Meanwhile on the Roads...

magicbastarder

the caveat about the research mentioned in that article is that the data collected is self reported; it could well be that kids in fee paying schools are more comfortable admitting to bad behaviour (which is not in itself a good thing).

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121653847#Comment_121653847

The 'insane' fees are really the proper fees for what a private education should cost, were the family to pay the full cost and not be subsidised by the Government. I guess most of them in the UK are boarding only, which bumps up the fees even further.

I'm not sure whether it's better or worse from an equality and social justice POV to have private education only available to the super wealthy, or to the wealthy too.

Cue the outraged responses from the not-wealthy-at-all parents who got up at 5am and walked over hot coals to fund the private education for their children....

magicbastarder

I saw an interesting article in the IT commenting on the push to stop funding fee paying schools - a 'be careful what you wish for' opinion piece, that it could push us closer to what you see in Britain, which does not solve the problem.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121654423#Comment_121654423

There definitely is quite a difference between €6 000 a year and €40 000 a year (about €58 000 for boarding) . One is the level of privilege that lets you have another family car, and I can't even imagine what the other level of privilege is.

I don't really know how pernicious the presence of subsidized fee-charging schools is. It does seem to be an odd hybrid here; bit like our public broadcasting which is funded by licence fees and advertising. Maybe coming from the same philosophy? Some people wanted something like the UK model but it couldn't be facilitated the way the UK facilitate it.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121654503#Comment_121654503

Apparently the non-subsidized model of the "independent" school allows them not to follow the UK national curriculum (I think you can do the same here, but you lose the subsidizing of the teachers' wages if you don't follow the curriculum). I can imagine some very conservative religious orders might like that, but not sure otherwise how much anyone wants to do that.

magicbastarder

i once saw a comment along the lines of 'the british public school system is the greatest antidote to impostor syndrome, that we know of'.

Paddigol

SUVs drive trend for new cars to grow 1cm wider in UK and EU every two years, says report | Automotive industry | The Guardian

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121655523#Comment_121655523

Presume that's the James Nix you used to see on RTÉ when they were discussing the environment and transport.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121655974#Comment_121655974

Name doesn't ring a bell tbh.

Thinking of the hysteria anytime a Green politician is pictured on a bike without a helmet, imagine the uproar that would ensue if one was actually fined for breaching some provision of the RTA on a bike... Galway councillor and former TD Colm Keaveney accused of driving under the influence of cocaine (msn.com)

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121653836#Comment_121653836

Not to justify drink driving but it is something which is much less prevalent than it used to be.

25 years ago in most rural areas it would have been the norm and socially acceptable, with drivers not thinking twice about driving with 3/4 pints. Litteraly everyone did it

In most rural areas I'm familiar the pubs have been decimated in that time period; where I'm from there used to be 5 rural pubs. Now there is 1 full time and one part time. Give it 10 years and there will be none.

People are now drinking earlier as they are scared of being over the limit on the way to work the following morning.

The morning after a big night the road/car park will be full of cars; 25 years ago they were all gone that night.

Drug driving is a now a big problem; I've no idea if the combined figures of drug/alcohol today are higher than the alcohol number from the turn of the century

Paddigol

Don't think too many cyclists will be surprised at the make of car involved... Gardai post photo of Monaghan crash on their X page | Independent.ie

Unfortunately, the threat of “A court date will be in the post” means very little given the ineffective penalties handed out. Really doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent going by the state of driving I come across and the increasing number of reports referencing driving under the influence of drugs. Imagine the reports are only the tip of the iceberg too.

Paddigol

Have to say I'm a bit baffled by the Court of Appeal's logic... we finally see sentencing that reflects the nature of the offence, and then it's undone. It's that old prevailing attitude of "ah but shur he was unlucky and didn't intend to harm anyone"

Motorcyclist who broke pedestrian’s back after speeding at 130kmh in 50kmh zone has jail time cut (msn.com)

Dr_Colossus

Jasus, how was someone with "47 previous convictions at the time, including two for dangerous driving and four for the unauthorised taking of a vehicle." a heavy-goods driver and in possession of a license and motorbike. The convictions are only the times he was actually caught and prosecuted which takes extraordinary resources from all so who knows how many other infringements he has under his belt.

There's just no justice, pity the motorcyclist didn't break his back and both his legs instead of the pedestrian he likely maimed for life (article doesn't describe his injuries if any)

Paddigol

It's very frustrating alright. I'm loathe to discuss tragic accidents like the latest one in Carlow, because inevitably you'll be accused of lacking sensitivity. When do we talk about it? It's not the road's fault, or the "dangerous bend". Acknowledgement that 'speed may have been a factor' has to be spoken of in hushed tones out of respect. And I kind of get that in fairness. But then, the rest of the time, you've to deal with the mayhem on the roads and be seen as a moaning minnie if you bring it up. Try driving at 100kmph on the N11 overtaking cars doing say 90kmph... see how long you last without some asshat driving 12 inches from your rear bumper, lights flashing because your. not. driving. fast enough. And yet - AND YET - "he wasn't even wearing hi viz, Joe!" is the problem??

Our priorities are all wrong.

Macy0161

Some of the coverage around Carlow have left me uncomfortable too, in particular the blaming of the road. It's also uncomfortable to bring up, and obviously massive and sincere condolences to the families involved, but when is driver behaviour going to be discussed if not in the aftermath of such incidents?

