Journalism and cycling

Fian

Paul Williams clarified that when we said "we will have a serious crash and the cyclist will not be hitting my mirror again" what he clearly meant was not that he would have a crash with the cyclist but rather than he would call an Garda S?och?na and report the cyclist in a totally non-violent manner.

I honestly don't know why he bothered, seems perfectly obvious to me, how could anyone have misinterpreted it in the first place? It's not as if he tries to cultivate a tough guy persona or anything like that.

I think he was trying to do a Washington Post apology, where they clarified that Sean Spicer was hiding "amongst the bushes" rather than "in the bushes" - but didn't pull it off. Anyway i am not meant to be listening to newstalk in the morning anymore >.<

DirkVoodoo

No one doubts that there are plenty of bad cyclists, but why is it portrayed in the media as this epidemic of law breaking cyclists creating some kind of mad max situation on the roads?

I see just as much from motorists and yet the danger posed by a car breaking the same laws is far, far higher.

Why, on Saturday, with bus lanes still closed, a 171 navy range rover undertook N11 traffic from St Helens all the way up past Mount Merrion (I was in traffic and lost sight at that point). Must have been doing 80 given I was doing 60 and it flew past. Where is the national outrage? Where is the Newstalk segment complaining? It's like the Joker in Batman said, "it's all part of the plan". Cars breaking red lights, u-turns, illegal parking, speeding...even drink driving...is becoming so normal and acceptable that no one is outraged. But a bike cruising through a red light is enough to send the air waves into a vocal mob.

greenspurs

Hector on TodayFm mentioned cycling on his show just after 7 this morning.
It was due to Tom Dumoulin's mishap in the Giro yesterday ('Doo-meh-lin') , and you could tell Hector hasnt a clue about cycling, as he went to say that "he went on to win the race" ...

Only mentioned because of the fact he had a dump on the side of the road, but at least it wasnt a cyclist bashing exercise. (well, not really )

Pinch Flat

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

No one doubts that there are plenty of bad cyclists, but why is it portrayed in the media as this epidemic of law breaking cyclists creating some kind of mad max situation on the roads?

I see just as much from motorists and yet the danger posed by a car breaking the same laws is far, far higher.

Why, on Saturday, with bus lanes still closed, a 171 navy range rover undertook N11 traffic from St Helens all the way up past Mount Merrion (I was in traffic and lost sight at that point). Must have been doing 80 given I was doing 60 and it flew past. Where is the national outrage? Where is the Newstalk segment complaining? It's like the Joker in Batman said, "it's all part of the plan". Cars breaking red lights, u-turns, illegal parking, speeding...even drink driving...is becoming so normal and acceptable that no one is outraged. But a bike cruising through a red light is enough to send the air waves into a vocal mob.

Ireland is a car dominated society. The driver can do not wrong. There's probably a rationale explanation - little Johnny late for rugby practice, or they forgot Shiofra's jodhpurs or perhaps the Donnybrook Fair was closing and they were out of organic pencetta etc.

Chuchote

Weepsie wrote: »

It surely has part to do with people being strangely annoyed by a relatively simple (although wonderfully elegant) machine, ie a bike, being a faster moving (in urban settings), more efficient, cleaner and healthier mode of transport. They've been made think, car is king, you can't do anything, or go anywhere without when it's strictly not true. People are insecure, and this makes them angry.

I have friends who say you need one to do shopping, I explain I can get most of my shopping home by bike. People are lazy, and they want more convenience. They want to sit around and be escorted to their destination.

Irish people are change-averse - more so than most countries, I suspect. Once the balance between people on bikes and in cars shifts substantially, this will change, because people will see the person on the bike as "like me"; at the moment, the bike represents someone "not like me".

Infrastructure is important in this change - more people will get on their bikes, and will see it as possible, then as easy - when they feel they can be safe in their ride to the shops, to school, to work, to the beach.

ThisRegard

The authorities, scrambling to catch up, are considering new regulations to curb the chaos — from capping the number of bikes to even barring people they consider too big or too small for bicycles.
Unlike the docking station systems in many cities, the bikes in China can essentially be found and left anywhere.

http://www.thejournal.ie/china-cyclists-3405275-May2017/

DirkVoodoo

There is a family opposite us and the mum spends the entire day in and out of the driveway in her X5. I know the kids' uniforms and they are about a 10 minute cycle to each of their schools, but she is constantly picking them up and dropping them.

They are obviously healthy kids as they are either in rugby gear or carrying various tennis rackets or hockey sticks.

