Journalism and cycling

Grassey

magicbastarder wrote:

a positive step in relation to journalism and cycling:

Good riddance to the dinosaur!

tomasrojo

circler wrote: »

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/22/drivers-who-pass-cycle-training-scheme-could-get-cheaper-insurance

Alas for the people of the UK, the key word is probably "encouraged". When you see that, it usually means the authorities will be allowed to fall far short of 15%.

tomasrojo

magicbastarder wrote: »

a positive step in relation to journalism and cycling:

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/goodbye-george-hook-you-should-have-stuck-to-your-plan-and-quit-in-2016-1.3707310

Sometimes his prejudices were relatively benign. His disdain for cyclists teetered into self-parody, though there was also an element of gleeful trolling to it.

I'm not at all sure that that was benign.

tomasrojo

Though courteous and even flirty with female guests

Gallantly asking them off-mic what bra size they were, and chivalrously telling them how he didn't like their lesbian hair.

magicbastarder

flirty? downright dismissive at times.

Corca Baiscinn

tomasrojo wrote: »

I'm not at all sure that that was benign.

Exactly the same thought struck me as i read it. To be fair to him Mick Heaney in his radio reviews has called out Pat Kenny re his dinosaur views on cyclists but he may not cycle himself If he did, I think he'd grasp how George Hook's anti-cyclist rants weren't at all harmless. They added fuel to the flames of the motorist view of cyclists as a nuisance who had no right to be obstructing the motorist's space and deserved whatever as coming to them

Anecdote time, I've an ex who works in the make up industry (not some youtube influencer) and did some work experience when she was starting out many years ago late 90's early 2000's and did Hook's a few others for TV. I was informed he's was actually an alright guy once upon a time and made her feel quite comfortable and at ease when she was very nervous doing her job, "must have soured with age" is what she said to re: the cycling and other stuff

Lumen

I sometimes listen to Ciara Kelly since Hook was reshuffled from his Newstalk slot, and the sensitive, thoughtful exposure she gives to issues that tend to affect women actually makes me want to cry, in a positive way. And I don't even like her politics.

Despite all the bollox in the world today, society inches forwards regardless.

jon1981

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6429339/Pop-star-27-girl-band-toured-Little-Mix-jailed-mowing-killing-cyclist.html

Not in Ireland but this sort of justice will make people think... or maybe not.

mr spuckler

jon1981 wrote: »

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6429339/Pop-star-27-girl-band-toured-Little-Mix-jailed-mowing-killing-cyclist.html

Not in Ireland but this sort of justice will make people think... or maybe not.

the first comment on the page mirrored exactly what I was thinking.

Bloody DM's typical reporting. Eight images of the bloody daft group posing and a bad driver but only one of the victim.

Grassey

Ah you got to take the positives though.... they didn't say "a cyclist collided with a car"...

Rather:

mowing down and killing cyclist

The smash happened ... at around 25mph

did not stop at a roundabout and drove her blue Ford KA straight into mum-of-three

Duckjob

Daily Maily commenter genius wrote:

why isn't it law to wear protective gear on a bike...minimum a helmet...it's NOT a cars responsibility to make sure bikes are safe...

Lovely...

Ray Bloody Purchase

Duckjob wrote: »

Lovely...

Interdasting.

radia

Duckjob wrote: »

Originally Posted by Daily Maily commenter genius
why isn't it law to wear protective gear on a bike...minimum a helmet...it's NOT a cars responsibility to make sure bikes are safe...

Lovely...

Stupid comment anyway (the DM commenter, not Duckjob!), but made even more pointless by the fact that, according to the article:

Debbie, who ran Debbie's Cakes and Gluten Free Bakes, was wearing a protective helmet.

But that's DM readers for you.

Pinch Flat

There’s a Venn diagram of mail reader traits. Three circles, Cyclists meets immigrants meets Brexit. Where they meet in the middle is some pretty stupid people.

Hurrache

I was so tempted to put this in the Motors forum. Interesting research which leads to an insurer offering cheaper rates to cyclists.

Cyclists Are Better Drivers Than Motorists, Finds Study
.....
Cyclists who drive are better behind the steering wheel than motorists, a new analysis has found. The link between cycling and safer motoring was revealed by a UK insurance firm which offers specialist motor insurance policies for cyclists. This analysis correlates with an earlier study which found that cyclist-drivers tend to have faster reaction times than non-cyclists.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/10/09/cyclists-are-better-drivers-than-motorists-finds-study/[URL][/url]

Pinch Flat

They’re too busy debating how speed limits should be increased, the inhumanity that is the M7 Naas speed checks. Put in in for the craic anyway....

Hurrache

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Put in in for the craic anyway....

I think I'll keep it in my arsenal for the next time one of the usual threads pop up, I tread on thin ice as it is over there any time cycling comes up.

Doc07

Hurrache wrote: »

I was so tempted to put this in the Motors forum. Interesting research which leads to an insurer offering cheaper rates to cyclists.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/10/09/cyclists-are-better-drivers-than-motorists-finds-study/[URL][/url]

Post it everywhere and please send it to George Hook, Ivan Yates, Paul Williams etc. I would do it myself but my wife made me leave twitter

What Username Guidelines

Hurrache wrote: »

I was so tempted to put this in the Motors forum. Interesting research which leads to an insurer offering cheaper rates to cyclists.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/10/09/cyclists-are-better-drivers-than-motorists-finds-study/[URL][/url]

The first reply would be about how they once saw a cyclist break a red light so the research is therefore completely debunked

Duckjob

Hurrache wrote: »

I was so tempted to put this in the Motors forum. Interesting research which leads to an insurer offering cheaper rates to cyclists.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/10/09/cyclists-are-better-drivers-than-motorists-finds-study/[URL][/url]

I wonder what proof of actually being a cyclist the insurance co needs to offer someone the cyclist driver rate ?

