Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

Duckjob

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Newstalk had an item on the new parking fines coming in to DCC.

Manix Flynn was on sprouting ****e about people just popping to the shops.

He declared they should be ok to park on paths outside there houses!!

Kieran Ryan of Dublin Cycling Campaign was on to counter.

Why the **** did he agree to go on? I mean the item was about illegal parking and fines for motorists.

I'd have thought that any cycling campaigner would have the sense to steer well clear. He was teed up to look like he was gloating

Mannix is a perpetual supporter of safer cycling schemes, didn't you know. He's just never met a proposed cycling scheme he could support yet. But one day..

Anyway, he was on form yesterday, dribbling sh*te out of both sides of his mouth. Excusing away illegal and dangerous motorist behaviors while still pretending to be against them. Even managed to sneak the old "road tax" angle in at the end of his initial rant. Best for your blood pressure to treat his airtime as a piece of comedy.

Wildly Boaring

Duckjob wrote: »

Mannix is a perpetual supporter of safer cycling schemes, didn't you know. He's just never met a proposed cycling scheme he could support yet. But one day..

Anyway, he was on form yesterday, dribbling sh*te out of both sides of his mouth. Excusing away illegal and dangerous motorist behaviors while still pretending to be against them. Even managed to sneak the old "road tax" angle in at the end of his initial rant. Best for your blood pressure to treat his airtime as a piece of comedy.

I've no problem ignoring the drivel

My issue is with the leader of a cycling supporting group even appearing in the segment.

The segment was about fines for incorrect parking.

So leave them off. Have a councilor who supports the fines or some poor eegit from DCC or even Conor Faughnan oppose him.

This type of parking is anti everyone. Not just cycylists. It's anit pedestrian, anti disabled people, anti public transport, anti other motorists...........

So why give the drooling Neswtalk masses their cyclist target?

Duckjob

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

I've no problem ignoring the drivel

My issue is with the leader of a cycling supporting group even appearing in the segment.

The segment was about fines for incorrect parking.

So leave them off. Have a councilor who supports the fines or some poor eegit from DCC or even Conor Faughnan oppose him.

This type of parking is anti everyone. Not just cycylists. It's anit pedestrian, anti disabled people, anti public transport, anti other motorists...........

So why give the drooling Neswtalk masses their cyclist target?

Meh, I don't think it makes much difference in that sense whether or not the anyone representing cycling is there.

There's been a trend in recent years with media like NT whereby "cyclists" have become the strawman of choice for drooling NT masses to attack in any discussion of change that could be seen to burden the "hard pressed motorist". This happens regardless of whether the topic has any direct relation to cycling or not.

In the absence of any other independent groups that could come out to voice their support for changes like this, I think it's good that someone independent of DCC comes out to give their backing to DCC for what they are doing, so they don't feel like they are going it alone. In any case, cycle groups do fit the bill somewhat since people on bikes are majorly affected every day by the actions of selfish drivers in the city.

Conor Faughnan I know cycles but at the same time his wages are paid by an organisation funded through motoring, so he has to tread a careful balance between sounding reasonable in the context of sustainability issues while not p**sing off John and Mary motorist too much. I wouldn't count on him taking a very different line from dear old Mannix on this (albeit Faughnan would do it without the digs at cyclists)

Breezer

Not directly cycling related, but Geraldine Herbert, motoring journalist, is currently on RTE Radio One's Drivetime talking about incentives for electric cars. She's thankfully roundly slating the idea of allowing electric vehicles in bus lanes, for all the obvious reasons regarding congestion.

They're putting it out to listeners to text in now. So far one texter also slating it.

Seth Brundle

More bad news (not a surprise though)...
Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle cancelled due to Covid-19

Seth Brundle

https://twitter.com/MikeMcKillen/status/1358078989143863304?s=19

https://twitter.com/MikeMcKillen/status/1358079114905796608?s=19

magicbastarder

took this on tuesday, forgot to post about it till now.
the condition of the bicycle is unknown.

