Velib like bicycle rental kiosks are being constructed in Dublin

Jawgap · 28-05-2009 07:21AM

seamus wrote: »

Then they end up in West Tallaght instead of the Square.

Why would you nick a bike an cycle it to Tallaght? Surely your typical skanger will just fare dodge on the LUAS.:)

Anyway, the easiest away around this is to tell the Guards to stop anyone on these bikes wearing a hoodie, kappa shellsuits or who uses the phrase " 'Stoeeeeee bud?"

The Guards should be able to take the bike away from the skanger and then feck the skanger in the Liffey.

Finally, if we are to have an outbreak of bike throwing, wouldn't it have started already? There's a lot of abandoned bikes around the city centre how come the skangers and skangeress' haven't gone after them?

eightyfish · 29-05-2009 09:03AM

Letter in the Times.

(This should be interesting)

Jawgap · 29-05-2009 09:08AM

eightyfish wrote: »

Letter in the Times.

(This should be interesting)

I mentioned the scheme in work the other day and was quite surprised at the outpouring of negativity - lots of "what ifs" along the line of that letter, and questions as to who should provide a helmet, what do the RSA think about this, what if the bike is stolen from you, etc. etc.

I thought people would be a bit more positive about it but it seems a lot still perceive cycling as dangerous and that using one of these bikes would be the most dangerous of the dangerous things you could do on a bike.

On the plus side, it looks like I won't ever have a problem picking one up when I want it.........

Raam · 29-05-2009 09:11AM

eightyfish wrote: »

Letter in the Times.

(This should be interesting)

Difficult to know who to blame here

The letter writer didn't tell us what else happened in his theoretical incident.

petethedrummer · 29-05-2009 09:14AM

I regularly get killed on my way to work so I understand the concern.

Raam · 29-05-2009 09:15AM

petethedrummer wrote: »

I regularly get killed on my way to work so I understand the concern.

Just this morning, A PLANE FLEW OVER MY HEAD!
Who would be to blame if it hit me? The DAA? Ryanaer? The Pilot? Air Traffic Control?

Chips Lovell · 29-05-2009 09:24AM

What if a Velib is used in one of those cycle by shootings we've started hearing about? Will DCC be liable then?

eightyfish · 29-05-2009 09:28AM

What if someone cycles into a baby? Or a bad mother puts her baby on one of these death traps and he cycles into multiple babies? Won't somebody please think of the children???

(Way too much time on my hands this morning. Need to find some work to do.)

seamus · 29-05-2009 09:33AM

If a bus driver hit me on the back of the head with his wing mirror, I'd be highly impressed that he managed to do it without the front of bus hitting me first.

Admit it kona, you wrote that letter didn't you?

DePurpereWolf · 29-05-2009 10:38AM

What I like about Ireland is that in so many cases, people feel that they have to reinvent the wheel again. It never springs to mind that other people in other countries might already have thought of these things. But if it's not done in GB or USA (or Australia) it is just not known to the common Irishman.

Velib is from Paris, I know that the roads in Dublin are dangerous, but Paris is in a completely different ballpark when it comes to danger. You're talking about suicidal maniac metal death machines on the road there.
Anyway, the wikipedia entry about problems when it first started: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velib#Problems

The list of cities with similar projects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_bicycle_program#Current_programs

Given the many problems already solved, the fact that a company (JCDeceaux) still sees bread in it, the fact that Dublin would be city number 2X, wouldn't that a bit reassure you? A wee bit?

By the way, if a bus hits me on the head and I have to go to the hospital, it's the bus' fault, not mine because I happen to not have a helmut on.

Stark · 29-05-2009 10:46AM

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

By the way, if a bus hits me on the head and I have to go to the hospital, it's the bus' fault, not mine because I happen to not have a helmut on.

If a bus hits you on the back of the head with its wing mirror it's your fault for walking around straight and tall and not riding around crouched down on a bicycle

blorg · 29-05-2009 10:58AM

I would have thought Paris traffic was a hell of a lot better now than it was a decade or 15 years ago. Certainly better than Dublin at this point (IMHO, in the centre anyway.) There are few places worse than Dublin- Lisbon and around it would probably be one of the few places I have cycled that I would chalk up as worse.

davidsatelle100 · 29-05-2009 11:19AM

Raam wrote: »

Just this morning, A PLANE FLEW OVER MY HEAD!
Who would be to blame if it hit me? The DAA? Ryanaer? The Pilot? Air Traffic Control?

The lad pointing the laser at the pilot or course :rolleyes:

Lumen · 29-05-2009 11:22AM

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

I know that the roads in Dublin are dangerous

No. The roads in Dublin make some people feel scared. The amount of fear is usually inversely proportionate to the amount of cycling the person does. This suggests to me that the fear is not rational.

I found driving quite scary too before I learned how to do it safely.

eightyfish · 29-05-2009 11:52AM

Lumen wrote: »

The amount of fear is usually inversely proportionate to the amount of cycling the person does. This suggests to me that the fear is not rational.

+1

tomasrojo · 29-05-2009 01:03PM

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

What I like about Ireland is that in so many cases, people feel that they have to reinvent the wheel again. It never springs to mind that other people in other countries might already have thought of these things. But if it's not done in GB or USA (or Australia) it is just not known to the common Irishman.

Velib is from Paris, I know that the roads in Dublin are dangerous, but Paris is in a completely different ballpark when it comes to danger. You're talking about suicidal maniac metal death machines on the road there.
Anyway, the wikipedia entry about problems when it first started: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velib#Problems

The list of cities with similar projects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_bicycle_program#Current_programs

Given the many problems already solved, the fact that a company (JCDeceaux) still sees bread in it, the fact that Dublin would be city number 2X, wouldn't that a bit reassure you? A wee bit?

