[Closed] Learned today that my friend was hospitalised

Better surely if it hovered on water?

Couldn't it run on water, [u]and[/u] hover over water? Then I could get a fuel scoop attached to it just like in "Elite".

I have heard rumours that SWT were going to ban all folding bikes on their particularly busy routes, except Bromptons, because of the 'compactness' of their fold

I will still be taking my Birdy on there - I will only stop if they ban anyone taking a suitcase on that is larger than a brompton folded.

Their regs say a 20inch wheel atm, if they changed that there are an awful lot of Dahons and the like that will be outlawed.

that I was merely posting up some information for other people possibly intending to behave in a similarly irresponsible fashion.

Bullsh*t, I bet you couldn't wait to post that up.

How is this still going?!

but what gets me is the level of bad driving that is allowed to go unchecked

AND the level of bad cycling, which is quite frankly atrocious.

When I'm in charge there will be a double campaign to get motorists to respect cyclists AND to get cyclists to respect the rules of the road.

I ask in all honesty. Can the services we have already, cope with any more passengers?

The underutilised parts can, the parts currently operating at capacity can't unless people accept a lowering of service levels, or significant investment in infrastructure happens. Guess which will happen with the current political climate?

How is this still going?!

Because people are [s]wrong[/s] have different opinions on the internet, and some people aren't willing to accept that!

I will still be taking my Birdy on there - I will only stop if they ban anyone taking a suitcase on that is larger than a brompton folded.

Their regs say a 20inch wheel atm, if they changed that there are an awful lot of Dahons and the like that will be outlawed.

Yep, I wouldn't be allowed on with my Dahon Mu, yet those with huuuge suitcases would be fine. Makes no sense to me.

but what gets me is the level of bad driving that is allowed to go unchecked

AND the level of bad cycling, which is quite frankly atrocious.

When I'm in charge there will be a double campaign to get motorists to respect cyclists AND to get cyclists to respect the rules of the road.

Totally agree, however, I know which one is FAR more dangerous to the innocent cyclist. If a cyclist gets injured because of their irresponsible behaviour, then I am saddened by the injury, but not too much sympathy. Not many irresposible drivers get injured when they hit a cyclist....

True but it's a two way street. Respect is needed despite the imbalance of consequences.

Not many irresposible drivers get injured when they hit a cyclist....

Although a girl was killed by a cyclist jumping a red light I believe, he shouted at her to "get out of the way, as I'm not going to stop" or something similar.

[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2263354/Cyclist-knocked-down-and-killed-teenage-girl-court-hears.html ]Girl killed by cyclist[/url]

Actually it was "move because I'm not stopping", and he was on a pavement.

Apparently he 'faces a fine of £2000'....personally I think a prison sentance would be appropriate.

I was hoping that by now everyone in this thread would have learned the errors of their ways and sided with the zealots and torched their cars and houses for the insurance and moved into tents pitched by their workplaces. Or is the very act of working now not acceptable down to use of power, natural resources etc and therefore we need to go back to an agrarian society (without fertilisers, pesticides etc of course).

I was hoping that by now everyone in this thread would have learned the errors of their ways and sided with the zealots and torched their cars and houses for the insurance and moved into tents pitched by their workplaces. Or is the very act of working now not acceptable down to use of power, natural resources etc and therefore we need to go back to an agrarian society (without fertilisers, pesticides etc of course).

Oi! We've already had the "back to caves, eating berries and wearing hessian sacks" stuff. Go back and read through that before coming back with your Reductio ad absurdum!

McHamish - Member
Girl killed by cyclist

Actually it was "move because I'm not stopping", and he was on a pavement.

Apparently he 'faces a fine of £2000'....personally I think a prison sentance would be appropriate.

Anecdotes do not make science. The stats are:
people killed by cyclists every year. 1 last year, zero for most other years.
people killed by motor transport 3000.
Every time you post that link we should post the 3000 links for each of the road dead.

McHamish - Southwest trains rent Bromptons - that is why you occasionally see ones in SWT colors.

Check the lost property area at Waterloo.

I did not know that...another useful post from someone willing to contribute.

There are some nuggets of useful information on this thread afterall!

Or do what I did, and have 2 hack bikes for each end of my train journey. Cycle from work to Waterloo, lock the bike there, get the train home, pick up other bike and cycle home. Even if one got nicked (which I luckily avoided) I'd still be better off than paying for a travel card.

Just make sure the bike at the London end requires minimal maintenance, since you won't be able to get it home easily to service it. I just had a bottle of oil, a rag and a small toolkit in my office desk.

toys19

The point I was trying to make that not all cyclists are law abiding angels making selfless sacrifices to save the environment.

chiefgrooveguru - Member

Unfortunately trains and buses don't run on fresh air... I'd like to see their CO2 per passenger mile - once you figure in all the empty off-peak use, and the inefficiency of power generation and distribution for electric trains then I can't see it making particularly green reading.

