Journalism and cycling

Annie get your Run · 23-05-2017 11:54am

robyntmorton wrote: »

BAI have replied to me already, acknowledging the email I sent yesterday to Newstalk, CC'd to them.

They note that I have made the complaint to Newstalk in the first instance, and that under BAI rules, Newstalk have 21 days to respond before the complaint can be officially referred to BAI.

At least it's a response.

I was just wondering that - so no point in putting in a BAI complaint for 21 days. Have Newstalk even mentioned yesterdays comments anywhere? Presume they will just ignore everything and we will all go away quietly until the next issue arises! I must put a reminder in my calendar for 21 days time!

PaulieC · 23-05-2017 12:49pm

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I was just wondering that - so no point in putting in a BAI complaint for 21 days. Have Newstalk even mentioned yesterdays comments anywhere? Presume they will just ignore everything and we will all go away quietly until the next issue arises! I must put a reminder in my calendar for 21 days time!

YOU can make a complaint directly to them now. The other complainant has to was 21 days as they CC'd Newstalk on the complaint. The waiting period doesn't apply to you.

CramCycle · 23-05-2017 1:48pm

Its funny, but I don't listen to Newstalk Breakfast anymore, mainly because of PW. This is his cycling opinions aside. I don't even believe him, he just is in it for the ratings, I just dislike him as a presenter. If he ever changes his mind or apologises, I won't know unless someone here tells me.

blackwhite · 23-05-2017 2:11pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Its funny, but I don't listen to Newstalk Breakfast anymore, mainly because of PW. This is his cycling opinions aside. I don't even believe him, he just is in it for the ratings, I just dislike him as a presenter. If he ever changes his mind or apologises, I won't know unless someone here tells me.

He's one of the worst "journalists" on the radio at present.

It's a pity; it used be a very good show with Yates and Donoghue, and I find Coleman to be very good as well, but Williams makes it nearly unlistenable.

He seems to be trying to play the cantankerous grump to Coleman's "straight man", similar to what Yates sometimes did with Donoghue. The difference is, where Yates made it obvious that he was often being contrary to wind Chris up, or just in jest, Williams comes across as aggressive, arrogant and obnoxious. Added to that, he's a very poor interviewer, and offers little-to-no valuable analysis into anything.

Unknown Soldier · 23-05-2017 7:40pm

Seen a text sent into NT this morning.

"Considering Paul's comment about harming people/kids who might touch his car, by crashing into them, using a one ton car as a weapon, he's not much different to that evil person in Manchester"

Hope he read it, and it might have clicked.

AndrewJRenko · 23-05-2017 9:11pm

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Nothing to loose. In my complaint I mentioned that I'd also advised their show sponsors I would no longer be purchasing their products. Also, someone mentioned somewhere you have to complain to the show before you can do so to the BAI?

ThisRegard wrote: »

When filing an online complaint with the BAI pretty much the first question asks if you're been in touch with the broadcaster about it.

Apologies, I missed that bit on the BAI site. It's not an unreasonable rule in fairness.

Weepsie wrote: »

Seriously? It's a forum for customer support. They have other channels and better ones for you to register your disdain. That wasn't one that should have been used.

It would be like coming into me at work and giving out about my marketing department. I'd quickly tell you where to go.

If you want to complain, use the right channels.

magicbastarder wrote: »

the bit that says 'customer support'.
this wasn't a customer query.

I am an Eir customer.

Chuchote · 23-05-2017 10:16pm

This thread is already turning into a train wreck

A train wreck? A series of posters said they'd been considering moving to Eir, but would not now because of Eir's sponsorship of Paul Williams and his dangerous statement.

I'd be in the same position. With Virgin at the moment and I discovered yesterday that I couldn't call some Paris phones while in Paris (though I could call Irish mobiles of people who are in Paris). Nor could people in Paris call me from their French landline to my Irish mobile.

So I'm thinking of changing to a company that has a normal concept of what a phone is for. But that certainly won't be Eir as long as they're sponsoring this hate speech. Frankly, I don't care whether the hate speech is directed against blacks, Jews, 'migrants', women, Roma, Travellers or people on bikes - as long as it's fomenting hatred I want nothing to do with it or its sponsors.

Thud · 24-05-2017 8:00am

Some sort of a retracement from Williams there...no apology. Said he'd never use violence as he's seen it in his dealings with the underworld (you may have heard he was a crime writer!) Also made out he is actually a cyclist

gmacww · 24-05-2017 8:07am

Thud wrote: »

Some sort of a retracement from Williams there...no apology. Said he'd never use violence as he's seen it in his dealings with the underworld (you may have heard he was a crime writer!) Also made out he is actually a cyclist

Paul Williams is actually a cyclist and does quite a few events/sportives. His comment about is arm is an injury he got from a fall while cycling. He didn't apologise he clarified and to be honest I agree with absolutely everything he said.

check_six · 24-05-2017 8:08am

Blowhard backs down (sort of). Williams was on just now making a form of apology/clarification regarding his crashing into cyclists comments. He said he really meant to say that he would report someone who hit his wingmirror to the Guards, rather than run them over as he had vaguely implied by saying that he would run them over.

