Journalism and cycling

Chuchote · 17-08-2017 07:37AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

it was interesting to hear at the DCC talk about velo-city, that a lot of the dutch acknowledged that in providing so much for cyclists, it's actually made being a pedestrian in dutch cities difficult; something a lot of the irish who attended were able to attest to.

This is their current infrastructure problem. But I haven't found pedestrian life more difficult in Amsterdam than in Paris, for instance; the main problem for us from a left-driving society is remembering to look left and knowing when to look right. (The day that Europe standardises to drive on the right will be a happy one for me.)

magicbastarder · 17-08-2017 08:07AM

and napoleon's conquering of europe will be complete.

Grassey · 17-08-2017 08:14AM

Chuchote wrote: »

(The day that Europe standardises to drive on the right will be a happy one for me.)

Imagine the further decline in Irish driving standards!!! :eek:

Chuchote · 17-08-2017 08:30AM

Grassey wrote: »

Imagine the further decline in Irish driving standards!!! :eek:

Impossible!

magicbastarder wrote: »

and napoleon's conquering of europe will be complete.

Missed that in the history lessons

Also missed the idea that the side you drive on means conquest!

magicbastarder · 17-08-2017 08:46AM

it's probably a hoary old chestnut, but i once read that the reason the continent drives on the right is because napoleon was left handed - that a horse rider would have ridden on the left, as it means their sword hand - their dominant hand, and usually the right one, would have been the one you could meet an attacker with. but napoleon changed that as he was left handed and insisted on riding on the right, and that stuck.

Chuchote · 17-08-2017 09:02AM

Probably also an old chestnut, but I heard that Europe standardised to drive (horses) on the right, probably because most drivers will naturally favour the right when guiding horses, and the Pope made some kind of ruling on it, whereupon the English said "Damned if we do!" and standardised to drive on the left, bringing the same standard rule to all their colonies.

Meanwhile, in honour of Napoleon, the old marching song…

monument · 17-08-2017 09:09AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

it was interesting to hear at the DCC talk about velo-city, that a lot of the dutch acknowledged that in providing so much for cyclists, it's actually made being a pedestrian in dutch cities difficult; something a lot of the irish who attended were able to attest to.

What was the context?

I've hear before that Dutch protected crossings aren't great for pedestrians but with little or nothing to back that up and the same people advocating shared use footpaths at junctions, mixed crossing, putting cyclists onto zebra crossings etc -- I can't see how our options are the better.

Chuchote · 17-08-2017 09:11AM

Interesting piece of probably pop history on driving on right or left:

http://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/driving-on-the-left/

magicbastarder · 17-08-2017 09:12AM

originally brought up by one of the people giving one of the talks - i think i remember a 'having your leg cut off at the ankle' comment.
one of the attendees put up an overhead photo of the venue and hotel - directly opposite each other, across a roundabout and commented it was much harder for a pedestrian to get between them than a cyclist.

tomasrojo · 17-08-2017 10:40AM

This was an interesting piece about Sweden changing driving sides:
http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/h-day/

(I'm always a bit sceptical of explanations of cultural phenomena that hinge on one individual; such as the very often repeated myth that the predominant practice in Spain of making a "th" sound when pronouncing "ci" and "z" in words originates in the populace sycophantically mimicking one of the kings who had a lisp.)

Chuchote · 17-08-2017 11:18AM

tomasrojo wrote: »

This was an interesting piece about Sweden changing driving sides:
http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/h-day/

(I'm always a bit sceptical of explanations of cultural phenomena that hinge on one individual; such as the very often repeated myth that the predominant practice in Spain of making a "th" sound when pronouncing "ci" and "z" in words originates in the populace sycophantically mimicking one of the kings who had a lisp.)

That would be Pedro of Cathtile?

tomasrojo · 17-08-2017 12:12PM

Ha! No idea. It's not true anyway.

monument · 17-08-2017 03:51PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

originally brought up by one of the people giving one of the talks - i think i remember a 'having your leg cut off at the ankle' comment.
one of the attendees put up an overhead photo of the venue and hotel - directly opposite each other, across a roundabout and commented it was much harder for a pedestrian to get between them than a cyclist.

