Cyclist killed at Elephant & Castle was local gym instructor

[Lizziedjango]

I was shocked and deeply saddened to discover that one of my lovely aerobics instructors was killed last week while cycling via Elephant & Castle. I read the news report - which stated "Cyclist dies at Elephant & Castle. Woman loses life after being hit by lorry" without realising, until later, that it was Meryem who taught at ED Leisure Centre and Peckham Pulse.

HGVs are involved in more than 50 per cent of London cycle deaths, according to Transport for London. Many of them happen as the vehicles turn left and cyclists, who are in drivers' inside blindspots, are caught under wheels. I am now having second thoughts about buying a moped. I think it is just too dangerous.

The story makes for horrific reading (it is available online). I know everyone who knew her is devastated.

May Meryem rest in peace.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Oh my God!! I read about this but didn't know it was Meryem! I have taken her kick boxing classes for years and years, she is so lovely and we always have a chat. I know she has children also. How horrid. I feel for her family. I am still in shock as I was intending to get back to her classes after I had baby.

[alice]

Such sad news - Meryem was a lovely, lively body pump instructor - life is so precious and so unfair.

[Lizziedjango]

I was in shock when I heard too Heidi, and I also have the exercise timetables near my computer and her name is obviously still next to many of the classes. It is tragic. Meryem was only about 38, and I believe she had two daughters. The manner in which she died is indescribably awful. It is so sad.

[LegalEagle-ish]

Yes, I found out on Friday when my friend covered her class and I attended.

I've never done her classes, but it felt really awful knowing that it was her who had died.

[Sherwick]

This is very sad indeed. You couldn't pay me enough to ride a bike on London's streets with all of the nutter drivers around.

[LegalEagle-ish]

I cycle everywhere and have done for 20 odd years. I've had a few scrapes but nothing serious. You have to be hyper aware and assertive when cycling in London and do things like watching the faces of drivers by looking in their mirrors and windows to see if they have seen you or not.

It can be scary but as more people take up cycling drivers should become more aware of us and hopefully it will become safer.

[taper]

Terrible tragedy. I cycle through that spot every day. The Elephant is lethal, but there are routes around it which are a lot safer. If you do go around it however, either get ahead of the queues of traffic or get in line. Do not go down the left hand side of large vehicles.

[Cassius]

So it was her - I thought it had to be when I went to her class last night and found out that she had died last week. I cannot believe quite how upset I am - although I guess I'd been going to her classes for about 6 years. I thought she was a lot younger than that - she was always so vibrant and funny. I will just have to try and have good memories of her laughter as she put us through our paces. RIP.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Lizzie,

It is just bizarre reading a paper and thinking " Oh, my goodness, how awful, that poor woman and her family" and then finding out you actually know the person, it is just quite shocking. I know she has left behind two teenage daughters and she was the breadwinner.

It will be quite weird going to the gym without her there because ever since I have been going to Dulwich Leisure Centre, Meryem has always been around whereas other instructors have come and gone, and I always took her boxercise class in order to shed a few pounds. My sister is exceptionally upset as Meryem is one of the reason she became hooked on going to the gym as she gave good advice to my sister and got her into the body pump classes.

I feel so sorry for her daughters:'(

My mum seems to think that it is more cyclists who are not car drivers that tend to have the accidents as she said things like buses and lorries, car drivers would know to avoid them because they know all about blind spots whereas a non car driver probably would not.

[Sherwick]

I think maybe we can all join together and raise some money for her daughters? Just a thought...

[Huguenot]

Easy thing for blind spots is to check if you can see the driver's eyes.

If you can't see his/hers, then s/he can't see you.

I don't think I'd generalise about good/bad cyclists anymore than I would good/bad drivers. Plenty of studies demonstrate that your level of awareness drops as your personal risk does. This implies that drivers are far less likely to have their wits about them than a cyclist.

It doesn't surprise me that drivers would blame anyone apart from themselves.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

My mum cycles to work as well, she always makes sure when she is in her car she is very aware of cyclists due to the fact that she does cycle and has come across many drivers who have tried to push her off the roads.

It would be interesting to know though if her theory has any basis in it, but then I think the most important thing is having more cycling zones for cyclists. I won't cycle, I find it too scary if it is on a road, whereas off the road cycling and around the park is my comfort zone!

Sherwick, that sounds like a great idea, how do we go about it?

[Huguenot]

As I've said, the studies show the opposite to what your mum thinks. Cycling proficiency lessons would help though.

Kids are more likely to takes risks because they're kids.

[20stonegnome]

So many more people would cycle around London if cycle ways were physicaly seperate,just painting a line in the road and calling it a cycle lane is not really sufficient.

[Sherwick]

Sorry, it was just an idea. I never actually went to the gym or met the lady. I think people who took her classes at the gym could possibly arrange a whip-round or a charity gym day or something?

[Cassius]

It might be possible to bring it up with one of the managers at Fusion Head Office - Meryem worked at Dulwich and Peckham at least (Elephant & Castle - was that why she was there?) and maybe they could organise something that way. The staff were extremely cagey about giving out information when I spoke to them, but now it is 'in the open' as it were something might be possible.

[heber jumble queen]

Earlier I had been weighing up whether to attend her body pump at Dulwich tonight, and I feel so saddened and shocked to read this. Meryem was a great tutor and a lovely woman - she also taught at the Turkish Womens Group that I had worked with. Even though she wasn't a close friend it's really heartbreaking to hear - obviously all thoughts go to her daughters and family. Not sure how to go about it, but would be happy to contribute to any memorial fund for her daughters.

As someone who also regularly cycles past the Elephant (on the safer cycle routes, the roundabout is too terrifying)it's a very sobering thought - and a reminder to all of us who cycle AND drive to be aware, safe and considerate.

[bawdy-nan]

I too cycle via the e&c cycle bypass but do find it sometimes a litte tricky to unpick (for example I often get cery lost trying to hook back into the road that runs parallel to Walworth Road. I'm also surprised by how few people seem to use it and I wonder if its because people don't know about it. A very simple and helpful thing Southwark council could do is make up a downloadable map showing how it works and exactly where it is.

[Lizziedjango]

There was an feature in last night's Evening Standard where Meryem's husband speaks of his family's grief and devastation. He says they are finding it very difficult to cope.It must be awful for them.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I saw it online:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23676168-details/First+photos+of+women+killed+within+24+hours/article.do

So many people are in shock.

[Pickle]

Very very sad news. My thoughts are with her family.

[SteveT]

Nothing will change for cyclist until the minister of transport gets on his bike and rides the Elephant roundabout during rush hour.

[lenk]

SteveT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Nothing will change for cyclist until the minister

> of transport gets on his bike and rides the

> Elephant roundabout during rush hour.

You have to ride around there like you just stole the bike you are riding and are being chased by its owner.

And he's on a motorbike.

Armed with a machete.

It is definitely one of the worst in London .

My number one vote goes to Marble Arch though.

And there's 2 memorial 'ghost bikes' on railings around there to prove it : (

I think a 'ghost bike' is being arranged in memory of Meryem from what I've read.

[Cassius]

Apparently Meryem's funeral is today. Perhaps we all ought to take a breather from our daily lives to think about her and the other people who are taken from us before their time.