Journalism and cycling

MiskyBoyy · 28-01-2020 10:23PM

This one?

Corca Baiscinn · 28-01-2020 11:24PM

Breezer wrote: »

I’ve just heard Brendan O’Connor announcing one of the Sunday papers (I didn’t catch which one) saying “Green Party manifesto allows cyclists to break red lights.”

I just had a look at the manifesto there. It allows for a left turn on red, giving way to pedestrians in the crossing. Which is a bit different...

It was in Sunday Times. Presumably some smart-ass sub editor titled it. I'd be disappointed if it was Valerie Flynn herself as she normally writes positively.

Thargor · 28-01-2020 11:40PM

MiskyBoyy wrote: »

This one?

I always wonder about that pic, why arent the cyclists sitting on their bikes? They literally double the space taken up for no reason and halve the pics impact...

CramCycle · 28-01-2020 11:47PM

The same Brendan O Connor who was a trumpeter for property as the cracks began to show or the same one who as a comedian was turned down by everyone, sent home with his tail between his legs but was somehow picked up by RTE. It wouldn't surprise me if he wrote it himself, no talent hack is the poster boy for turning papers into clickbait holes.

Eamonnator · 28-01-2020 11:57PM

Thargor wrote: »

I always wonder about that pic, why arent the cyclists sitting on their bikes? They literally double the space taken up for no reason and halve the pics impact...

For the same reason, that they're not sitting in the bus or sitting in the cars.
It shows the amount of space taken up by bus, bicycles and cars. The number of people remains the same.

fat bloke · 29-01-2020 10:40AM

Anyone see the end of the journal.ie article this morning?

https://www.thejournal.ie/cycling-general-election-2020-4981654-Jan2020/

It's a run down on a questionnaire on where the parties stand on cycling ahead of the election.

Lots of replies and detail from the main parties but this, from Renua, was quite astonishing:

"Renua Party Chairman Séamus Ó’Riain, however, told TheJournal.ie that cycling in Ireland is “not top of our priorities” in light of recent violence in Co Louth and Co Cork.

“A young man was chopped up and put into plastic bags in Drogheda,” Ó’Riain said. “Another stabbed to death in Cork.”

“You’ll have to forgive us but worrying about how the average metro sexual cycles to work at Google is not top of our list of priorities.”

It's one thing to prioritise a major (though minority) public disorder issue, but to simultaneously insult, dismiss, disparage, belittle and reveal an unbelievable ignorance of an issue with which a huge proportion of the electorate are engaged... that's pretty special!

Idioteque · 29-01-2020 10:43AM

Caught a small bit of some Newstalk show this morning just before 9am. Some man rings in to say the reason for traffic congestion in the city is mainly all of the cyclists and also some of the new scooters. Best bit was how “Cyclists are clogging up all of the junctions” and causing extra traffic for cars.

In fairness to the presenter he didn’t agree with the caller. Caller also went on to say how Facebook moving 6000 people to Ballsbridge is going to be chaos due to all of the “cyclists and scooters”

You can’t make this stuff up.

magicbastarder · 29-01-2020 11:29AM

not about cycling, but not bad news for cyclists:
New device to detect cars being driven without insurance issued
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/new-device-to-detect-cars-being-driven-without-insurance-issued-1.4154915

apart from the mangled headline, the journalist should be shot for this basic error:

In 2019 the bureau received 2,540 insurance claims, down 12 from 2,552 in 2018. This represents a change of less than 0.01 per cent.

mr spuckler · 29-01-2020 11:41AM

Also Aontú - get cyclists out of the way of motorists.

The Aontú candidate is in favour of segregated cycle routes through parks, coastlines and towns “or along green spaces to encourage greater enjoyment of the exercise and less traffic congestion,” she said.

Tóibín is in favour of RSA campaigns highlighting cyclist safety and said, equally, cyclists should be aware of their own vulnerability at higher speeds.

Seth Brundle · 29-01-2020 11:56AM

Cycling to work? You may live longer

People who cycle to work have a lower risk of dying, a New Zealand study has found.