After the clarification he drifted towards ranting about cyclists breaking rules again, but Coleman pointed out that motorists are guilty of rule breaking also, and that there are 'fundamentalists' on both sides giving out about the other.

It was interesting to see that Williams said anything. He wasn't happy to do it, really, but he did make an attempt I suppose. I'd imagine that he was coerced into making the statement by management. Possibly under the pressure contributed by posters here.

24-05-2017 8:08am

Thud wrote: »

Some sort of a retracement from Williams there...no apology. Said he'd never use violence as he's seen it in his dealings with the underworld (you may have heard he was a crime writer!) Also made out he is actually a cyclist

Yeah a bit of a mea culpa. He mentioned he bust his arm cycling, which was why he was in a sling.

Thud · 24-05-2017 8:18am

gmacww wrote: »

Paul Williams is actually a cyclist and does quite a few events/sportives. His comment about is arm is an injury he got from a fall while cycling. He didn't apologise he clarified and to be honest I agree with absolutely everything he said.

Clarified is a stretch, backtracked more like.
Most on here will agree withbwhat he said re cyclists/motorists breaking rules.

magicbastarder · 24-05-2017 8:30am

Thud wrote: »

Said he'd never use violence as he's seen it in his dealings with the underworld

does one have to have had dealings with the underworld to realise Violence Is Bad, mmmkay?

Fian · 24-05-2017 9:06am

Paul Williams clarified that when we said "we will have a serious crash and the cyclist will not be hitting my mirror again" what he clearly meant was not that he would have a crash with the cyclist but rather than he would call an Garda S?och?na and report the cyclist in a totally non-violent manner.

I honestly don't know why he bothered, seems perfectly obvious to me, how could anyone have misinterpreted it in the first place? It's not as if he tries to cultivate a tough guy persona or anything like that.

I think he was trying to do a Washington Post apology, where they clarified that Sean Spicer was hiding "amongst the bushes" rather than "in the bushes" - but didn't pull it off. Anyway i am not meant to be listening to newstalk in the morning anymore >.<

DirkVoodoo · 24-05-2017 9:20am

No one doubts that there are plenty of bad cyclists, but why is it portrayed in the media as this epidemic of law breaking cyclists creating some kind of mad max situation on the roads?

I see just as much from motorists and yet the danger posed by a car breaking the same laws is far, far higher.

Why, on Saturday, with bus lanes still closed, a 171 navy range rover undertook N11 traffic from St Helens all the way up past Mount Merrion (I was in traffic and lost sight at that point). Must have been doing 80 given I was doing 60 and it flew past. Where is the national outrage? Where is the Newstalk segment complaining? It's like the Joker in Batman said, "it's all part of the plan". Cars breaking red lights, u-turns, illegal parking, speeding...even drink driving...is becoming so normal and acceptable that no one is outraged. But a bike cruising through a red light is enough to send the air waves into a vocal mob.

greenspurs · 24-05-2017 9:26am

Hector on TodayFm mentioned cycling on his show just after 7 this morning.
It was due to Tom Dumoulin's mishap in the Giro yesterday ('Doo-meh-lin') , and you could tell Hector hasnt a clue about cycling, as he went to say that "he went on to win the race" ...

Only mentioned because of the fact he had a dump on the side of the road, but at least it wasnt a cyclist bashing exercise. (well, not really )

Pinch Flat · 24-05-2017 9:36am

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

No one doubts that there are plenty of bad cyclists, but why is it portrayed in the media as this epidemic of law breaking cyclists creating some kind of mad max situation on the roads?

I see just as much from motorists and yet the danger posed by a car breaking the same laws is far, far higher.

Why, on Saturday, with bus lanes still closed, a 171 navy range rover undertook N11 traffic from St Helens all the way up past Mount Merrion (I was in traffic and lost sight at that point). Must have been doing 80 given I was doing 60 and it flew past. Where is the national outrage? Where is the Newstalk segment complaining? It's like the Joker in Batman said, "it's all part of the plan". Cars breaking red lights, u-turns, illegal parking, speeding...even drink driving...is becoming so normal and acceptable that no one is outraged. But a bike cruising through a red light is enough to send the air waves into a vocal mob.

Ireland is a car dominated society. The driver can do not wrong. There's probably a rationale explanation - little Johnny late for rugby practice, or they forgot Shiofra's jodhpurs or perhaps the Donnybrook Fair was closing and they were out of organic pencetta etc.

Weepsie · 24-05-2017 9:47am

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

But a bike cruising through a red light is enough to send the air waves into a vocal mob.

It surely has part to do with people being strangely annoyed by a relatively simple (although wonderfully elegant) machine, ie a bike, being a faster moving (in urban settings), more efficient, cleaner and healthier mode of transport. They've been made think, car is king, you can't do anything, or go anywhere without when it's strictly not true. People are insecure, and this makes them angry.

I have friends who say you need one to do shopping, I explain I can get most of my shopping home by bike. People are lazy, and they want more convenience. They want to sit around and be escorted to their destination.

