Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

Duckjob

Captain Havoc wrote: »

This nugget on the Kilkenny People's website today.

Motorist surrounded and abused by group of cyclists in Kilkenny City

"The tail light on the passenger side was in a collision with one of the cyclists feet. According to garda statement released, the driver was not operating the light at the time. The foot was uninjured in the incident."

breezy1985

Duckjob wrote: »

"The tail light on the passenger side was in a collision with one of the cyclists feet. According to garda statement released, the driver was not operating the light at the time. The foot was uninjured in the incident."

* One of the bikes feet

McGrath5

Hurrache wrote: »

Won't be long before the outraged complain about the lack of high vis and demand a clarification and apology from RTE
https://twitter.com/RTENationwide/status/1366342190448918529

Are there cyclists in those pictures? I can't see anything due to the lack of hi-vis.

MojoMaker

Close one eye and squint into the sun (cos it's always into the sun) and you can just make out a faint shape.

Tombo2001

Hurrache wrote: »

Won't be long before the outraged complain about the lack of high vis and demand a clarification and apology from RTE
https://twitter.com/RTENationwide/status/1366342190448918529

Gas that of the two photos, for one they didnt even manage to get a photo of the cycle path that is just 50 yards away.

Also that they are talking about new cycle paths when they use a photo of the one decent cycle path that has been around for years and years.

As a matter of interest - why would RTE Nationwide tag Rothar Phibsboro in their post - its just a shop, a vocal one on social media, but of all the local shops around here it doesnt really stand out in any way.

Type 17

Tombo2001 wrote: »

As a matter of interest - why would RTE Nationwide tag Rothar Phibsboro in their post - its just a shop, a vocal one on social media, but of all the local shops around here it doesnt really stand out in any way.

Their name means bicycle :pac:

Seth Brundle

Interesting programme. I was actually expecting something that would annoy me in the same way that Simon Delaney's programme did.
It was good in terms of showing how one could travel quickly and safely along with reasonable cost along the coast and in the city centre.
Although they didn't dwell on it, it was interesting to see her have a heartstopping moment in Sandymount along with all of the illegally parked cars there.

magicbastarder

Low-traffic schemes benefit most-deprived Londoners, study finds
Low-traffic neighbourhoods, which use filters to try to reduce motor traffic on residential streets, do not disproportionately benefit more privileged communities, the most comprehensive study of their rollout so far has concluded.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2021/mar/02/low-traffic-schemes-benefit-most-deprived-londoners-study-finds

Seaswimmer

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Gas that of the two photos, for one they didnt even manage to get a photo of the cycle path that is just 50 yards away.

Also that they are talking about new cycle paths when they use a photo of the one decent cycle path that has been around for years and years.

As a matter of interest - why would RTE Nationwide tag Rothar Phibsboro in their post - its just a shop, a vocal one on social media, but of all the local shops around here it doesnt really stand out in any way.

Is Rothar still a registered charity? Didn't it start out as a voluntary bike shop to refurbish old bikes for free?
Or have I got that wrong? Maybe RTE were under the impression that it is a local not for profit organisation and gave them a bit of publicity. Thats what I think when I hear of Rothar anyway..

Nidot

Captain Havoc wrote: »

This nugget on the Kilkenny People's website today.

Motorist surrounded and abused by group of cyclists in Kilkenny City

10.30pm on Friday evening - I don't about you lads but I don't usually go for my training rides that late at night.

Seth Brundle

With the two recent fines received by RightToBikeIt in Cork following his reporting of alleged dangerous driving, it has been claimed that this reaction from the gardai could lead to cyclists not reporting dangerous driving...

https://twitter.com/ccferrie/status/1366674042086973440

magicbastarder

i do also recall someone on here saying that when they went to the gardai with video footage, the garda warned them that they themselves could be charged with something akin to public order offences, as they used expletives which were caught on the camera mic?

Seth Brundle

Someone mentioned that to me also as I might have become slightly animated in the past following a close pass

tomasrojo

Isn't the use of potentially provocative language only relevant if it *precedes* the incidence, not follows it?

I mean, cursing might in theory violate some public order laws (I had a neighbour who went to court with another neighbour and it was brought up as an aggravating factor), but it's not as if you don't hear bad language every single day.

Wildly Boaring

They'd have some craic with GAA footage

tomasrojo

The thing is, if the guards are getting footage and then cautioning the submitter that their sweary expression of disbelief during or just after a close pass could result in a fine, they're really just telling them to drop it. If the submitter had been threatening to harm the close-passer it would be different, or if a further incident occurred on foot of them using provocative language, it would be a different matter.

