Should I respond to anti cyclist rant letter in our local paper.

[Banjo]

Theres a really negative anti cyclist rant in a letter to the editor of our local rag.

The letter written by a certain Karl James Langford who claims to be a "Liberal Party Parliamentary Spokesman" contains some very doubtfull statements and out an out inaccuracies .

He claims foul mouthed cyclists tried to force him and his children off a shared path onto a dangerous road.He stood his ground and an argument took place .

I know the path in question , Its about a 4 feet 6 inch wide strip of tarmac with care bikes and peds can pass each other but crucially theres a ten feet wide strip of grass between path and road so in no way would he have been forced onto the "dangerous road"as he claims.

I normally cycle on the road so this morning deliberately cycled the full length of the path and the situation described in his letter could not possibly happen as described.

he then went on to say cyclists were a complete menace and should be banned from main roads and narrow country lanes and were a nuisance on trains. his rant then went on almost laughably to the old they don't pay road tax nonsense and even how horrified he is to see children being carried on bikes.

I was expecting him to be an elderly gent totally out of touch with reality but in fact googling revealed he is a highly educated young man with small children.

I have drafted an email letter to the editor addressing some of his points and saying a Parliamentary spokesman really should know a bit more about the UK tax system but in the back of my mind i know this will just feed the trolls and spark up a load of anti bike crap in future editions .

 

[MiK1138]

Send it, shame him for the nobber he is

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Normally I'd say 'don't feed the trolls'. But if a sketchy opinion is being shoved into the cosmos by a servant of the people then I think it's only fair you respond.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Similar rant from a local councillor in a local rag. He didn't spend time on putting his rant together or his facts like the sounds of your gentleman. The chair of the local road club wrote in the next week. His letter was eloquently written and ripped a strip off this old, blinkered dinoknobasarus in a matter of sentences. It was very fair and very stylish. His facts were absolutely correct and not emotive in the least. He made the councilor look like an idiot and he would have no doubt lost face. Given that the demographic of the readers, many would have been his pals and it would have been painful and awkward as a result.

Since then, not one anti cycling complaint letter has been printed.

Nip it in the bud if you feel you can. Good luck.

 

[swee'pea99]

Sirs

Is Karl James Langford well? One unfortunate encounter and he seems to have totally lost it. One expects better from a 'Liberal Party Parliamentary Spokesman', doesn't one?

Yours in concern

 

[Heigue'r]

dinoknobasarus.....

 

[jefmcg]

He seems to be an actor whose second last tweet was a link to BNP article that begins (I clicked so you don't have to)

"Following an attack on Muslim worshippers outside Finsbury mosque in London last night, politicians lined up to lavish on Muslims the Politically Correct sacred status of ultimate ‘victim’." The "Liberal" claim seems bullshit to me.

Ignore him. Please.

 

[Banjo]

He seems to be an actor whose second last tweet was a link to BNP article that begins (I clicked so you don't have to)



Ignore him. Please.

wow He is even more unpleasant than I realised. Seems that Cyclists aren't the only targets for his hate. I think now he is clearly trolling for a reaction which isn't going to be coming from me.

 

[Will Spin]

I usually send a letter to our local rag if there's and anti cycling piece included that needs a response. The last one I sent wasn't published, no surprises here as it was a response to an editorial complaining about cyclists not using a woefully inadequate local cycle path and getting in his way. Generally I try to keep it factual and non personal.

 

[Banjo]

I just had an interesting phone conversation with a very pleasant man who is the Wales area contact for the Liberal Party about this.

Firstly the views expressed in Langfords letter are completely at odds with Liberal policy
secondly He is not an officer of any sort in the liberal party and they are checking now to see if he is even a member.

He couldn't say too much but assured me that the party was aware and were looking into it.

I seriously think that the whole incident report in the letter was fabricated and is pure trolling.

 

[winjim]

I googled his name and there seems to be a fun little spat involving him and the South Wales archaeology community in the archives from about ten years ago. All jolly japes I'm sure.

 

[Lonestar]

Leave it,he's a self important person.

 

[DaveReading]

My first reaction was that anyone who claims to be a "Liberal Party Parliamentary Spokesman" is suffering from delusions of grandeur.

But on reflection ...

 

[DaveReading]

Working link: It’s about time cyclists started paying road tax

 

[Lonestar]

Leave it!
'e's not worf it!

Actor,Liberal party whatnot/Pays road tax/double barreled name/ticks all the boxes.

Drives a car/owns the road...Please see road tax.