The language of cycle campaigning

[yoav]

I reckon the new reply to 'you don't pay road tax' should be:

"Yes, its great, isn't it", followed by (if the driver appears to be listening),

"Get on a bike and you won't have to, either."

 

[nextSibling]

Scene: Critical Mass, London, sometime in the early 90s.
Angry driver to mass riders: "You don't pay road tax!"
Anonymous rider: Rides up alongside angry driver's open window and throws a handful of spare change into his car. "That'll cover today. Now STFU".

[alexb]

I wish we could star the argument that it's not "A war on motorists", every time speed cameras (or any other measure designed to stop drivers being dicks) are introduced.
"It's a war on anti-social behaviour" is the correct response.

We're encouraged to report crime on the one hand, but if cyclists do it, then we're "vigilantes"

So I'd suggest it's not a camera carrying "Cycling vigilante", it's "a person filming a driving offence" etc...

I'm not a big fan of "cycling facility", "cycle path" or "shared-use path", because they're never exclusively for cyclists. In general we don't talk about motor roads (since they're shared by definition), but I guess we do talk about motorways...

[Kim]

It's almost as if motoring were synonymous with anti-social behaviour...

I'm not a big fan of "cycling facility", "cycle path" or "shared-use path", because they're never exclusively for cyclists. In general we don't talk about motor roads (since they're shared by definition), but I guess we do talk about motorways...

Depends on the facility.  Cycle parking is pretty much exclusively for cyclists, as are things like wheeling ramps.

Shared-use paths, well, the clue's in the name.  It also explains why they're usually inadequate for cycling.

Under UK law, pedestrians may walk on a cycle path, in the same way that they may walk on a road.  That seems reasonable enough, and doesn't preclude roads or cycle paths being built for the use of wheeled users, or separate footways being provided for pedestrians.


But this is all that technical stuff that's best kept for when you're persuading the council not to build bollocks.  The general public won't appreciate the subtleties (beyond perhaps "mini-road for bikes" and "footpath you're allowed to cycle on", which is more about physical construction than legal status).

[fuzzy]

An observation on life on the roads in one act.

Our protagonists-
Lurtz, an Uruk-Hai, driver of A White Van, dressed in festering overalls. He is frothing at the mouth as he is hunched over the steering wheel. Samwise Gamgee, the rider of a Hybrid Bicycle. He is dressed in a hi visibility jacket, a safety hat and shorts.

The scene- a busy urban highway. Cars, vans, lorries, pedestrians and cyclists in abundance. A narrowing of the way is centre stage.
Samwise is progressing along a "Cycle Lane" making good speed.
Lurtz is crawling along the road in the same direction as Samwise but ahead of him.

Act 1, Scene 1.
Samwise propels his cycle happily along the cycle lane, his mind occasionally thinking of his beloved Rosie. He is making faster progress than the adjacent line of motor vehicles. A white van is visible just ahead of him.

Lurtz sits within his white van, beating the steering wheel in frustration. He has places to go, things to do. Don't these fecking idiots in their cars understand. The rage is barely contained. He roars in anger. He looks about him, hunting for an escape route. He spies and expanse of stone flags to his left. Nothing of significance moves upon the flags, just puny Humans, carrying their bags, pushing their spawn in tiny carts. He decides to alter his path and take the Way Of The Flags. He stamps down on the go faster pedal and turns the steering wheel to the left.

Samwise draws level with the white van. Suddenly it moves towards our hero! Samwise's reactions are swift. he steers around the white van and skids to a halt just to its front.

Lurtz is surprised to see a Cyclist stopped in Get out of my way of him. The surprise causes him to stomp down on the stop going pedal. Lurtz (Roaring): "Get out of my way Cyclist!"

Samwise: "Sir, you very nearly knocked me down. Is all not well?"

Lurtz (still roaring): Grrrrraaaaaaaagggghhhhh!Get out of my way, you don't pay fucking road tax!"

Samwise (understanding instantly that debate is pointless) No sir. Not on this oi don't" Samwise rides off into the sunrise, shaking his head as he accepts that some folk are less fortunate than he.

The End.

[PloddinPedro]

Just listened to the most recent episode of The Bike Show, which looks at 'bikelash' - the negative media response to recent changes to cycling infrastructure in London and elsewhere. .................

Really worth listening to.
http://thebikeshow.net/bikelash/

Thanks for posting this. I hadn't come across this podcast series before.

[caerau]

An observation on life on the roads in one act.

Our protagonists-
Lurtz, an Uruk-Hai, driver of A White Van, dressed in festering overalls. He is frothing at the mouth as he is hunched over the steering wheel. Samwise Gamgee, the rider of a Hybrid Bicycle. He is dressed in a hi visibility jacket, a safety hat and shorts.

The scene- a busy urban highway. Cars, vans, lorries, pedestrians and cyclists in abundance. A narrowing of the way is centre stage.
Samwise is progressing along a "Cycle Lane" making good speed.
Lurtz is crawling along the road in the same direction as Samwise but ahead of him.

Act 1, Scene 1.
Samwise propels his cycle happily along the cycle lane, his mind occasionally thinking of his beloved Rosie. He is making faster progress than the adjacent line of motor vehicles. A white van is visible just ahead of him.

Lurtz sits within his white van, beating the steering wheel in frustration. He has places to go, things to do. Don't these fecking idiots in their cars understand. The rage is barely contained. He roars in anger. He looks about him, hunting for an escape route. He spies and expanse of stone flags to his left. Nothing of significance moves upon the flags, just puny Humans, carrying their bags, pushing their spawn in tiny carts. He decides to alter his path and take the Way Of The Flags. He stamps down on the go faster pedal and turns the steering wheel to the left.

Samwise draws level with the white van. Suddenly it moves towards our hero! Samwise's reactions are swift. he steers around the white van and skids to a halt just to its front.

Lurtz is surprised to see a Cyclist stopped in Get out of my way of him. The surprise causes him to stomp down on the stop going pedal. Lurtz (Roaring): "Get out of my way Cyclist!"

Samwise: "Sir, you very nearly knocked me down. Is all not well?"

Lurtz (still roaring): Grrrrraaaaaaaagggghhhhh!Get out of my way, you don't pay fucking road tax!"

Samwise (understanding instantly that debate is pointless) No sir. Not on this oi don't" Samwise rides off into the sunrise, shaking his head as he accepts that some folk are less fortunate than he.

The End.

*wipes his splurted drink from the screen*


Exchange White Van Man for White Wankpanzer Woman into that scenario and this was my experience last night on the way home!   
Hilarious it was.  Much spluttering and beeping after ludicrously overtaking me when it was blatantly obvious she was going to get stuck behind the bus that everyone else for the last 10 minutes had been stuck behind.  Oh how she was frothing at the mouth when I just went straight back past her, and the bus (which of course I *could*, easily and safely).  Only other thing lacking is any conversation between her and I, I just left her stuck there and went home.  She never did catch me up again.  I hope the lesson was learned but I seriously doubt it.


I know, Today's Motorised Moron is that way ====>