Irn-Bru? Scottish Blethering Thread

[Edwardoka]

No cycling at all for me from now until New Year however a wee rant, seeing a few bikes appearing on trains on the Fife circle during the peak times. I know that some may think they have the right but can`t help thinking its bloody selfish at the present time. Trains are bursting and cramped as it is !!

What about people who have to cycle to/from the station on either side? Those who can't drive or use a park-and-ride?
Bus provision might not go everywhere. It took a guy I work with 2 and a half hours to get to work today using the bus.

I'd argue that the onus is on Scotrail to provide more cycle space rather than blaming those who don't have a single-mode door-to-door journey...
Or alternatively let them open the bridge to cyclists

In other news I don't know if I'll be back on the bike this year after last week's attack. Difficult to ride a bike without being able to eat

 

[GBC]

Sorry to hear that it is that bad @Edwardoka - there some right scumbags about these days. Hope you get over it soon

 

[DougieAB]

Memories of Islay on my commute today.
Torrential rain and gale force winds!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Memories of Islay on my commute today.
Torrential rain and gale force winds!

Same here, I'm a bit weatherbeaten tonight

 

[Telemark]

Sheet ice in Midlothian this morning interspersed with puddles, pavements looking lethal, bigger roads OK. Met one cyclist who'd just come off on the path, luckily he was ok (as was his bike) - I mentioned ice tyres to him, felt pretty safe myself. Ice tyres rock , love my Schwalbe Marathon Winters.

T

 

[Edwardoka]

Hope the weather is good next weekend. Might be my only shot at the ton (unless I bring a bike home over Christmas). Cannot risk riding on ice with this jaw.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi @Telemark!
First day on the ice tyres for me, it really has been quite mild here, ice was forecast for tonight but had not materialized at 10pm.
Got a few early starts/late finish to come, so I'll stay on the ice bike, it does feel safe ... like riding a tractor
I told all the Belles that would listen about the studded tyres when they were on special on Planet X. Our group now sounds like a bag of popcorn in motion!
Btw, OT: what happened to @SatNavSaysStraightOn? Are they already in Aussie?

 

[snorri]

Or alternatively let them open the bridge to cyclists

You will need a lotta lotta luck, these Glasgow based people in Transport Scotland are, I think, a bit scared of the big wide world beyond Glasgow city boundaries and totally oblivious to the requirements of cyclists. It just seemed the idea of cycling as a mode of transport is not a concept they understand.
We had problems with the bridges department of T/S on a bridge a little further north, the reason offered by one of their officials at a meeting for the complete failure to deal with issues raised for the six months duration of a path closure was the distance from their Glasgow office!
OTOH, get stuck in, but don't expect an early response and don't believe anything they say if they do respond.

 

[Fubar]

You will need a lotta lotta luck, these Glasgow based people in Transport Scotland are, I think, a bit scared of the big wide world beyond Glasgow city boundaries and totally oblivious to the requirements of cyclists. It just seemed the idea of cycling as a mode of transport is not a concept they understand.
We had problems with the bridges department of T/S on a bridge a little further north, the reason offered by one of their officials at a meeting for the complete failure to deal with issues raised for the six months duration of a path closure was the distance from their Glasgow office!
OTOH, get stuck in, but don't expect an early response and don't believe anything they say if they do respond.

Safety: from what I can see that is there only response. Of course the HUGE opportunity they are wasting to get people who normally would be sat in a car exercising, not to mention the economic benefit to local bike shops of all those folks who drag their bikes out the shed falls on deaf ears...

Still, sharing the single carriageway A985 with hunners of HGV's after 8pm is perfectly safe - isn't it?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Btw, OT: what happened to @SatNavSaysStraightOn? Are they already in Aussie?

Been away for a few days. Tuesday down to Bristol, Wednesday down to Plymouth, Friday down to Penzance, Saturday home... Sunday 9:30am MRI at local hospital, Monday I plan to sleep...

 

[GlasgowFinn]

Boo!

The dates for the Cairn O'Mount, HPC and the Tayside Challenge have been announced. Details here.

 

[Gasman]

A seasonal query for the forum Jocks.

All my life, people have illustrated their comments about the Scottish preference for New Year over Christmas with the adage;

"Kids in Scotland used to go to school on Christmas Day, ye know!"

This never happened in my lifetime or my father's, as far as he can remember (he was born in 1936). Does anyone know when (if) it last actually happened?

 

[Edwardoka]

A seasonal query for the forum Jocks.

All my life, people have illustrated their comments about the Scottish preference for New Year over Christmas with the adage;

"Kids in Scotland used to go to school on Christmas Day, ye know!"

This never happened in my lifetime or my father's, as far as he can remember (he was born in 1936). Does anyone know when (if) it last actually happened?

According to Wikipedia, Christmas Day only became a public holiday in 1958.

Whether that means that schools were open is not clear. Perhaps @Fubar can enlighten us?

 

[GBC]

I think that schools were closed on Christmas Day, but not shops and workplaces. My father, a butcher, certainly worked on Christmas Day about that time, and New Year was very much the main holiday in Scotland then and for some time after.

 

[Fubar]

According to Wikipedia, Christmas Day only became a public holiday in 1958.

Whether that means that schools were open is not clear. Perhaps @Fubar can enlighten us?

Well despite me not being THAT old, an article in the Scotsman suggests that Christmas was effectively banned for 400 after the Reformation as it was frowned upon as a "Papish festival" (their words...).

All I remember is that shops and garages effectively shut down over Christmas, it was a novelty when out local garage opened on Christmas Day and my dad made a big show of filling up before the drive to my grans.