Journalism and cycling

magicbastarder

i was not aware that was the specific context.

Grassey

Cyclists blocking traffic in Dublin city as part of climate change protest

If the government keep blocking climate action, we'll keep blocking traffic. In 1 hour, at 8.00am, we'll be gathering at Pearse St Bridge/Grand Canal Square with a simple message:

"Government and civil servants: start acting like it's an emergency"

Seth Brundle

Aaagh I started looking at the comments and now my day is ruined :mad:

Utter Consternation

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Aaagh I started looking at the comments and now my day is ruined :mad:

Why did you do that to yourself???

fat bloke

Demands:

Immediate change of traffic light sequences to double pedestrian green phase and half pedestrian wait times

Immediate zero tolerance enforcement of driver abuse of existing cycle lanes, bus lanes and bus corridors

An end to free and subsidised parking for civil servants and employees of semi-state agencies

An immediate introduction of a €500 e-bike grant for all Irish residents regardless of income

Suspension of all new road-building and road-widening projects in the State, pending a review of the emissions caused by each project


Can't argue with any of that. Though 500 quid doesn't put much of a dent in the price of an ebike I'd say.

beauf

fat bloke wrote: »

...Though 500 quid doesn't put much of a dent in the price of an ebike I'd say.

In fairness its a decent wedge. eBikes range from 1k-2.5k to get something useful. You can buy more expensive ones certainly.

magicbastarder

fat bloke wrote: »

An immediate introduction of a €500 e-bike grant for all Irish residents regardless of income

i suspect injecting a potential of €2.5bn into the e-bike market in ireland will do one of two things:

1. massively decrease prices due to huge increases in economies of scale.
2. massively inflate prices.

Mickiemcfist

fat bloke wrote: »

Demands:

Immediate change of traffic light sequences to double pedestrian green phase and half pedestrian wait times

Immediate zero tolerance enforcement of driver abuse of existing cycle lanes, bus lanes and bus corridors

An end to free and subsidised parking for civil servants and employees of semi-state agencies

An immediate introduction of a €500 e-bike grant for all Irish residents regardless of income

Suspension of all new road-building and road-widening projects in the State, pending a review of the emissions caused by each project


Can't argue with any of that. Though 500 quid doesn't put much of a dent in the price of an ebike I'd say.

To be fair I'd agree with all bar one, the suspension of all new road building is ridiculous. We spend enough as a country on pointless consultations as it is. Suspending all road building would lead to lay-offs & cost overruns. I'd rather any of that money was just put towards segregated cycle lanes on all new roads built or upgrades done.

Tenzor07

magicbastarder wrote: »

i suspect injecting a potential of €2.5bn into the e-bike market in ireland will do one of two things:

1. massively decrease prices due to huge increases in economies of scale.
2. massively inflate prices.

Just take the VAT off eBike sales instead..

and make eScooters legal..

Fian

https://www.thejournal.ie/cyclists-climate-change-protest-dublin-4845304-Oct2019/

Cyclists block traffic as part of extinction rebellion.

top comment and replies are entirely predictable. In fact the comments continue in the same vein as far down as i scrolled, presumably at some point they will start talking about climate change rather than cyclist behaviour on the road.

Rechuchote

beauf wrote: »

Is there any valid case to be vaping in the workplace?

No. Addicts gotta addict, but let them do it outside and leave my weak lungs alone.

magicbastarder wrote: »

i suspect injecting a potential of €2.5bn into the e-bike market in ireland will do one of two things:

1. massively decrease prices due to huge increases in economies of scale.
2. massively inflate prices.

Well, what it did in the case of the Bike to Work scheme was drop the cost of secondhand bikes like a stone - a couple of years ago I met a former secondhand bike dealer friend who said he'd been put out of business by the scheme, because it was now so cheap to buy very good bikes used. And economies of scale are likely to occur, dropping prices.

I'd like to see a scheme offering ebikes to old people - cycling ebikes is incredibly good for your health as you get on, to the surprise of all.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-02-electric-bikes-people-brain-boost.html
It would also be a good idea to have some courses, even for experienced cyclists; people taking to an ebike are often unaware of how much faster they're going. I'm even a bit worried for a friend who's always zoomed around on a Harley up to her 50s and is now taking to an ebike, for fear she'll be incautious on this seemingly less powerful machine.

Rechuchote

Separate post for this because it's a separate subject, but journalism-and-cycling related. Garda figures for deaths on the roads say six cyclists have been killed from January to now. I don't remember seeing reports. Did I just miss them, or are these deaths going unreported?

Seth Brundle

Fian wrote: »

https://www.thejournal.ie/cyclists-climate-change-protest-dublin-4845304-Oct2019/

Cyclists block traffic as part of extinction rebellion.

top comment and replies are entirely predictable. In fact the comments continue in the same vein as far down as i scrolled, presumably at some point they will start talking about climate change rather than cyclist behaviour on the road.

