Illegal taxi ranks on cycle lanes

Lumen

heybaby wrote: »

Not the kind of 'constructive input' I would expect from a mod

What sort of response were you expecting?

heybaby

Lumen wrote: »

What sort of response were you expecting?

Well correct me if Im wrong but you're a moderator of the cycling forum, I would have thought then that you are a cyclist? no? So I would have expected that you might take a more sympathetic approach to cyclists' plight on our streets, rather than your dismissive, 'cycle around the parked cars' approach.

Beasty

heybaby wrote: »

So I would have expected that you might take a more sympathetic approach to cyclists' plight on our streets, rather than your dismissive, 'cycle around the parked cars' approach.

What's the plight here? - do you feel you are in significantly more danger because you have to manoeuver round these cars, or is it simply you feel that bit of the road is reserved for cyclists, and hence no-one else should be in it?

Nietzschean

heybaby wrote: »

Well correct me if Im wrong but you're a moderator of the cycling forum, I would have thought then that you are a cyclist? no? So I would have expected that you might take a more sympathetic approach to cyclists' plight on our streets, rather than your dismissive, 'cycle around the parked cars' approach.

He's a mod, but while not exercising his godly powers he's just another poster...

Lumen

heybaby wrote: »

Well correct me if Im wrong but you're a moderator of the cycling forum, I would have thought then that you are a cyclist? no? So I would have expected that you might take a more sympathetic approach to cyclists' plight on our streets, rather than your dismissive, 'cycle around the parked cars' approach.

I do indeed feel sympathy for your "plight" with respect to taxis waiting for fares whilst parked on cycle lanes, to approximately the same degree as I feel sympathy when a small child drops his or her ice cream.

However, launching a tirade against the gardai, politicians, tax drivers, the taxi regulator and whichever other public bodies or sections or society you feel have contributed to this outrage just seems somewhat lacking in perspective.

As cyclists we're hardly immune to criticism for the odd bit of rule bending. I wouldn't be best pleased if the gardai were zealously following the letter of the law regarding mandatory use cycle lanes by prosecuting all the cyclists who illegally choose to ignore them, so I take their priorisation of serious crimes over minor parking issues as reassurance that they do have bit of perspective.

heybaby

Beasty wrote: »

What's the plight here? - do you feel you are in significantly more danger because you have to manoeuver round these cars, or is it simply you feel that bit of the road is reserved for cyclists, and hence no-one else should be in it?

Absolutely, if its a cycling lane, and designated to be so, during the hours stipulated on the sign, then it is illegal for it to be used as a taxi rank, end of story. I dont park my bike in taxi ranks, so they should abide by the law and stay the hell out of cycling lanes during the hours indicated. Its dangerous enough as it is to cycle in the city centre without having to navigate around illegal taxi ranks, and if thats in question for you, then you obviously dont cycle in Dublin city.

Chips Lovell

heybaby wrote: »

I would have thought then that you are a cyclist? no? So I would have expected that you might take a more sympathetic approach to cyclists' plight on our streets, rather than your dismissive, 'cycle around the parked cars' approach.

I'm a cyclist too and I think you're going waaay OTT over what is at most a minor annoyance.

BostonB

Regardless of where a taxi is. As a cyclist you need to stay well away from them as they are probably the most unpredictable vehicle on the road. They obey no law, or common sense for that matter. The problem with cycling around them is they are likely to pull out, even do a U turn with zero warning.

Spook_ie

heybaby wrote: »

Well correct me if Im wrong but you're a moderator of the cycling forum, I would have thought then that you are a cyclist? no? So I would have expected that you might take a more sympathetic approach to cyclists' plight on our streets, rather than your dismissive, 'cycle around the parked cars' approach.

Pray tell, why should a moderator have any need to be a cyclist? Oh ****, I've just sussed it the cyclists are trying to take over the world! Well not on my watch baby, bring it on! 2 tonne of Taxi against a dozen cyclists, no contest

niceonetom

Spook_ie wrote: »

Pray tell, why should a moderator have any need to be a cyclist? Oh ****, I've just sussed it the cyclists are trying to take over the world! Well not on my watch baby, bring it on! 2 tonne of Taxi against a dozen cyclists, no contest

Christ I hate crap like this. Why would you feel the need to make thinly veiled threats here?

If there was a disagreement between, say, and able bodied man and a a person who needed to use a wheelchair to get around, and , for some reason the able-bodied man felt the guy in the chair impeding his progress so he guffawed: "Big strong man against cripple, no contest " you'd (I hope) be appalled... right? I think the disparity of the physical fight there is analogous to a taxi/cyclist collision.You obviously think a physical fight is the ultimate way to find out who is right or wrong in a given situation. Bullies always do until they meet someone even bigger and more violent than themselves.

Ending a post with a wink does not protect you from being deemed a goon btw.

