Long hedge trimmer OR tall stepladder

I have taken to not using my phone on pavements in London period.. feel very vulnerable around ED anyhow as am alot slower with walking these days. When  you-think about it, surely we can all last until get to cafe, hospital, train station, shop, etc without this overwhelming need to see/check phone! Bus times are usually accurate when you tip up and never long to wait for buses anyhow. I use my phone alot during the day for various reasons but, trying to not use it  is the real test. I have found that you can always ask someone who, generally happy to accommodate. Lanyard that Sue has suggested - good idea but still phone is visible in this heat I would have thought, assuming she wars it round her neck so personally, think it is worse as bikers, gangs etc can just rip it off as they pass.

In my experience working with police, esp Roads Policing, they don't drive erratically and dangerously. Most of them will be TPAC trained, or done advanced driving at the very least. Police in car chases live in fear of injuring or killing a member of the public, it genuinely is one of their worst nightmares. So I feel safe assuming that whatever the kid on a bike had done, the pursuit and tactics were justified.  I don't understand "Thank God the cyclist got away before 2 police vans arrived to help". Are you saying you're glad that a wanted, probably dangerous, criminal escaped a co-ordinated, tactical pursuit, involving three police units? That's weird, especially given how much people complain about crime round here. 

Yes that's right; An open, lawful and democratic challenge.

Well, let's just hope, then, that the cyclist wasn't one of those who are phone snatching, and the driver not someone trying to make a citizen's arrest, otherwise this narrative would be stood on its head.