Journalism and cycling

Seth Brundle · 12-12-2019 8:06am

Seth Brundle wrote: »

A letter in today's Irish Times...
Seeing cyclists in the dark

Sir, – I would like apologise to the cyclist I almost hit on Monday night.

As they were wearing a high-visibility jacket and had bright lights this would seem even less excusable but it was only as the cyclist passed close in front of my car that I first saw the hand signal to turn right. The reason being the hand was in a black glove at the end of a black sleeve.

I am primarily a motorist, who cycles occasionally. I wear a bright red jacket when cycling.

I understand black jackets are more fashionable but I am old enough to remember gardaí on point duty wearing white gloves so their hand signals could be seen.

While these have gone out of fashion there are a wide variety of skiing gloves with reflective strips that I believe are fashionable. – Yours, etc,

DAVID DOYLE,

Goatstown, Dublin 14.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/seeing-cyclists-in-the-dark-1.4111194

Thinking about it, assuming that the lights on his car were working, he should be well able to see the cyclist's gesturing despite the cyclist's clothing.

Response in today's IT...

Sir, – Unlike David Doyle (December 11th), I don’t recall gardaí wearing white gloves, however I am aware that when driving behind any other road user, I’m responsible for ensuring I stay a safe distance from anything in front of me.

Given the principle that the motorist is the most dangerous road user, not just by overwhelming statistics, but by virtue of the size of their vehicle in any collision, I’m sure Mr Doyle will agree with me that the responsibility is on the motorist to remain attentive enough to notice hand-signals if they are so close that they risk rear-ending a more vulnerable road user. – Yours, etc,

COLIN McGOVERN,

Clontarf, Dublin 3.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/seeing-cyclists-in-the-dark-1.4112412

Seth Brundle · 12-12-2019 2:53pm

Mark Tighe provides us with another good story (mostly paywalled)...
Cyclists told to pair up after attacks at Grand Canal gate

A cycling campaign group has said it is “shameful” that they have had to advise cyclists to pair up on a stretch of the Grand Canal for safety.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9a46cb16-1c3a-11ea-8556-8cb7c08c0f76

Seth Brundle · 12-12-2019 8:52pm

Confronting a Driver from Your Bike Is Never Worth It

Confrontations with strangers are a fact of life. Fortunately, most of these are relatively minor, and unless you’re Larry David, you’re unlikely to get into a heated argument with someone over an airplane seat armrest or a poorly-placed shopping cart. Some situations, however, can be considerably more fraught, like when you’re riding a bike and a driver almost kills you.

You don’t have to be a cyclist to almost get killed by a driver; you can be in your own car, on foot, or simply enjoying a donut. However, what’s unique about being on a bicycle is that you’ve got all the physical vulnerability of a pedestrian, yet thanks to the potent combination of a bike and the shot of adrenaline that accompanies nearly dying you’re also often able to catch up with and directly address your would-be assailant. And when someone plays fast and loose with your life, the impulse to do just that can be irresistible.

So should you?
...

Interesting reading on a topic I know I need to stop doing!

AndrewJRenko · 12-12-2019 9:25pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Confronting a Driver from Your Bike Is Never Worth It

Interesting reading on a topic I know I need to stop doing!

I disagree with the article;

As for administering a devastating dressing-down with such surgical precision that the driver immediately questions all the life choices that led them up to this moment, no matter how clever you are, attempts to deliver the mot juste invariably backfire and leave you feeling even angrier.

It's really not that hard to ask someone to, for example, put their phone down. I've done it hundreds of times, and got aggressively hostile reactions on a handful of occasions. Some people do react badly to any 'touching' of the vehicle, but if you can just get the driver to put the window down, you can just have an adult conversation.

Whether it has any positive impact is debatable, but by not doing anything, you can be absolutely certain that you have no positive impact.

eclipsechaser · 13-12-2019 9:43am

David doubles down...

David Doyle wrote:

Sir, – I can assure Colin McGovern that there was never any danger of me rear-ending the cyclist as I had left ample space to stop as explained in my letter. If there had been a collision it would have been a side impact.

When cycling I see trucks as far more dangerous than cars and I believe the fatality figures confirm this.

I do agree that all road users, truck-drivers, car drivers, cyclists , and pedestrians must remain attentive to hand signals but would be surprised if the keenest- eyed pedestrian, an even more vulnerable road user, observing the near-miss could have seen the black gloved hand in the black sleeve.

