High Noon with George Hook.

thedudeinthehat · 24-02-2017 01:17PM

Daily rant de-construction: George thinks we can't criticize Trump's policies because it's "their way of life"
Apparently we should not criticize the alt-rights views on women and women's right until things get as bad as Saudi Arabia. Classic what-aboutery. The Saudis also have a deeply ingrained culture "way of life" but they are not entitled to that, whereas the yanks are.
Its great to see George and the far right bending over backwards side-wards and whatever way to justify the continuing joke that is the Trump administration. I suppose there will come some point when he will criticize- but imagine how bad things would have to be !

thedudeinthehat · 24-02-2017 01:20PM

Billy Bunter- George loves this guy for some reason !

Vorenus400 · 24-02-2017 01:28PM

thedudeinthehat wrote: »

Billy Bunter- George loves this guy for some reason !

A quick look on librariesireland shows billy bunter books still available

https://librariesireland.iii.com/iii/encore/search/C__Sbilly%20bunter__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=def

I am pretty sure I read one from the old mobile library as a kid. Think it was very dated like famous five.

But of course in Georges world the 'pc brigade' have banned them and burnt all the copies.

Cant find data for ireland or GB but in america books like harry potter and His Dark Materials are often top of the banned/challenged books

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_commonly_challenged_books_in_the_United_States

BPKS · 24-02-2017 01:28PM

George is now interviewing Ingrid about rhododendron.

thedudeinthehat · 24-02-2017 01:31PM

Vorenus400 wrote: »

thedudeinthehat wrote: »

Billy Bunter- George loves this guy for some reason !

A quick look on librariesireland shows billy bunter books still available

https://librariesireland.iii.com/iii/encore/search/C__Sbilly%20bunter__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=def

I am pretty sure I read one from the old mobile library as a kid. Think it was very dated like famous five.

But of course in Georges world the 'pc brigade' have banned them and burnt all the copies.

Cant find data for ireland or GB but in america books like harry potter and His Dark Materials are often top of the banned/challenged books

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_commonly_challenged_books_in_the_United_States

**** yeh- these would be the same Christian groups who wanted to ban yoga in schools. Apparently all the chanting and meditation doesn't fit in with that born again/catholic jazz!
I'm telling you - the real snowflakes are George and his ilk who go bananas at anything mildly progressive.

One thing you will hear progressives being described as since the election of Trump is hysterical. I couldn't think of a better description of George or his fans when it comes to their reaction to anything mildly positive for the human condition.

AndrewJRenko · 24-02-2017 04:58PM

thedudeinthehat wrote: »

**** yeh- these would be the same Christian groups who wanted to ban yoga in schools. Apparently all the chanting and meditation doesn't fit in with that born again/catholic jazz!

No, it was yogurt that they banned in schools. If it spills, it stinks out the kid's bag and lunchbox for weeks.

CatFromHue · 24-02-2017 07:56PM

thedudeinthehat wrote: »

Ok- so lets agree to start , that in general we should hope for good diving on the road from all users.
Having commuted in Dublin for years myself, can I comment on your description of the morning or evening commute as a war zone.
It was my experience that on a bike, you were passing a couple of hundred cars on way into and from work each day. Why, because they were sat in traffic/ edging along. Now I can imagine, how frustrating that must be. Like an hour to do in a car what is 20 minutes on a bike. Add to the mix for cyclists that dedicated cycle paths are used as parking zones with zero clamping and ticketing- so of course cyclists need to start weaving in and out to avoid a collision. Also, bad driving on the part of many motorists where they do not leave enough space on their inside for cyclists to past- in which case, they need to drive on the outside/overtake. Result, perception that cyclists are weaving all over the road- when in fact , typically, most cyclists ride defensively in nature avoid that obstacle/turn left and turn right.
So George- obviously as a lad who is also stuck in traffic ( and as regular driver myself) I'm sure he is not too please to go through two or three sequences of lights with no progress- and in the same minute get passed by a dozen or more cyclists whizzing by. I think it is a misplaced rage, where free flowing cyclists are actually a symptom rather than the illness itself. What is the illness-- Dublin is not well designed to handle the volumes of traffic entering the city- and all this rage and angst would surely be better spent asking why so many people take a car into the city in the first place.
Life as a driver in Dublin surely does not match the Audi or BMW TV ads , cruising on sweeping alpine bends or having a knowing smile from the wife as you work up through the gears.
But that just wouldn't make for good radio George would it, the role of car drivers in the chaos in the city center- instead he gets angry at trams/buses and bikes - which ironically enough- are the only way to get the city to the fast flowing and stress free paradise George craves!

