Journalism and cycling

Hurrache

magicbastarder wrote: »

Cyclist is new face at centre of Garda’s 2019 recruitment campaign
http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/gardai-cyclist-recruitment-campaign/

When I saw that this morning I thought it was odd. Maybe she's undercover to catch all the rogue cyclists contravening GDPR.

jjpep

magicbastarder wrote: »

Cyclist is new face at centre of Garda’s 2019 recruitment campaign
http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/gardai-cyclist-recruitment-campaign/

That just looks weird. What is the message here? I get showing a woman or people of different skin color (to show inclusivity) but is cycling a bike the same thing? Is cycling somewhere akin to a religion or being part of a 'different' racial group?

I could be over thinking this but it just looks... bizarre. I mean, should they be representing pedestrians and public transport users too in that case???

CramCycle

jjpep wrote: »

That just looks weird. What is the message here? I get showing a woman or people of different skin color (to show inclusivity) but is cycling a bike the same thing? Is cycling somewhere akin to a religion or being part of a 'different' racial group?

I could be over thinking this but it just looks... bizarre. I mean, should they be representing pedestrians and public transport users too in that case???

Its trying to show that being a Garda may involve everyday skills you use everyday anyway and never think about. I think it's not a bad campaign, poorly explained. I imagine they are thinking, typical commuter in Dublin who doesn't drive thinks they would never be a Garda because they cannot drive, in the minority etc. Whereas they are observant, adaptable, safety conscious (hence the Sam Browne and helmet, we won't go into the agree or not part of this), physically fit and so on.

Grassey

At least she isn't wearing a builders jacket!

Internet Friend

They could have at least had her helmet strapped on properly...

Fighting Tao

Interesting quote from the Garda Commissioner: “Fundamentally, we are looking for people who thrive on keeping people safe. Policing is a highly rewarding career where every day you can make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities."


In a way, it appears to be an admittance that many of the Garda there are not suitable for the job because they have no interest in enforcing breaches of the law that is straight in front of them on the road, or if it is highlighted to them. During the recent IBike group making the bike lane on Westland Row safe for cyclists Garda motorbikes deliberately blocked the bike lane and therefore endangering people while making a bad difference to the lives of individuals. Those Gardaí that are not fit for purpose need to be moved out of the force.

zurbfoundation

its an odd story

jjpep

CramCycle wrote: »

Its trying to show that being a Garda may involve everyday skills you use everyday anyway and never think about. I think it's not a bad campaign, poorly explained. I imagine they are thinking, typical commuter in Dublin who doesn't drive thinks they would never be a Garda because they cannot drive, in the minority etc. Whereas they are observant, adaptable, safety conscious (hence the Sam Browne and helmet, we won't go into the agree or not part of this), physically fit and so on.

Maybe it makes sense in an overall campaign it just looks weird in isolation maybe. Like why is the cyclist the only one looking at the camera and looking happy? Anyway, could be overthinking it.

And yep, I know if we go down discussing the helmet/hi viv path we'll cover territory already done ad nauseum in the mega threads but it two things jump out here:

1. cycling is done by 'others'. The other Gardai in the poster are dressed normally (for Gardai) except for the cyclist.
2. You're not being safe or responsible if you're not wearing 'safety' gear.

Seth Brundle

jjpep wrote: »

2. You're not being safe or responsible if you're not wearing 'safety' gear.

In fairness, partly because of the lack of enforcement by many gardai, the safety gear is needed!

CramCycle

1. cycling is done by 'others'. The other Gardai in the poster are dressed normally (for Gardai) except for the cyclist.

Well thats the viewpoint that they are overcoming, you, a regular cyclist can be a Garda and be part of the solution. Your not a Garda yet but you certainly could be.

2. You're not being safe or responsible if you're not wearing 'safety' gear.

I am normally the one to jump on such things but in this case, if she wasn't wearing a helmet, you'd never know she was a cyclist.

dub_skav

Do you already wear a magic hat that makes you feel safe and superior, why not join AGS and do it for a living :P

*Disclaimer: No serious points made here, purely mocking every one and every thing

Duckjob

Its just irritating TBH

Why bother depicting a garda cyclist if cyclists ringing up after nearly being killed on the road have to plead with some jaded old guard who hasnt seen the saddle of a bike in 40 years and doesn't give a piss because the cyclist didn't "wobble" when they were passed ?

