|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to
bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ "Fear of cycling is most effectively produced through constructions of cycling as a dangerous practice. By saying that cycling is constructed as a dangerous practice, I am not denying that cyclists are really injured and killed on the roads; rather I am noting how people’s fears of these (im)probabilities of injury and death are culturally constructed." "The rest of this section explores three ways in which cycling is constructed as dangerous, and thus a contemporary fear of cycling is produced; road safety education, helmet promotion campaigns, and the increasing separation of cycling from motorised traffic. The irony, of course, is that these interventions are responses to a fear of cycling, clearly aimed at increasing cycling’s safety. But I will demonstrate how, contrary to intentions, each intervention actually tends to exacerbate fear of cycling, and sometimes literally invokes it in order to promote the ‘solution’." I feel torn... I like using the off road paths to get to work, riding by a river is pleasant. Not dealing with cars and intersections is pleasant. On the other hand, the onroad lanes are unpleasant! But I'm a "confident cyclist" and always have been, plus I've never had the problem that 2 wheels are 'strange'. (Haven't owned a car since 1986...) So I'm obviously not the kind of person being talked about and I suspect few if any readers of this group are. But shouldn't this be being talked about more widely? Zebee |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ "Fear of cycling is most effectively produced through constructions of cycling as a dangerous practice. By saying that cycling is constructed as a dangerous practice, I am not denying that cyclists are really injured and killed on the roads; rather I am noting how people’s fears of these (im)probabilities of injury and death are culturally constructed." Interesting article and highly recommended reading although a tad long for some but then it was probably written by someone who tort long and hard about the subject. "The rest of this section explores three ways in which cycling is constructed as dangerous, and thus a contemporary fear of cycling is produced; road safety education, helmet promotion campaigns, and the increasing separation of cycling from motorised traffic. The irony, of course, is that these interventions are responses to a fear of cycling, clearly aimed at increasing cycling’s safety. But I will demonstrate how, contrary to intentions, each intervention actually tends to exacerbate fear of cycling, and sometimes literally invokes it in order to promote the ‘solution’." I don't think the construction of fear thru the various safety programs was deliberate, intended or even desired. It is more probable that like most good intentions, the unintended negative consequences tended to be overlooked. I feel torn... I like using the off road paths to get to work, riding by a river is pleasant. Not dealing with cars and intersections is pleasant. With all due respect, not wanting to deal with cars is probably where part of the problem lies. It is all well and good trying to educate cyclists of their responsibilities but the reality is that unless other road users like trucks, cars and motorbikes get the same intensity of indoctrination as well, we are NOT dealing with the WHOLE problem. Cyclists are seldom mentioned in road safety campaigns. For example, it would be nice to see road safety ads on alcohol which include lotsa exposure for cyclists but alas, such ads tend to only focus on cars. On the other hand, the onroad lanes are unpleasant! Compared to some Asian countries, onroad lanes in Sydney are a cyclist's heaven Road courtesy towards other road users in many Asian countries is virtually non-existent - the bigger vehicle WILL bully the smaller vehicle into giving way. But I'm a "confident cyclist" and always have been, plus I've never had the problem that 2 wheels are 'strange'. (Haven't owned a car since 1986...) You may be weird, Zeebee, but never strange I have yet to decide if you might possibly fall into the category of "a different social order" Hm, maybe, if I took cycling out of the equation ..... So I'm obviously not the kind of person being talked about and I suspect few if any readers of this group are. But shouldn't this be being talked about more widely? Actually, if the truth be known, I am not immune to having fear being put into me, directly or indirectly, so maybe the article has some relevance to me and being "forewarned is forearmed" Looking at the points raised by that article, it would appear that the "construction of fear" element does appear to feature greatly in many of the literature, official and unofficial, disseminated. There is no doubt that eliminating the fear of cycling is a great start but, IMHO, is NOT sufficient. I have previously mentioned above that there are other road users who need to be taken into consideration. Getting politicians like Clover Moore and many within the Greens, Labour and Liberal on-side with cyclists have been a great help but the NSW Minister for Transport and the NSW Minister for Police are also key persons as the incumbents have the ability to influence the thinking of other road users towards cyclists thru the various agencies like the RTA, the Police, Road Safety bodies, etc. The use of more positive methods in promoting cycling, in conjunction with educating other road users, would seem to provide a more cohesive and logical approach. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
In aus.bicycle on Sun, 29 May 2011 14:58:49 +1000
