Journalism and cycling

Roadhawk

magicbastarder wrote: »

he's still at it.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/ross-questions-timing-of-pope-s-visit-before-possible-abortion-vote-1.2885021#.WDwiUaXeoaV.twitter

What has that got to do with "Journalism and cycling"?

Chuchote

Roadhawk wrote: »

What has that got to do with "Journalism and cycling"?

It comes under the Church's laws for sins of omission. +++

Mortpourvelo

jive wrote: »

Cyclists should be allowed to proceed slowly through pedestrian crossing reds (like the flashing amber for motor vehicles - go ahead if it's safe to do so). They should also be able to turn left on red.

All of a sudden, the only major thing motorists have to throw at cyclists is out the window; not to mention the fact that the above makes sense given that a bicycle is not a 2 tonne vehicle.

Also, more to the point, none of this would be an issue if there was a bit more patience from cyclists and motorists. Your time isn't that valuable, get over yourselves. !

Sorry but that is utter rot, what about pedestrians ?

I see a green light and after checking to see the road is clear - I can cross, I should not have to weave in an out of a peloton!

Chuchote

Mortpourvelo wrote: »

Sorry but that is utter rot, what about pedestrians ?

I see a green light and after checking to see the road is clear - I can cross, I should not have to weave in an out of a peloton!

Of course you shouldn't.

But in Paris, for instance, cyclists can go through a pedestrian red light if they're not endangering pedestrians (in effect, if it's clear or if their half is clear). It works well there.

Mortpourvelo

Chuchote wrote: »

Of course you shouldn't.

But in Paris, for instance, cyclists can go through a pedestrian red light if they're not endangering pedestrians (in effect, if it's clear or if their half is clear). It works well there.

Problem is though, you'd need to be certain it was safe.

I have to cross Dame St twice a day - busy times. If cyclists are allowed to run that red at the bottom of the hill (junction of Sth Great George's St) legally, there's going to be a fatality.

Look at this from a pedestrian POV if you can, I've witnessed several - and been victim of one - collision when crossing that junction. It's too dangerous to make it widespread.

Chuchote

Absolutely agree about that junction of George's Street and Dame Street, it's ridiculous the way [some] people whizz down Dame Street and through it (unless they stop to save their own skin as a bus comes around).

But the point of the law allowing people to cycle through pedestrian crossings is usually to start with certain crossings and extend it to others, studying carefully which ones it's safe to allow bikes through.

In Paris it seems to be universal (afaik), and I was surprised to discover how well it worked; hadn't been there for some years and the last time, it seemed to be open season on cyclists and very few were ever seen on the roads. Now, with Velib' and lots of people cycling, it's a different city.

Mortpourvelo

Chuchote wrote: »

Absolutely agree about that junction of George's Street and Dame Street, it's ridiculous the way people whizz down Dame Street and through it (unless they stop to save their own skin as a bus comes around).

But the point of the law allowing people to cycle through pedestrian crossings is usually to start with certain crossings and extend it to others, studying carefully which ones it's safe to allow bikes through.

In Paris it seems to be universal (afaik), and I was surprised to discover how well it worked; hadn't been there for some years and the last time, it seemed to be open season on cyclists and very few were ever seen on the roads. Now, with Velib' and lots of people cycling, it's a different city.

I notice on some junctions there's a red light for traffic and a green for cyclists.

Could that be used at certain junctions ? That way no one is jumping a red and it can be controlled ?

average_runner

Chuchote wrote: »

Of course you shouldn't.

But in Paris, for instance, cyclists can go through a pedestrian red light if they're not endangering pedestrians (in effect, if it's clear or if their half is clear). It works well there.

Yeah but the french can behave, in ireland we can't

Chuchote

average_runner wrote: »

Yeah but the french can behave, in ireland we can't

You've never been in Paris, I take it?

mcgratheoin

Chuchote wrote: »

Of course you shouldn't.

But in Paris, for instance, cyclists can go through a pedestrian red light if they're not endangering pedestrians (in effect, if it's clear or if their half is clear). It works well there.

In Brussels, cars can turn right onto a road that has a green man for pedestrians crossing. The pedestrians have right of way. I think there are quite a few places with "right turn on red" legislation that don't seem to generate the bloodbaths some people think would happen here.


Link to Turn on Red

average_runner

Chuchote wrote: »

You've never been in Paris, I take it?

I have and also down towards la rochelle where we holiday every summer.

Everyone respects each other, walkers, runners and cyclists on the same path and all nice to each other. Drivers giving cyclists plenty of space and no cyclists going two abreast where the road is not wide enough.

Cyclists have their own crossings on the roads for getting from one cycle lane to another and cars treat them like zebra crossings.


Ireland is the polar opposite.

