Journalism and cycling

JMcL

magicbastarder wrote: »

have you heard the ads for the suzuki vitara? they're toe curling. 'you've achieved everything you wanted in life, you're about to go into the most important meeting evar, but first go for a drive in your dinky SUV as the cherry on the top, and you'll feel like a real man'.

The one that took the biscuit for me recently was the quite good gloom-fest from Philip Boucher Hayes that was on RTE last week. Right after the bit that detailed how urban gridlock basically has us all fscked, there was an ad-break extolling how some Mazda SUV is just what you need to zoom around the city

griffin100

check_six wrote: »

Craughwell was on Pat Kenny at 9.30am this morning. Equated being overtaken by a cyclist as intimidating as being followed closely by a revving truck on Kildare St.. The cyclist *did* overtake on the left, but still seems a bit of a false equivalence. They spent a long time talking about cyclists breaking lights. Also a diversion into that tragedy on Merrion Row 20 years ago where a man died after falling and hitting his head due to being startled by a courier going the wrong way down the road. Not a lot learned in terms of the language and themes used unfortunately.

The big problem with the interview was that every time Craughwell tried to make a positive point about cycling or cyclists Pat jumped in with a negative bike story and steered the conversation into cycling stereotypes and negatives. It was maddening.

Seth Brundle

Not quite cycling related but important nonetheless...
Convicted motorists not finishing court-ordered safety courses

McGrath5

CramCycle wrote: »

]

Could we start a thread to highlight these ads :eek:

I saw one a while back, can't recall if it was for a BMW or Jaguar SUV, but it had "DOMINATE THE ROAD" plastered all over it. No surprise that many drivers feel its okay to drive through us pesky cyclists.

zell12

Renault ireland website - RENAULT TRUCKS T HIGH DOMINATE THE ROAD

Acquiescence

Idleater wrote: »

Yeah, it's a bit creepy though, "and now I'm going to have some fun".

Fun and cars now is diluted. Other manufacturers use terms like "responsive" "agile" "safe" etc, fun is for the track.

Maybe it's how it's framed in my mind but I have plenty of 'fun' no matter what I'm driving/riding, I go out with the intention of being safe, considerate and enjoying myself in that order and I can't remember the last time I didn't derive some enjoyment out of a spin in any of the things I own capable of spinning.

If people didn't resent being in the little bland boxes they're moving around in we'd all be safer.

tomasrojo

Cabaal wrote: »

Honestly I think car adverts should have to reflect real world road conditions,

I always found this quite a good depiction (too long for a single ad though):

Stark

Such a great film that.

(Should force that old man with the stroller to wear a helmet, hi-viz, have insurance and registration and pay road tax. That'll put some manners on him).

Duckjob

check_six wrote: »

Craughwell was on Pat Kenny at 9.30am this morning. Equated being overtaken by a cyclist as intimidating as being followed closely by a revving truck on Kildare St.. The cyclist *did* overtake on the left, but still seems a bit of a false equivalence. They spent a long time talking about cyclists breaking lights. Also a diversion into that tragedy on Merrion Row 20 years ago where a man died after falling and hitting his head due to being startled by a courier going the wrong way down the road. Not a lot learned in terms of the language and themes used unfortunately.

Craughwell wasn't the worst, in fairness to him. A bit oafish on some points but I think you've got to give him some props for getting out there.


Kenny, on the other hand has a permanently angry bee in his bonnet about people on bikes:

Pat Kenny wrote:

Often on this program, there is denial by the cycling lobby... they say there's one or two bad eggs who do this and bring us all into disrepute. It's not just one or two bad eggs I'm afraid.

And then this gem:

Professional drivers you see. they have to put up with this .... Taxi drivers have infinite patience... by and large, I mean, there are some cowboys out there.....but they generally behave well. And the same with delivery vans....

Pinch Flat

Kenny hates cyclists. Wouldn’t waste my time listening to him. He typifies the suburban Dubliner who sees the car as some sort of personal magic carpet and can’t see beyond their 20% full vehicle that clogs the roads for miles around. Everyone else - particularly those that can get from A to B on a bike and avoid all the hassle he contributes to - are beneath contempt.

Thargor

zell12 wrote: »

Renault ireland website - RENAULT TRUCKS T HIGH DOMINATE THE ROAD

A company the size of Renault cant hire a competent English translator?

Renault Trucks models are really sober in terms of fuel and always more careful of the driver comfort.

The roof sky is now in grey for a better quality over time.

The dashboard and interior doors come now in a carbon finishing for a luxurious look and feel.

tomasrojo

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Kenny hates cyclists.

And yet, he's so lovable himself, the climate-change-denying lacquered plank.

micar

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Kenny hates cyclists.

Everyone else - particularly those that can get from A to B on a bike and avoid all the hassle he contributes to - are beneath contempt.

Just listened to the segment on his show today. He actually says he cycles......but did not say to what extent

It was painful to listen to him praise professional drivers. He hasn't a clue .

I think he needs to get out and cycle in Dublin himself.....Dalkey to city centre on the N11. A road I cycled for a few years.

Stark

micar wrote: »

Just listened to the segment on his show today. He actually says he cycles......but did not say to what extent

"I'm not a racist but..."
"I have friends who are _"
"I'm a cyclist myself..."

magicbastarder

micar wrote: »

Just listened to the segment on his show today. He actually says he cycles

he cycles between idiocy and hubris.

