ITV 'This Morning'. Vote 'pro' or 'anti' cycling...

http://www.itv-thismorning.co.uk/Default.aspx

said the following on 16/06/2006 11:47:
http://www.itv-thismorning.co.uk/Default.aspx

Oh dear...

Apparently we don't pay insurance, and we demand these crappy
farcilities to be layed (sic), and urban riding is very dangerous.

Is it just me, or is the whole countries perception of cycling based on
London's perception of cycling?

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Paul Boyd wrote:
Is it just me, or is the whole countries perception of cycling based on
London's perception of cycling?


Hopefully not. But sadly, the media's view is indeed
based as you suggest.

This is because meejah people all live in London,
and do their research based on personal experience,
and possibly talking to their circle
of friends, who also live and work in central London.

BugBear

Paul Boyd wrote:
said the following on 16/06/2006 11:47:
http://www.itv-thismorning.co.uk/Default.aspx

Oh dear...

Apparently we don't pay insurance, and we demand these crappy
farcilities to be layed (sic), and urban riding is very dangerous.

Is it just me, or is the whole countries perception of cycling based on
London's perception of cycling?

Has the standard of English gone to pot in the meejah?

Note how the pro is all about cycling and the anti is all about the
behaviour of some cyclists.
They don't seem to have a discussion board..

...d

David Martin wrote:


Note how the pro is all about cycling and the anti is all about the
behaviour of some cyclists.
They don't seem to have a discussion board..

..d

I agree - The whole article is written in the style of not very good
junior school essay entitled: 'What I think about cycling' and the
'cons' are put forward with a particularly low standard of argument.

·Some have been seen riding up one way streets

OK It's a fair cop guv!
I often ride up one way streets, I know that ignorance of whatever law
might cover that is no excuse and I'm sorry.

.....and let's not even mention us frightening bus drivers!
One opened his doors and let a passenger off into the bike lane I was
in 100yds from the bus stop and was upset at me when I yelled at him
for not taking care of his passengers.

Robert

Blonde wrote:
David Martin wrote:
Note how the pro is all about cycling and the anti is all about the
behaviour of some cyclists.

Interesting use of the word "some". As a percentage it's way higher,
IME, than the %age of bad car drivers.

I agree - The whole article is written in the style of not very good
junior school essay entitled: 'What I think about cycling' and the
'cons' are put forward with a particularly low standard of argument.

It's ITV daytime TV, what else do you expect?

wrote:
http://www.itv-thismorning.co.uk/Default.aspx

Cyclists often jump red lights and then shout at pedestrians

I often shout at cyclists that jump red lights (usually when I catch up
with them after Green comes on). I also shout a warning (and ring my
bell) at pedestrians standing gormlessly in a cycle lane.

Some ride on the pavement and knock over pedestrians

I shout at them too. To be honest I've never seen a pedestrian knocked
over.

Many cut into gaps in front of cars, this is described as urban riding and is very dangerous

Filtering through stationary traffic?

Often cyclists are seen riding up the inside of buses at a bus stop, knocking over pedestrians and scaring bus drivers

Again with the knocking over, do ITV think that life is like dominos?
For what it's worth, most busses I see are way too close to the curb to
cycle up their insides, even if you were stupid enough to do it

Some have been seen riding up one way streets

I assume they mean "wrong way up one way streets without a contraflow
cycle lane", I see it occasionally, ususal thug-types, probably on
stolen bikes, aside from one specific road next to olympia

Cyclists don't pay road tax but regularly demand cycle paths to be layed

Completely true. Nobody pays road tax. Some vehicle owners like myself
pay vehicle excise duty, many don't.

Cyclists don't pay insurance so when they clip your wing mirror in traffic or crash into you, they don't have to pay the damages

Yes they do, just because they aren't insured (and most probably are
through their house insurance), it doesn't mean they're not liable.
Sadly many (most?) cyclists would race off into the distance without
stopping. If a car does this it's called a hit and run. Sadly many
cyclists think they are immune from traffic laws, while simlutanously
complaining about other road users breaking those laws.

in message .com, Paul
Weaver ') wrote:

Blonde wrote:
David Martin wrote:
Note how the pro is all about cycling and the anti is all about the
behaviour of some cyclists.

Interesting use of the word "some". As a percentage it's way higher,
IME, than the %age of bad car drivers.

90+% of car drivers regularly break speed limits. Are you suggesting that
90+% of cyclists break the law, and if so what law?

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
; ... of course nothing said here will be taken notice of by
; the W3C. The official place to be ignored is on www-style or
; www-html. -- George Lund

David Martin wrote:

It's ITV daytime TV, what else do you expect?

Yes, that's why I never watch any, well, I don't watch any evening
telly either, but even if I owned a TV, I wouldn't watch daytime telly!