Is it bad driving to keep close to the path? I didn't know that.

Either was the times I would be in the city would be 11am-3pm so not in rush hour and I would mainly be coming down the quays up to parnell street and then back out the quays.

I'm not saying there isn't bad driving but there's also plenty of bad cycling and cyclists putting themselves in very dangerous spots, like going up the inside of a left turning vehicle.

Sleeper12 · 24-02-2017 08:07PM

CatFromHue wrote:

Is it bad driving to keep close to the path? I didn't know that.

Actually yes. The lane for cars is in the centre of the road. You are supposed to stick close to the centre line. Close to the cerb is for cyclists

ThisRegard · 25-02-2017 12:27PM

CatFromHue wrote: »

I'm not saying there isn't bad driving but there's also plenty of bad cycling and cyclists putting themselves in very dangerous spots, like going up the inside of a left turning vehicle.

Nobody claimed that isn't dumb, but even as evidenced in this thread alone, anytime something related to cycling comes up you get the stock horse**** response of what about cyclists doing x. It's a childish level of response.

And your questioning regarding driving close to the footpath often shows the hypocritical level of debate.

AndrewJRenko · 25-02-2017 01:23PM

CatFromHue wrote: »

I'm not saying there isn't bad driving but there's also plenty of bad cycling and cyclists putting themselves in very dangerous spots, like going up the inside of a left turning vehicle.

I see lots of bad cycling and bad driving and bad walking too. But it's worth mentioning that where formal research has been done into the cause of collisions between cars and bikes, in general, the blame lies on the motorist side.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2015/05/12/vancouver-drivers-at-fault-in-93-of-collisions-with-bicycles-city-report.html

Brendan Bendar · 25-02-2017 08:15PM

Lads.... Settle down and take in one thing.

Where Paddy is involved, unless there is a penalty involved for transgression, Paddy will take the easy way out.

Paddy will always try to beat the system unless he is hammered every time he does it.

Think clampers folks.

Think clampers, no hard luck stories, no 'Aah sure I only' no 'I was only there'

Pay the foohrke up buddy, tell your sob story(usually false) to someone else.

Pat is not used to stuff being enforced.

thedudeinthehat · 25-02-2017 09:30PM

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Lads.... Settle down and take in one thing.

Where Paddy is involved, unless there is a penalty involved for transgression, Paddy will take the easy way out.

Paddy will always try to beat the system unless he is hammered every time he does it.

Think clampers folks.

Think clampers, no hard luck stories, no 'Aah sure I only' no 'I was only there'

Pay the foohrke up buddy, tell your sob story(usually false) to someone else.

Pat is not used to stuff being enforced.

yeh, come to think of it, George had a lawyer in to discuss how to get off when you get caught breaking law here.
thakfully many cyclists have cameras.Who will be the hero who manages to catch George- my god, the court would be full that day

On the subject of George encouraging law breaking and how to get away with it- im sure next week he will have someone on about how to avoid paying water charges/get away with murder and whatever else he is having.
He is a selective,hypocritical and senile old clown!

foxtrot101 · 25-02-2017 10:18PM

thedudeinthehat wrote: »

yeh, come to think of it, George had a lawyer in to discuss how to get off when you get caught breaking law here.
thakfully many cyclists have cameras.Who will be the hero who manages to catch George- my god, the court would be full that day
On the subject of George encouraging law breaking and how to get away with it- im sure next week he will have someone on about how to avoid paying water charges/get away with murder and whatever else he is having.
He is a selective,hypocritical and senile old clown!

Senile, no. Selective and hypocritical on a whole range of issues - definitely.

CatFromHue · 26-02-2017 03:21PM

ThisRegard wrote: »

Nobody claimed that isn't dumb, but even as evidenced in this thread alone, anytime something related to cycling comes up you get the stock horse**** response of what about cyclists doing x. It's a childish level of response.

And your questioning regarding driving close to the footpath often shows the hypocritical level of debate.

There's a big difference between driving a bit to the left and going up the inside, or outside, of left turning vehicles. I'm guessing you do a bit of cycling so know what happens when cyclists go up the inside of a left turning HGV.

While you may call them the stock horse**** they are unfortunately what happens. Maybe take a drive into the city centre someday and see what it's like from a motorists pov. I used to do a lot of cycling, and hope to get back into it, too so I'm not anti cyclist either.