The study, by researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, the University of Melbourne and the University of Auckland, has just been published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Lead researcher Dr Caroline Shaw, from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, says people who cycled to work had a 13 per cent reduction in mortality during the study, likely as a result of the health benefits of physical activity. There was no reduction in mortality for those who walked or took public transport to work.

Seth Brundle · 29-01-2020 12:02PM

Dublin drivers spent nine days in their cars last year

Dublin is the 17th most congested city in the world.

Motorists in the capital spent almost nine days in their car in 2019, according to a new Tom Tom report.

Congestion is also up one percent in Cork and Limerick, placing them 68th and 108th on the list respectively.

Bengaluru in India is the worst city globally for traffic, with Moscow the worst in Europe.

blackwhite · 29-01-2020 12:08PM

fat bloke wrote: »

Anyone see the end of the journal.ie article this morning?

https://www.thejournal.ie/cycling-general-election-2020-4981654-Jan2020/

It's a run down on a questionnaire on where the parties stand on cycling ahead of the election.

Lots of replies and detail from the main parties but this, from Renua, was quite astonishing:

"Renua Party Chairman Séamus ӒRiain, however, told TheJournal.ie that cycling in Ireland is “not top of our priorities” in light of recent violence in Co Louth and Co Cork.

“A young man was chopped up and put into plastic bags in Drogheda,” ӒRiain said. “Another stabbed to death in Cork.”

“You’ll have to forgive us but worrying about how the average metro sexual cycles to work at Google is not top of our list of priorities.”

It's one thing to prioritise a major (though minority) public disorder issue, but to simultaneously insult, dismiss, disparage, belittle and reveal an unbelievable ignorance of an issue with which a huge proportion of the electorate are engaged... that's pretty special!

It also gives a very strong hint that Renua believe themselves incapable of dealing with more than 1 issue at a time

Seth Brundle · 29-01-2020 12:09PM

https://twitter.com/NoonanJoe/status/1222446961497866240

McGrath5 · 29-01-2020 12:18PM

Not exactly exclusively cycling related, but I found last nights episode of Eco Eye very interesting on how we have "suburbanized" over the last 50 years and moved away from the centre of cities and towns to a car dependent life.
It explains how public transport and cycling can help improve the quality of peoples lives in and revitalize currently derelict areas by removing the car and making it more people focused.

Roadtoad · 29-01-2020 12:38PM

RTE Seán O Rourke 11.25am: I think Conor Faughnan got a bicycle from Santa, he was positively gushing about bike users just now. Take your chapeau!

Chips Lovell · 29-01-2020 12:49PM

Conor Faughnan has been cycling to work for years.

Pinch Flat · 29-01-2020 12:55PM

Chips Lovell wrote: »

Conor Faughnan has been cycling to work for years.

Yep, came across him a few years ago professionally and was surprised he cycled. "you'd be mad to drive in Dublin" he said.

29-01-2020 01:14PM

Talking about congestion on NewsTalk now. Just caught the end of one point.... some way to legally use the bus lanes. I'll give it a few more minutes before I tune out.

MiskyBoyy · 29-01-2020 04:47PM

Electric scooters 'set to be legalised on UK roads and cycle lanes'

https://news.sky.com/story/electric-scooters-set-to-be-legalised-on-uk-roads-and-cycle-lanes-11919889?fbclid=IwAR04xniEEMMYVMEvtKVuDQUOkWE3VdrgCBL5JZf0WSDCHRRIGdBfzP6qPjw

what_traffic · 29-01-2020 05:05PM

Chips Lovell wrote: »

Conor Faughnan has been cycling to work for years.

He mentions it pretty regularly alright on radio shows, he is after all the RTE goto person when any "traffic" item is raised. Always very easy for them to goto the AA PR spokesperson...... I wonder why? :rolleyes:
He is paid to promote and lobby for cars, and he is very good operator at doing that.

rubadub · 29-01-2020 05:14PM

MiskyBoyy wrote: »

Electric scooters 'set to be legalised on UK roads and cycle lanes'

that will be interesting to watch. I wonder what cities will be trialled, I imagine there will be lots of drunks having goes on them. 1 lad would bring it to the pub and the inexperienced drunk mates would have goes and ruin any chance.

