The vehicle of Satan

The commitment of vicar Peter Owen Jones to live a simple life without
money fell in the final episode to the need to pay the car insurance and
MOT on his clapped out car:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00shp77

He said without explanation that he needed the car.

The size of parishes, originally Saxon manors, was based on the distance
that can easily be traversed on a horse, usually about 5 miles. He has
three parishes, but journey distances would typically be of that order,
so readily cyclable.

If he is worried about the danger of cycling along country lanes,
especially at night, that would certainly be justified, but he should
have spelled that out. The solution would then be an offroad/quiet road
network of the kind being developed by Sustrans.

Then again, if the message of Jesus is self-sacrifice and "Christ nailed
to the Cross" would today be "Christ flattened by a HGV", the answer to
the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) question in this case would surely be
"get a bike".

--
Mark Lewis, North Somerset

On Sat, 22 May 2010 08:00:08 +0100, Mark Lewis
wrote:

The commitment of vicar Peter Owen Jones to live a simple life without
money fell in the final episode to the need to pay the car insurance and
MOT on his clapped out car:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00shp77

He said without explanation that he needed the car.

The size of parishes, originally Saxon manors, was based on the distance
that can easily be traversed on a horse, usually about 5 miles. He has
three parishes, but journey distances would typically be of that order,
so readily cyclable.

In principle, I would like to agree with you, but over those distances in
the country, a car would be significantly quicker. Vicars often have to
make unplanned visits to parishioners, sometimes needing to get there
quickly. He may also need to visit parishioners in hospital, which these
days is likely to be 20+ miles away.

If he is worried about the danger of cycling along country lanes,
especially at night, that would certainly be justified, but he should
have spelled that out. The solution would then be an offroad/quiet road
network of the kind being developed by Sustrans.

The solution would be speed limits set to allow drivers to stop in the
distance they can see to be clear. In the meantime, when cycling on
narrow, twisty roads, positioning can help with being seen from further
away - i.e. don't hug the inside of corners. Being fully aware of what's
around you as you ride means that you know when you have to dive into the
ditch - not that this would happen much.

The vicar could cycle most journeys, and arrange to borrow a parishioner's
car for the urgent or very long journeys.

The usual reason for 'needing' a car is to carry heavy loads. Panniers,
bike trailers, and freight bikes are somehow never considerd.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at the
population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

On 22/05/2010 10:31, Colin McKenzie wrote:
Being fully aware of what's around you as you ride means that you know
when you have to dive into the ditch

Luxury. The lanes around here typically have long sunken stretches with
no verge at all. An encounter with a fast vehicle means you are f***ed.

The solution would be speed limits set to allow drivers to stop in the distance they can see to be clear.

Making them 20mph "quiet lanes" has been sugested.

--
Mark Lewis, North Somerset

On 05/22/2010 08:00 AM, Mark Lewis wrote:
The commitment of vicar Peter Owen Jones to live a simple life without
money fell in the final episode to the need to pay the car insurance and
MOT on his clapped out car:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00shp77

He said without explanation that he needed the car.

The size of parishes, originally Saxon manors, was based on the distance
that can easily be traversed on a horse, usually about 5 miles. He has
three parishes, but journey distances would typically be of that order,
so readily cyclable.

If he is worried about the danger of cycling along country lanes,
especially at night, that would certainly be justified, but he should
have spelled that out. The solution would then be an offroad/quiet road
network of the kind being developed by Sustrans.

Then again, if the message of Jesus is self-sacrifice and "Christ nailed
to the Cross" would today be "Christ flattened by a HGV", the answer to
the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) question in this case would surely be
"get a bike".


I remember the baptist minister of my local church some years ago
telling us once he got a lift on the back of a Hell's Angel's motorbike
when his car broke down just before he was due to take a wedding.

--
www.slowbicyclemovement.org - enjoy the ride

On Sat, 22 May 2010 10:31:49 +0100
"Colin McKenzie" wrote:

The solution would be speed limits set to allow drivers to stop in
the distance they can see to be clear.

This requirement already exists regardless of posted limits.

On Sat, 22 May 2010 12:15:19 +0100, Rob Morley wrote:

On Sat, 22 May 2010 10:31:49 +0100
"Colin McKenzie" wrote:

The solution would be speed limits set to allow drivers to stop in
the distance they can see to be clear.

This requirement already exists regardless of posted limits.

True, but unenforceable. Careless driving (maybe) if you actually hit
something. I can just see the police stopping someone to tell them they
went round a corner too fast, 20mph under the speed limit in force.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at the
population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

On 22/05/2010 12:15, Rob Morley wrote:
"Colin wrote:

The solution would be speed limits set to allow drivers to stop in
the distance they can see to be clear.
This requirement already exists regardless of posted limits.

Highway Code, Country roads, 154:

"Take extra care on country roads and reduce your speed at approaches to
bends, which can be sharper than they appear, and at junctions and
turnings, which may be partially hidden. Be prepared for pedestrians,
horse riders, cyclists, slow-moving farm vehicles or mud on the road
surface. Make sure you can stop within the distance you can see to be
clear. You should also reduce your speed where country roads enter
villages."

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...code/DG_070309

Unfortunately this is not well known and should be publicised more.

20mph would still be a good practical limit on a narrow country lane.

--
Mark Lewis, North Somerset

Colin McKenzie wrote:
On Sat, 22 May 2010 12:15:19 +0100, Rob Morley wrote:

On Sat, 22 May 2010 10:31:49 +0100
"Colin McKenzie" wrote:

The solution would be speed limits set to allow drivers to stop in
the distance they can see to be clear.

This requirement already exists regardless of posted limits.

True, but unenforceable. Careless driving (maybe) if you actually hit
something. I can just see the police stopping someone to tell them they
went round a corner too fast, 20mph under the speed limit in force.

Indeed.

The first thing they'd need to *prove* was what the driver could or could not
see as he was rounding the curve. The second would be how quickly he could
have stopped.

Fantasy...

Mark Lewis wrote:
The commitment of vicar Peter Owen Jones to live a simple life without
money fell in the final episode to the need to pay the car insurance and
MOT on his clapped out car:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00shp77

He said without explanation that he needed the car.

Yes, I found that "requirment" a little at odds
with his stated aim.

Because this starts to look like "I want
to live a simple life", but without actually
changing my life style, obviously.

Bit like people who'll "do absolutely
whatever it takes" to save the environment.

It normally turns out that such people
WILL choose dolphin friendly tuna over
"normal" tuna as long as they're both the
same price.

BugBear