Product review – Monkeysee Harness

The Monkeysee Harness in action

I couldn’t quite work out what was going on at first. It was late – around 11pm – and I was on my way home after an evening stewarding at the Globe. I’d almost reached the lower end of Dalston, and was now caught up in the snarl of traffic.

This section of the road is almost always jammed, and ordinarily I have to weave precariously through the gaps. But not on this occasion. For some reason, I was being given more space on the road. What on earth was going on? For a moment or two I was thoroughly confused – and then I remembered I was wearing my new Monkeysee Harness.

It’s amazing what a difference a bit of reflective gear can make.

What does it take to be seen around here?

At the junction ahead of me two cyclists are waiting for the lights to change. One, a guy dressed in everyday clothes, is positioned at the head of the traffic – directly in front of the line of cars. The other, a girl wearing a fluorescent jacket so bright it makes my eyes hurt, is waiting patiently on the left of the traffic, alongside the front car.

This got me thinking. Which of those two cyclists is most visible?

Well, duh, you might think. The girl in the fluorescent jacket, clearly. There’s a reason why it’s called ‘hi-viz’.