You post stuff like that and wonder why members of your profession are so vilified?

Raam

heybaby wrote: »

Not the kind of 'constructive input' I would expect from a mod

I wouldn't expect much from this guy either.

Chips Lovell

Spook_ie wrote: »

2 tonne of Taxi against a dozen cyclists, no contest

Yet another public relations coup for the Irish taxi industry.

SleepDoc

Spook_ie wrote: »

Pray tell, why should a moderator have any need to be a cyclist? Oh ****, I've just sussed it the cyclists are trying to take over the world! Well not on my watch baby, bring it on! 2 tonne of Taxi against a dozen cyclists, no contest

Big man. Your watch? Bring what on? Will driving into some cyclists make up for your general impotence and singular lack of importance?

kona

Spook_ie wrote: »

Pray tell, why should a moderator have any need to be a cyclist? Oh ****, I've just sussed it the cyclists are trying to take over the world! Well not on my watch baby, bring it on! 2 tonne of Taxi against a dozen cyclists, no contest

1g of airhead V 2kgs of Kryptonite.

170Kgs of Fat Blubber V 100Kgs Of muscle

How do you propose your fight, the cyclist will either:

A) Get away

Bring you to an area where you will need to get out of your smelly ****box, then proceed to Dominate you reletlessly.


I had a run in with a guy of the same intelligence as you, although in fairness this guy did what he said as opposed to hiding behind a keyboard.

Basically the fat ****er decided to T-bone my mate after coming from a side road, then just drove off,unfortunatley for this specimen of embyotic ****, The traffic lights were Red so me and my mate took a spin up to him, told him what we thought of him and then his side window made contact with my fist. So him being the facepalm that he was, decided that the Raw Power of his 1.4 revving to 5k would be enough to intimidate us, we laughed and blew him a kiss, then he proceeded to try mow us down...Quick bunny hop onto the path, then followed up with more kissing and "HI Sue" hand gestures had this ape losing the plot.
So we took the clown down a dead end and then cycled through a lane and away.

I hope whatever the Airhead was in such a rush for, he missed.

So yea, Bikes > Cars

Fit Cyclist > Fat mess Taxi Driver.

So yea, you wanna take on 12 guys? you probably couldnt take 12 9 year old girls.

DirkVoodoo

Well said Tom!

EDIT: @Spook_ie - That's pretty sick man, I hope you can sleep easily at night knowing that you have those kind of feelings towards people you don't know simply because they ride a bike (seems to be common in this country). So much for respect for other road users, should the unthinkable ever happen I hope that comment doesn't come back and haunt you.

Lumen

Not fair. I pitched into this thread expecting to take le prix de la combativité for most belligerent poster, and I've been out-sprinted by a bloody taxi driver.

dave.obrien

I was watching this video of pre war London, and there were people all over the roads; cyclists, pedestrians, cars, horses and carts, etc, and there seemed to be just one rule: pay attention! If everyone affords each other a reasonable amount of respect, behaves predictably and responsibly, and doesn't feel any heirarchy is established by a mode of transport, things seem to run pretty smoothly. There seemed to be very few problems, and even fewer ombudsmen...

Spook_ie

niceonetom wrote: »

Christ I hate crap like this. Why would you feel the need to make thinly veiled threats here?

If there was a disagreement between, say, and able bodied man and a a person who needed to use a wheelchair to get around, and , for some reason the able-bodied man felt the guy in the chair impeding his progress so he guffawed: "Big strong man against cripple, no contest " you'd (I hope) be appalled... right? I think the disparity of the physical fight there is analogous to a taxi/cyclist collision.You obviously think a physical fight is the ultimate way to find out who is right or wrong in a given situation. Bullies always do until they meet someone even bigger and more violent than themselves.

Ending a post with a wink does not protect you from being deemed a goon btw.

You post stuff like that and wonder why members of your profession are so vilified?

We're villified whether I post things like that or not, still no contest

Chips Lovell

Spook_ie wrote: »

We're villified whether I post things like that or not, still no contest

What's the view like from up on that cross?

Spook_ie

el tonto wrote: »

What's the view like from up on that cross?

Not bad, if you crane your neck you can see the sea

Bluefoam

Spook_ie is a troll, leave him to it

radia

Driving on a cycle track = 1 penalty point.
http://www.penaltypoints.ie/the_full_list_of_offences.php

Presumably they drove on it in order to get into it, rather than lifting their cars in.

Applying penalty points would be a far more effective deterrent than tickets/fines, especially for people whose business centres on driving.

TinyExplosions

Jaysus, we're quick to jump on taxi drivers here aren't we... am I the only one that read spook_ie's post above as being massively tongue in cheek (irregardless of the smiley), and not an actual threat to cyclists?

Maybe I'm just having a nice day....