Seth Brundle

Proposed East Cork cycleway hailed as a 'game-changer' for sustainable travel

Plans unveiled for a new multi-million euro cycleway and walkway, which will be the first of its type developed in Co Cork, have been described as "a real game-changer" for safe and sustainable travel, which could significantly cut down on carbon footprints.

Proposals to develop the route in Midleton and its environs will provide a large number of people with the opportunity to ditch their cars and opt for a safer and healthier way of travelling to schools, shopping centres, a railway station and a major greenway, which is currently under construction.

hans aus dtschl

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Proposed East Cork cycleway hailed as a 'game-changer' for sustainable travel

It's a load of new footpaths.
Another exciting cycleway for pedestrians.

TheChizler

hans aus dtschl wrote: »

It's a load of new footpaths.
Another exciting cycleway for pedestrians.

Neither Cork council would see the contradiction in that statement. That said I think greenways are the only place where it's ok to treat them the same.

breezy1985

hans aus dtschl wrote: »

It's a load of new footpaths.
Another exciting cycleway for pedestrians.

It'll be grand for kids and people on a leisurely slow spin on a Sunday but the use of the word "transport" seems to imply commuting which this will be useless for just like all the current ones round the country

hans aus dtschl

This project has nothing to do with the greenway.
It's a transport scheme in and around Midleton town, from North to South
Of 14km or so of new cycleways, all but 1.8km are wide footpaths.

It's "lowest possible effort" on the design side.

3m wide.

Unusable.

TheChizler

hans aus dtschl wrote: »

This project has nothing to do with the greenway.
It's a transport scheme in and around Midleton town, from North to South
Of 14km or so of new cycleways, all but 1.8km are wide footpaths.

It's "lowest possible effort" on the design side.

3m wide.

Unusable.

Oh is it just the bit to Ballinacurra? I've seen the plans it's useless. Misleading article, especially if you skim it!

hans aus dtschl

TheChizler wrote: »

Oh is it just the bit to Ballinacurra? I've seen the plans it's useless. Misleading article, especially if you skim it!

Yeah this one: https://www.corkcoco.ie/en/planning/traffic-transport/statutory-processes
The article is hard to reconcile with the proposal.

"Our ambitious cycle strategy is.... wide footpaths!"

Cork County Council is building one in Glounthaune right now. It cedes right of way at every side-road.
It ramps up and down to every entrance and side road. More usable as a skatepark than a cycleway with all the ramps.

I find these things most irritating because the inevitable outcomes are:
1 - conflict with pedestrians
2 - abuse from motorists for not cycling on the crappy footpath-thing

magicbastarder

not about cycling, but may appeal to cyclists:

https://twitter.com/BigDirtyFry/status/960626727608377344

Seth Brundle

New cycleways in Melbourne are causing heartache and confusion for the poor motorists...

https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1358686748025516037

Wildly Boaring

Auld Geraldine at 1:40 is very put about about having to dangerously stop in the lane when turning left

You know in case she dangerously drives clean over some peasant on a bike

Thelonious Monk

Mate I pay my rego mate!!
Rego is the Aussie "road tax".
For some reason in all English speaking countries, cyclists are loathed.

Type 17

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

For some reason in all English speaking countries, cyclists are loathed.

The reason is Rupert Murdoch/Daily Mail/Newst4lk :pac:

Thelonious Monk

Type 17 wrote: »

The reason is Rupert Murdoch/Daily Mail/Newst4lk :pac:

I wonder when it happened though. If you ever see pictures of old Dublin, well not even that old, Dublin in the 50s and 60s, there are so many cyclists. I've seen pictures where it looks like Amsterdam at some junctions. Just normal Dubliners going about their business.
It must be just car ownership and the entitlement that has grown out of that.
The Sandymount thing is a prime example, people absolutely losing it because they might be delayed by a couple of minutes. I despair.

Tell me how

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Mate I pay my rego mate!!
Rego is the Aussie "road tax".
For some reason in all English speaking countries, cyclists are loathed.

Think as Type 17 alluded to, it is a media thing.