By the way, if a bus hits me on the head and I have to go to the hospital, it's the bus' fault, not mine because I happen to not have a helmut on.

Why 'helmut' in the letter title? Is it an ingenious pun to suggest a future German tourist who receives a destructive blow from the wing mirror of the 46A?

petethedrummer · 29-05-2009 01:25PM

I emailed the author. will report findings.

DePurpereWolf · 29-05-2009 01:40PM

It's actually a hellmutt. A really aggressive dog like creature you wear on your head to inform bus drivers of your location.

Incidentally, the hellmutt does wear a helmet.

kona · 29-05-2009 02:46PM

seamus wrote: »

Admit it kona, you wrote that letter didn't you?

No, I didnt, only because the times wont let me use smileys...especially the over use of this one:rolleyes:.
Also, I wouldn't be able to sit back and enjoy 12 pages of mayhem caused by one of my points(it would have made the times more exciting and fun though:D).
I'd also have to wait a while to be called stupid, I prefer to have a good arguent, the more abusive the better:D:eek::pac:

However alot of the points that I raised in this thread, which caused such mayhem and "counter argument" seem to be reflected upon the general popuation who will actually use the bikes.

I personally believe its a great idea, however very poorley executed.

kona · 29-05-2009 02:49PM

el tonto wrote: »

What if a Velib is used in one of those cycle by shootings we've started hearing about? Will DCC be liable then?

That would be a positive outcome(well generally) one less filthy scumbag socity leeching, drug dealer on the street

Chips Lovell · 29-05-2009 03:00PM

kona wrote: »

That would be a positive outcome(well generally) one less filthy scumbag socity leeching, drug dealer on the street

I thought that was your forté, if memory serves me correctly.

kona · 29-05-2009 03:03PM

Actually, just how ****ing ignorant are people to cycling in dublin?

I mean -

Helmet? im sure the Know-it alls know they are not a legal requirement:rolleyes:

Traffic- Talking out their bumbum, If you have cop on you will be fine in traffic.

Did he mention the actual concerns such as:

Maintance?- Is it going to be done by trained mechanics?

Danger-with the possibility of having 200 bikes around in traffic being used by inexperienced riders, I predict mayhem. That and more threads here from motorists complaing, It will also take me longer to get home with these yokes flying about.

Bikes-Lets be honest they seem to be ****,

Main issues from looking at them:
Punctures(due to lack of maintenace and air pressure)
Pedals(steel platforms would be more durable)
Cranks(nowhere near good enough, will be falling off and bending regular)
Saddle(looks quite poor and could rip quite easy)
Seatpost(QR:rolleyes:, unless the end is flared, aot of saddles and posts will be stolen)
Geometry(Terrible, IMO will put people off even more)

kona · 29-05-2009 03:04PM

el tonto wrote: »

I thought that was your forté, if memory serves me correctly.

nah just when the ***** rob my stuff, filthy nackers.

We should be like spain, a decent stoning for these stains on the knickers of life.

Chips Lovell · 29-05-2009 03:08PM

kona wrote: »

We should be like spain, a decent stoning for these stains on the knickers of life.

Yes, the public stonings are one of my favourite things about Spain.

"Stain on the knickers of life" is up there with footpad in terms of funniest things I've read here.

Civilian_Target · 29-05-2009 07:04PM

seamus wrote: »

If a bus driver hit me on the back of the head with his wing mirror, I'd be highly impressed that he managed to do it without the front of bus hitting me first.

It's happened to me

But I was walking....

I know, I know, I should have worn my walking helmet...

jlang · 29-05-2009 10:38PM

Civilian_Target wrote: »

It's happened to me

But I was walking....

I know, I know, I should have worn my walking helmet...

Were you wearing your shirt with your username on the back?

dubb · 11-06-2009 11:42AM

DCC_Cycling (Elaine) wrote: »

Hi all,

We're working on a new cycling web site for Dublin City at the moment but thought this information may be valuable to pop up as the new site won't be live for 2-3 weeks. When it is we'll post the address here too.

http://www.dublinbikes.ie is JCDecaux's web site specifically for the City Bikes scheme itself.

The scheme was supposed to be up and running this summer. The Irish Times even reported this as recently as last month. Now it seems it's September, and I wouldn't be surprised if that date moves out too.

Any explanation for the delay? It's a real pity to miss the summer, especially as the bikes will have had 6 months of weathering before many people try them out in 2010.

And why the two sites? Could the council not just put the info on their own site?

kona · 11-06-2009 11:44AM

dubb wrote: »

The scheme was supposed to be up and running this summer. The Irish Times even reported this as recently as last month. Now it seems it's September, and I wouldn't be surprised if that date moves out too.

Any explanation for the delay? It's a real pity to miss the summer, especially as the bikes will have had 6 months of weathering before many people try them out in 2010.

And why the two sites? Could the council not just put the info on their own site?

Because its aload of bollix.IMO.

back into the trenches!:eek::D

paulgreene · 21-06-2009 11:09AM

The scheme is now properly mapped on

http://www.awaycity.com/wiki/Dublin/Dublinbikes

Tails · 21-06-2009 10:09PM

Personally I think the idea is great. Everybody seems to be bitching that cycling in dublin is not all that friendly for cyclists, but with a scheme like this people will be more tolerant and accepting to bikes (eventually) when more and more people are on the road.

So give it some credit, it has its flaws but I think its benefits out weigh them.

On another note I think this thread has devolved in Kona's argument thread. Please for the love of god stop going on personal crusades.

Velib like bicycle rental kiosks are being constructed in Dublin

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