The venom that exists in the Journal comments though is strange.
On my way to work today (not in the city), I did not hold anyone up. I didn't break any traffic lights.
I was able to (legally) undertake and overtake cars from the Old Hill in Leixlip all the way to the N4 opposite the SAP Hotel as the cars were all in a near standstill queue. Same as yesterday! And the day before!
I reckon that I got to work in less time than it took some cars to just get onto the dual carriageway.
It is an irrational hatred in the journal, fuelled I guess by a high level of stupidity.

Seth Brundle

Rechuchote wrote: »

Separate post for this because it's a separate subject, but journalism-and-cycling related. Garda figures for deaths on the roads say six cyclists have been killed from January to now. I don't remember seeing reports. Did I just miss them, or are these deaths going unreported?

Well I wonder if this counts as one of them.

blackwhite

Seth Brundle wrote: »

The venom that exists in the Journal comments though is strange.
On my way to work today (not in the city), I did not hold anyone up. I didn't break any traffic lights.
I was able to (legally) undertake and overtake cars from the Old Hill in Leixlip all the way to the N4 opposite the SAP Hotel as the cars were all in a near standstill queue. Same as yesterday! And the day before!
I reckon that I got to work in less time than it took some cars to just get onto the dual carriageway.
It is an irrational hatred in the journal, fuelled I guess by a high level of stupidity.

It doesn't need to be cycling related - the comments section on the journal is generally filled by angry idiots, regardless of the topic being discussed.

magicbastarder

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Just take the VAT off eBike sales instead..

take the vat off everything bike related, you mean. bike hire and servicing incurs a 13% charge, but everything else is 23% - even mandatory safety items like lights.

beauf

Rechuchote wrote: »

No. Addicts gotta addict, but let them do it outside and leave my weak lungs alone.



Well, what it did in the case of the Bike to Work scheme was drop the cost of secondhand bikes like a stone - a couple of years ago I met a former secondhand bike dealer friend who said he'd been put out of business by the scheme, because it was now so cheap to buy very good bikes used. And economies of scale are likely to occur, dropping prices.

I'd like to see a scheme offering ebikes to old people - cycling ebikes is incredibly good for your health as you get on, to the surprise of all.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-02-electric-bikes-people-brain-boost.html
It would also be a good idea to have some courses, even for experienced cyclists; people taking to an ebike are often unaware of how much faster they're going. I'm even a bit worried for a friend who's always zoomed around on a Harley up to her 50s and is now taking to an ebike, for fear she'll be incautious on this seemingly less powerful machine.

I dunno about that. Most used bikes on adverts are either scrap not worth buying or almost at new prices. I'd say the end result was it made buying a new bike a better deal than buying a used bike. I'd say a lot of old used bikes are not fixed as a result and end up in the recycling center.

Also a lot of bikes that were bought on the cycle to work scheme sat rusting in people's gardens for years.

Fian

Seth Brundle wrote: »

The venom that exists in the Journal comments though is strange.
On my way to work today (not in the city), I did not hold anyone up. I didn't break any traffic lights.
I was able to (legally) undertake and overtake cars from the Old Hill in Leixlip all the way to the N4 opposite the SAP Hotel as the cars were all in a near standstill queue. Same as yesterday! And the day before!
I reckon that I got to work in less time than it took some cars to just get onto the dual carriageway.
It is an irrational hatred in the journal, fuelled I guess by a high level of stupidity.

I have always thought this is exactly the fundamental source of the hate. If i were stuck in traffic for hours watching cyclists glide past me, with no fuel costs on a cheap bike while i sat burning carbon and money at teh same time I think I would be pretty irritated at them to. We are generally condition to think that more expensive should = better. There is also the element of "queue skipping" involved when you are waiting your turn in line and someone else can just glide past the whole line.

I used to drive into work, I have access to free parking in work. When I moved house temporarily (while an extension was being built) I moved to harold's cross and I was so close to work that cycling or walking made more sense than driving. I bought the first bike i had owned in 15 years or so for that purpose. After a few weeks of not dealing with the frustration of being stuck in traffic I realised that it just made more sense period, not that I live any great distance from work when i moved back anyway - 7.5km.

Whenever I am confused by irrational hatred of cyclists on the part of motorists I just think back to when I was commuting by car - it is enough to drive anyone batty.

beauf

...irrational begrudgery...

No real reason for it.

Rechuchote

As for free parking, that should absolutely not be a thing.

Except for one kind of free parking: any government with a little climate sense would ring the cities with free multi-storey park-and-ride car parks for the people who have to make hours-long commutes.

AndrewJRenko

beauf wrote: »

Love his reply about vaping.