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I see lots of bad cycling and bad driving and bad walking too. But it's worth mentioning that where formal research has been done into the cause of collisions between cars and bikes, in general, the blame lies on the motorist side.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2015/05/12/vancouver-drivers-at-fault-in-93-of-collisions-with-bicycles-city-report.html

It's probably right but that doesn't mean cyclists are never at fault. For example I'd imagine there's no car - bike accidents when a cyclists cycles on the path or cycles through a pedestrian crossing. It is incredibly irritating when they do though.

ThisRegard · 26-02-2017 05:06PM

CatFromHue wrote: »

I'm guessing you do a bit of cycling so know what happens when cyclists go up the inside of a left turning HGV.

What was the first thing I said about it in the post you're replying to?

I've worked in the city centre since the 90s, commuting by bike, bus and car, the vast majority of it by driving. I know full well what goes on, and I know full well who are most vulnerable. In all those years I recall only 1 incident with a cyclist, a courier pulling in on top of me.

Things are as bad as you want it to be by looking to be offended and annoyed, just like Hook

I would wonder the time I was clipped by a motorist's wing mirror at some speed on an empty quays one morning, not even bothering to stop to see if I was ok, would not have happened had the minimum passing law existed then.

Or would I still get comments like yours asking about cyclists who don't adhere to the laws as if somehow that's an excuse for what happened?

CatFromHue · 26-02-2017 06:01PM

I never said it was an excuse nor do I say that motorists are angels.

What I am saying is that there is an awful lot of very poor cycling in the city centre, nothing more.

Brendan Bendar · 26-02-2017 06:23PM

CatFromHue wrote: »

I never said it was an excuse nor do I say that motorists are angels.

What I am saying is that there is an awful lot of very poor cycling in the city centre, nothing more.

Very poor cycling everywhere.

No use trying to defend, it's there before our eyes every day, before our eyes.

Sorry if I can't provide a link :cool:

degsie · 26-02-2017 09:01PM

AndrewJRenko · 26-02-2017 09:21PM

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Very poor cycling everywhere.

No use trying to defend, it's there before our eyes every day, before our eyes.

Sorry if I can't provide a link :cool:

And very poor driving and very poor walking too, right?

CatFromHue wrote: »

It's probably right but that doesn't mean cyclists are never at fault. For example I'd imagine there's no car - bike accidents when a cyclists cycles on the path or cycles through a pedestrian crossing. It is incredibly irritating when they do though.

I suppose it might be worth exploring why some people get 'incredibly irritated' at cyclists carry out fairly minor offences but don't get irritated at the four out of every five drivers who break the speed limit (RSA 2013 survey).

Lady Chatterton · 26-02-2017 10:38PM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

And very poor driving and very poor walking too, right?

I suppose it might be worth exploring why some people get 'incredibly irritated' at cyclists carry out fairly minor offences but don't get irritated at the four out of every five drivers who break the speed limit (RSA 2013 survey).

I walk between 10 - 15km every day and for the most part I find drivers far more courteous than cyclists. (Apart from the occasional motorist who refuses to stop at pedestrian crossings).

At least once a week I have a negative experience with cyclists who insist on cycling on footpaths. They cycle up behind you with little or no warning - brush off you or worse, knock you down. 95% of this badly behaved cohort are 20 - 40 something males. I'm sorry but if you're over 12 and insist on cycling on footpaths you should be made use stabilisers and wear a 'Learner' tabard.

AndrewJRenko · 27-02-2017 12:01AM

Lady Chatterton wrote: »

I walk between 10 - 15km every day and for the most part I find drivers far more courteous than cyclists. (Apart from the occasional motorist who refuses to stop at pedestrian crossings).

At least once a week I have a negative experience with cyclists who insist on cycling on footpaths. They cycle up behind you with little or no warning - brush off you or worse, knock you down. 95% of this badly behaved cohort are 20 - 40 something males. I'm sorry but if you're over 12 and insist on cycling on footpaths you should be made use stabilisers and wear a 'Learner' tabard.

We don't need to rely on anecdotal data to see where the danger lies. Motorists kill about 40 or 50 pedestrians each year. Cyclists don't.

I've little time for cyclists on pavements who endanger pedestrians. There are some situations where I have cycled on pavements, but I'd always do so in a way that avoids or doesn't endanger pedestrians.

It was interesting to see the response of one UK police force to reports of pavement cycling. They went to check out why the cyclists would not feel safe on the road.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/we-wont-punish-cyclists-for-riding-on-londons-pavements-say-police-a3444631.html

Lady Chatterton · 27-02-2017 12:25AM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

We don't need to rely on anecdotal data to see where the danger lies. Motorists kill about 40 or 50 pedestrians each year. Cyclists don't.

