Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

magicbastarder

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2024/02/27/new-roadside-garda-checks-to-be-introduced-for-e-bikes-and-e-scooters/

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LeoD

Another cycle transport bashing piece on Radio 1 just before 9 - this time by national policy advocate for the Irish Wheelchair Society. Starts off by saying this isn't about pitting people with disabilities against cyclists (because these are two exclusive groups - people with disabilities are obviously barred from being cyclists, right?) and then goes on to talk about "suicide islands" - more commonly as bus stop islands to any reasonable person. Says they were not consulted on the NTA guidelines. Despite the long list of issues facing people with disabilities and public transport, bus stop islands is the issue that impacts most apparently. No matter what ills you have with life, you can always blame cyclists for it.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822243#Comment_121822243

aren't there 250,000 uninsured motorists on the roads, you know ones driving the things that are killing everyone? given how little enforcement there is for cars this is obviously just a publicity stunt, although most of the public would probably prefer garda resources spent cracking down on e-bikes and scooters than cars, that's the sad reality.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822243#Comment_121822243

If this ever came about it would slow down food delivery all over the city!

It's definitely needed but as the Gardai don't stop scob's on Motorbikes from speeding around the roads or on public walking/cycling paths in the mountains then there's no need to worry about it...

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822660#Comment_121822660

Deliveroo drivers are an easier target for them I suppose. They don't want the hassle of trying to catch some scumbag kid on a scrambler or stolen motorbikes. In recent months I've seen children on scramblers going down Amiens St and another going around College Green ffs. No helmets and 2 of them on the bike each time.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822783#Comment_121822783

There's a massive underclass in city's and town's where normal society stops and laws "don't apply" to the likes of those who drive motorbikes around illegally...

The Dutch brought in these testing machines as many were getting fed up with people on e-bikes zipping past them on bicycle lanes, which seems crazy as there's more and more Moped's and microcars are allowed into the cycle lanes..

magicbastarder

i don't mind deliveroo cyclists on those rube goldberg contraptions you see them on, so much as the fact that maybe one in four has actual lights on their bikes at night.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822844#Comment_121822844

This all day.

People's priorities when it comes to complaining about what goes on on our roads is perversely backwards. Along the lines of "what's the least likely thing to cause harm - whatever it is it's a disgrace and something must be done about it" and "what's the cause of most death, injury, heartbreak, damage and loss on our roads - whatever it is I'm sure there's a valid reason why nothing should be done about it".

magicbastarder

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/feb/28/dutch-cargo-bike-firm-babboe-ordered-to-halt-sales-amid-safety-concerns?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

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zell12

Newstalk next few minutes, Conor Faulkner about the "epidemic of stolen bikes in Dublin"

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822844#Comment_121822844

The Gardai can test them at the same time as taking in their food orders...

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121827010#Comment_121827010

I presume it's just a segway into an "as we're on the topic of bikes' type rant?

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121829142#Comment_121829142

Well. Conor Faughnan described how he was able to bolt cut a bike lock in Dublin centre, throw bike into car and nobody intervened (it was his son's bike and key was broken in lock). The Good Bike Project discussed how they the bikes are stolen and how to protect them with expensive locks, also that they give repaired donated bikes to Ukrainians

https://www.newstalk.com/news/scourge-of-bike-theft-there-has-to-be-enforcement-and-consequences-1646653

De Bhál

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121829237#Comment_121829237

yeah wasn't a bad piece.

Message to people, mainly the bike to work buyers, no point spending 1200 on a new bike and then locking it with a 20 euro lock somewhere in Dublin as it will be taken for sure.

ARX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121829237#Comment_121829237

I'm not going to go up against a scumbag armed with bolt cutters (and possibly a scumbag mate or two keeping sketch) for the sake of somebody else's bike. I hope I would have the sense to walk away even if it were my own bike. That's how people get stabbed to death.

DJB030244

Years ago late 80s I had a nice Raleigh Team cadet . Santa job from Tony Kealys ! looked the biz, typical of that time was like a gate and far too big for me but loved it . Locked it in town at the lane next to GPO arcade . Not sure if you can still lock them there , but there was bike parking there at the time . Anyway after a walk around town , came back to see some lad in his 40s go by me on this lovely looking Raleigh in Panasonic team colours (mine). thought for a second or two then ran after him , grabbed the saddle to be told “ I’ll give you a box ” he jumped off and ran down o Connell street . Went back to find my bike chain lock cut . This bolt cutter job has been going on for years.. the bike did get stolen sadly in the end outside a library in Tallaght .