AndrewJRenko

micar wrote: »

Just listened to the segment on his show today. He actually says he cycles......but did not say to what extent

It was painful to listen to him praise professional drivers. He hasn't a clue .

I think he needs to get out and cycle in Dublin himself.....Dalkey to city centre on the N11. A road I cycled for a few years.

He used to cycle from Dalkey to RTE when he was there.

tomasrojo

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

He used to cycle from Dalkey to RTE when he was there.

Someone recently posted a picture of him on his bike outside Montrose, back in the day. I think anyway. Maybe it wasn't here I saw it.

eeeee

https://www.uci.org/inside-uci/press-releases/athletes--quotas-for-road-cycling-events-at-the-tokyo-2020-olympic-games

So the UCI see fit to allow 130 male and 67 female qualifying spots for the Olympic Road race in Tokyo :mad: :rolleyes:

magicbastarder

affirmative action for the men, innit?

Thats quite the reduction from the normal size of the womens peloton. A world tour race and the male equivalent say LBL or Amstel Gold would be 175 to 144 men to women.

Harrybelafonte

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

He used to cycle from Dalkey to RTE when he was there.

You sure? I worked in Donnybrook for years and he was always to be seen passing through riding a “covered” BMW motorbike?

Is he really a climate change denier? I thought he had a science degree from UCD?

Harrybelafonte

Re car ads, there’s a new target market trending there, the men who “aren’t allowed” to feel manly anymore and feel disconnected from apparently manly things their elders did, so overcompensate, market.

The kind for whom cutting wood or setting up a tent involves a €200 axe used only on ash or a custom made pocket knife with Damascus steel and a custom leather scabbard they wear in their hunting camouflaged trousers in their €450 RAB sleeping back. All of which they almost never use but insist on 100s of photos for social media when they do.

Maybe I’m ranting but I’m aware of too many people like this and I feel that trend washes over in many other behaviors, including attitude on the road.

CramCycle

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

You sure? I worked in Donnybrook for years and he was always to be seen passing through riding a “covered” BMW motorbike?

I seen him on a bicycle a few times.

Is he really a climate change denier? I thought he had a science degree from UCD?

I imagine he is either a, whoever pays my bills i agree with or he is old enough that he doesn't care. I have a feeling it is an engineering degree as this came up before.

Harrybelafonte

CramCycle wrote: »

I seen him on a bicycle a few times.
I imagine he is either a, whoever pays my bills i agree with or he is old enough that he doesn't care. I have a feeling it is an engineering degree as this came up before.

Cool. Never saw him in the bike. Other machine was probably more visible.

Yip. Apologies. Chemical Engineer.

magicbastarder

not journalism really, but the oireachtas committee on transport is discussing cycling, live on the link below - several cycling campaigners attending and speaking:

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/cr4-live/

magicbastarder

some ongoing twitter updates from DCC:

https://twitter.com/dublincycling/status/1197097194895097857

Duckjob

magicbastarder wrote: »

have you heard the ads for the suzuki vitara? they're toe curling. 'you've achieved everything you wanted in life, you're about to go into the most important meeting evar, but first go for a drive in your dinky SUV as the cherry on the top, and you'll feel like a real man'.

i may have slightly twisted some of the message, but stayed within the bounds of reality.

Somewhat related-

I caught most of a Dacia car advert on radio which was themed something along the lines of "Tips for your commute".

The "tip" presented in this case was to jog into work. This was obviously made in jest and presented in a predictably hilarious manner, full of comically horrible depictions of what that might entail, such as getting up at 5.30am and downing raw eggs.

The advert ends with something along the lines of "Sitting in your car doesn't seem so bad now does it?"

Pretty sad state of affairs when the best marketing tactic you can offer is using hyberbolic nonsense to rubbish the alternatives in an effort to make what you're selling seem a slightly "less ****" option than those alternatives.

Large bottle small glass

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Re car ads, there’s a new target market trending there, the men who “aren’t allowed” to feel manly anymore and feel disconnected from apparently manly things their elders did, so overcompensate, market.

The kind for whom cutting wood or setting up a tent involves a €200 axe used only on ash or a custom made pocket knife with Damascus steel and a custom leather scabbard they wear in their hunting camouflaged trousers in their €450 RAB sleeping back. All of which they almost never use but insist on 100s of photos for social media when they do.

Maybe I’m ranting but I’m aware of too many people like this and I feel that trend washes over in many other behaviors, including attitude on the road.

That type has always been there, golf clubs in the 90's would have been full of them and cycling clubs might contain a few also?

Regarding your axe analogy, I've no doubt a fiskars or similar would be cool to use, I've managed quite well over 30 years with a basic splitting maul. However I have hard earned knowledge and technique, which in most spheres a time short man or woman will probably reach for the credit card than putting the time into education and technique.

How different is it to buying €300 winter jacket, 50 over shoes etc. etc when mudguards with a flap would have got you 90% improvement for €30. I won't even bother suggesting education and practice of cold adaptation which is free.

On cars 4 by 4 sales to urban dwellers has been thriving for over 20 years. Car sales have been more form than function for generations.

Thud

it's not just cyclists Verona has an issue with

https://www.thejournal.ie/poll-leo-varadkar-support-for-verona-murphy-4898336-Nov2019/

Seth Brundle

Prepare for the typical comments about high-viz, four abreast and road tax...
‘Cyclists versus motorists’ rhetoric must stop, TD says