There is meant to be a problem with drunks etc in Germany and I reckon we are closer in our likliehood to obey the law with the UK than the Germans. I remember finding it unnerving in Germany waiting for a green man at a pedestrian crossing on a totally empty road.

micar · 29-01-2020 09:47PM

MiskyBoyy wrote: »

Electric scooters 'set to be legalised on UK roads and cycle lanes'

https://news.sky.com/story/electric-scooters-set-to-be-legalised-on-uk-roads-and-cycle-lanes-11919889?fbclid=IwAR04xniEEMMYVMEvtKVuDQUOkWE3VdrgCBL5JZf0WSDCHRRIGdBfzP6qPjw

The 2,400+ facebook comments on the sky page are just as you expect,......road tax, insurance, licence plates, helmets, lights, hi viz, think they own the road, accidents waiting to happen

Pinch Flat · 29-01-2020 10:40PM

micar wrote: »

The 2,400+ facebook comments on the sky page are just as you expect,......road tax, insurance, licence plates, helmets, lights, hi viz, think they own the road, accidents waiting to happen

Nothing like a story reminding motorists that they don't own the road to trigger en masse

Thelonious Monk · 30-01-2020 04:27PM

Does anyone know if they're ever going to start the bike lanes through Fairview? I can't find any recent info on it.

Seth Brundle · 31-01-2020 08:42PM

Interesting thread containing a letter to the Minister for Transport Shane Ross from Xilinix who are calling for better and safer cycling infrastructure
Xilinix employ Yaman Umuroglu who was recently attacked along the canal in Dublin.

https://twitter.com/Sinabhfuil/status/1222838192518418432?s=19

Moflojo · 31-01-2020 11:03PM

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Does anyone know if they're ever going to start the bike lanes through Fairview? I can't find any recent info on it.

It's supposed to be going to tender shortly. Q3 2020 was the last expected start date that I heard, but that has probably slipped a bit since.

Pinch Flat · 02-02-2020 08:34AM

https://news.sky.com/story/four-children-riding-bicycles-killed-by-car-in-sydney-crash-11923456?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

Absolutely shocking and heart breaking news coming from Sydney.

Duckjob · 02-02-2020 12:39PM

Pinch Flat wrote: »

https://news.sky.com/story/four-children-riding-bicycles-killed-by-car-in-sydney-crash-11923456?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

Absolutely shocking and heart breaking news coming from Sydney.

Jesus, that's horrible, just horrible

when out walking or on the bike with the kids I often gesture to neighbours that are driving inappropriately to slow down and they look back at me like I'm some sort of crank. The ones I gesture to are usually doing somewhere between 50-65kph on a narrow residential road leading into/out of my estate with a blind bend and entrances into apartments where small kids play on their bikes.

This car dominant culture is a load of b0110x. Fed up with it.

Pinch Flat · 02-02-2020 05:07PM

It's hard to see where or when our "stop de kindermoord" will be. The narrative against cycling seems to be so toxic and negative and car domination shows zero sign of abating.

Same in my estate - signs up warning people of children playing and a recently installed 30kph limit sign. Absolutely zero impact on driver behaviour.

AndrewJRenko · 02-02-2020 05:34PM

Pinch Flat wrote: »

It's hard to see where or when our "stop de kindermoord" will be. The narrative against cycling seems to be so toxic and negative and car domination shows zero sign of abating.

Same in my estate - signs up warning people of children playing and a recently installed 30kph limit sign. Absolutely zero impact on driver behaviour.

Maybe it's a bit of a Twitter echo chamber effect, but I do see many more positive, pro-cycling voices from politicians, Councillors, activists and just mouthy younger folks these days then there was ten years ago. Certainly there is still a toxic, negative narrative out there, possibly getting even more toxic because like most bullies, it doesn't like being challenged, but I do see signs of a tide turning.

Journalism and cycling

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