Cyclecraft is "destroying" UK cycling

[Flying_Monkey]

You don't need to replace the car to suppress it, merely slow it down, charge for parking, and (in due course) restrict routes through central areas. And facilitate alternatives. If you go at it gently, there's a broad constituency that supports that.

Absolutely. It's what we were arguing for (amongst other things) way back when I was involved in Oxford Green Party and 'Oxford is Choking'...

 

[blockend]

Okay, I'll try another angle to try your sarcasm on. If all the cycle campaigners died of a cycle related illness tomorrow (lockjaw, for example), would there be a greater or lesser number of cyclists on the road in a year's time?

Localism is fine and dandy so long as you don't pretend your local picture is all there is. The road I was going to suggest counting is a trunk route into town that has seen a big increase in cyclists since a cycletrack was put in and which I still contend is a big percentage rise of fook all, or in polite language a minute percentage of car journeys. I'm prejudicing the outcome and may find the proportion is higher than I imagined but it would be useful to do a headcount on a fairly typical provincial commuting route. It proves as much or as little about the state of the cycling nation as doing a bike count toward King's College Cambridge or Theobalds Road, fascinating to those concerned and meaningless to the rest. Hence my distaste for statistics.

 

[jonesy]

Okay, I'll try another angle to try your sarcasm on. If all the cycle campaigners died of a cycle related illness tomorrow (lockjaw, for example), would there be a greater or lesser number of cyclists on the road in a year's time?

Localism is fine and dandy so long as you don't pretend your local picture is all there is. The road I was going to suggest counting is a trunk route into town that has seen a big increase in cyclists since a cycletrack was put in and which I still contend is a big percentage rise of fook all, or in polite language a minute percentage of car journeys. I'm prejudicing the outcome and may find the proportion is higher than I imagined but it would be useful to do a headcount on a fairly typical provincial commuting route. It proves as much or as little about the state of the cycling nation as doing a bike count toward King's College Cambridge or Theobalds Road, fascinating to those concerned and meaningless to the rest. Hence my distaste for statistics.

Well I'm tempted to pull out my scarecrow JPG again, but I'll start simply by asking you to point to whoever you think is doing this (the exact quote usually helps), then we'll all have a better idea of what it is exactly that you are objecting to.

 

[User482]

It would be churlish to point out the irony of blockend's complaint, and his extrapolation of a larger picture from his single, local example. So I won't.But back to the topic: if the majority of local pictures share a similar story - that cycling modal share is significant and increasing - then that's meaningful in the national context.

 

[dellzeqq]

so - let me work this one out

campaigning is pointless, unless you're campaigning for the Blockend Prospectus, although we're not sure what that is because Blockend isn't campaigning, and, indeed, it may not even exist. Local successes mean nothing because they're only local, but national is no good either because nobody's doing it right. Does this mean Cyclecraft isn't killing cycling and can we all go off for a swift half now?

 

[blockend]

Jonsey, you do realise some poor sap has set up that strawman shot and another sap has copied it because they think it's funny and yet another has lifted it because he thinks a strawman is a clever thing to point out, whether there is one under discussion or not. It's the most over-used get out of jail card on the internet except claiming an ad hominem when someone replies to days of piss-taking with the same. If cut and pasting pictures that were never funny the first ten thousand times off the web is the limit of your wit, you need a holiday.

Don't be that sap and ask a proper question.

 

[User482]

Blockend: could you tell us who is pretending that their local picture is all there is?

 

[jonesy]

Jonsey, you do realise some poor sap has set up that strawman shot and another sap has copied it because they think it's funny and yet another has lifted it because he thinks a strawman is a clever thing to point out, whether there is one under discussion or not. It's the most over-used get out of jail card on the internet except claiming an ad hominem when someone replies to days of piss-taking with the same. If cut and pasting pictures that were never funny the first ten thousand times off the web is the limit of your wit, you need a holiday.

Don't be that sap and ask a proper question.

Well the scarecrow shot comes from Doctor Who, but never mind that...

I repeat: who is guilty of making the claim that "local picture is all there is". because if you can't point to it, then straw man it is. If you don't like being accused of them, then don't make them.

 

[blockend]

Local successes mean nothing because they're only local

My local successes say bike lanes get more people on bikes, even when they're crap. Bit of an eye-opener, even for me and I complained to the council about how poor it was. The rest of your post is the usual bluster, point scoring and smart arse insults.

BTW, don't all expect a reply, I'm familiar with how that ends.

 

[jonesy]

Well, if you'd prefer to have a different ending, you could try the following:
1. Don't waste time arguing against positions other people haven't argued.
2. Try putting forward a coherent argument for your own position.

 

[blockend]

Well, if you'd prefer to have a different ending, you could try the following:
1. Don't waste time arguing against positions other people haven't argued.
2. Try putting forward a coherent argument for your own position.

Perhaps you have another visual icon you can replace those points with and have a chuckle to yourself at the same time? Or even an animated smillie to show the true death of debate and the triumph of mediocrity?

 

[jonesy]

Perhaps you have a point to make?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

yes that would be an improvement. even the road humps don't deter em here , you can hear the underbody skids hitting the bump (either side too) .

one day i am just gonna step out and see what happens . not when they are close enough to hit me but close enough so they scrae emselves.

next to deal with is the idiots on mobiles , but thats a whole new thread.

I lean on my garden wall and photograph them and send the pictures to inspector knacker. inspector knacker sends a minion around to my house to tell me a) I cannot take photographs like this b) my doing so could cause an accident, and when I've comprehensively demolished a) & b) comes up with c) don't I have anything better to do with my time?

and, you could not make this up, whilst they were returning to their illegally parked patrol car, someone ran the red light on the pedestrian crossing 20m from my front door!

 

[davefb]

I live in a 30mph zone. I've timed vehicles* doing 45+mph down my street. If they drive at 30mph in a 20mph zone that would be a significant improvement in the qulaity of the environment.


*and been felt by the long arm of Inspector Knacker as a result of doing so.

hang on sorry, why and on what grounds ?

[edit]
failed the 'forum rule' ... read ALL THE POSTS first . right, err though again, the question has to be

a). err why?
b) err reallly err why? was this in the dark and you had a really big flash ?

mates dad did get some 'success' from a letter to the chief constable,,, the pub he went to was being targetted for drink driving, they were stopping people immediately from coming out the pub,, nobody was actually caught, but it went on for ages.. ( he wasnt ever stopped, he's just a pedant )

the issue? they are supposed to only actually stop you if they believe you have commited an offence,, not just randomly ( unless theres random tests in the area, but there werent,,,, or at least thats what i've been told )

he got a nice letter saying it wont happen again, and it stopped..

 

[Richard Mann]

My local successes say bike lanes get more people on bikes, even when they're crap.

Implying that you're a cycle campaigner, that you've successfully got your HA to install bike lanes, and those bike lanes have successfully got people on bikes.

Sounds like at least one cycle campaigner is making a difference.

If you could identify what exactly you mean by "crap", that'd be helpful. And whether some/all/none of the people concerned are "utility" cyclists.