CramCycle

Duckjob wrote: »

I wonder what proof of actually being a cyclist the insurance co needs to offer someone the cyclist driver rate ?

Probably Strava, with no flagged rides

Hurrache

This is the website, don't see policy documentation but they do ask if you're a member of a cycling/tri club during the quotation process.
https://www.carinsurance4cyclists.com/

rubadub

Duckjob wrote: »

I wonder what proof of actually being a cyclist the insurance co needs to offer someone the cyclist driver rate ?

they might need nothing, just like the "itsforwomen" crowd insure men but quite obviously hope they do not apply -they just hope to successfully legally discriminate. They legally have had to fight advertising authorities to attempt to prove they are not sexist -which they did. I maintain that companies called "it's for whites", "it's for protestants", "it's for men", "it's for foreskin intact males", "it's for settled people" would have had a much harder time convincing them.

In the vast majority of cases insurance is charged on a per year basis. I remember ~15-20 years ago when discrimination on sex was allowed women had cheaper insurance (I know it was not then when scrapped). I remember some insurance company saying that women had more claims per mile and that as their mileage was increasing it would soon come to a tipping point where annual insurance for women would be more, as women were driving more and so putting in more claims per year. Just like a fireman is likely far more trained than me, but in a given year is more likely to suffer a serious burn.

It has nothing to do with skill etc, with insurance it is all about the likelihood of a claim, not the likelihood of having a crash, or whose fault it was etc.

If you are a regular cyclist then you likely spend less time in your car per annum, so likely less claims per year, regardless of skill, stats could show you have more claims per mile (maybe stats do show it is less). If it does happen it will be amusing to see hardened cyclist hating "bloke in the pub" taximen who take pride in their punishment passing skills -signing up to cycling clubs to get their discount...

Mickiemcfist

Hurrache wrote: »

I was so tempted to put this in the Motors forum. Interesting research which leads to an insurer offering cheaper rates to cyclists.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/10/09/cyclists-are-better-drivers-than-motorists-finds-study/[URL][/url]

As someone pretty new to cycle commuting, I doubt my reaction times have improved yet but I'm definitely more aware of cyclists & where they could possibly be. (I've commuted in my car through Dub city for 10+ years and never had any close calls) But I'm definitely more alert. I think the feeling of vulnerability transfers.

magicbastarder

rubadub wrote: »

If you are a regular cyclist then you likely spend less time in your car per annum, so likely less claims per year, regardless of skill, stats could show you have more claims per mile (maybe stats do show it is less). If it does happen it will be amusing to see hardened cyclist hating "bloke in the pub" taximen who take pride in their punishment passing skills -signing up to cycling clubs to get their discount...

the article seems explicit though that cyclists *do* have better driving skills, rather than it just being down to reduced risk exposure from reduced time spent driving.

Hurrache

Not cycling, but another, imo, ridiculous statement from a judge, unless the sign is some odd non standard one.

Judge Keys said: "The signs that distinguish one area from the other are quite small and not the easiest to observe.

"There is an area where it is very difficult for any motorist to observe."

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/davy-fitzgerald-wins-speeding-battle-as-judge-says-sign-too-small-37576544.html

ford2600

Hurrache wrote: »

Not cycling, but another, imo, ridiculous statement from a judge, unless the sign is some odd non standard one.



https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/davy-fitzgerald-wins-speeding-battle-as-judge-says-sign-too-small-37576544.html

By all accounts Davy was never going to be a leading astrophysicist, but given how often he has driven that road to claim he was unaware of speed limit changes is a bit much. I've probably driven it 50-100 times and was never in doubt as to change over point. The area around Bunratty is a regular speed trap.

The failure of Go Safe to prove he was notified was probably enough to get him off anyway.

The rest is Judge Keys waffling

AndrewJRenko

Hurrache wrote: »

Not cycling, but another, imo, ridiculous statement from a judge, unless the sign is some odd non standard one.

Judge Keys said: "The signs that distinguish one area from the other are quite small and not the easiest to observe.

"There is an area where it is very difficult for any motorist to observe."

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/davy-fitzgerald-wins-speeding-battle-as-judge-says-sign-too-small-37576544.html

Ah sure, give him a break, sure how could he be expected to read a sign going at that speed?

BBC One show covered "drunk cycling" last night. I was shouting at the screen during the 'outraged' vox pop, until they managed to find the sensible guy who pointed out that the most dangerous outcome was likely to be falling over.

magicbastarder

a friend once spent new years dealing with a drunk cyclist who'd come a cropper; ringing the ambulance and then basically babysitting him to make sure he was OK. the toughest bit was when the chap's girlfriend (who was out of the country) rang (also drunk) to wish her boyfriend a happy new year, but simon had to explain to her that he couldn't come to the phone because he was in A&E, and that didn't go down well as you might imagine.