Spook_ie

radia wrote: »

Driving on a cycle track = 1 penalty point.
http://www.penaltypoints.ie/the_full_list_of_offences.php

Presumably they drove on it in order to get into it, rather than lifting their cars in.

Applying penalty points would be a far more effective deterrent than tickets/fines, especially for people whose business centres on driving.

Good idea, maybe alongside that idea we can introduce a license and liability insurance for cyclists so that they can collect penalty points and the bad ones among you be put off the road and pavements

markpb

Spook_ie wrote: »

Good idea, maybe alongside that idea we can introduce a license and liability insurance for cyclists so that they can collect penalty points and the bad ones among you be put off the road and pavements

I'd have no problem with that

TinyExplosions

Spook_ie wrote: »

Good idea, maybe alongside that idea we can introduce a license and liability insurance for cyclists so that they can collect penalty points and the bad ones among you be put off the road and pavements

And then he goes and proves me wrong.... damn my optimism for humanity!

Lumen

TinyExplosions wrote: »

And then he goes and proves me wrong.... damn my optimism for humanity!

That'll learn you.

Never agree with anyone on the internet - you never know what they'll say next.

Bluefoam

Spook_ie wrote: »

liability insurance for cyclists

Most club cyclists already have it. From Cycling Ireland.

monument

Spook_ie wrote: »

Good idea, maybe alongside that idea we can introduce a license and liability insurance for cyclists so that they can collect penalty points and the bad ones among you be put off the road and pavements

And liability insurance for pedestrians too. Or just ban pedestrians. It makes sense, they are the most at risk group so banning them will cut road deaths over night.

Or maybe just penalty points for j-walking pedestrians? After they get so many they are then not allowed to cross the road, they have to stay on their side of the road how ever small that is?

el tonto wrote: »

I'm a cyclist too and I think you're going waaay OTT over what is at most a minor annoyance.

It's a minor annoyance to you, me, and a lot of people here, but for many others are not as used to the roads.

Lumen wrote: »

However, launching a tirade against the gardai, politicians, tax drivers, the taxi regulator and whichever other public bodies or sections or society you feel have contributed to this outrage just seems somewhat lacking in perspective.

I'd have most sympathy with the gardai here, left to enforce the mess left by the non-regulating regulator and politicians unwilling to act.

The over supply of taxis in an already congested city can only be seen as outrages, not just because they are blocking cycle lane, but because of that and adding to congestion, blocking up streets, parking on ped crossing etc. And no, I'm not only blaming taxi drivers here -- the main fault is with the regulator and politicians.

dave.obrien wrote: »

I was watching this video of pre war London, and there were people all over the roads; cyclists, pedestrians, cars, horses and carts, etc, and there seemed to be just one rule: pay attention! If everyone affords each other a reasonable amount of respect, behaves predictably and responsibly, and doesn't feel any heirarchy is established by a mode of transport, things seem to run pretty smoothly. There seemed to be very few problems, and even fewer ombudsmen...

That does not quite work when you have car usage as high as Dublin in such small spaces.

TinyExplosions

Lumen wrote: »

That'll learn you.

Never agree with anyone on the internet - you never know what they'll say next.

I disagree with that...

is that the correct answer Uncle Lumen?

Spook_ie

monument wrote: »

And liability insurance for pedestrians too. Or just ban pedestrians. It makes sense, they are the most at risk group so banning them will cut road deaths over night.

<snip>.

Given the litigious society we live in that wouldn't be a bad idea at all to have liability insurance, banning pedestrians though ( appealing as it is! ) wouldn't work as they don't actualy have to purchase legs and feet, so could be defined as their God given right to walk, whereas the purchase of a cycle or car is a personal decision rather than a religous one, though given the reaction to posts on here sometimes you'd wonder about that :rolleyes:

dave.obrien

monument wrote: »

That does not quite work when you have car usage as high as Dublin in such small spaces.

Of course it does, I am suggesting two things in my tongue in cheek post:

1. Road users don't afford each other another respect. That is NOT limited to taxi's, by the way, there are some ignorant cyclists out there, as there are drivers, bus users, train goers, etc. If the majority were better willed towards each other, or even just took a collective common sense stance on road usage, they'd be a much more pleasant place to be.

2. There is an over reliance on the automobile which has led to an extremely skewed sense of hierarchy and ownership in favour of drivers. This is wrong, no two ways about it. We have amongst the highest car-people ratios in the developed world, and the majority continue to be oblivious to the effect that this is having. Because of this, we have the lowest population density of any major European city, and a population curve that increases with distance from the City Centre, this has just one match worldwide: Los Angeles. People have fled the city to a degree that the only way to get back there is to drive. The only time anybody has decided to act on this has been the controversial 30kmh rule in a PORTION of the city. Has it been successful? I don't think so...

I'm suggesting that the problem is not so much reckless taxi drivers, of which there are few, or dangerous cyclists, of which there also are few, but the dependency on driving in our culture.