I find it absolutely bonkers that they don't get to enjoy the simplicity of riding to school or the freedom of being able to cycle where they like.

No, into the safety of the suburban tank, children!

Cycling is weird. Cyclists are clearly weird and poor, don't be like them.

I've actually highlighted it before, but if you want one of the most dangerous places for cyclists, it's the rock road entrance to Blackrock college during the morning school rush: Range Rovers/X5s/XC90s turning out and right across the traffic or turning into the college from the northbound direction. It's lethal! I've seen plenty of near misses there!

tomasrojo

Shows really do care about sponsors and advertisers. Fox only got rid of Bill O'Reilly after advertisers started pulling out. No outrage could dislodge him before that.

tomasrojo

There's a woman on my estate who lives fifty metres or so from the local school, which her children attend. She drives there every day.

greenspurs

tomasrojo wrote: »

There's a woman on my estate who lives fifty metres or so from the local school, which her children attend. She drives there every day.

Has that been reported by a journalist ??

Seriously guys , the amount of Cycling threads ive had to Unfollow because of posters just posting non related (and repeating the same stuff...)
Can people not stick to topics?

AndrewJRenko

check_six wrote: »

Blowhard backs down (sort of). Williams was on just now making a form of apology/clarification regarding his crashing into cyclists comments. He said he really meant to say that he would report someone who hit his wingmirror to the Guards, rather than run them over as he had vaguely implied by saying that he would run them over.

After the clarification he drifted towards ranting about cyclists breaking rules again, but Coleman pointed out that motorists are guilty of rule breaking also, and that there are 'fundamentalists' on both sides giving out about the other.

It was interesting to see that Williams said anything. He wasn't happy to do it, really, but he did make an attempt I suppose. I'd imagine that he was coerced into making the statement by management. Possibly under the pressure contributed by posters here.

That really is excellent news. It must have really stuck in his craw to have to 'clarify' his earlier threats and back down. He'll think twice next time.

greenspurs

Yes,
Good to see him have to draw back..... Still an idiot though ..

ED E

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

but if you want one of the most dangerous places for cyclists, it's the rock road entrance to Blackrock college during the morning school rush: Range Rovers/X5s/XC90s turning out and right across the traffic or turning into the college from the northbound direction. It's lethal! I've seen plenty of near misses there!

Same shenanigans at Saint Clare's in Harolds Cross and Presentation Terenure.

tomasrojo

greenspurs wrote: »

Has that been reported by a journalist ??

It's a response to something DirkVoodo said.

greenspurs wrote: »

Seriously guys , the amount of Cycling threads ive had to Unfollow because of posters just posting non related (and repeating the same stuff...)
Can people not stick to topics?

You have limited experience of how conversations work, maybe.

tomasrojo

https://twitter.com/dublincycling/status/867284872511008768

@dublincycling tweeting about Williams being reported to the BAI.

CramCycle

greenspurs wrote: »

Has that been reported by a journalist ??

Seriously guys , the amount of Cycling threads ive had to Unfollow because of posters just posting non related (and repeating the same stuff...)
Can people not stick to topics?

MOD VOICE: If you have an issue with a post, use the report button, do not backseat moderate.

greenspurs

tomasrojo wrote: »

It's a response to something DirkVoodo said.



You have limited experience of how conversations work, maybe.

No, i dont have limited experience, But if people in dublin think every thread is an outlet for a description of their locality, they are wrong.
Its supposed to be about "Journalism and Cycling" ... not "My Local School Layout" ,

http://www.cyclingnews.com/about/
A very good website for all Cycling news/reviews etc.

DirkVoodoo

Journalism is a reflection of society, I think commenting on societal norms helps us understand exactly why Newstalk and Paul Williams get away with so much.

Drink driving is frowned upon (mostly). If Paul had said that he was going to have a couple of pints after work and get into his car to see what happens, he'd probably have been sacked.

The fact that a lot of Newstalk's base are listening while stuck in traffic and most likely seeing bikes whizz past them is why he can get away with saying these ridiculous comments. Because everyone is sitting there and thinking "god Paul, I'd love to do the same!". If he talked about assaulting some young girls who touched his car, very few people would feel the same way.

I admit I did go off on one or two slight tangents...but so what? Conversations are organic.

HivemindXX

Arsehole who fantasises on air about murdering vulnerable people because they touch his car is forced to back down and tells pitifully obvious lie about how people are just misunderstanding what he meant.

By which I mean of course that Paul Williams has clarified his comment.