Geoff Lock glock@home wrote: On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I feel torn... I like using the off road paths to get to work, riding by a river is pleasant. Not dealing with cars and intersections is pleasant. With all due respect, not wanting to deal with cars is probably where part of the problem lies. It is all well and good trying to educate cyclists of their responsibilities but the reality is that unless other road users like trucks, cars and motorbikes get the same intensity of indoctrination as well, we are NOT dealing with the WHOLE problem. Putting all the blame on cyclists for being "vulnerable" is certainly part of the problem. When I worked in North Sydney I used Pyrmont Bridge and the path to Sussex St and the Harbour Bridge path, but the rest was on roads, over half mixing with a lot of cars. I never had a problem on the commuter run into the city. I have had more problems on weekends. Same on the motorcycle I note... Commuters are on a road they know, they aren't usually chopping lanes cos they know there's no point, they are travelling fairly slowly, and they know when to change lanes to turn. I find peak hour traffic safer to cycle in than weekend traffic! The cars on my commute now are much less safe. The roads are more empty so the cars are going faster and object to the slower bicycle more. They pass unsafely (especially on THe Crescent leading up to Bridge Rd Homebush and Melville St Meadowbank) and turn across in front of me. Not all that often, but often enough that I'm wary of it. (And don't get me started on the Rhodes bike path! Blind and deaf pedestrians, doors being flung open, and cars faffing about everywhere...) I used to think the problem was the illusion of speed, that passing something *now* gives the feeling of both speed and control, even if both are lost at the next lights. I now think it's also a lot about not seeing *other cars* as a problem. Other cars are there, like rain or traffic lights, they are accepted. Something that isn't a car is rare and odd and so a target for anger. Even though the real cause of hte holdup isn't the bicycle it's the other cars preventing the overtake... (Had that happen the other day. Driver being aggro about not being able to pass. He couldn't pass because of the traffic the other way. If they hadn't been there, no problem. It was clear this had never occurred to him.) The car is unquestionable. Everything else has to give way. Until that changes, we won't get a better deal on the roads. (I can think of another entitled species, and the parallels are fascinating to me... but it is a bit OT!) Zebee |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
On 29/05/2011 5:20 PM, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Sun, 29 May 2011 14:58:49 +1000 Geoff Lockglock@home wrote: On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I feel torn... I like using the off road paths to get to work, riding by a river is pleasant. Not dealing with cars and intersections is pleasant. With all due respect, not wanting to deal with cars is probably where part of the problem lies. It is all well and good trying to educate cyclists of their responsibilities but the reality is that unless other road users like trucks, cars and motorbikes get the same intensity of indoctrination as well, we are NOT dealing with the WHOLE problem. Putting all the blame on cyclists for being "vulnerable" is certainly part of the problem. Seen from David Horton's viewpoint in his article, there is compelling evidence that the onus of responsibility is, more or less, forced upon the cyclist. Like you, I see it as a one-sided attempt to address road safety. I still maintain that unless ALL road users are make aware of their responsibilities towards ALL other road users, such one-sided affairs will amount to little. As an aside, I watched an NRMA ad last night extolling the virtues of their insurance products claiming that one needs never to be without a car! There were pushbikes seen in the ad but they were relegated to background props. The car-centric focus of the ad was quite understandable but still nonetheless confronting. I never had a problem on the commuter run into the city. I have had more problems on weekends. Same on the motorcycle I note... Commuters are on a road they know, they aren't usually chopping lanes cos they know there's no point, they are travelling fairly slowly, and they know when to change lanes to turn. I find peak hour traffic safer to cycle in than weekend traffic! Bloody weekend drivers are the same in any suburb in Sydney, eh? The cars on my commute now are much less safe. The roads are more empty so the cars are going faster and object to the slower bicycle more. They pass unsafely (especially on THe Crescent leading up to Bridge Rd Homebush and Melville St Meadowbank) and turn across in front of me. Not all that often, but often enough that I'm wary of it. I don't have a problem with cars turning right in front of me as long as they have their indicators on and make the turn with room to spare for me to slow down/continue riding/brake, etc etc. Maybe I have been fortunate over the years not to have any nasty surprises - I dunno. (And don't get me started on the Rhodes bike path! Blind and deaf pedestrians, doors being flung open, and cars faffing about everywhere...) Oh, I see, I better not get you started then. I was just curious as to what the hell cars were doing on the bike path Never mind, just stirring you, Zeebee - I knew what you meant I used to think the problem was the illusion of speed, that passing something *now* gives the feeling of both speed and control, even if both are lost at the next lights. I now think it's also a lot about not seeing *other cars* as a problem. Other cars are there, like rain or traffic lights, they are accepted. Something that isn't a car is rare and odd and so a