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121711960#Comment_121711960

Let's start by stopping calling them 'accidents'. They're crashes or collisions.

Here's two threads showing experiences of cyclists on the roads and dealing with Gardai.

https://twitter.com/FHmediastuff/status/1753181121347518903

https://twitter.com/joedamaggio/status/1753413818976292979?s=20

07Lapierre

I had one of the worst incidents of aggressive driving last weekend. Approaching Naul on the R122.. as i passed Clann Mhuire GFC and started down the descent towards the Stop sign, I heard a fast approaching car with the horn at full blast approaching me from behind. I was in the centre of the left lane as i was turning right at the junction just up ahead..the car passed me on the right hand side and the passenger mirror glanced off my right arm.

The level of aggression from this guy was off the scale. He deliberately passed me as close as he could and as fast as he could!

Stay safe out there...it really is getting a lot more dangerous.

Paddigol

Car entitlement culture continues...

Councillor says ‘enough is enough’ as clamping numbers rise in Dublin city (msn.com)

Again, I've tried, but really struggling to follow his logic? Is he suggesting that people have no option but to park illegally, or not pay for parking? Or that they shouldn't have to pay? Or that we can trust people to pay for parking without threat of punishment for not doing so (yeah, that works out well with all other aspects of RTA enforcement)? With parking apps its never been easier to make sure you're parked legally.

He mentions low hanging fruit... he wouldn't be referring to the votes and media attention he's trying to get, would he?

magicbastarder

yesterday i rang dublin street parking services to ask for a clamp release fee to be waived (not for me!)

they recently made the bus lane outside the house 24/7 but (IMHO) should have put up a sign to that effect; the change to the operating hours on the bus lane sign is not significant enough for people to notice.

beggars_bush

Proper enforcement is the only way motorists and cyclists will learn.

elchupanebrey

Unlikely to ever happen

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714140#Comment_121714140

There was a time though when fear of enforcement worked, drink driving plummeted to the point of being socially unacceptable in many social groups, some remained but it worked.

elchupanebrey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714820#Comment_121714820

I agree. If there was some enforcement for a period of time it would change the behaviour of a lot of people. You'll never change everyone into perfect road users(driver or cyclist) but making some effort to enforce would help

Paddigol

Man (21) caught driving over 170kmh on M50 while on phone and inhaling suspected ‘laughing gas’ (msn.com)

Unbelievable.

Previous motoring convictions - including for reckless driving and driving unaccompanied as a learner.

170kmph - one hundred and seventy!

On the phone, inhaling laughing gas, weaving between traffic to under/ overtake...

But that's grand - no need for a spell behind bars, sure nobody was endangered. A €300 fine?? And a whole 2 year ban from driving?!? Yeah, that'll teach him.

What does everything about this report tell us about our attitudes towards road usage?

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744308#Comment_121744308

If every judge hearing such cases was sent to the National Rehabilitation Hospital once a year, it might open their eyes to the cost of dangerous/wreckless/criminal driving.

Road deaths are one thing; the serious injuries one is nearly the more important number

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745007#Comment_121745007

And grossly under-reported/ discussed. If you were to take evidence given by whiplash RTA victims seriously, in terms of pain and effect on their lives, you can only begin to imagine what kind of effect a serious RTA would have. As you say, a trip to the NRH would be eye-opening.

It's a bit like the shell shock victims in WW1 - we all know that compared to fatalities, there must be multiples of people horrendously injured every year on our roads, and multiples more families whose lives are turned upside down by the effect of dealing with that trauma. But its never, ever spoken about. Doesn't even warrant mentioning in annual statistics published in the media. Yet the likes of Kenny on Newstalk - and there are plenty of his kind with a media platform - bang on and on and on about how the poor motorists are being shafted. As though the majority of people who cycle and use public transport don't also use the car.

Zero context.

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745236#Comment_121745236

Next door neighbour SIL was a victim of an idiot driver like in your linked article.

50 yes old, married with two kids and wife, good job, nice home.

Rest of his life in a wheelchair, will never return to his job, kids have lost their active Dad, extended families life in chaos and about 100 other things would don't consider until you are directly involved

Paddigol

Speaking of stats...

Driver in Co Louth went more than 100km over speed limit as more than 3,000 detected speeding on bank holiday weekend (msn.com)

1 fatality and 12 serious/ life changing injuries during the period reported.

traco

I reckon here is a good a place as any and it is on the roads. I thought there was a thread on the state of the roads but went back 10 pages and it didn't jump out at me.

The Back road past Portmarnock (R124) to Malahide, particulalry between Trinit Gaels entrance and Blackwood Lane should be avoided if at all possible, The side of the road is collapsing and subsiding in many places and there are potholes that have opened up to add insult to injury. It is so bad there is the potential to rip a tire off a car if it was in too tight so no place for cycling.

Damake is due to all the construction traffic using it for all the new builds. No issus with that but Fingal don't seem to think infrastructure should be there first. Station Raod is just as bad on one side and the side with the footpath your are more likely to meet a truck coming towards you than a pedestrian, highlighted yellow.

Email gone to Fingal about it for all the good it will do but thought I'd share here in case anyone ended up on it after not being there for a while.

DJB030244

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745909#Comment_121745909

Agree , it’s a complete mess all around that area, and even the road opposite the park main entrance is in bits now getting dug up again.