Chuchote

I find Paris all that you say now; for many years, though, it was an anarchic free-for-all, with insane drivers screaming through the streets weaving in and out of other cars

average_runner

Chuchote wrote: »

I find Paris all that you say now; for many years, though, it was an anarchic free-for-all, with insane drivers screaming through the streets weaving in and out of other cars

Attitudes need to change in Ireland first, but at the moment its us against them.
Saw that in the thread that was a joke above. Poster saying oh were you in a cycle lane, as if bikes don't up on the path.

mcgratheoin

average_runner wrote: »

Ireland is the polar opposite.

That's what everyone said before the Dublin Bikes started up - "They'll be vandalised/stolen/thrown in the river" etc...

I find cycling around Dublin fine for the most part, with the bad behaviour a tiny minority of the numbers of cyclists/pedestrians/drivers.

Moflojo

Guardian article today about transport (and cycling) in Belgium, particularly in the cities of Brussels and Ghent. Here's the intro:

One morning in 1997, Frank Beke, the mayor of Ghent, woke up to find he’d been sent a bullet in the post. For the next few weeks Beke wore a bulletproof jacket, while police stood guard outside his house and accompanied him everywhere he went. “I was very anxious for my family,” he says. “I was protected by police but my wife and my children weren’t.”

The culprit was eventually found and arrested – a man who owned a shoe shop in the Belgian city’s medieval centre. His motive? Beke’s plans to pedestrianise the area around his shop.

Link to full article: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/nov/28/car-free-belgium-why-cant-brussels-match-ghents-pedestrianised-vision

average_runner

mcgratheoin wrote: »

That's what everyone said before the Dublin Bikes started up - "They'll be vandalised/stolen/thrown in the river" etc...

I find cycling around Dublin fine for the most part, with the bad behaviour a tiny minority of the numbers of cyclists/pedestrians/drivers.

I find Dublin Bikes have added to the problem on the roads, people using them that don't know the rules.

Moflojo

average_runner wrote: »

I find [insert mode of transport] have added to the problem on the roads, people using them that don't know the rules.

Fixed your post.

average_runner

Moflojo wrote: »

Fixed your post.

No that's wrong, we were talking about a certain mode of transport.

Dublin bikes have added to the problems on the road in Dublin.

Chips Lovell

I think the proportion of eejits on Dublin Bikes is equal to the proportion of eejits on other bikes. In both cases, they're quite high.

Moflojo

average_runner wrote: »

Dublin bikes have added to the problems on the road in Dublin.

Dublin Bikes have not added to the problems on the road in Dublin.

average_runner

Moflojo wrote: »

Dublin Bikes have not added to the problems on the road in Dublin.

From what I see when I am cycling in the city or walking to get a bus they have.
Constantly going the wrong way against traffic, constantly in the wrong lane.
Going to thru red lights.

Other cyclists ain't that bad

Chuchote

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

I think the proportion of eejits on Dublin Bikes is equal to the proportion of eejits on other bikes in all vehicles. In both cases, they're quite high.

fyp

average_runner

Chuchote wrote: »

fyp

us v them again!!!!!!

We were talking about bikes and you got to change it around

Chuchote

average_runner wrote: »

us v them again!!!!!!

We were talking about bikes and you got to change it around

I just expanded it. Lebensraum!

average_runner

Chuchote wrote: »

I just expanded it. Lebensraum!

Poor form, there was no need for it.

Moflojo

average_runner wrote: »

From what I see when I am cycling in the city or walking to get a bus they have.
Constantly going the wrong way against traffic, constantly in the wrong lane.
Going to thru red lights.

Other cyclists ain't that bad

Are lawbreaking citizens particularly drawn to using Dublin Bikes? If you think Dublin Bike users are so particularly bad, what explains this behaviour? Is it the power of those 3-speed hubs going to their collective heads? Is it the weight and robustness of the bikes giving them a false sense of security? Or is it perhaps the absolute lack of cycling infrastructure connecting the Dublin Bikes "network" that influences this perceived misbehaviour?

magicbastarder

i passed a woman who was cycling on the footpath earlier; she was at least 75. despite the fact that she was a veteran criminal in the process of committing a crime, there did not seem to be any visible victims in her wake. strangely, she was not on a dublin bike.

mcgratheoin

average_runner wrote: »

Dublin bikes have added to the problems on the road in Dublin.

Completely disagree. Cycling has become much easier since they've arrived. They contributed massively towards the normalisation of cycling as a mode of transport and I find drivers much more aware of cyclists since.

AndrewJRenko

average_runner wrote: »

Moflojo wrote: »

Fixed your post.

No that's wrong, we were talking about a certain mode of transport.

Dublin bikes have added to the problems on the road in Dublin.

By taking a large number of taxis off the road and creating additional space on buses and trains?

Pinch Flat

I would hazard a guess that vast majority of dublin bike users also have driving licences, so chances are if they're a tw@t on a dublin bike, they're also a tw@t behind the wheel.