Journalism and cycling

Duckjob

magicbastarder wrote: »

Should mandatory registration of bicycles be introduced in Ireland?
IF YOU LIVE in a major Irish town, there’s a fair chance you’ve had a bicycle stolen or know someone who has.

...

Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone is now calling for mandatory registration of new bicycles sold in Ireland to prevent theft.
https://www.thejournal.ie/mandatory-registration-bicycles-ireland-4606343-Apr2019/

Should come with a standard warning about the comments.

Some people's minds are so twisted up about "cyclists", they just cant help themselves when the word "cycling" is mentioned.

Even though the topic is nothing to do with cyclists themselves, the irrational ranting in the comments starts immediately. It's utterly bizarre to me.

magicbastarder

Duckjob wrote: »

Should come with a standard warning about the comments.

is there some RSS feed which alerts some people to the fact that cycling has been mentioned on an irish media outlet, i wonder?

blackwhite

magicbastarder wrote: »

Should mandatory registration of bicycles be introduced in Ireland?
IF YOU LIVE in a major Irish town, there’s a fair chance you’ve had a bicycle stolen or know someone who has.

...

Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone is now calling for mandatory registration of new bicycles sold in Ireland to prevent theft.
https://www.thejournal.ie/mandatory-registration-bicycles-ireland-4606343-Apr2019/

Sensible proposal from Noone - pity that neither the Gardaí nor the council have any interest in any such database.

Just wondering, have any of our media reported statistics on bike theft beyond numbers and day/time?
Thinking more along the lines of location stats, type of locks used, etc.

Duckjob

magicbastarder wrote: »

is there some RSS feed which alerts some people to the fact that cycling has been mentioned on an irish media outlet, i wonder?

Google Alerts would do it for you.

blackwhite

Duckjob wrote: »

Should come with a standard warning about the comments.

Some people's minds are so twisted up about "cyclists", they just cant help themselves when the word "cycling" is mentioned.

Even though the topic is nothing to do with cyclists themselves, the irrational ranting in the comments starts immediately. It's utterly bizarre to me.

To be fair - the comments section on the journal is a cesspit full of idiots at the best of times, never mind when cycling is the topic

Duckjob

blackwhite wrote: »

To be fair - the comments section on the journal is a cesspit full of idiots at the best of times, never mind when cycling is the topic

Yeah, but it's not just thejournal - you see it everywhere. It's like a violent trigger in some peoples brains whenever the topic is raised of anything even vaguely related to cycling.

I did my 20km commute in the car yesterday. I encountered about 3 or 4 cyclists along the way. I slowed down for a couple of seconds, went out around them, I continued on my way, they continued on their way. It was perfectly easy, and perfectly pleasant!

I guess I just dont understand how people can carry about such bile and hatred in their brains day-to-day. Can't be good for your health.

Woohoo! 2000th post :pac:

Hurrache

blackwhite wrote: »

Just wondering, have any of our media reported statistics on bike theft beyond numbers and day/time?
Thinking more along the lines of location stats, type of locks used, etc.

There has been a FOI put in on the number of thefts from public transport areas, i.e. Luas,. DART and train stations. Can't remember who requested it but they got the numbers back but it wasn't broken down by individual stations which they've gone back looking for. I expect the media to pick up on that once the numbers are returned.

plodder

Duckjob wrote: »

Yeah it always amazes me how environmentally conscious objectors like Olivia O'Leary suddenly become when the C word is mentioned. Don't even hear them campaigning to tear up any of the roads they are using to get to these nature spots and return those roads to nature.

I'm also always amazed how in other countries they seem to manage to preserve the essence of beauty spots and at the same time develop them enough to make them accessible and attractive to a more greater section of people. We seem pretty incapable of doing the same here.

I suppose the part that was refused is a Special Area of Conservation, so a lot of care is needed there. I wonder if a different approach, like these manufactured surfaces, which allow grass to grow through them, would work. Maybe try it out on a small section first. Though I don't know the trail at all. I hope they don't give up on it completely though. I skimmed the inspector's report and I hate to see generic, pessimistic conclusions based on the thing becoming "too" popular. Interaction between walkers and cyclists occur on all similar greenways, and I think more can be done on setting agreed ground rules. These are supposed to be leisure routes, not commuting super-highways.

Tenzor07

magicbastarder wrote: »

Should mandatory registration of bicycles be introduced in Ireland?IF YOU LIVE in a major Irish town, there’s a fair chance you’ve had a bicycle stolen or know someone who has.Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone is now calling for mandatory registration of new bicycles sold in Ireland to prevent theft.
https://www.thejournal.ie/mandatory-registration-bicycles-ireland-4606343-Apr2019/

I wouldn't bother with the mandatory bike registration, waste of time, the Gardai don't follow up on the vast majority of reports of thefts.

If my bike(s) were stolen then chances are they'd end up on the next Transit van heading to the UK

RobertFoster

Every time I read a headline with a question mark I apply Betteridge's law of headlines and don't bother reading further.