Then again, I suppose it's easier to blow the budget on PR fluff then spending it on actually sorting out the problems in your force.

rubadub

Duckjob wrote: »

doesn't give a piss because the cyclist didn't "wobble" when they were passed ?

a proper impact is needed before they think a law is broken, wobble was just a sign of that.

axer wrote: »

I reported a close pass (with taxi) that happened in dublin a few weeks ago via traffic watch. It went to the local Garda station. Got a call two weeks later from a Garda. Arranged to send video (forward and rear facing) which the Garda looked at and could see it was a close pass. Got a call a few weeks later to say that the Garda cannot do anything though since he cannot see a law broken. He said he asked other gardai who looked at the footage also. Said if an action (fine/caution /points) is not taken against the driver then it is not even noted against the driver in their system so I asked then if that is the case could loads of cyclists could have reported incidents but no pattern can be seen. He agreed this was the case. Said best he can do is send the driver a letter and see what he says. Said that because the driver doesn't live in Dublin then all he can do is hope the driver still lives at the address and returns a call. I asked what would happen if they needed to find the driver (robbery etc) he said then resources would be given to it and they would find the driver then. Said realistically no action against the driver could be taken unless I was injured.

The Garda contacted back a week later to say the taxi driver had contacted him. Taxi driver says he doesn't remember the incident and comes across many cyclists. Says it wouldn't be in his interest to injure a cyclist. Said he would take more care the future.

Garda said he still doesn't see any law broken and showed to a senior Garda who said as I didn't wobble I wasn't impacted so doesn't see an issue. Garda wants to close the incident and wants me to point him to the law that was broken. Does anyone know which law I point him towards?

I hope they don't apply the same logic to scumbags found throwing cinder blocks or stones off pedestrian flyovers -no cars hit, no issue here.

Ferris

Duckjob wrote: »

Then again, I suppose it's easier to blow the budget on PR fluff then spending it on actually sorting out the problems in your force.

Or try to recruit the type of individual who will change the organization into the future. Their theory is right here - another sign Drew Harris is trying to change things.

Not disagreeing with your point but there is a obvious advantage to trying to recruit a more diverse workforce. The application in this case is a bit ironic from out point of view in this case however.

Mickiemcfist

Jesus lads/lassies, if cyclists aren't represented or considered you're giving out, if they are, you're still giving out. I'm happy as for whatever reason, they're considering cyclists in some manner - it's progress.

magicbastarder

well, you can forgive some cynicism from cyclists, to be fair.

though i believe there's a vacancy in the gardai in cork, if anyone here lives there.

rubadub

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Jesus lads/lassies, if cyclists aren't represented or considered you're giving out, if they are, you're still giving out.

I doubt anybody would have been giving out if they were not mentioned.

I heard it on the news this morning, turbans and hijabs were mentioned, no mention of cyclists at all. Sure why would there be, there was no exclusion of them before, several here have said many gardai on bike patrol are enthusiastic cyclists in their spare time and are fairly quick on their mountain bikes.

I do find the fact they ARE mentioned is odd though, as though they are some minority group who would have presumed they would not get the job if the let it slip, like say a gay man once might have kept quite joining the military or something.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0404/1040561-garda_recruitment/

Gardare to permit the wearing of turbans and hijabs as part of the garda uniform in an effort to encourage more people from minority communities here to join the service.

A new recruitment campaign is seeking to attract candidates from across society to become members of An Garda Sh.

I doubt any "self identifying cyclist" would have read that and thought "WTF, what about US?"

*reading your post again you might have been sarcastic?

Mickiemcfist

rubadub wrote: »

I doubt anybody would have been giving out if they were not mentioned.

I heard it on the news this morning, turbans and hijabs were mentioned, no mention of cyclists at all. Sure why would there be, there was no exclusion of them before, several here have said many gardai on bike patrol are enthusiastic cyclists in their spare time and are fairly quick on their mountain bikes.

I do find the fact they ARE mentioned is odd though, as though they are some minority group who would have presumed they would not get the job if the let it slip, like say a gay man once might have kept quite joining the military or something.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0404/1040561-garda_recruitment/



I doubt any "self identifying cyclist" would have read that and thought "WTF, what about US?"

*reading your post again you might have been sarcastic?

Nope I wasn't being sarcastic.

I'll pre-empt this by saying I am in no way fond of the Gardai & I feel they're an inept, backwards, joke of an organisation & struggle to do even the most basic jobs within their remit.
But I imagine AGS PR office maybe saw a fair amount of Cyclist tweets & negative publicity in the wake of the recent cycle lane/Data protection issue. They then maybe decided this is a small way to make it look like they've got cyclists in mind at the very least. It won't change anything on the ground, but I'd imagine that was the extent of the meaning behind it.

Duckjob

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Nope I wasn't being sarcastic.

I'll pre-empt this by saying I am in no way fond of the Gardai & I feel they're an inept, backwards, joke of an organisation & struggle to do even the most basic jobs within their remit.
But I imagine AGS PR office maybe saw a fair amount of Cyclist tweets & negative publicity in the wake of the recent cycle lane/Data protection issue. They then maybe decided this is a small way to make it look like they've got cyclists in mind at the very least. It won't change anything on the ground, but I'd imagine that was the extent of the meaning behind it.

The part I've bolded from your post is the very reason that makes it so irritating.