target for anger. Even though the real cause of hte holdup isn't the bicycle it's the other cars preventing the overtake... Hm, there are people around who really have no sense of civic consciousness and think the cosmos revolves around them. Such delusional people will probably lash out at anything around them - usually at something/someone they perceive to be weaker than themselves and thus can be bullied with impunity. All cyclists should be allowed to carry Glock 18s with drum mags (Had that happen the other day. Driver being aggro about not being able to pass. He couldn't pass because of the traffic the other way. If they hadn't been there, no problem. It was clear this had never occurred to him.) Hahahahahah!! One should ALWAYS feel sorry for a person trapped in a car at a traffic jam )) The entrance into the M4 tunnel at Marsh Street, Rockdale(?) is pretty busy most times as traffic lights and umpteen lanes get crushed together into 2 or 3 lanes and cars/trucks get backed up over the lanes of oncoming traffic. As I am part of the oncoming traffic, I just simply give the CORRECT hand signals to move into whatever lane I deem appropriate and safe and simply ride around the banked up traffic - continuing my merry way towards the International Terminal All the other traffic simply get held up behind me for a bit but they usually catch me before I hit the bridge. It is fun doing the downhill run towards the International Terminal - over 500m/750m(?) of a straightline gentle downhill The car is unquestionable. Everything else has to give way. Until that changes, we won't get a better deal on the roads. Change will come. It takes time to put together the many pieces of the puzzle and managing the interactions between the various pieces of the puzzle but then, we all know that (I can think of another entitled species, and the parallels are fascinating to me... but it is a bit OT!) Hey!! Who's gonna spin this off to another thread? |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
On 29/05/2011 2:58 PM, Geoff Lock wrote:
On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ "Fear of cycling is most effectively produced through constructions of cycling as a dangerous practice. By saying that cycling is constructed as a dangerous practice, I am not denying that cyclists are really injured and killed on the roads; rather I am noting how people’s fears of these (im)probabilities of injury and death are culturally constructed." Interesting article and highly recommended reading although a tad long for some but then it was probably written by someone who tort long and hard about the subject. hope that was the Eye dialect spelling of thought. "The rest of this section explores three ways in which cycling is constructed as dangerous, and thus a contemporary fear of cycling is produced; road safety education, helmet promotion campaigns, and the increasing separation of cycling from motorised traffic. The irony, of course, is that these interventions are responses to a fear of cycling, clearly aimed at increasing cycling’s safety. But I will demonstrate how, contrary to intentions, each intervention actually tends to exacerbate fear of cycling, and sometimes literally invokes it in order to promote the ‘solution’." I don't think the construction of fear thru the various safety programs was deliberate, intended or even desired. It is more probable that like most good intentions, the unintended negative consequences tended to be overlooked. I feel torn... I like using the off road paths to get to work, riding by a river is pleasant. Not dealing with cars and intersections is pleasant. With all due respect, not wanting to deal with cars is probably where part of the problem lies. It is all well and good trying to educate cyclists of their responsibilities but the reality is that unless other road users like trucks, cars and motorbikes get the same intensity of indoctrination as well, we are NOT dealing with the WHOLE problem. Cyclists are seldom mentioned in road safety campaigns. For example, it would be nice to see road safety ads on alcohol which include lotsa exposure for cyclists but alas, such ads tend to only focus on cars. On the other hand, the onroad lanes are unpleasant! Compared to some Asian countries, onroad lanes in Sydney are a cyclist's heaven Road courtesy towards other road users in many Asian countries is virtually non-existent - the bigger vehicle WILL bully the smaller vehicle into giving way. But I'm a "confident cyclist" and always have been, plus I've never had the problem that 2 wheels are 'strange'. (Haven't owned a car since 1986...) You may be weird, Zeebee, but never strange I have yet to decide if you might possibly fall into the category of "a different social order" Hm, maybe, if I took cycling out of the equation ..... So I'm obviously not the kind of person being talked about and I suspect few if any readers of this group are. But shouldn't this be being talked about more widely? Actually, if the truth be known, I am not immune to having fear being put into me, directly or indirectly, so maybe the article has some relevance to me and being "forewarned is forearmed" Looking at the points raised by that article, it would appear that the "construction of fear" element does appear to feature greatly in many of the literature, official and unofficial, disseminated. There is no doubt that eliminating the fear of cycling is a great start but, IMHO, is NOT sufficient. I have previously mentioned above that there are other road users who need to be taken into consideration. Getting politicians like Clover Moore and many within the Greens, Labour and Liberal on-side with cyclists have been a great help but the NSW Minister for Transport and the NSW Minister for Police are also key persons as the incumbents have the ability to influence the thinking of other road users towards cyclists thru the various agencies like the RTA, the Police, Road Safety bodies, etc. The use of more positive methods in promoting cycling, in conjunction with educating other road users, would seem to provide a more cohesive and logical approach. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