Chuchote · 24-05-2017 10:21am

Weepsie wrote: »

It surely has part to do with people being strangely annoyed by a relatively simple (although wonderfully elegant) machine, ie a bike, being a faster moving (in urban settings), more efficient, cleaner and healthier mode of transport. They've been made think, car is king, you can't do anything, or go anywhere without when it's strictly not true. People are insecure, and this makes them angry.

I have friends who say you need one to do shopping, I explain I can get most of my shopping home by bike. People are lazy, and they want more convenience. They want to sit around and be escorted to their destination.

Irish people are change-averse - more so than most countries, I suspect. Once the balance between people on bikes and in cars shifts substantially, this will change, because people will see the person on the bike as "like me"; at the moment, the bike represents someone "not like me".

Infrastructure is important in this change - more people will get on their bikes, and will see it as possible, then as easy - when they feel they can be safe in their ride to the shops, to school, to work, to the beach.

ThisRegard · 24-05-2017 10:25am

The authorities, scrambling to catch up, are considering new regulations to curb the chaos — from capping the number of bikes to even barring people they consider too big or too small for bicycles.
Unlike the docking station systems in many cities, the bikes in China can essentially be found and left anywhere.

http://www.thejournal.ie/china-cyclists-3405275-May2017/

DirkVoodoo · 24-05-2017 10:27am

There is a family opposite us and the mum spends the entire day in and out of the driveway in her X5. I know the kids' uniforms and they are about a 10 minute cycle to each of their schools, but she is constantly picking them up and dropping them.

They are obviously healthy kids as they are either in rugby gear or carrying various tennis rackets or hockey sticks.

I find it absolutely bonkers that they don't get to enjoy the simplicity of riding to school or the freedom of being able to cycle where they like.

No, into the safety of the suburban tank, children!

Cycling is weird. Cyclists are clearly weird and poor, don't be like them.

I've actually highlighted it before, but if you want one of the most dangerous places for cyclists, it's the rock road entrance to Blackrock college during the morning school rush: Range Rovers/X5s/XC90s turning out and right across the traffic or turning into the college from the northbound direction. It's lethal! I've seen plenty of near misses there!

tomasrojo · 24-05-2017 10:30am

Shows really do care about sponsors and advertisers. Fox only got rid of Bill O'Reilly after advertisers started pulling out. No outrage could dislodge him before that.

tomasrojo · 24-05-2017 10:32am

There's a woman on my estate who lives fifty metres or so from the local school, which her children attend. She drives there every day.

greenspurs · 24-05-2017 10:35am

tomasrojo wrote: »

There's a woman on my estate who lives fifty metres or so from the local school, which her children attend. She drives there every day.

Has that been reported by a journalist ??

Seriously guys , the amount of Cycling threads ive had to Unfollow because of posters just posting non related (and repeating the same stuff...)

Can people not stick to topics?

AndrewJRenko · 24-05-2017 10:36am

check_six wrote: »

Blowhard backs down (sort of). Williams was on just now making a form of apology/clarification regarding his crashing into cyclists comments. He said he really meant to say that he would report someone who hit his wingmirror to the Guards, rather than run them over as he had vaguely implied by saying that he would run them over.

After the clarification he drifted towards ranting about cyclists breaking rules again, but Coleman pointed out that motorists are guilty of rule breaking also, and that there are 'fundamentalists' on both sides giving out about the other.

It was interesting to see that Williams said anything. He wasn't happy to do it, really, but he did make an attempt I suppose. I'd imagine that he was coerced into making the statement by management. Possibly under the pressure contributed by posters here.

That really is excellent news. It must have really stuck in his craw to have to 'clarify' his earlier threats and back down. He'll think twice next time.

greenspurs · 24-05-2017 10:38am

Yes,
Good to see him have to draw back..... Still an idiot though ..

ED E · 24-05-2017 10:39am

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

but if you want one of the most dangerous places for cyclists, it's the rock road entrance to Blackrock college during the morning school rush: Range Rovers/X5s/XC90s turning out and right across the traffic or turning into the college from the northbound direction. It's lethal! I've seen plenty of near misses there!

Same shenanigans at Saint Clare's in Harolds Cross and Presentation Terenure.

tomasrojo · 24-05-2017 10:55am

greenspurs wrote: »

Has that been reported by a journalist ??

It's a response to something DirkVoodo said.

greenspurs wrote: »

Seriously guys , the amount of Cycling threads ive had to Unfollow because of posters just posting non related (and repeating the same stuff...)
Can people not stick to topics?

You have limited experience of how conversations work, maybe.

tomasrojo · 24-05-2017 10:58am

https://twitter.com/dublincycling/status/867284872511008768

@dublincycling tweeting about Williams being reported to the BAI.

CramCycle · 24-05-2017 11:00am

greenspurs wrote: »

Has that been reported by a journalist ??

Seriously guys , the amount of Cycling threads ive had to Unfollow because of posters just posting non related (and repeating the same stuff...)
Can people not stick to topics?

MOD VOICE: If you have an issue with a post, use the report button, do not backseat moderate.

Journalism and cycling

Comments