Eir sponsored radio show includes threat to cyclists

AndrewJRenko

http://irishcycle.com/2017/05/22/radio-presenter-says-cyclists-will-be-in-serious-crash-if-they-pull-at-his-car-mirror/

Are Eir happy to pay sponsorship fees support Paul Williams on Newstalk to threaten violence against people who choose a certain type of transport?

robyntmorton

Like the OP, I would have a problem with supporting a company that allows themselves to be associated with comments such as those made by Williams today.

I am surprised to see no comment from the company which sponsors the platform which Williams has available, distancing themselves from the comments.

Corca Baiscinn

I'd like to add my voice to the posters querying whether Eir is happy to sponsor the dangerous anti-cyclist vitriol spouted on Newstalk Breakfast this morning by Paul Williams.  This was not a harmless rant, it was a threat, and even if Paul Williams would in the end hang back from killing a cyclist who for some reason put his hand on his car mirror, his words serve to fuel the aggression experienced by cyclists on a daily basis.  Please, Eir, disassociate yourself from this hate speech  

Fighting Tao

My contract has expired with VM. I was seriously considering Eir because of the Airtricity League matches. I'll now be reconsidering my options. Please stop supporting hate speech!

Annie get your Run

I came in to ask exactly the same question. Today's comments were truly shocking, I have a 30 day SIM with Eir for the last 3 years but I'll be taking my business elsewhere if this kind of gutter journalism and incitement to hatred is what you're happy to sponsor and I'll be telling everyone why they should move too.  

Annie get your Run

I came in to ask exactly the same question. Today's comments were truly shocking, I have a 30 day SIM with Eir for the last 3 years but I'll be taking my business elsewhere if this kind of gutter journalism and incitement to hatred is what you're happy to sponsor and I'll be telling everyone why they should move too.  

Charles Babbage

I hope all of the above are equally condemnatory of yobbery by cyclists, many using equipment subsidised by the taxpayer. 

hurikane

Just when I was running out of things to be outraged by.

Thank you kindly OP.

Down with this sort of thing

glic71rods46t0

Fair play to Paul Williams calls cyclist hypocrisy for what it is.

Boaty

Sure they would have a big crash because he has no mirrors to see them, I don't see the issue?

magicbastarder

Charles Babbage wrote: »

many using equipment subsidised by the taxpayer. 

how so?

colm_mcm

Assuming they mean the bike to work scheme

magicbastarder

yeah, i assumed that, but i'm not sure how that counts as a subsidy.

AndrewJRenko

Charles Babbage wrote: »

I hope all of the above are equally condemnatory of yobbery by cyclists, many using equipment subsidised by the taxpayer. 

What kind of yobbery did you have in mind? Do you hear of many cyclists threatening to hit others with a deadly weapon?

Or were you thinking about the breaking of speed limits by 82% of cyclists? Ooops, no, that would be motorists.
Or were you thinking about the breaking of red lights by 88% of those caught by the Luas red light camera? Ooops no, that would be motorists.
Or were you thinking about the killing of about 200 people each year? Ooops no, that would be motorists too.

seanin4711

eh69f1gmjcoliv wrote:

Fair play to Paul Williams calls cyclist hypocrisy for what it is.

Do you think we cyclists wake up with the intention of bashing car mirrors all day every day.
Drivers more interested in checking their phone than checking their mirrors & surroundings.
Drivers generally in Galway city are grand and give me enough space on the road.
But some will push me into the path,and pretend like I am not there.
Just cos I choose to commute to work shouldn't make me a target.
Infrastructure is woefully poor also which doesn't help cyclist or driver.

Idleater

colm_mcm wrote: »

Assuming they mean the bike to work scheme

As opposed to the electric vehicle scheme equally available to motorists?

I don't think there is any place in broadcast media for such kind of sentiments. I understand that the agenda is not set by eir, but a statement by them supporting their sports interests would not go astray, especially given the news this evening of Nicky Hayden and eir showing moto gp.

ThisRegard

No point replying to Fencer, he's a notorious troll on all things cycling.

I love Sean nos

My vodafone broadband contract expires tomorrow so I was going to be searching for a new provider. Thanks for making the search slightly easier through your sponsorship activities Eir.

glic71rods46t0

seanin4711 wrote: »

Do you think we cyclists wake up with the intention of bashing car mirrors all day every day.
Drivers more interested in checking their phone than checking their mirrors & surroundings.
Drivers generally in Galway city are grand and give me enough space on the road.
But some will push me into the path,and pretend like I am not there.
Just cos I choose to commute to work shouldn't make me a target.
Infrastructure is woefully poor also which doesn't help cyclist or driver.

Cyclists like to get self rightous about their rights as "traffic" on the roads but then flout the law when it suits putting themselves in incredible danger with reckless behaviour on the roads and then try to spin a narrative that somehow its the drivers fault. Hypocrisy.

Collie D

Ironically enough Williams admitted last week to being a closet cyclist and is currently in an arm cast having come off his bike

The guy is a troll..I'm surprised he got through a sentence without using the word "scumbag". At least Yates was entertaining while winding up his listenership.

AndrewJRenko

eh69f1gmjcoliv wrote: »

seanin4711 wrote: »

Do you think we cyclists wake up with the intention of bashing car mirrors all day every day.
Drivers more interested in checking their phone than checking their mirrors & surroundings.
Drivers generally in Galway city are grand and give me enough space on the road.
But some will push me into the path,and pretend like I am not there.
Just cos I choose to commute to work shouldn't make me a target.
Infrastructure is woefully poor also which doesn't help cyclist or driver.

Cyclists like to get self rightous about their rights as "traffic" on the roads but then flout the law when it suits putting themselves in incredible danger with reckless behaviour on the roads and then try to spin a narrative that somehow its the drivers fault. Hypocrisy.

The vast majority of road users flout the law when suits them. 82% of motorists break speed limits in the RSA Speed Survey.

Not so much 'spinning a narrative' as 'clear trend from solid research', so where research has been done on the cause of car/bike collisions, the fault is generally with the motorist.

Vancouver came up with 93% motorist fault;
http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2015/05/12/vancouver-drivers-at-fault-in-93-of-collisions-with-bicycles-city-report.html

London was about 70% motorist. Florida was similar, iirc.

ThisRegard

Yeah, he's a troll, a poor one at that, but between himself and Hook the two eejits are a danger.

Zaph

This thread is already turning into a train wreck, and it's pretty unfair to expect the eir reps to have the answer to the question in the OP as their remit here is limited to technical and account queries, not company PR.  I'm locking this, if the reps want the thread re-opened tomorrow I'm sure they'll be in touch with Niamh or Mark.