Journalism and cycling

CramCycle · 10-04-2017 8:59am

I have the greatest of respect for many of the members of AGS but I do wonder if those in the park have been exposed to something that is severely diminishing their mental capacity.

Tenzor07 · 10-04-2017 9:01am

Christ! First it was those farming contractors or whatever, now a police force with a hell of a lot of issues around lax enforcement of road traffic laws, now want to pick on the bicyclists again!
It really is the last acceptable form of "racism" to pick on a bicycle user!

mr spuckler · 10-04-2017 10:05am

Deedsie wrote: »

How many members of AGS commute to work on bike? This is a Garda station in the most congested area in Ireland. A ridiculous amount of parking spaces.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3455066,-6.2558928,84m/data=!3m1!1e3

where they don't even enforce the bus lane that runs past the station :mad:

schemingbohemia · 10-04-2017 10:30am

Chuchote wrote: »

Garda sergeants and inspectors, convinced that they haven't lost enough friends yet, want to force all cyclists and pedestrians to be forced to wear hi-viz, and cyclists to be forced to wear helmets.

If this goes through, I'm stopping wearing my helmet and hi-viz.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/new-criminal-offence-of-recording-garda-members-sought-1.3042615

There are always oddball motions put up at union (sorry, association) conferences, no chance of becoming policy. But it would be interesting to see the voting and discussion on this.

AGS, in my experience, just do not give a fiddlers regarding things that impact on cyclists.

Chuchote · 10-04-2017 10:35am

Deedsie wrote: »

How many members of AGS commute to work on bike? This is a Garda station in the most congested area in Ireland. A ridiculous amount of parking spaces.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3455066,-6.2558928,84m/data=!3m1!1e3

Same with Garda HQ in the Park - is there even bike parking there?

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/An+Garda+S%C3%ADoch%C3%A1na+Headquarters/@53.3510789,-6.3003528,323a,35y,39.4t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48670c4ad6ff9f53:0xfda1ca732b27475d!8m2!3d53.3538298!4d-6.3015471

tomasrojo · 10-04-2017 11:07am

It would be quite a development: hiviz and helmet law, and hiviz law for pedestrians. Enough to make even New South Wales say "steady on ..."

Moflojo · 10-04-2017 11:15am

Does anyone know if An Post has any workplace practice regulations regarding postmen and the wearing of hi-vis and helmets, especially cycling postmen? They're almost unique in that they're public sector workers who cycle as part of their job, work on open roads, and yet I don't see many (any?) wearing hi-vis and I've certainly never seen a postman wearing a helmet while delivering post on a bike.

They could be an interesting benchmark for hi-vis and helmet debates, given the intersection of cycling, working, and the public sector.

tomasrojo · 10-04-2017 11:18am

The delivery men were told to wear them by management a few years ago, and some do, but most still don't. Plenty of them wear hiviz though.

tomasrojo · 10-04-2017 11:28am

https://twitter.com/GalwayCycling/status/851380653279121408

Possibly true.

magicbastarder · 10-04-2017 11:48am

tomasrojo wrote: »

It would be quite a development: hiviz and helmet law, and hiviz law for pedestrians. Enough to make even New South Wales say "steady on ..."

sure even the head of the RSA made a statement along the lines of 'we do not live in a police state' in response to calls to make hi-vis mandatory for pedestrians (IIRC, the call was made by the FF spokesman on transport).

LpPepper · 10-04-2017 12:08pm

So they want ALL pedestrians to wear hi visibility clothing at all times?.....

What?

Eamonnator · 10-04-2017 12:23pm

Chuchote wrote: »

Same with Garda HQ in the Park - is there even bike parking there?

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/An+Garda+S%C3%ADoch%C3%A1na+Headquarters/@53.3510789,-6.3003528,323a,35y,39.4t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48670c4ad6ff9f53:0xfda1ca732b27475d!8m2!3d53.3538298!4d-6.3015471

Could be worse.
I remember when that square in the centre of the photo used be filled with cars.

Fighting Tao · 10-04-2017 12:25pm

LpPepper wrote: »

So they want ALL pedestrians to wear hi visibility clothing at all times?.....

What?

Should make it fun when trying to identify a suspect.

"What was (s)he wearing?"
"Bright yellow like everyone else"

HivemindXX · 10-04-2017 12:26pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

sure even the head of the RSA made a statement along the lines of 'we do not live in a police state' in response to calls to make hi-vis mandatory for pedestrians (IIRC, the call was made by the FF spokesman on transport).

The problem with that is that there are lots of pedestrians and the RSA are worried that people will realise that making everyone currently not in a car dress in day glow clothing at all times isn't a good solution to careless driving.