My point is that cyclists, as one of the many road users, can either contribute to their own road safety or not. To me a hand signal with black glove and black sleeve is like a pedestrian walking down a country road in the dark without even an armband. It is easy to blame only the motorist, but that will not save lives. We all have a part to play in road safety. – Yours, etc,

Seth Brundle · 13-12-2019 9:56am

eclipsechaser wrote: »

David doubles down...

magicbastarder · 13-12-2019 9:57am

ah, 'we all have a part to play'. the road safety equivalent of background noise.

Stark · 13-12-2019 10:31am

"Would only have been a side impact. Don't know what everyone is getting so worked up about"

Weepsie · 13-12-2019 12:05pm

Not journalism, but a film about people taking the journey from the Grapes of Wrath by bike in 30 days

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/dec/12/the-bikes-of-wrath-review-cameron-ford-charlie-turnbull-cycling-documentary

crisco10 · 13-12-2019 1:01pm

In choosing which Letters to publish Irish Times have made their editorial stance fairly clear.

Sir, – David Doyle’s suggestion (December 11th) that when cycling in the dark, cyclists should wear gloves with luminous strips, makes sense.

Not only will drivers be able to see the cyclists hand signals and therefore reduce the possibility of a crash happening, but on occasions when they nearly kill the cyclist they will be able to see the cyclist’s “hand signals” as they drive away. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN CULLEN,

Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.

Sir, – David Doyle was lucky to get a hand-signal from a cyclist in the first place. It is a rarity in itself. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL REDMOND,

Clongriffin, Dublin 13.

Sir, – I think your correspondent Colin McGovern (December 12th) may be missing the point made by the original contributor (David Doyle): signals made in the dark, with a darkly-clad arm, are invisible at anything approaching a safe distance.

I don’t cycle during these dark winter evenings without a reflective jacket with sleeves. Common sense and my own survival demand it. – Yours, etc,

ALAN O’BRIEN,

Dalkey, Co Dublin.

magicbastarder · 13-12-2019 1:11pm

that may have been all the letters they received though. i vaguely know someone who used to be letters ed in the times. as you can imagine, much of what they are sent is not fit to be reproduced.

AndrewJRenko · 13-12-2019 1:12pm

eclipsechaser wrote: »

David doubles down...

Isn't it very unusual for the Times to allow a response to a response like this. This is moving into 'discussion board' territory, which is fairly different to their usual approach. You will often see a response to a previous letter, but not a response to a response.

But it's cycling, so...

crisco10 · 13-12-2019 1:16pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

that may have been all the letters they received though. i vaguely know someone who used to be letters ed in the times. as you can imagine, much of what they are sent is not fit to be reproduced.

I sent in a reply...:-) and it was publishable.

buffalo · 13-12-2019 1:29pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Isn't it very unusual for the Times to allow a response to a response like this. This is moving into 'discussion board' territory, which is fairly different to their usual approach. You will often see a response to a previous letter, but not a response to a response.

But it's cycling, so...

It's not unusual to allow a reply. That said, who knows how many back-and-forths never get published.

CramCycle · 13-12-2019 1:37pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Isn't it very unusual for the Times to allow a response to a response like this. This is moving into 'discussion board' territory, which is fairly different to their usual approach. You will often see a response to a previous letter, but not a response to a response.

But it's cycling, so...

Twitter by snail mail.

Here is what our dear driver did not mention about his driving. It is not like motorway overtaking. Same as overtaking a car, pedestrian or cyclist, you slow down and assess that it is safe to do so, this would involve slowing the car, indicating, observing, noticing the hand and then not completing the move. Unfortunately, most drivers now drive as if they are on a motorway. The cyclist is not in a separate lane of traffic to the car in his example, it is in the same lane as the car, so the cyclist did not pull across him , they technically indicated to turn right and he almost attempted an overtake while this was happening.

eclipsechaser · 13-12-2019 4:38pm

crisco10 wrote: »

In choosing which Letters to publish Irish Times have made their editorial stance fairly clear.

In fairness, this one at a glance looks like the author is agreeing with the luminous strips but he's actually making a joke about it. I would take it as saying that it's ridiculous.

Brian Cullen wrote:

Sir, – David Doyle’s suggestion (December 11th) that when cycling in the dark, cyclists should wear gloves with luminous strips, makes sense.

