[Closed] Standard anti-cyclist internet argument - any Geordies want to counter?

Lets set TJ on them.

sorry Graham I cannot denate with someone called bluntman who says

Identification of all bicycles would also make it feasible for the police to take away bicycles illegally parked on the pavement.Chained to posts and railings with their handle bars stuck out,they obstruct the pavement and prevent people from crossing the road.

I mean who has ever failed to cross a road due to a set of handlebars ..MADNESS

Only TJ will suffice

I spent a lot of time working in Newcastle a few years back. The anti-cyclist regime was well in swing then despite it actually being a very good place to cycle in. The council would issue notices to large businesses about how cyclists were terrorising walkers on the off-road cycle paths on a regular basis.

Complete joke IMO. There were good facilities in lots of places, I cycled a lot while I was there and saw many more cyclists than I'd say in say, Manchester but there was a very definate anti-cyclist feeling going on.

My achieved ambition was however to approach the Billy Mill roundabout at speed. Thanks Roger.

TJ can't help here, aside from being an immoveable object to foil an unstoppable force. He has been quite clear that attitudes towards cyclists need to change and dislikes dedicated cycle lanes in the main, due to the attitudes of drivers.

Whereas, the Dutch lady in the article ( Claire Prospert ) reckons that we need a semi-integrated cycle network in, and between cities. And I must say I agree with her. Drivers are [i]never[/i] going to be happy moving even more slowly than they currently do. I've been to York. Everyone drives very slowly through the centre because there are bazillions of cyclists. Not a bad thing, but frustrating when you have to be somewhere. The drivers might eventually have to accept longer travelling times due to critical mass, but they won't like it.

Far better to plan cities and routes between them in such a way as everyone gets to where they need to be at whatever speed they like. This is obviously slightly problematic insomuchas the roads already exist but there's nothing to stop future road developments taking the plan on board.

Yeh - set TJ on them.

I've had enough of dealing with complete morons in the last 13 hours and have almost lost the will to live, let alone argue with them 😡

My achieved ambition was however to approach the Billy Mill roundabout at speed. Thanks Roger

😀

GrahamS, having read the article and replies it looks like bluntman isn't about to start hugging bikes! He has his opinion and sadly it's unlikely to change. I agree with all you've said and lived in Newcastle many years, I think the only answer is to walk away. Let the topic die quietly. 🙂

bluntman isn't about to start hugging bikes!

Yeah, I know I'm unlikely to change his mind, though perhaps instilling just a little doubt might be nice.

I am mainly commenting for the benefit of other readers who may be more on the fence. Besides, if no one ever challenges such nonsense then muppets like him are in danger of thinking they have a consensus.

Edmund Burke and all that. 😀

Incidentally, if you live and cycle in Newcastle then have you considered joining the [url= http://newcycling.org/ ]Newcastle Cycle Campaign[/url] mentioned in the article?

I joined recently and went along to the members meeting at the new [url= http://www.thecyclehub.org/ ]Cycle Hub by the Tyne[/url]. Was quite interesting.

That new, imaginatively named, 'hub' has the best waitresses I've seen in years. Can't make a coffee, instantly forget what you've just ordered or whether or not you've paid for it, but I WILL be back 😀

went along to the members meeting

😯

Fun?

If you can't win, resort to ridicule. Start insinuating that Bluntman has a problem with cyclists due to frequent "skid marks by his back door"...

Fun?

Erm... well, no. Not fun exactly. (though I suspect if I'd been able to stick around to go to the pub afterwards it would have livened up).

But they were doing [i]good things[/i] (e.g. discussions with local government, getting councillors on-side & leading cycle awareness days for bus drivers)

Plus there was an interesting presentation by Bruce McVean (of http://www.beyondgreen.co.uk/ and http://movementforliveablelondon.com/ ) and Kate Cairns from http://www.seemesaveme.com/

If you're in Newcastle and think that all sounds terribly dull but worthy, then just sign up to the campaign anyway to give it some backing. You don't [i]have[/i] to come to the meetings 😀

I'm in Brizzle...we is a cycling city innit. Best of luck in Geordie land. 😀

I'm in Brizzle...we is a cycling stealing city innit.

Hey heh - welcome to the party Junkyard. 😀

Arguing/debating with cycle-haters ... probably about as worthwhile as trying to convert the Pope to Islam

True, but as I said "Edmund Burke".

It's attitudes like that which let in Hitler y'know 😀

[code]#godwinised[/code]

Is someone impersonating me on there - can they spell better than what i do?

Well it doesn't look like a cat fell on the keyboard - so it may well be an imposter 😉

Graham - I feel your pain regarding bluntman and I was all set to help re-educate him but couldnt educate myself as to how to apply my own comment.

In hindsight, its a losing battle there, he clearly has an agenda and a huge chip on his shoulder. You'd be best servd putting your energy into convincing sane/happier people of the virtues of city cycling.

Ciites should be full of people, not cars!

One answer to Bluntman, give us a proper safe network to ride on, suddenly the pavements are clear.

but couldnt educate myself as to how to apply my own comment.

You have to sign up first - link at the top right.

You'd be best servd putting your energy into convincing sane/happier people of the virtues of city cycling.

Yeah probably. But I think at least part of that comes down to challenging existing attitudes. I'm clearly not going to change his mind, but I might sow a few seeds in the minds of other people reading it.

If nothing else it is yet another chance to try and dispel the usual car tax, insurance, number plates nonsense.

Yeah probably. But I think at least part of that comes down to challenging existing attitudes. I'm clearly not going to change his mind, but I might sow a few seeds in the minds of other people reading it.

I agree. And thus replied to one of the comments, as BathSalts.

I'm a member of the Cycling Campaign myself, but mainly because I'm interested in what's going on in the local area, and support the cause - I never actually cycle in the city itself so am not an 'active' member.

Cheers butcher. Wondered if BathSalts was one of you lot.

Yeah, my personal commute is mainly along the NCN72, then across the Millennium Bridge and into Gateshead - so I don't have much contact at all with the main City/Gosforth/Jesmond cycling (thankfully) but I fully support their efforts to improve it.

Ooh he's back. Though he only seems to want to answer your points now butcher.

"Some cyclists are female but I can understand why you have never met any"

Oh harsh Junkyard, but probably accurate 😀

LOL!

Apparently my use of [i]"vague", "unfathomable", "statistics diarrhoea"[/i] is a [i]"desperate", "deceptive" and "perverse"[/i] attempt to [i]"fudge the issue"[/i] and [i]"stifle debate"[/i] - [i]"just like silly politicians use them"[/i].

Facts: getting in the way of ranty subjective anecdotes since 500BC. 😀

So much for an evidence-based approach. 😆

Ooo just spotted this I do some commuting into Necastle from the Alnwick area mostly ok until Gosforth high street and cramlington dual carriageway area.

Cool, hope you are tempted to join up with the Newcastle Cycle Campaign then carbon337?

http://newcycling.org/ (also on [url=

and [url= http://twitter.com/#!/newcycling ]Twitter[/url]).

Currently lots of plans for action around Gosforth.