He should have claimed it was a joke then accused everyone who complained of being dry **** with no sense of humour. That's what works for Clarkson.

tomasrojo

I have to say I'm still no clear what he actually had in mind (apart from hate-swarm ratings and burnishing his tough-guy persona). Has someone grabbed his wing mirror lately? Is this a thing now?

DirkVoodoo

Funny you mention Clarkson, I remember when his assault occurred the number of people in his corner was staggering. It's almost as if because he is a complete --expletive--, people kind of expect this anti-social behaviour from him and aren't really shocked by it.

Jeremy punched someone? Oh, sure that's just Jeremy being Jeremy.

Audiences want a shocking presenter, they allow the behaviour, so when they say or do something that would normally warrant a punishment, they get away with it.

I'm glad that the people didn't stand for it this time and complained en masse, not just a couple of cyclists.

I doubt it will force him to moderate his behaviour, he probably thinks that the line is there and he can keep nudging it as often as he likes and maybe take a quick step over it again in a few months when this has died down. It's not like he can rely on his journalistic credentials, he needs the shock and awe, pretty much the only trick he has.

tomasrojo

Yeah, punching an employee for not being able to get you your preferred dinner should be quite hard to defend. Apparently not!

DirkVoodoo

tomasrojo wrote: »

Yeah, punching an employee for not being able to get you your preferred dinner should be quite hard to defend. Apparently not!

No, if anything it's extremely profitable...he's gone from £1 million a year to a reported £10 million a year with Amazon.

When I go back to work I'm going to punch someone who doesn't serve me my lunch, see what happens.

EDIT: In fact, I can't see how anyone who behaves like this when it's expected has actually been punished: Jeremy Clarkson, Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand, James Martin (he only got snubbed for top gear, so maybe he wasn't extreme enough!), Richard Keys/Andy Gray, Paul Williams.

It seems that even if you get sacked, the "exposure" as a celebrity a**hole just gets you a bigger contract somewhere else.

tomasrojo

In the case of Jonathan Ross, his career was quite badly affected by the incident. He does still do pretty well, but his chat show is nowhere near as prestigious as the one he had before. Brand's career in Hollywood was taking off at that time anyway, and hosting his Radio 2 show was becoming too difficult with all the time he was spending in the States, so I think he gave up the show without too many misgivings.

He does a very similar show on Sundays now, on Radio X, again with Matt Morgan and Mr. Gee. Like the old Radio 2 show, it's pretty good. Brand is a lot better when he has colleagues constantly undermining his pomposity.

magicbastarder

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

They are obviously healthy kids as they are either in rugby gear or carrying various tennis rackets or hockey sticks.

I find it absolutely bonkers that they don't get to enjoy the simplicity of riding to school or the freedom of being able to cycle where they like.

to be fair, the cycle to school i would have done when i was a kid - 1988 to 1993 - is a lot busier now. and i'd say it's the same for most kids.

CramCycle

Weepsie wrote: »

What did James Martin do?

He claimed to have skimmed some cyclists and caused a crash intentionally or something.

tomasrojo

There was this:

in a review of the Tesla electric car this Sunday, he went further, gleefully describing how he had utilised the speedy and silent approach of his test vehicle to sneak up on a pack of weekend cyclists, honk his horn and drive them off the road. "The look of sheer terror as they tottered into the hedge was the best thing I've ever seen in my rear-view mirror," he wrote.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2009/sep/15/james-martin-cyclists

DirkVoodoo

Which is a shame because I always liked him on Saturday kitchen...he was really trying to mimic Clarkson in his motoring column.

Message to James: you can like cars and be respected for your knowledge of them without having to act like a complete buffoon.

tomasrojo

I like this bit:

Tesla, which loaned Martin the car, wasn't happy either. "In this case, we're not even using it [linking to the review from our site]. It is really odd. I have to sadly admit this is not the first time a journalist in the UK has brought up this issue of wheatgrass-eating hippies riding bikes. [But] this is definitely the most extreme version of it," Rachel Konrad, Tesla's communications manager, told the FredCast cycling podcast.

"Yes, it's very noticeable that your journalists have a weird obsession with people who ride bikes."

tomasrojo

The incident may have been entirely made up. It might be like Jon Ronson's youthful journalistic faux pas, where he wrote, with regard to The Frog Chorus, that Chapman assassinated the wrong Beatle. Linda McCartney got in touch with him to say that she didn't appreciate light-hearted references to the murder of either her husband or his close friend, and Ronson tried never again to make the mistake of forgetting that he was writing about actual people.