Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

He's an odd character in general in my experience. I can remember him from being out and about in Dublin when I was a much younger lad in the mid 90s, where it seemed that just about any bar or club in the city centre you'd walk into, he'd be there. He had this tiresome schtick going where he'd be doing his best to freak people out by going all intense on them. After a while you'd realise it was all a big put on and just ignore it (and him)

As to why he's got a bee in his bonnet over cycling in particular, barring some thug of a priest in that hellhole he was in in Connemara being fond of the odd cycle in between beatings, I imagine it's the oxygen of publicity in the unwashed armpits of the internet such as Twitter, the Daily Heil, and Journal comments that fuels it. Anything cycling related is good for stirring it up with the gammon that lurk there, and with muppets like Kenny and CarTalk 106 in general. In the spirit that the old "no publicity is bad publicity" it ups his profile as a populist gobsh1te with that cohort, helping secure a vote for him next time round

Funnily enough, someone I know who used to work as a bouncer at Lillie's Bordello, and he said Flynn was very entertaining but very "messy", and he wouldn't let him inside. He said he'd give him a drink at the door, and he would tell entertaining stories about his "pyromaniac" days.

Only caught the end of the segment. What did he say & slipped it in how ?

like what Effects said. Deflecting issue with an another issue. Classic behaviour when you don’t have a leg to stand on. My 8 year old does it.

Not a cycling matter as such but when you hear about the nonsense spouted about cyclists breaking red lights, motorists seem to be even worse and they end up killing people, that's the difference. Just shows how brainwashed people are when it comes to the reality of what happens on the roads.

Are we aware of any proposed cycle lane where a Fine Gael councillor doesnt come along and say - "I'm not against cycle lanes but..."

‘Small win’ for cyclists over Howth cycleway (irishtimes.com)

Also, peculiar use of the word 'controversial'.

Cycle infrastructure as being 'controversial'. Like Kanye wearing the Maga hat? Or the Satanic Verses? Or John Delaneys salary at the FAI? These are all controversial.

Whatever about actual jail terms, which are expensive on the state and you can argue to their effectiveness, why are driving bans so lenient. Where somebody is killed or seriously injured as a result of poor driving, there should be a mandatory ban of at least 10 years. Curiously in the unfortunate case in Ballincollig you linked to, the driver seems to have been let off her (lenient) driving ban for almost 2-1/2 months as she was presumably convicted in mid-late April going from the date of the report, but her driving ban didn't kick in until July 1st. WTF? Would somebody that was convicted of shooting somebody with a shotgun be let off with it for a few months because it was pheasant season?

Until there're consequences for actions nothing is going to improve. And that includes the "small" stuff - if drivers get routinely taken to task for illegal parking, breaking the speed limit (even marginally), close passing and all the other bellheadedness that goes on on our roads, more care and consideration will be shown. Better still, do it on the Finnish basis of linking the amount to your income to better deter the Range Rover/Cayenne brigade to whom €80 is loose change

But of course that would involve political will to drive this down through all levels, and somebody, presumably the Gardai, having the personnel and willingness to enforce, so I won't hold my breath

I used to live in mexico city where red light jumping was rampant. They introduced licence plate reading cameras at major junctions with fines issued in the post. The problem disappeared almost overnight.

Yeah, and even at "only" 50km/h nine-second "lapse" means 125m of blind travel. If it isn't criminally irresponsible, it should be.

Yes, I noted that too. Plus the harping on him "running", to make out that "he ran out in front of them", which is irrelevant, because the red light is totally unambiguous.

That's what struck me when I first read the article. There was no argument as to the colour of the light, but all sorts of aregument around street furniture etc. The logical conclusion to me being the fact the driver went through a red light was only secondary to her killing the pedestrian.

From the Examiner article above...

How can a Garda Sergeant stand up in court and say that driving resulting in death didn't meet the bar for "dangerous driving"?

So insulting to the deceased's loved ones, imagine how cheated they must feel having to listen to that nonsense, no dangerous driving involved after flying through a red. Shameful.

What you think she should have received compensation too?