of Mourning, it’s mostly because the bike path is close to where people are laying flowers at all times of the day.
According to @ExInfanteer, this is what the Norwich City Hall flower memorial already looks like.
As you can imagine, the flower memorial will grow over the coming days.
…directly outside City Hall where people are leaving flowers. pic.twitter.com/7QkYtl33fG
— MIKE (@ExInfanteer) September 11, 2022
Navigating between people in line and potentially trampling laid down flowers as you lock and unlock your bike is simply a safety issue.