I don't think "Leader" means what he think it means. Wait for someone else to give direction and leadership. Then just follow them.

I'm not his biggest fan, but taking expert advice on policy issues is generally a good idea.

blackwhite wrote: »

It doesn't need to be cycling related - the comments section on the journal is generally filled by angry idiots, regardless of the topic being discussed.

There is a difference between cycling and other topics. A journal article about a road death will have 5-10 'very sad' comments. A journal article about a mild incident involving a cyclist will have 200+ comments calling for the death penalty for not wearing a hi-vis on a bright summer's day.

magicbastarder wrote: »

i suspect injecting a potential of €2.5bn into the e-bike market in ireland will do one of two things:

1. massively decrease prices due to huge increases in economies of scale.
2. massively inflate prices.

I don't think the €500 for everybody grant is going to be compulsory. Just like the EV car grant, it will be available to everybody, and will be taken up by a small percentage.

beauf

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I'm not his biggest fan, but taking expert advice on policy issues is generally a good idea.....

Again what expert advice could be a factor in banning vaping from the workplace.

CramCycle

beauf wrote: »

Again what expert advice could be a factor in banning vaping from the workplace.

I suppose the counter would be there is no proof that it is passively safe (maybe there is), so until there is findings for or against, hold off on it. On the basis that there is the possibility it isn't great for yo.

micar

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

There is a difference between cycling and other topics. A journal article about a road death will have 5-10 'very sad' comments. A journal article about a mild incident involving a cyclist will have 200+

The article in question has had 346 comments.

An article put a few hours later about the death of a cyclist had only 1.

beauf

CramCycle wrote: »

I suppose the counter would be there is no proof that it is passively safe (maybe there is), so until there is findings for or against, hold off on it. On the basis that there is the possibility it isn't great for yo.

I even if it was safe it's obnoxious to be blowing bubblegum flavoured smoke around other people at work.

CramCycle

beauf wrote: »

I even if it was safe it's obnoxious to be blowing bubblegum flavoured smoke around other people at work.

I was at a training course on Friday, where smoking and vaping are banned inside and within 15m of the door to any building (poorly sign posted I will admit but I would have though the inside thing was not something that needed to be). There was a person in the course who whipped out a vape thing and started puffing in class.

it wasn't the vaping that annoyed me (I often end up behind buses and D4 Tractors), it was the same thing that annoys me about queue jumpers at lights. It is a lack of respect for those around you. I often am catching people coming to lights but if they make it there before me, i sit in behind them, maybe they were timing it, maybe the rest will see them tear off but more importantly, it is god damned good manners, the very basis on which society is built. They were not trying to be obnoxious though, like a true addict, I don't think they even noticed.

Seth Brundle

Cyclist seriously injured after being hit by car in Co Kerry

A male cyclist in his 30s has been left seriously injured after he was struck by a car near Killarney, Co Kerry.

The driver of the car, a man in his 50s, was arrested for suspected dangerous driving after the incident on Saturday morning on the N71 at Eirk, Moll’s Gap.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/cyclist-seriously-injured-after-being-hit-by-car-in-co-kerry-1.4048996

CramCycle

CramCycle wrote: »

I was at a training course on Friday, where smoking and vaping are banned inside and within 15m of the door to any building (poorly sign posted I will admit but I would have though the inside thing was not something that needed to be). There was a person in the course who whipped out a vape thing and started puffing in class.

it wasn't the vaping that annoyed me (I often end up behind buses and D4 Tractors), it was the same thing that annoys me about queue jumpers at lights. It is a lack of respect for those around you. I often am catching people coming to lights but if they make it there before me, i sit in behind them, maybe they were timing it, maybe the rest will see them tear off but more importantly, it is god damned good manners, the very basis on which society is built. They were not trying to be obnoxious though, like a true addict, I don't think they even noticed.

My partner does first aid training for companies now and again and recently had to ask someone not to vape in the room during the class. They took major exception to this as if it was something they did at work all the time and had a given right to do. She excused herself and when she returned told this person they should take their phone off silent and answer it if it rings, which it did

Again lack of respect and an I can do what I want attitude. Left the room never to return while still on the phone with a face like a slapped arse I'm told.

Seth Brundle

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Cyclist seriously injured after being hit by car in Co Kerry


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/cyclist-seriously-injured-after-being-hit-by-car-in-co-kerry-1.4048996

Was it the Quest Killarney adventure race I wonder ?

magicbastarder

‘I feel protected in the velodrome’: how track cycling helped ease my anxiety
Whizzing around on a bike with no brakes is strangely meditative – and has helped me to rediscover my adventurous, carefree attitude of old
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/14/i-feel-protected-in-the-velodrome-how-track-cycling-helped-ease-my-anxiety