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121830717#Comment_121830717

A couple of things - if I saw someone like Conor Faulkner attacking a lock, I'd assume it was something like the circumstances it was tbh (unconscious bias and all that). Secondly, I dare say the scumbags are done in a few seconds - it'd be very small window to intervene.

buffalo

I've probably posted this story before, but a few years ago I saw someone in the process of stealing a bike with a crappy lock at the corner of Parnell St and Jervis St. I looked around, nobody else respectable about, so I decided nope, not worth the risk and walked on by. Slightly ashamed, but I'm not big, I'm not threatening, and I'm not aggressive so I doubt my intervention would've changed anything. I imagine most people make the same calculation.

However, about a hundred metres further down Jervis St a Garda van passed me so I flagged them down and pointed out the lad and the bike. They nicked him and I gave a brief statement.

A more visible Garda presence in the right areas or more plentiful secure indoor bike parking is what's needed.

magicbastarder

my father used to cycle into town to work for a while, and locked his bike to the railings of the church behind what is now H&M on college green. very few people at the time had d-locks - he being one - and he came out of work one day to find several bikes had been stolen, bar the ones with d-locks - but the thieves had squirted glue into the keyholes of those.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121832079#Comment_121832079

Common trick back when I first came to Dublin. People, not specifically your Dad, would give up trying to open the lock and either come back in the evening or the next day with a bolt cutters (or back then, even the Gardai or fire Brigade might help out if quiet). The thieves would come back overnight happy in the knowledge that the extra time D Locks took to break would be available without interuption.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121827138#Comment_121827138

Or at the same time as taking in their illegal extortion money from the riders.

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2023/03/21/gardai-arrested-over-alleged-food-delivery-rider-extortion-racket/

wheelo01

Outside Liberty Hall, I was reversing my car into the bay when I noticed a shed load of sparks. I'd love to say I was the brave lad and I battered the scobe with the angle grinder, but he f3cked off for a minute to see if anyone noticed.

I brought it into liberty hall, and Store Street Gardai collected it much later.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/eamon-ryan-wants-a-curb-on-dangerous-cyclists-but-insists-its-gardais-problem-to-solve/a1363615715.html

ffs

Seth Brundle

I'd question Fionnán Sheehan's bias here. He describes it as Ryan's "pet project" and goes on to write: "He was asked how he was going to make cyclists using such facilities obey the law" as if all cyclists are dangerous law breaking maniacs. However, Ryan does look to have ug the hole further for himself after being asked the question.

Stark

They describe it as if the "cycling community" is a homogenous entity when in reality it's rival biker gangs. My gang Satan's Hellpedalers usually focus on terrorising the wheelchair users trying to cross at the Liffey Valley cycle lane lights.

Stark

In seriousness though, I do think there's a problem with the way greenways in busy urban areas are designed to put cyclists and pedestrians into conflict. The shared surface concept is a good use of space on quiet rural routes where it would be wasteful to have dedicated space going unused a lot of the time but I'm seeing the same design being used in very busy areas with a lot of cyclist/pedestrian traffic. For example, the cycle lane proposed along Beaver Row is basically just a footpath that cyclists are allowed use. Fine if walkers keep left but that's not going to happen and you're going to have commuting cyclists trying to weave through pedestrians on their way to work.

zell12

This issue was on Claire Byrne Radio1 earlier, now Newstalk discuss

Dangerous Cyclists Terrorising Pedestrians

blackwhite

SDCC have made a particular sh1tshow of the greenway along Dodder View Road.

Originally there was clear delineation between pedestrian and cycling facilities (as can be seen below from last summer)

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2996534,-6.2889155,3a,75y,27.4h,77.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEYmoZoAIZ3MDBZFi88uuHA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Over the past month or two, some genius in SDCC decided to scrub the cycle markings from the cycle lanes and instead have the whole section as shared use. Most pedestrians still use the footpath, but on a couple of evenings a night you get the local athletics club using the cycle lane to do group running sessions at a peak commuting time.

Macy0161

Made the point in the Gravel thread - in urban area's and new active travel projects/ greenways, people on bikes and people walking are expected to share space, yet another arm of the State (Coillte) saying it can't be done on Fireroads!

Tenzor07

Article on the matter here: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/eamon-ryan-wants-a-curb-on-dangerous-cyclists-but-insists-its-gardais-problem-to-solve/a1363615715.html

I cycled part of the Greenway from Rathfarnham to Ringsend on Saturday, apart from a parent who parked their kids bike on the cycle lane I met maybe 1 or 2 other people on bikes and certainly no issues with walkers etc. though it is faster just to use the roads...