On 30/05/2011 8:59 PM, Rob wrote:
On 29/05/2011 2:58 PM, Geoff Lock wrote: On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ Interesting article and highly recommended reading although a tad long for some but then it was probably written by someone who tort long and hard about the subject. hope that was the Eye dialect spelling of thought. "tort", "thought", who cares - i don't it's usenet and grammar or spelling are the least of my problems once upon a time i used to post the way i spoke and then i realised it was quite difficult to read as i had difficulties following my own babblings i still do have problems following my own posts but i guess practice is the only way i'm gonna get good at anyfing, eh? |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
Geoff Lock wrote:
On 30/05/2011 8:59 PM, Rob wrote: On 29/05/2011 2:58 PM, Geoff Lock wrote: On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ Interesting article and highly recommended reading although a tad long for some but then it was probably written by someone who tort long and hard about the subject. hope that was the Eye dialect spelling of thought. "tort", "thought", who cares - i don't it's usenet and grammar or spelling are the least of my problems once upon a time i used to post the way i spoke and then i realised it was quite difficult to read as i had difficulties following my own babblings i still do have problems following my own posts but i guess practice is the only way i'm gonna get good at anyfing, eh? Think a little about what you just wrote... Shirley. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
On 31/05/2011 1:11 PM, Shirley Nott wrote:
Geoff Lock wrote: On 30/05/2011 8:59 PM, Rob wrote: On 29/05/2011 2:58 PM, Geoff Lock wrote: On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ Interesting article and highly recommended reading although a tad long for some but then it was probably written by someone who tort long and hard about the subject. hope that was the Eye dialect spelling of thought. "tort", "thought", who cares - i don't it's usenet and grammar or spelling are the least of my problems once upon a time i used to post the way i spoke and then i realised it was quite difficult to read as i had difficulties following my own babblings i still do have problems following my own posts but i guess practice is the only way i'm gonna get good at anyfing, eh? Think a little about what you just wrote... I did, which is why I wrote it the way I did write it |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
On 31/05/2011 4:12 AM, Geoff Lock wrote:
On 30/05/2011 8:59 PM, Rob wrote: On 29/05/2011 2:58 PM, Geoff Lock wrote: On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ Interesting article and highly recommended reading although a tad long for some but then it was probably written by someone who tort long and hard about the subject. hope that was the Eye dialect spelling of thought. "tort", "thought", who cares - i don't it's usenet and grammar or spelling are the least of my problems once upon a time i used to post the way i spoke and then i realised it was quite difficult to read as i had difficulties following my own babblings i still do have problems following my own posts but i guess practice is the only way i'm gonna get good at anyfing, eh? Actually the word "tort" means --- "–noun Law . a wrongful act, not including a breach of contract or trust, that results in injury to another's person, property, reputation, or the like, and for which the injured party is entitled to compensation." and this is a long way from the meaning you inferred. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
culture of fear
Rob wrote:
On 31/05/2011 4:12 AM, Geoff Lock wrote: On 30/05/2011 8:59 PM, Rob wrote: On 29/05/2011 2:58 PM, Geoff Lock wrote: On 29/05/2011 7:33 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote: I came across this, and feel it's very important, especially to bicycle advocacy. http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpres...ar-of-cycling/ Interesting article and highly recommended reading although a tad long for some but then it was probably written by someone who tort long and hard about the subject. hope that was the Eye dialect spelling of thought. "tort", "thought", who cares - i don't it's usenet and grammar or spelling are the least of my problems once upon a time i used to post the way i spoke and then i realised it was quite difficult to read as i had difficulties following my own babblings i still do have problems following my own posts but i guess practice is the only way i'm gonna get good at anyfing, eh? Actually the word "tort" means --- "–noun Law . a wrongful act, not including a breach of contract or trust, that results in injury to another's person, property, reputation, or the like, and for which the injured party is entitled to compensation." and this is a long way from the meaning you inferred. So what about "I tort I saw a puddy cat" |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Dutch culture? | Plano Dude | Racing | 2 | August 8th 10 02:29 PM |
Cycling culture in NL. | Simon Mason | UK | 8 | April 17th 09 11:05 PM |
NY cycling culture | Just zis Guy, you know?[_2_] | UK | 2 | October 11th 08 05:12 PM |
Ed Dolan the Great on Culture | Woland99 | Techniques | 0 | September 11th 08 12:32 AM |
Dutch culture | Simon Mason | UK | 61 | May 25th 04 10:19 PM |