Recent Cycling Articles

barleyman

Hi All,

over the last three weeks the attached articles have been published in a local magazine. They have caused a lot of upset in the cycling fraternity here in the Killarney Cycling Club.

For those of you who have time i'd appreciate if you could read the three articles and give your feedback\opinions on same.

the first article is titled "We all use the roads"
second article contains a letter from the club in response to the first article and the magazines response to the letter.

the third article is on pg 18 in the second link.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_KS4KQnei6MGSw8MmmJIjuit0jRGL2gE?usp=sharing

https://issuu.com/killarneyadvertiser/docs/killarney_advertiser_2nd_february__/2


Cheers,
Barleyman

doozerie

Where to start. The first letter is awful, a classic example of the wilful ignorance portrayed as concern that has become more and more common in recent years. Apparently, if you can claim to have "cycled a bit meself" then you can feel entitled to trot out any old bigoted shyte you like.

Focusing on some specific things said in the letter:

* ‘increased numbers [of cyclists] on our roads makes cyclists extremely vulnerable” - what? How do greater numbers mean increased risk for each of us? Nonsense.

* “In recent years the RSA has supported sweeping laws to protect the cyclist” - I LOL'ed. What sweeping laws? That statement is a poor attempt to appeal to those already biased against cyclists. Personally, I see little of any benefit offered for cyclists coming from the RSA.

* The suggestion that going single file removes you from risk is ludicrous. It's a view favoured by motorists that simply want cyclists out of their way, they don't care a jot about the safety of cyclists so any suggestions they make don't address cyclist safety in any way whatsoever - if cycling off a cliff got cyclists out of their way, they'd call for it to be the standard approach.

* There is no suggestion that the “frustrated motorists” should moderate their own behaviour, that being frustrated gives you no right to behave as you want. That's essentially victim blaming, the "you brought this on yourself" attitude.

All in all, a load of auld shyte, that first letter.