Eamonnator

magicbastarder wrote: »

i do also recall someone on here saying that when they went to the gardai with video footage, the garda warned them that they themselves could be charged with something akin to public order offences, as they used expletives which were caught on the camera mic?

Some years ago, I was almost struck by a truck, driven by a man, whom I shortly afterwards called " a f***ing blind c***. I made a statement afterwards to the Gardai. When he read back my statement to me he said"an effing blind c". I corrected him and insisted that he put in the complete wording. The case went to court, driver pled(pleaded) guilty and was fined 150Euro and two penalty points. I was not prosecuted.

JMcL

Duckjob wrote: »

"... The foot was uninjured in the incident, but was said to be wearing neither helmet nor hi-viz"

FYP

Tombo2001

magicbastarder wrote: »

i do also recall someone on here saying that when they went to the gardai with video footage, the garda warned them that they themselves could be charged with something akin to public order offences, as they used expletives which were caught on the camera mic?

Near death not a mitigating circumstance obviously.....

Tombo2001

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Is Rothar still a registered charity? Didn't it start out as a voluntary bike shop to refurbish old bikes for free?
Or have I got that wrong? Maybe RTE were under the impression that it is a local not for profit organisation and gave them a bit of publicity. Thats what I think when I hear of Rothar anyway..

Dont think it is - the store in phibsboro seems to have fairly fixed staff. Nothing about it says charity to me, it seems no different to any other bike store.

Seth Brundle

Galway schools call for cycling infrastructure upgrade

Primary and secondary schools in Galway are calling for enhanced cycling infrastructure in and around the city.

In a letter sent to members of Galway City Council, the principals of 28 schools say existing routes are dangerous and that immediate action is needed to remedy this.

The schools say they have been trying to encourage people to "cycle or walk where possible", in line with public health advice.

But they contend that it is unsafe for children, parents or teachers to use bikes due to a lack of proper cycling infrastructure around schools.

MojoMaker

Well done that group.

Wasn't there something similar from the chamber of commerce a while back too?

Seth Brundle

letter in today's IT:

Golf courses are safe places for exercise

Sir, – I exercise every day on our local roads, parks and walkways. I pass hundreds of men, women, children and cyclists in the process of my 90-minute routine. In most cases it is not possible to achieve two-metre distancing due to the width of the walkways. This is happening all over the country. Meanwhile my local golf course, covering over a hundred acres, lies empty and bereft of activity.
...

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/golf-courses-are-safe-places-for-exercise-1.4501522

Stark

Crazy that things like golf and singles tennis aren't allowed imo. Parents both retired and love a game of golf/pitch and putt but have to stay at home bored for months on end even though there's sweet **** all risk for them to do a round of golf as a couple (still **** all risk even with another house hold imo as long there's so socialising in the clubhouse afterwards).

Macy0161

Virtually every none-team sport/ game and a number of activities such as hill walking, could make similar claims. Before enforcement of the current lockdown, my local walking trails were busy, parking full etc. That was all well and good on the face of it - outside, not in contact etc. But then the shops were also packed, as they grabbed a coffee for the way home, or stopped for the deli/ sambo...

magicbastarder

this is the problem; they have to keep the door shut on those restrictions, because opening it even a tiny crack to allow tennis, or golf, or whatever, will cause an absolute flood of demands to then allow bowls, and chess, and every other activity to resume.
yes, it's more unfair on certain activities which a argument could be made are low risk, but arguing about fairness seems a little churlish.

if you pack 50,000 tennis balls six foot deep in a room and manage to get the door shut on them, you're not going to be in a hurry to open the door to go in to rearrange some of those balls, to use a ham fisted analogy of what the public health policy people would be doing in that scenario.

breezy1985

Seth Brundle wrote: »

letter in today's IT:

Golf courses are safe places for exercise
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/golf-courses-are-safe-places-for-exercise-1.4501522

What I want to know is
what do cyclists eat?
Do they migrate for winter?
How do they procreate?
Do they mate for life like humans or is it more like bees?
Do they hunt alone or in pelotons?

magicbastarder

that just reminded me of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcMuTsBFQTE

Thelonious Monk

https://www.thejournal.ie/e-scooters-poll-ireland-5372780-Mar2021/

Poll on escooters, they seem to be loathed by motorists too. Still commenters manage to go on about cyclists on footpaths though!