I looked at that on Street View.

It's a massive roundabout I'm guessing to mainly aid car traffic. There are signalised pedestrian crossings all around it, but the design of some of the crossings looks like it could be easily improved without impeding on anything else.

Beside one or two crossing there's also near-Irish like lack of clarity that cyclist

magicbastarder · 19-08-2017 10:27AM

again, not about cycling, but by gum, what a total buffoon.

he regaled political colleagues and invited guests with a questionable piece of doggerel he had composed earlier because he was “so bored” at the meeting convened to examine a report he had commissioned.
..
The Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport was discussing the results of Judge Carroll Moran’s inquiry into last year’s Olympic Games ticket-touting fiasco.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/miriam-lord-the-boss-ross-gathers-moss-with-albatross-1.3191245

tomasrojo · 19-08-2017 12:19PM

Ross's gag about "one of the few good judges" was very ill-judged too.

I can't think of any minister ever who had so little interest in his own portfolio, or anyone who constantly kept butting into someone else's.

Chuchote · 22-08-2017 07:22AM

Letter to The Irish Times from Peter White of Portmarnock includes:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/liffey-boardwalk-and-anti-social-activity-1.3193512

Similarly, the Royal Canal towpath from the quays through North Strand, under Croke Park to Castleknock, has been abandoned and left to these same individuals to take over. I can safely cycle this route each morning to work (when there isn’t broken glass strewn everywhere) but wouldn’t dream of doing so when going home in the evening.

Chuchote · 22-08-2017 07:46AM

Piece on the filthy condition of the Liffey at the Strawberry Beds calls into question the plan for a blueway along the river

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/liffey-s-poor-water-quality-raises-concerns-over-blueway-plans-1.3193506

(without really questioning who's polluting the Griffeen or the Liffey; usually this kind of pollution is industrial, for instance from dairies, or caused by farmers spreading slurry in wet weather…)

Jawgap · 22-08-2017 08:11AM

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm really starting to believe that the IT has an editorial line that is becoming increasingly anti-cycling and anti-cyclist....either that, or they are mindlessly processing the vomitus that passes for cyclist safety from the RSA.....

Insights from the people who treat the most extreme cycling injuries

.....zero context and no attempt to analyse the raw data.....it's not quite propaganda, but its not far off it.

buffalo · 22-08-2017 08:20AM

Jawgap wrote: »

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm really starting to believe that the IT has an editorial line that is becoming increasingly anti-cycling and anti-cyclist....either that, or they are mindlessly processing the vomitus that passes for cyclist safety from the RSA.....

Insights from the people who treat the most extreme cycling injuries

.....zero context and no attempt to analyse the raw data.....it's not quite propaganda, but its not far off it.

It was accompanied by an account of a husband who is now a full time carer for his wife: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/life-after-a-cycling-accident-i-am-now-a-permanent-carer-1.3193428

tomasrojo · 22-08-2017 08:41AM

Jawgap wrote: »

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm really starting to believe that the IT has an editorial line that is becoming increasingly anti-cycling and anti-cyclist....either that, or they are mindlessly processing the vomitus that passes for cyclist safety from the RSA.....

Insights from the people who treat the most extreme cycling injuries

.....zero context and no attempt to analyse the raw data.....it's not quite propaganda, but its not far off it.

It has gone very peculiar lately. Through the Keyhole with a Neo-nazi will not be a recurring feature I hope.(*)

(*) To be fair, it was a reprint of a Financial Times article. Even so ...

magicbastarder · 22-08-2017 08:49AM

they have been doing a line of articles about full-time carers of late, as far as i can see.

Jawgap · 22-08-2017 09:58AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

they have been doing a line of articles about full-time carers of late, as far as i can see.

No bad thing, as the issues around support for full time carers need to be highlighted.