Not only will drivers be able to see the cyclists hand signals and therefore reduce the possibility of a crash happening, but on occasions when they nearly kill the cyclist they will be able to see the cyclist’s “hand signals” as they drive away. – Yours, etc,

magicbastarder · 13-12-2019 6:06pm

why oh why do people on the radio continually use the pronunciation 'cycalists'?

tomasrojo · 13-12-2019 7:30pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

why oh why do people on the radio continually use the pronunciation 'cycalists'?

Think it's just an Irish thing of interposing vowels between consonants and 'l's. Like Scottish people, consonants and 'r's.

tomasrojo · 13-12-2019 7:32pm

The tone of these people. "Well, either you're a reflective glove wearer or you're a complete moron with no interest in road safety."

tomasrojo · 13-12-2019 7:38pm

WHERE ARE YOUR REFLECTIVE GLOVES!?!

shootermacg · 13-12-2019 7:47pm

What about all the things, walls, trees, pedestrians, cyclists, animals and finally, other cars and trucks that drivers crash into every day?

What's the commonality with these things?

The only thing I can think of is....they exist and drivers exist.

magicbastarder · 13-12-2019 7:49pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

WHERE ARE YOUR REFLECTIVE GLOVES!?!

tomasrojo · 13-12-2019 7:52pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

Sir,

I was driving my car, wearing a red jacket, the most visible colour in the world, when I passed a cyclist. The cyclist, commendably, was wearing one reflective glove. Unfortunately, he was signalling left with his ungloved hand. So I ran him over.

Yours in safety,
Etc.

Stark · 13-12-2019 7:55pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

Wrong finger.

Seth Brundle · 13-12-2019 9:31pm

Cyclist injured after breaking traffic lights awarded €20,000
High court found Pat Deegan was 60% responsible for his own injury
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/cyclist-injured-after-breaking-traffic-lights-awarded-20-000-1.4114876

shootermacg · 13-12-2019 10:12pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Cyclist injured after breaking traffic lights awarded €20,000
High court found Pat Deegan was 60% responsible for his own injury
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/cyclist-injured-after-breaking-traffic-lights-awarded-20-000-1.4114876

Queue the outrage. But it stands to reason, if you are driving a death machine, you need to allow for everything.

Put away your phone and pay some attention.

work · 13-12-2019 10:27pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Not journalism, but a film about people taking the journey from the Grapes of Wrath by bike in 30 days

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/dec/12/the-bikes-of-wrath-review-cameron-ford-charlie-turnbull-cycling-documentary

Looks inspiring

axer · 13-12-2019 11:09pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Cyclist injured after breaking traffic lights awarded €20,000
High court found Pat Deegan was 60% responsible for his own injury
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/cyclist-injured-after-breaking-traffic-lights-awarded-20-000-1.4114876

While I detest cyclists who break lights (especially pedestrian lights) I can't help but think that this was not a lights controlled junction thus the driver should not have been using it as a guide that traffic was stopped. The cyclist could have just mounted the bike the other side of the lights (or walked through with his bike) and the incident would have happened. Strange judgement.

Eamonnator · 13-12-2019 11:11pm

axer wrote: »

While I detest cyclists who break lights (especially pedestrian lights) I can't help but think that this was not a lights controlled junction thus the driver should not have been using it as a guide that traffic was stopped. The cyclist could have just mounted the bike the other side of the lights (or walked through with his bike) and the incident would have happened. Strange judgement.

I was wondering the same. The first incident seems to have nothing to do with the collision.

magicbastarder · 14-12-2019 8:27pm

Cycle lanes are not only sometimes dangerous for cyclists:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/woman-loses-claim-over-accident-on-cycle-lane-kerbing-1.4114575

AndrewJRenko · 14-12-2019 8:46pm

axer wrote: »

While I detest cyclists who break lights (especially pedestrian lights) I can't help but think that this was not a lights controlled junction thus the driver should not have been using it as a guide that traffic was stopped. The cyclist could have just mounted the bike the other side of the lights (or walked through with his bike) and the incident would have happened. Strange judgement.

Same things happens frequently at the junction of Aungier St and Whitefriar St, where drivers coming down the side of the Church assume that once the pedestrian lights go red, it is safe for them to pull out onto the main road, regardless of whether there are cyclists coming up to those pedestrian lights.

https://twitter.com/Kingbot/status/1203989503855255552

axer · 14-12-2019 10:16pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Same things happens frequently at the junction of Aungier St and Whitefriar St, where drivers coming down the side of the Church assume that once the pedestrian lights go red, it is safe for them to pull out onto the main road, regardless of whether there are cyclists coming up to those pedestrian lights.

https://twitter.com/Kingbot/status/1203989503855255552

I know the spot. There is room for cyclists heading towards Dame street to pass the whitefriar road and still have space to stop before the lights. Even when the lights go green when cycling the other direction you have to watch out for cars still crossing the road and they never want to stop.

