Ghost bike @ Ranelagh bridge

purethick

Apologies if this has been discussed before - searched the forum and google but couldn't find any mention.
There's a new ghost bike along the canal at Ranelagh bridge. Does anybody know what happened?

CramCycle

Could it be replacing the old one that was there?

purethick

Could it be replacing the old one that was there?

Was there an old one there? There's one up by Harolds Cross bridge which has been there for several years. Also the only other ghost bike listed for Dublin is from 2009 from Wellington Quay.

StevieGriff

Ghost bike? Anyone care to explain?

purethick

http://ghostbikes.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_bike

CramCycle

purethick wrote: »

Was there an old one there? There's one up by Harolds Cross bridge which has been there for several years. Also the only other ghost bike listed for Dublin is from 2009 from Wellington Quay.

Probably the one i am thinking of, apologies.

purethick

pic of ghost bike

seamus

Nothing there in the last year;
http://irishcycle.com/2014/01/01/cyclists-deaths-on-irish-roads-at-joint-low-in-2013/

Maybe it's a tribute bike to a cyclist who died, but not actually in a cycling accident?

Dinging

5 year anniversary of cyclists death, see http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055461531

Hrududu

I was walking past when they were putting it up and asked about it. They said it was for a cyclist that was killed nearby in 2013 but not at the bridge. I wasn't sure if the people putting up the bike were friends of the person or not so didn't want to be nosey by asking too many questions.

Maybe the canal is easier to place the bike rather than the location of the accident.

purethick

Dinging wrote: »

5 year anniversary of cyclists death, see http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055461531

Nah that was up at Harolds Cross - there's a ghost bike currently at that location

purethick

Hrududu wrote: »

I was walking past when they were putting it up and asked about it. They said it was for a cyclist that was killed nearby in 2013 but not at the bridge. I wasn't sure if the people putting up the bike were friends of the person or not so didn't want to be nosey by asking too many questions.

Maybe the canal is easier to place the bike rather than the location of the accident.

ahh ok.

Doctor Bob

Hrududu wrote: »

I was walking past when they were putting it up and asked about it. They said it was for a cyclist that was killed nearby in 2013 but not at the bridge. I wasn't sure if the people putting up the bike were friends of the person or not so didn't want to be nosey by asking too many questions.

Maybe the canal is easier to place the bike rather than the location of the accident.

When was it installed? I noticed it for the first time on Sunday afternoon.

I'm not aware of any cycle fatality at or near this location in 2013 and, as linked by seamus, there's no record of one according to irishcycle.com. I'd be curious to know more.

I'm not a fan of the ghost bike concept; even less so if it's 'a tribute bike to a cyclist who died, but not actually in a cycling accident', or a memorial to a fatality that happened elsewhere, given that one of the supposed purposes of the concept is to highlight danger at the location of the fatality.

purethick

Doctor Bob wrote: »

When was it installed? I noticed it for the first time on Sunday afternoon.

I'm not aware of any cycle fatality at or near this location in 2013 and, as linked by seamus, there's no record of one according to irishcycle.com. I'd be curious to know more.

I'm not a fan of the ghost bike concept; even less so if it's 'a tribute bike to a cyclist who died, but not actually in a cycling accident', or a memorial to a fatality that happened elsewhere, given that one of the supposed purposes of the concept is to highlight danger at the location of the fatality.

I only noticed it on Monday, so I'm guessing over the weekend. I'm thinking it may be a memorial to Louise Butler (happened in Blackrock last August)...

Hrududu

Doctor Bob wrote: »

When was it installed?

They were putting it up on Saturday afternoon.

papa-lazarou

Seems to be for Louise Butler

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/cyclists-urged-to-exercise-caution-following-death-of-louise-butler-29503287.html

https://twitter.com/AbiePB/status/422340643802083328

ThisRegard

She died in Blackrock, isn't the whole point of them to put them where the person died to highlight the fact to passing motorists etc ?

seamus

At the risk of sounding insensitive, this bike is completely pointless. The point of the Ghost bike is not to serve as a memorial for the individual, it's to serve as a reminder to all road users that someone died at that very spot, so they should exercise caution.

If you just throw up ghost bikes to remember everyone who's died, then you dilute the point of them and eventually people start ignoring them. It's a bit like putting "slow down, speed kills" signs on motorways; people are blind to the message because it's used in places where it is not required or not appropriate.

I suspect in this case what's happened is that SDCC (or Rathdown/DL) have refused permission to leave the bike permanently at the spot where Louise died, but DCC have allowed it.

CramCycle

seamus wrote: »

At the risk of sounding insensitive, this bike is completely pointless. The point of the Ghost bike is not to serve as a memorial for the individual, it's to serve as a reminder to all road users that someone died at that very spot, so they should exercise caution.

If you just throw up ghost bikes to remember everyone who's died, then you dilute the point of them and eventually people start ignoring them. It's a bit like putting "slow down, speed kills" signs on motorways; people are blind to the message because it's used in places where it is not required or not appropriate.

I suspect in this case what's happened is that SDCC (or Fingal) have refused permission to leave the bike permanently at the spot where Louise died, but DCC have allowed it.

Completely agree, a nice gegsture but the point is missed, as a warnign it serves no use, as a memorial, it serves equally as no use, as this thread shows, no one had any real idea.
Surprised if SDCC would refuse, maybe someone should tweet her friends and suggest asking a local councillor can it be moved and to raise it at the next meeting.

seamus

Just checked it out, it's Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown in charge of the area. They are notoriously restrictive on anything which isn't in keeping with the tone of affluence, rainbows and sunshine. So I wouldn't be surprised if they refused.

Of course, I could be wrongly pointing the finger too.

daragh_

seamus wrote: »

Just checked it out, it's Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown in charge of the area. They are notoriously restrictive on anything which isn't in keeping with the tone of affluence, rainbows and sunshine. So I wouldn't be surprised if they refused.

Of course, I could be wrongly pointing the finger too.

It might be some sensitivity around the location where she died. IIRC there are a couple of large Insurance Companies based right at that corner.

Agree with Seamus and Cramcycle. It's a lovely gesture by her friends but misses the point.

Plasid

Nice idea but wrong location completely misses the point. Move to where the tragedy occurred and raise hell with the press if the council are being troublesome, I'm sure some cc would like to explain refusal to the Joe Duffy lot