After all, someone has made the decision to put in the infrastructure, meaning that those people at least want to help cyclists, but the media piece focuses on the negatives. The inclusion of incar footage from Geraldine shows that she was 'working' with the media, to create it. The full video was 2:45 long, a 'pro-argument' for the cycling infrastructure only lasted 15 seconds at the very end.

tomasrojo

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Mate I pay my rego mate!!
Rego is the Aussie "road tax".
For some reason in all English speaking countries, cyclists are loathed.

I know Ireland isn't a cycling Eden, but I have friends from Canada who marvel at how many people cycle here, and I remember my Californian boss expressing similar sentiments. And there really isn't any comparison between how cyclists are treated and viewed in Ireland and how they're treated and viewed in Australia, based on what people who've been there have said here, to me in person, and how they come across in news reports. I haven't been there, so I'm prepared to change my mind, but the impression is overwhelmingly one of consistent disproportionate scapegoating and punitive approaches, including insane fines in New South Wales.

breezy1985

tomasrojo wrote: »

I know Ireland isn't a cycling Eden, but I have friends from Canada who marvel at how many people cycle here, and I remember my Californian boss expressing similar sentiments. And there really isn't any comparison between how cyclists are treated and viewed in Ireland and how they're treated and viewed in Australia, based on what people who've been there have said here, to me in person, and how they come across in news reports. I haven't been there, so I'm prepared to change my mind, but the impression is overwhelmingly one of consistent disproportionate scapegoating and punitive approaches, including insane fines in New South Wales.

It's definitely an anglophone thing. Ourselves and the UK seem to be forever trying to straddle a line between American and European culture and when it comes the cars and suburban living we have definitely taken the American lead

tomasrojo

breezy1985 wrote: »

It's definitely an anglophone thing. Ourselves and the UK seem to be forever trying to straddle a line between American and European culture and when it comes the cars and suburban living we have definitely taken the American lead

It depends on the city, but even Galway isn't as bad as Orange County, and Orange County isn't the most car-dependent place in the States. I didn't find Ontario much of a place to cycle either. They were both much worse than Dublin, even worse than Galway.

I haven't lived in rural Ireland. I have always assumed it's so car-dependent I couldn't possibly live there, but you're talking about suburban living. Suburbs are more bike-friendly here, based on my experience of both.

what_traffic

breezy1985 wrote: »

It's definitely an anglophone thing. Ourselves and the UK seem to be forever trying to straddle a line between American and European culture and when it comes the cars and suburban living we have definitely taken the American lead

Maybe less now that we have Brexit? Maybe into the future we will see more Irish youngsters heading to near neighbors like Netherlands, Denmark and Finland for University, rather than going around the world. Might start changing the perspective over time.

tomasrojo

what_traffic wrote: »

Maybe less now that we have Brexit? Maybe into the future we will see more Irish youngsters heading to near neighbors like Netherlands, Denmark and Finland for University, rather than going around the world. Might start changing the perspective over time.

The thing is though, Northern and Western Europe are much better for cycling than a lot of the rest of Europe. Italy has a really high fatality rate, and Czechia has a terrible reputation, if I recall correctly.

I can't remember where I saw it, but there was a recent round-up of cities in Europe and their modal share, and Dublin was comfortably in the middle ranks; far from the best, but nowhere like a typical American city.

tomasrojo

Might have been this. It's capital cities. If it were cities, the Netherlands would crowd most other places out, given how many cities it has with high modal share, but you can see that Dublin doesn't look like an American city in this.
https://ecf.com/resources/cycling-facts-and-figures/capital-cities

Seth Brundle

Council aims to turn Lucan into ‘destination town’ with €2 million project
West Dublin village to have greenway cycle path linking Royal and Grand Canals

tomasrojo

I used to cycle from Lucan into town every day. I wouldn't have minded an attractive route into town back then.

Steoller

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Council aims to turn Lucan into ‘destination town’ with €2 million project
West Dublin village to have greenway cycle path linking Royal and Grand Canals

Ah damn. I've been asking my local councillors to consider linking up the greenways through Leixlip/Celbridge. But I don't think they have that amount to spend.