Pinch Flat · 15-12-2019 10:38am

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/cyclist-dies-after-being-struck-by-green-line-luas-38786250.html

Terrible news. RIP

15-12-2019 8:26pm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/cyclist-dies-after-being-struck-by-green-line-luas-38786250.html

Terrible news. RIP

19 was all the fella was.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/1215/1099215-dublin-luas-death/

Duckjob · 15-12-2019 9:41pm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/cyclist-dies-after-being-struck-by-green-line-luas-38786250.html

Terrible news. RIP

A young lad with his whole life ahead of him. So sad

magicbastarder · 18-12-2019 9:46pm

Dublin City Council Wants to Reopen a Traffic School for Kids

Aidan Somerville says he remembers being brought to the traffic school in Clontarf when he was a child. “It was encompassing everything,” he says.

Kids would get a safety briefing, and split off into different groups. “There were pedestrian groups, kids would go into go-karts and then there was kids on bikes,” he says.

https://dublininquirer.com/2019/12/18/dublin-city-council-wants-to-reopen-a-traffic-school-for-kids

AndrewJRenko · 18-12-2019 9:49pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

Dublin City Council Wants to Reopen a Traffic School for Kids

https://dublininquirer.com/2019/12/18/dublin-city-council-wants-to-reopen-a-traffic-school-for-kids

Kids? Can we not send adults?

tomasrojo · 18-12-2019 10:39pm

That weird case of the car mounting the footpath at speed on Adelaide Road has been in court: driver got jail.
https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2019/1218/1101993-rosemarie-gallagher/

18-12-2019 10:45pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

That weird case of the car mounting the footpath at speed on Adelaide Road has been in court: driver got jail.
https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2019/1218/1101993-rosemarie-gallagher/

I was more than a little surprised when I saw the name of the judge who locked her up.

tomasrojo · 18-12-2019 10:46pm

Is he usually pretty lenient with motoring offences?

18-12-2019 10:52pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

Is he usually pretty lenient with motoring offences?

Martin Nolan? Some of his sentencing is off the walls.

Stark · 18-12-2019 10:57pm

He's let scumbags with over a hundred previous convictions walk free for similar offences. Not sure why he decided to actually apply jail time this time round.

18-12-2019 11:02pm

Or the man who abused 2 of his nieces, having is name in the public realm was punishment enough according to Nolan.

Beau Bennett · 18-12-2019 11:07pm

He seems to think her MS is going to improve in 3 years.

eeeee · 18-12-2019 11:14pm

Only 2 years in jail and 3 license free years for killing someone and injuring 3 others whilst knowingly unfit to drive.
:rolleyes:
Why, oh why oh why is she getting her license back? Surely she's off the road for good now?

:mad:

AndrewJRenko · 18-12-2019 11:23pm

Beau Bennett wrote: »

He seems to think her MS is going to improve in 3 years.

eeeee wrote: »

Only 2 years in jail and 3 license free years for killing someone and injuring 3 others whilst knowingly unfit to drive.
:rolleyes:
Why, oh why oh why is she getting her license back? Surely she's off the road for good now?

:mad:

I presume that she'd need to get her GP to sign off before she could ever drive again, which is probably unlikely?

magicbastarder · 18-12-2019 11:31pm

yeah, it sounds like she needed a doctor's cert to be able to drive. she won't get one now; but i'd question the custodial sentence anyway. what sort of custodial sentence can they impose on a woman in her 60s with MS?

Ferris · 22-12-2019 12:45am

Non cycling related but ‘judge’ Nolan is having one of his weeks

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/man-who-drove-through-red-light-causing-fatal-collision-avoids-jail-1.4121923?mode=amp

I knew it was him from the headline.

22-12-2019 12:58am

Yeah that's him back on form.

My god if I was the family of the victim I'd have a hard time staying quiet in court listening to that scutter.

eeeee · 22-12-2019 12:38pm

Ferris wrote: »

Non cycling related but ‘judge’ Nolan is having one of his weeks

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/man-who-drove-through-red-light-causing-fatal-collision-avoids-jail-1.4121923?mode=amp

I knew it was him from the headline.

That's absolutely horrendous.
Is there no process by which a judge can get struck off?
I'm speechless at his judgement.

Journalism and cycling

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