If that TD had limited this to cyclists I think the RSA would have had no problem. There aren't enough cyclists and there are far too many people who think cycling is inherently dangerous for any demands which only affect cyclists to negatively impact on the RSAs public image.

magicbastarder · 10-04-2017 12:36pm

HivemindXX wrote: »

The problem with that is that there are lots of pedestrians and the RSA are worried that people will realise that making everyone currently not in a car dress in day glow clothing at all times isn't a good solution to careless driving.

would also be an interesting scenario where pretty much the only 'road users' exempt from a mandatory colouring law would be the ones creating the danger.

AndrewJRenko · 10-04-2017 12:52pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

would also be an interesting scenario where pretty much the only 'road users' exempt from a mandatory colouring law would be the ones creating the danger.

But what happens once they step out of the car?

mr spuckler · 10-04-2017 12:54pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

But what happens once they step out of the car?

funnily enough i don't even think it's mandatory for the driver to wear a hi-hiz when they step out of their broken down / punctured car at the side of the road? as it is mandatory in many other countries...

RobertFoster · 10-04-2017 1:36pm

LpPepper wrote: »

So they want ALL pedestrians to wear hi visibility clothing at all times?.....

What?

magicbastarder · 10-04-2017 2:30pm

it was a bright cold day in april, and the cars were striking nothing.

well, nothing that was visible.

Dr Crayfish · 10-04-2017 3:24pm

I've been saying it for ages. Sooner or later they'll make helmets and hi viz mandatory. They don't want to put any blame on motorists and will continue to blame cyclists. There's no f**king way I'm wearing a helmet or hi viz. I think I'd have to stop cycling all together if they were to enforce this sh*t.

tomasrojo · 10-04-2017 3:44pm

It's plausible (though not necessarily bulletproof truth) that the success of the bikeshare schemes makes a mandatory helmet law for adults pretty improbable. The lack of other jurisdictions that have made hiviz mandatory suggests that it mightn't attract much attention from an acting Minister for Transport (France has a law for cyclists on interurban roads, I think.)

Mind you, the wrong person at the wrong time and any law can get passed, and, based on the perhaps anomalous experience of Australia, they're very hard to rescind.

mr spuckler · 10-04-2017 3:52pm

with the flip-side being that mandatory helmet use would likely significantly reduce the number of users of the bike-share schemes!

rubadub · 10-04-2017 4:12pm

Moflojo wrote: »

yet I don't see many (any?) wearing hi-vis and I've certainly never seen a postman wearing a helmet while delivering post on a bike

The ones I see have high viz, never helmets. I saw some not on bikes with high viz too

LpPepper wrote: »

So they want ALL pedestrians to wear hi visibility clothing at all times?.....

What?

I was questioning this before, this would mean all dignitaries would be included. Someone said it'd be a roaring trade for some lad flogging jackets outside the airport, or at the aircoach stops.

I would love to have seen the queen in high viz all the same, in a completely non-necessary situation.

Mandatory helmets for pedestrians over the alcohol limit would make more sense. Though I know I'd be sick to death of coming into work monday and hearing "jaysus, I was locked and cracked my helmet on the top of the stairs and it cracked, lucky I was wearing it, otherwise my brain would have been all over the stairs and the kids might have slipped in it and died too -or at least have been paralysed. 3rd helmet this year. I'm fcuking blessed, mad not to wear one"

I love Sean nos · 10-04-2017 4:18pm

rubadub wrote: »

I would love to have seen the queen in high viz all the same, in a completely non-necessary situation.

Not far off it. A couple of reflective strips and Big Liz is good to go.

robyntmorton · 10-04-2017 6:19pm

Just in favour of bringing this back to slightly happier cycling matters, those returning home from the Galway Cycle yesterday were being followed by a crew from TG4, and it made it onto their news yesterday evening.

It's great to see a happier cycling story making the news every so often.

It's here, from approx. 7:15 in.

Chuchote · 10-04-2017 6:24pm

I'm normally lit like a Christmas tree (in the non-alcoholic, reflective sense) and in reflective hi-viz, and with a helmet. If it's made mandatory I fully intend to dress normally and without a helmet. If I'm fined I'll go to jail rather than pay it.

I've made a personal choice to make myself easy to see and to wear a helmet to indulge those who are worried by my not doing so. Damned if I'll wear it because it's the law, though.

AndrewJRenko · 10-04-2017 9:17pm

Chuchote wrote: »

I'm normally lit like a Christmas tree (in the non-alcoholic, reflective sense) and in reflective hi-viz, and with a helmet. If it's made mandatory I fully intend to dress normally and without a helmet. If I'm fined I'll go to jail rather than pay it.
.

I'll see ya inside so.

amcalester · 10-04-2017 10:08pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I'll see ya inside so.

Would be easy enough to organise a protest cycle where no cyclist wears a helmet or hi-viz.

CramCycle · 10-04-2017 10:16pm

This place should be quieter for awhile at least :pac:

Pinch Flat · 10-04-2017 11:05pm

amcalester wrote: »

Would be easy enough to organise a protest cycle where no cyclist wears a helmet or hi-viz.

Or maybe we show up wearing helmets and a hi vis jacket and nothing else :pac:

Journalism and cycling

Comments