I believe it's nothing more than a cynical PR exercise. They know their rep in protecting vulnerable road users is p**s poor, so whats their solution? Stick a smiley cyclist lady into the recruitment campaign to give us all a warm fuzzy feeling. Meanwhile, cases of endangerment will still continue to go nowhere due to the old super thinking an aggressive close pass is ok once we don't wobble.

B****cks to that.

Cookie_Monster

IF they are having trouble recruiting showing a cyclist randomly isn't really going to help, getting rid of the dual language (read Irish) requirement would be far more effective.

Cookie_Monster

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

IF they are having trouble recruiting showing a cyclist randomly isn't really going to help, getting rid of the dual language (read Irish) requirement would be far more effective.

Was just thinking about that and I'm sure most would be the same as me enough Irish after some grinds and reread of Peg to pass a test but not to hold a conversation with an adult fluent in it.

Mickiemcfist

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

IF they are having trouble recruiting showing a cyclist randomly isn't really going to help, getting rid of the dual language (read Irish) requirement would be far more effective.

Well if people want to be in a police force & be guaranteed to speak English while on the job - go to England.

Rechuchote

I'm glad to see a cycle garda. And there's no "they" - it may be that there are cyclists involved here…

Meanwhile:

https://road.cc/content/news/258901-london-bridge-subsidise-cargo-bikes-show-switching-vans-reduces-costs-and

London Bridge to subsidise cargo bikes to show that switching from vans reduces costs and journey times

zell12

In Galway four years ago

tomasrojo

while others questioned the lack of safety gear worn by the officer.

Of course they did.

magicbastarder

Patrick Freyne: The six kinds of cyclist you’ll meet on the new Liffey cycle track

I’ve been to other cities such Berlin and Amsterdam where there is proper cycling infrastructure and where cyclists are the apex predator, dominating the streets and terrifying pedestrians with their judgemental stares and hideous war cries (a tinkling bell). Cars actually tiptoe by in these cities, so unimportant are they to the metropolitan consciousness.

And good enough for them too. As a committed pedestrian, I hate cars more than I hate bikes, and I hate bikes more than I hate scooters, and so on down to roller skates.

In Dublin, however, cars are the least of a cyclist’s problems. The streets along Dublin’s quays are owned by buses and trucks. Pedestrians stick to the footpath like mice to skirting boards, and cyclists are like the Borrowers, risking death for the opportunity to get to work.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/patrick-freyne-the-six-kinds-of-cyclist-you-ll-meet-on-the-new-liffey-cycle-track-1.3849663

Rechuchote

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

IF they are having trouble recruiting showing a cyclist randomly isn't really going to help, getting rid of the dual language (read Irish) requirement would be far more effective.

I doubt very much that the ability to read Irish is keeping from people joining the Garda Síochána. Low pay rates might be another matter.

Rechuchote

magicbastarder wrote: »

Patrick Freyne: The six kinds of cyclist you’ll meet on the new Liffey cycle track

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/patrick-freyne-the-six-kinds-of-cyclist-you-ll-meet-on-the-new-liffey-cycle-track-1.3849663

Fluffy little piece.

rubadub

Rechuchote wrote: »

I doubt very much that the ability to read Irish is keeping from people joining the Garda Sh.

my mate did not get in the gardai because of the irish issue, father was a fairly senior & well known garda too.

It was taken out years ago, now you need 2 languages

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-no-longer-a-requirement-to-join-an-garda-1.1182163

Under the new rules applicants to join the force will no longer have to hold a qualification in Irish or English. Instead, they will have to be able to prove they are competent in two languages, at least one of which must be English or Irish.

He might have got in with French if this was the case when applying.

I recently found out another friend missed out due to the height requirement, now scrapped, and I never considered him short, he barely missed it by a half inch. I think you are taller straight out of bed and he might have passed if he copped it.

The average Irish man born in 1980 is now 1.76cm tall (5ft 9in). Irish men are an average of 8cm or almost three and a half inches taller than they were a century ago, according to new research

There used to be a height requirement to join the Gardawhere a male officer had to be over five feet, nine inches and a female officer over five feet, five inches

if still in place nowadays he could have probably just identify as a woman and claim Klingon as the second language.

Moflojo

https://www.thejournal.ie/cork-crash-6-4580968-Apr2019/

I've been noticing a trend in the comments on The Journal.ie in relation to road traffic collisions. There is often an attempt to discuss poor road infrastructure, poor driver behaviour, and sometimes poor cyclist or pedestrian behaviour.

However, what's becoming more common is other commentators trying to shut down the discussion (which, granted, may be inappropriate) with expressions such as "This isn't the time or place to assign blame," or with overzealous calls to reason such as "Can we all just respond with RIP please and leave it at that?"

I think a fair comparison can be made with the discussion of gun control in the United States of America, where people who attempt to point out the insanity of the situation get shouted down by calls for "Thoughts and Prayers."