Grassey

Hurrache wrote: »

There has been a FOI put in on the number of thefts from public transport areas, i.e. Luas,. DART and train stations. Can't remember who requested it but they got the numbers back but it wasn't broken down by individual stations which they've gone back looking for. I expect the media to pick up on that once the numbers are returned.

This should solve everything.

More free high-pizz

Hurrache

I know the Gardai don't use the bike register website that is in use in the UK and soft launched in Ireland recently, do they maintain a database of bikes and addresses when they etch a bike at such an event?

Weepsie

Grassey wrote: »

This should solve everything.

More free high-pizz

I swear those bike registration days only take place on the rare Saturdays I work

blackwhite

Grassey wrote: »

This should solve everything.

More free high-pizz

Given the weather forecast for tomorrow I can imagine they'll have quite the turn-out

Mickiemcfist

blackwhite wrote: »

Given the weather forecast for tomorrow I can imagine they'll have quite the turn-out

They can be blamed for a lot, but the weather is a stretch

AndrewJRenko

Hurrache wrote: »

I know the Gardai don't use the bike register website that is in use in the UK and soft launched in Ireland recently, do they maintain a database of bikes and addresses when they etch a bike at such an event?

Some Garda Stations have a register

https://www.dublincycling.com/cycling/tips-how-avoid-bike-theft

blackwhite

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

They can be blamed for a lot, but the weather is a stretch

I'd suggest that organising an outdoor event when there's storm warnings in place for half of the country isn't the wisest move.

They can't be blamed for the weather, but they can be blamed for choosing not to postpone the event(s)

Mickiemcfist

blackwhite wrote: »

I'd suggest that organising an outdoor event when there's storm warnings in place for half of the country isn't the wisest move.

They can't be blamed for the weather, but they can be blamed for choosing not to postpone the event(s)

Doubtful that a co-ordinated effort across 3 locations between AGS & Iarnrod Eireann took under a week to arrange...
I'll still go - you could bring the bike on the back of a car if you needed.

Hurrache

One of the victims of the attack on the 3 cyclists on the Canal at Clondalkin is on Liveline now.

Grassey

Hurrache wrote: »

I know the Gardai don't use the bike register website that is in use in the UK and soft launched in Ireland recently, do they maintain a database of bikes and addresses when they etch a bike at such an event?

I filled in a PULSE form at a cycling event before with the Gardaí using the serial number on the bike, didn't get it etched [whatever that is], no idea whatever became of it though.

Rechuchote

Grassey wrote: »

I filled in a PULSE form at a cycling event before with the Gardaí using the serial number on the bike, didn't get it etched [whatever that is], no idea whatever became of it though.

Etched means it's scratched into the frame. They tend to want to do it underneath; for my money it's better to have your name and phone number very visible. Someone in Harold's Cross had his bike stolen - it was etched visibly with his unusual German name (he'd had it done at home in Germany before taking the emigrant boat), and the shickaloney had it back to him in two hours; they spotted a couple of kids riding rather dashing bikes, pulled them up and saw his name, bingo!

Grassey

Well in that case I'd be having no etching into my carbon bike

site_owner

If you are getting etching it marking, think about getting something anonymous. If you have your phone number or eircode then what if you move or sell the bike?

Maybe set up an email address for the bike instead.

The bikeregister.com kits are a serial number that can be transferred which is cool. The hope is that the gardai will become familiar with it as they need a police login to actually contact me if they recover my bike

Rechuchote

Grassey wrote: »

Well in that case I'd be having no etching into my carbon bike

I got a yokey using which you can paint zillions of microdots, each with a link to your ID, on the bike, and it's registered with a service based (if I remember right) in the US.

Fighting Tao

Datatag is good and can transfer ownership for free if you sell the bike.

Rechuchote

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2019/apr/26/if-you-build-them-they-will-come-record-year-for-cycle-counters?CMP=share_btn_tw

Cycle lanes are one of the most efficient and healthiest ways of moving people. A single bike lane can transport five times as many people as a motor traffic lane, without the air and noise pollution. This is good news for everyone, whether you drive, walk or cycle – or breathe.

What’s clear from the data, though – despite occasional bizarre claims to the contrary, and attempts to have lanes removed – is that to reap cycling’s benefits you have to build proper infrastructure. But if you build it, they will come – and the cycle counters prove it.

Miklos

Panel on cycling in Ireland on Off The Ball/Newstalk in about ten minutes..

Hurrache

A **** show with Verona shouting over everyone as usual.

gavinoontheweb

Miklos wrote: »

Panel on cycling in Ireland on Off The Ball/Newstalk in about ten minutes..

A difficult listen at times, I'd say Verona queen of the hauliers felt like the 3 lads we're ganging up on her. She started of fairly reasonable, taking a wider view of how to increase numbers cycling. Ended up with the classic 'sure what are we going to do with the cyclists weaving in and out of VEHICKLES'

Seth Brundle

Should I bother listening to it?