Cyclists are a Perverted Pestulance [Times Article 18/02]

On 20 Feb 2004 00:59:46 -0800, (David Off) wrote in
message :

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFr...005150,00.html



Reply as ever:


=========================

As one who uses a bike as my primary means of transport I do confess
to a certain irritation with pavement cyclists and red-light cowboys.
Actually red-light cowboys in cars give me more of a problem, but
that's another story. And as for pavements destroyed by motor
vehicles - well, don't get me started on that.

Pavement cycling annoys me for two reasons: first, it is foolish
because it is more risky than cycling on the road. There is plenty of
evidence of that, and the reasons are obvious as soon as you consider
what happens at junctions. And second, it gives people like Damian
Whitworth an opportunity to justify their own selfish driving by
reference to selfish behaviour by someone else.

The thing is, for all we hear about the pavement cyclist menace, you
are about two hundred times more likely to be killed by a car on the
footway than by a cyclist. I have some DoH figures which show that
child pedestrians are sixty times more likely to be hospitalised by a
motor driver than a cyclist. This is hardly a surprise, of course.
Car drivers are the biggest killers of children in the UK, after all,
and if it wasn't for careless and aggressive driving the cyclists who
so exercise Mr Whitworth would probably not be on the pavement in the
first place.

Still, it's not all bad news. The substantial reduction in injuries
and deaths brought by the reduced traffic in the congestion charge
zone should encourage the cyclists back on the road, where they should
be.

Guy Chapman
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 10:20:59 -0000, "dwb"
wrote in message :

Don't be so narrow minded. Have you never had anything unexpected happen
whilst you were on the road? An errant taxi driver doing a U-Turn, someone
running into the road, something falling off the back of a lorry? Didn't
have to take avoiding action?

These are the reasons why one should drive drive so one can stop "well
within the distance you can see to be clear" (Highway Code).

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

To be honest, I'm not sure - I think it's more a London selective
seeing thing, but meh, any old excuse.

Leave those folk in London, I experienced four years in the Capital,
cycled
through the West End nearly everyday (not wearing lyrca in the week I
might
add) and I know now where I prefer to be.

Meh, each to their own :-)

Sad but true, I love London and all it brings, the filth, the
unfriendliness, the expense, the anonimity, the crappy flatshares - it's all
good in my bookl. And, most importantly, I love my cycle :-)

Tom.

"Eugenio Mastroviti" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 13:37:34 +0000, Vincent Wilcox wrote:

Does'nt work really. Best to isolate single groups. I blame illegal
immigrants.

Why limit yourself to illegal ones?

Hehehe, it's always a fun argument to have in the pub: "What do you mean
you're an immigrant with that posh an accent?"

Tom.

In ,
Thomas Buck La de la de la typed:
And, most importantly, I love my cycle :-)

Wahey! Now that makes me feel like a true evangelist. If I did influence
your decision at all.

A

"Ambrose Nankivell" wrote in
message ...
In ,
Thomas Buck La de la de la typed:
And, most importantly, I love my cycle :-)

Wahey! Now that makes me feel like a true evangelist. If I did influence
your decision at all.

And yet, unlike the telly Christian ones, here we have guaranteed results!

Nice.

Tom.

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 10:48:16 -0000, "Thomas" tom [at] greysheep [dot]
co [dot] uk wrote (more or less):

****wittitude

Ooh! I like that word. I must find places to use it.


Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

These are the reasons why one should drive drive so one can stop "well
within the distance you can see to be clear" (Highway Code).


I've been thinking about that Guy and assume you must rarely drive above 20mph
after dark based on the average throw of a dipped car headlight. Is this
true?

Tony

PK wrote:

the article, in case the red mist that came before your eyes obscured
your view of it, was primarily about the actions of a secetion of the
cycling community who DO put PEDESTRIANS at risk by their
unreasonable behaviour.

Vent your spleen by all means, but 'tis best directed at the tw*ts on
bikes who I regularly come across as either pedestrian or cyclist.

pk

More accurately put - "'tis best directed at aforementioned t*wts be they on
2 wheels or 4, motorised or not."

I have always thought that as a pedestrian, I expect drivers/cyclists to
behave, and as a road user, I expect pedestrians to behave. The only reason
I am still here today is that have never yet met myself coming the other
way. Not a comforting thought!

There are good and bad cyclists, and good and bad drivers - it's just that
the bad driver make more of a mess....

Patrick
Patrick Mullin,
MCSD (VB6).

Email first name at AuroraDigitalis dot com

Thomas wrote:

Yup, his ****wittitude is enormous, ....

Tom.

"****wittitude"

What a fantastastic word - I must make a note to use it more often!!
Thanks, Tom.

Patrick