Someone's already done it for you. The excellent free book, Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air has the calculations:

http://www.withouthotair.com/

Table 20.8 (at least in my slightly older copy) compares average energy consumption (kWh per 100 km) for different forms of transport under average use conditions (e.g. not always a full train). The car uses 68 kWh per 100 km, buses 19, trains just 6. The chapter also discusses other factors such as energy costs of lighting stations, powering worshops etc and trains still come up many times better than cars.

These are rough figures (actually from Japan a few years ago) but there are still a good guide. The book is an excellent read.

Girl killed by cyclist

Actually it was "move because I'm not stopping", and he was on a pavement.

Apparently he 'faces a fine of £2000'....personally I think a prison sentance would be appropriate.

Firstly, I did say no irresponsible [b]drivers[/b] are hurt in collisions with cyclists.

Secondly, please get your facts straightfor the case in question. It was not on a pavement as many believe, it was on a road. The girl in question was part of a group of drink fuelled people who deliberately moved in front of the cyclist. Yes, he could have stopped, but she deliberately put herself in the path of the cyclist. His crime was to call her bluff, and it was a tragic end.

McHamish - she was drunk as were a posse of her pals and they were playing chicken with him and he was on the road. I think the £2000 fine is absolutely outrageous - he should have been found not guilty

toys19

The point I was trying to make that not all cyclists are law abiding angels making selfless sacrifices to save the environment.

Yeah and the point I was making is that this is one, [b]only one,[/b] cyclist out of millions. So your point is just completley insignificant.

Just when one can of worms closes, another opens. this thread really has the potential to go a long way.

FWIW
most days I cycle to work. sometimes I get the metro, i very rarely drive (sometimes whem my wife doesn't need the car to go to her school and I have errands to run after work) I am an adult, I make choices. My choices in this instance are not affected by the environment or whether I may knock someone off their bike.

Warton - in that case I will just add that without the massive subsidy that car drivers get from the taxpayer it would be even more expensive to drive - as it should be. Taxes raised from motoring are much lower than the cost to the country of motoring. when you figure in all the costs such as injuries and deaths, damage to buildings, enforcement of motoring law to say nothing of the value of the land used for parking - and of course there is the uglification of our cities with all the yellow lines and so on in a vain attempt to get motorists to obey the law

*dons fireproof suit*

I will just add that without the massive subsidy that car drivers get from the taxpayer

Hehe.

My choices in this instance are not affected by the environment or whether I may knock someone off their bike.

You're not alone. Though sooner or later this maybe a minority perspective.

*dons fireproof suit*

Shouldn't you wear that whenever you come on STW? Bit like a Polisman never going out without a stab vest?!

The motor-lobby are strong here...

So your point is just completley insignificant.

In your opinion...which you're entitled to of course.

The [s]motor[/s]common sense-lobby are strong here...

slight typo there... 😉

The motor/common sense-lobby are strong here...

slight typo there...

No typo, and the two aren't necessarily mutually incompatible, no matter how much certain members of either group would have any of us believe to further their causes/bolster their arguments. 😉

You're right of course.

I was being a little belligerent. But hoped my winking smiley face highlighted that I was kidding!

TJ, I don't see what your post has to do with mine? If I stopped driving into work once a month what will change? nothing.

warton - I thought I would open a further can of worms to bait my hook with. No bites tho 🙁

aah, very good. I nearly commented on your yellow lines point too 😀

Anyway...what tyres for commuting to London?

Aparantly its these McHamish
[img] [/img]

anything else makes you either poor or a lentil weaving yoghurt muncher

TandemJeremy - Member

I will just add that without the massive subsidy that [s]car drivers [/s] [i]scots [/i]get from the taxpayer it would be even more expensive to [s]drive[/s] [i]be this self righteous [/i]

FTFY

What a lot of people are missing here is that it is possible to live near work. Or, if you don't like the area you can get a new job. You can be completely selfish and drive to work of course. It's all about choice you see. A lot of people choose to be selfish, it is a sad fact of life.

What a lot of people are missing here is that it is possible to live near work

Define near.

Or, if you don't like the area you can get a new job

Something tells me you were fortunate enough to find a job that you like near a place in which you want to live.

Would you really take a job you hated so that you or your family could live somewhere nice? Or all move to a crappy area for the opposite?

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13217726 ]200+ Die in South US Tornadoes[/url]
Selfish ****ers should have moved somewhere else.

No, i chose a job that i could commute to in 20 minutes by bike. I always have, it's choice you see.

But what if you couldn't find one?

You always can. It may involve a pay cut, but quality of life comes first.

Let me get this straight. You can ALWAYS find a job?

I suppose I could work at Asda. I wonder if that would improve quality of life for me and my family?

Yes, they may get to spend more time with their wonderful father.

You always can. It may involve a pay cut, but quality of life comes first

What an ignorant thing to say.

Yes, they may get to spend more time with their wonderful father

Who'd be suicidally depressed, and we'd have no money to do anything.

This is hypothetical by the way, my plans are somewhat different.