I think the issue I have with the first article is that buys into the RSA approach to road safety - which seems to be "let's scare the bejaysus out of people" - the RSA also seem to want to generate an idea that somehow victims share some of the blame for their injuries.......as in, if you didn't cycle you wouldn't get hurt. It's simplistic, and it'll possibly be superficially effective by driving down cycling rates (and hence injuries).

From a journalistic perspective, I would've thought some scepticism and probing of the party line being offered might have been appropriate. Perhaps mentioning the rise in the popularity in cycling? the documented wider health benefits it offers....or even while seated with the people from the NRH asking them how many patients they treat a year, then maybe you could form an idea as to the significance of the 10-15 patients they see with cycle related injuries each year.

eeeee · 22-08-2017 10:20AM

Chuchote wrote: »

Piece on the filthy condition of the Liffey at the Strawberry Beds calls into question the plan for a blueway along the river

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/liffey-s-poor-water-quality-raises-concerns-over-blueway-plans-1.3193506

(without really questioning who's polluting the Griffeen or the Liffey; usually this kind of pollution is industrial, for instance from dairies, or caused by farmers spreading slurry in wet weather…)

It also mentions urbanisation and water treatment plan waste as causes, not just agricultural industries as the source of the contamination.

mr spuckler · 22-08-2017 10:23AM

6 ways to cut the cost of the school run

http://www.thejournal.ie/back-to-school-car-maintenance-3553994-Aug2017/

the first paragraph states that the majority of these trips are less than 1 mile yet
you've to wait until number 7 to finally see a potential alternative to driving such a short distance, which then doesn't even suggest cycling or mention the environmental benefits of not driving!

well up the list is taking your car out on the motorway to empty the diesel particulate filter so that you can continue driving to school without damaging your car

Pigeon Reaper · 22-08-2017 10:33AM

I noticed the reporting on the bus/cycle lanes on the quays reported commuters being delayed in most publications. They didn't point out that only private car drivers where delayed and the vast majority of commuters had journey times improved. Seemingly bus users and cyclists aren't commuters.

dub_skav · 22-08-2017 10:36AM

mr spuckler wrote: »

the first paragraph states that the majority of these trips are less than 1 mile yet
you've to wait until number 7 to finally see a potential alternative to driving such a short distance, which then doesn't even suggest cycling or mention the environmental benefits of not driving!

well up the list is taking your car out on the motorway to empty the diesel particulate filter so that you can continue driving to school without damaging your car

Very strange article. Sure, you can walk and it's faster and great, but jesus don't do it more than once a week.

schemingbohemia · 22-08-2017 10:40AM

The article is sponsored by Done Deal Motoring, so not exactly independent.....

buffalo · 22-08-2017 11:32AM

schemingbohemia wrote: »

The article is sponsored by Done Deal Motoring, so not exactly independent.....

It's hilarious and depressing in equal measure.

It's also filed under "CAR MAINTAINANCE" which is somewhat amusing for the smug literati. :pac:

AndrewJRenko · 22-08-2017 11:35AM

Jawgap wrote: »

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm really starting to believe that the IT has an editorial line that is becoming increasingly anti-cycling and anti-cyclist....either that, or they are mindlessly processing the vomitus that passes for cyclist safety from the RSA.....

Insights from the people who treat the most extreme cycling injuries

.....zero context and no attempt to analyse the raw data.....it's not quite propaganda, but its not far off it.

Slightly bizarre article on a few counts...

Why focus on cyclists' injuries? Based on road death statistics, I would expect that cyclist injury numbers are way below motorist injury numbers - so why this kind of obsessing over cyclists with no context as you mention above?

It is also disappointing to see the continuing use of the 'accident' terminology. RSA and others have at least moved on to use 'collision' - which is a clearer term and avoids letting people off the hook.

But the real strange stuff is how a rehab doctor is now treated as an expert in road safety. He's obviously expert at dealing with the outcome but he is no more expert on road safety than you or me.

papu · 22-08-2017 11:38AM

Yuck. The Journal is bottom barrel stuff now

Journalism and cycling

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