Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

magicbastarder

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/new-cyclepath-in-ballsbridge-would-destroy-village-traders-claim-1.4645718

those six parking spaces are crucial to the success of ballsbridge as a cosy little village.

Macy0161

Ballsbridge is a clusterf*ck for cycling through*, with those spots being particularly bad, as they are always parked half out on the road (they treat them like a pavement, so only two wheels up) in my experience, including this week!

*although some of the objectors to Strand Road have it as "pleasant" to cycle.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117746420#Comment_117746420

Dermot Lacey said that he would be happy for a child to use this cycle track:

Thelonious Monk

Who would even think "oh you know what I'll go and park outside Nourish in Ballsbridge to grab a few things", I mean surely there wouldn't be a space anyway? It's so frustrating.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117746865#Comment_117746865

Given the net loss is supposed to be one parking space, it really seems to be the case that it's going to be a fight over every last square metre of the public realm.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117746717#Comment_117746717

are they the parking spaces in question?

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117746931#Comment_117746931

No, different occasion. That's Morehampton Road in Donnybrook. I just remember being quite struck by him saying it. It was when the cyclist was seriously hurt on Morehampton Road and he pointed out that a cycle track was already there, and someone asked whether he would let a child use it, and he said yes.

tomasrojo

The parking spaces in Ballsbridge have the same "two wheels out on the road" effect though.

tomasrojo

Think these are today's precious parkin spaces, near the RDS:

https://twitter.com/dublincycling/status/1426127833974427650

magicbastarder

running with an idea i saw on twitter, they should play along with the objections, and turn those parking spaces into disabled only bays, and police the **** out of it.

the disabled people who drive those two white commercial vans won't be unfairly impacted as a result.

ARX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117747025#Comment_117747025

On a similar note, as the residents (or at least one resident) of Sandymount are so keen on the rule of law, DCC should come down hard on parking offences in Sandymount. Every motor vehicle parked on a footpath or grass verge gets ticketed. If they want law, give 'em law.

magicbastarder

well, cycling twitter is lit this morning.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/michael-o-loughlin-how-did-cycling-become-a-class-thing-1.4647704

it's a laughably and wilfully blind article about cycling and class.

a pity they couldn't get someone with some insight into the topic to write about it - it's true that cycling activists are middle class, i reckon, but a question i'd have is if he does think that cycling is middle class and white, is why doesn't he explore why this would be the case?

Podge_irl

That is a monstrously stupid article.

"Activists" (for want of a better word) in the vast majority of issues are overwhelmingly white and middle class as they are the people who have the time and resources to be activists. Bicycles would open up personalised transport to vast swathes of society who currently have no access to any but getting many of them out on the road is difficult while all the suburbanites have monopolised the road.

Duckjob

i hear yer all racists now, cyclists ! how did ye get interested in that type o’ thing ?

tomasrojo

I could do without being annoyed, but I assume this is another bit about the virtue-signalling middle classes grinding their heels in the necks of the stout working-class denizens of Sandymount?

magicbastarder

if you want a vision of the future, imagine a fashionable middle class cycling shoe stamping on a human face - forever.

tomasrojo

I'm assuming, based on some other recent articles that have nothing to do with cycling, that they've decided culture war is the way to revive their circulation figures.

magicbastarder

"There is a widely held perception that cyclists and their supporters in the Government and city council are middle-class elitists"

and then proceeds to assume that is true without actually examining the issue.

Peregrine

"As I look out the window of my middle-class house in Portobello, I only see white middle-class cyclists.

Therefore, all cyclists are white and middle-class.

I am very intelligent."

Christ. I feel stupider having read it.

tomasrojo

I assume there's a shout-out for the Deliveroo and Uber Eats riders in it. Those middle-class elitists had it coming.

tomasrojo

I wonder what the well-heeled shoppers think about it? They're pretty annoyed about the middle-class elitists too.

tomasrojo

Michael O'Loughlin is a member of Aosdána. Not very relevant, but very faintly interesting.

magicbastarder

i'm still scratching my head trying to understand his point about bicycle theft.

Heraclius

I hope there are a few scathing letters in response in the next few days. Some of the articles the Irish Times publishes really make me question its value (and values) as a newspaper.

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117761380#Comment_117761380

I unsubscribed recently, it's turning into a total rag in many respects. The Journal actually seems to be higher quality than the Times of late and that's really saying something.

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117761413#Comment_117761413

Yes, I'm considering unsubscribing also. Im finding the opinion pieces are getting quite poor.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117761363#Comment_117761363

Against my better judgement, I read it quickly. It's completely incoherent. "Bikes are a middle-class thing now, not like when I was a kid. Minorities don't cycle (I can't see delivery riders in Portabello for some reason). People with expensive bikes worry about them being stolen. Cycling infrastructure brings benefit, but then again, Strand Road, which doesn't reinforce my point about class, sort of does, if I say so. Word count reached. Press send."

cletus

I made a New Year's resolution back in January, to stop listening to and reading the news. It's the only resolution that I've ever stuck to, and I'm much happier for it

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117761448#Comment_117761448

A good resolution. I wish I could stop myself reading opinion pieces and comments. I think neither really helps my mental state but I can't help myself!

cletus

I found myself getting angry in the morning on the way to work, listening to news/Newstalk (not necessarily synonymous). I felt like I needed to stay abreast of everything that was happening in the country.

Switched to Ian Dempsey, both me and my boys are much happier now 😁