I've little time for cyclists on pavements who endanger pedestrians. There are some situations where I have cycled on pavements, but I'd always do so in a way that avoids or doesn't endanger pedestrians.

It was interesting to see the response of one UK police force to reports of pavement cycling. They went to check out why the cyclists would not feel safe on the road.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/we-wont-punish-cyclists-for-riding-on-londons-pavements-say-police-a3444631.html

I live in the Republic of Ireland not the UK, do you have any Irish reports?

I have been injured (thankfully, not seriously) by cyclists but there was no one to report it to, it's not like bicycles have id plates or cyclists are required to have insurance.

AndrewJRenko · 27-02-2017 10:13PM

Lady Chatterton wrote: »

I live in the Republic of Ireland not the UK, do you have any Irish reports?

Did you have any difficulty in getting the point that I was communicating about the reasons why cyclists sometimes cycle on pavements?

The short answer is No, I don't have any Irish reports on this particular issue because the Gardai are a few decades behind UK police forces. Here's an Irish report of a UK scheme as a further example of this.
http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/video-cops-go-undercover-as-cyclists-to-catch-close-pass-drivers/

Lady Chatterton wrote: »

I have been injured (thankfully, not seriously) by cyclists but there was no one to report it to, it's not like bicycles have id plates or cyclists are required to have insurance.

You could report it to the police, as you would if you were injured by somebody in a shopping centre or on the street. The lack of ID plates doesn't give cyclists some sort of magic exemption from the normal rules of law.

Funnily enough, many cyclists do have insurance, either through their cycling club or their home insurance policy.

If it had been a serious injury, it would have been reported to a doctor or hospital. If there was a trend on these, it would appear in some medical research showing dangers on the roads. In general, the number and extent of injuries caused by cyclists has been so low that it is literally off the scale.

But in the meantime, drivers kill four people every week on the roads (one will probably be a pedestrian), and maim many more. But those cyclists.....

Lady Chatterton · 27-02-2017 10:36PM

Can you please tell me how one takes action against a cyclist who runs into you and cycles off? At least motorists can be tracked down through their registration plate.

By the way, we have Gardaí in this country, not police.

AndrewJRenko · 27-02-2017 10:45PM

Lady Chatterton wrote: »

Can you please tell me how one takes action against a cyclist who runs into you and cycles off? At least motorists can be tracked down through their registration plate.

By the way, we have Gardaí in this country, not police.

The motorist who leaned out the window and assaulted me while I was cycling a few years back couldn't be tracked down through their registration plate. Apparently, it was a written off car, bought from the car wreckers for a few quid and driven until it falls apart.

But in general, if someone assaults you anywhere, anytime - whether they are on a bike or not - you can go to the police Gardai and tell them what happened and they will follow up. It really doesn't matter whether they are on a bike, or on foot, or on a skateboard or on a scooter or a Segway.

degsie · 27-02-2017 10:46PM

Lady Chatterton wrote: »

By the way, we have Gardaí in this country, not police.

Lady Chatterton · 27-02-2017 10:49PM

@Degsie

Lady Chatterton · 27-02-2017 10:51PM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The motorist who leaned out the window and assaulted me while I was cycling a few years back couldn't be tracked down through their registration plate. Apparently, it was a written off car, bought from the car wreckers for a few quid and driven until it falls apart.

But in general, if someone assaults you anywhere, anytime - whether they are on a bike or not - you can go to the police Gardai and tell them what happened and they will follow up. It really doesn't matter whether they are on a bike, or on foot, or on a skateboard or on a scooter or a Segway.

To sum up, as a pedestrian...I feel as aggrieved about some badly behaved cyclists as you do about some motorists. I have nothing further to add.

AndrewJRenko · 27-02-2017 11:17PM

Lady Chatterton wrote: »

To sum up, as a pedestrian...I feel as aggrieved about some badly behaved cyclists as you do about some motorists. I have nothing further to add.

I feel aggrieved about some badly behaved cyclists, some badly behaved pedestrians and some badly behaved motorists. Only one of those three groups kills and maims others every week on the roads.

Lady Chatterton · 27-02-2017 11:21PM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I feel aggrieved about some badly behaved cyclists, some badly behaved pedestrians and some badly behaved motorists. Only one of those three groups kills and maims others every week on the roads.

Jaysus, you're as grumpy as George

Newstalk will probably give you call when Mr. Hook finally retires. Goodnight

High Noon with George Hook.

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