Published: Thursday, 11th March, 2010 7:00am

Free school bus travel isn't all that's threatened!

by Alex Lawrie

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Courier reporter joins council leader on politician's early-morning cycle challenge

Courier reporter Alex Lawrie

MY MORNING started with a threat and ended with a handshake.

It's not often I'm up at 7am, and it's even more rare to see me sitting astride a bicycle looking resplendent in a yellow, high-visibility vest and cycle helmet.

Council leader David Berry

But there I was, standing in the biting cold on Ormiston Main Street, waiting for Councillor Berry to take his promised bike ride from the village to Ross High School, Tranent.

But just before Mr Berry turned up, I was accosted by an irate motorist who mistook me for the council leader.

Flattered though I was to be mistaken for someone of such importance, I really wished Mr Berry has been there to take the flack instead.

"Are you the **** who is planning to stop the f***ing school buses?" the stocky, motorist screamed at me after jumping out his car, his finger jabbing, accusingly, towards my face.

"No, no," I stammered, shocked at his outburst. "I'm from the Courier."

But I knew from his contorted face that one wrong word from me would have resulted in one of us ending the conversation with a sore face. And that person was going to be me.

I duly backed off and he thankfully returned to his car and drove off, with both our reputations intact.

Seconds later, another motorist spotted me, and sounded her horn as she passed - and pulled the kind of face that would have left an eight-year-old in tears.

With my heart still beating fast, I decided it would be best to wait for Mr Berry a bit further away from the centre of Main Street.

The clock was just about to strike eight, and there was still no sign of him, so I migrated back to the bus stop area.

By this time, crowds of interested school kids were gathering around me as they waited on their council-threatened school bus.

"There's no way I'm walking or cycling to school," shouted one of the uniformed kids.

"That road is a death trap," bellowed another.

And lo and behold, just as the shiny 100-seater school bus pulled up to the stop, Mr Berry popped his head above the parapet - well, he popped out from a house belonging to one of the parents who had challenged him to cycle the route to Tranent.

"Is anyone else here to nail me?" Mr Berry smiled as he approached his welcome committee of anti-school bus cuts adults.

He largely managed to escape the wrath of Ormiston's disgruntled youth, but judging by some of the pupils' finger and hand gestures as the school bus pulled away, I don't think they were showing us the way to Tranent.

Denise Brydon, one of the parents who had challenged Councillor Berry, was to join us on our jaunt to the Tranent school, along with fellow Ormiston resident, 71-year-old Alexander MacFarlane.

The road between Ormiston and Tranent has been described as "a death trap for cyclists", and "an accident waiting to happen", so, as you can imagine, I wasn't wholly looking forward to the trip.

The first few hundred yards passed without incident, and I was just beginning to think to myself "what is all the fuss about", when the first car zipped past me at about 50mph. Steadying the bike, I soon realised that there was a mere matter of inches between my slight, exposed frame and one ton of accelerating metal.

At that moment, any decision to allow even 10 children, never mind about 100, to cycle or walk the road, laden with schoolbags, sports equipment etc seemed to be a mindboggling one, and incredibly ill-thought out.

But, onward we travelled and with each passing car came another possible tragedy-in-waiting.

Irate motorists, who knew the councillor was making the journey, blasted their horns and shouted abuse as we traversed the curves and bends of the country road.

The problems with cycling that particular route were obvious - a wet greasy surface, mud on the road from farm vehicles, blind bends, fast-flowing traffic, and that's not even mentioning any adverse weather conditions that the children may encounter during the winter months.

It was easy to see why so many people in Ormiston are up in arms about a possible cut to their school bus service.

And although the route is fairly flat, that didn't stop Mr Berry having to take a short break halfway through our trip.

Breathing heavily, and with small beads of sweat beginning to form on his brow, I think he realised the journey wasn't as easy as first assumed.

During our unexpected stop, pensioner Mr MacFarlane took the opportunity to grill the council leader.

"It's a bloody disgrace," he said. "If one child gets killed because of this council's decision, can we sue you personally Mr Berry?"

The North Berwick councillor did his best to placate the angry cyclist, but to no avail. Feelings were still running high.

After another couple of near misses with cars, vans and trucks passing far too close, we arrived at Ross High.

Of course, another couple of problems facing the children is that there are no showering facilities for up to 100 children at the school, and there are hardly any stands to place their bikes while they attend classes.

But fair play to Mr Berry. He was challenged to complete the journey and he did that.

He, Ms Brydon and Mr MacFarlane even cycled the 2.5-miles back to Ormiston, while your dedicated Courier reporter, after shaking hands with his intrepid travellers, flung his bike into the back of a car and headed to the office for a well-earned bacon roll and cup of coffee.