Criticism floods in for BBC’s “one-sided” LTN piece “fuelling culture wars”; The usual anti-cycling letter to local paper gets unusually well-informed replies; Count the cars; Hangar rents rise; Cobbles are back + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
The usual 'road tax' letter to local paper gets unusually well-informed replies
Let’s kick today’s blog off with a textbook ‘road tax’ letter sent to a local newspaper by Keith Sayers from Worcester. He told the Worcester News that “financially it doesn’t make sense with undoubtedly tougher times ahead” to build another cycle bridge in Worcester. Keith suggests “the money could be put to better use. We have people using foodbanks, for instance. Or maybe implement a cycle tax to pay for such extravagance?”
We’ve been here before with this sort of logic in local press but to the credit of the Worcester News’ readership there was a string of well-informed comments to set Keith right…
crazytattoo asked the outrageous question: “Why would you want to introduce a cycle tax? Surely its better to encourage people to cycle – what would happen if a tax was introduced, more cars on the road?” Steady on crazytattoo that seems a bit extreme…
Next, some divine intervention from ‘Christ on a bike’: “Cyclists also drive cars and pay income tax. Surely someone of your massive intellect could have figured this out. And they’re not bridges exclusively for cyclists you moron. You don’t even live in Worcester so keep your nose out. Jesus F*cking Christ on a bike.”
The answer is 42 had a go at changing the story’s headline: “Perhaps ‘Grumpy Worcester bloke hates progress’ would be a better headline?” Don’t mind me saving that one for later.
ToriesOut added some closing sensibleness: “There will be more pedestrians using it than cyclists. Are you going to tax pedestrians too? Cyclists might use the roads but they don’t put the wear and tear on them that other vehicles do. Then there’s the whole point of encouraging people to use bikes rather than polluting our city. Why am I even responding to this lunacy?!”
Count the cars in the cycle lane
— Aberdeen Cycle Forum (@aberdeenCF) March 15, 2021
Aberdeen Cycle Forum raised the issue of cars parking in the city’s cycle lanes by sharing 24 photos of motorists using the space, designated for bikes, to park their motors. The forum has called on the council to enforce parking restrictions to remove the risk and inconvenience to cyclists.
In a series of tweets they wrote: “We’ve heard from multiple cyclists in regard to the Streets for People schemes remaining around the city not being enforced. Vehicles parked on cycle lanes and driving against traffic direction on one-ways have been reported to us and in turn to the council multiple times, to no avail.
“Parking on a mandatory cycle lane is not only illegal and a risk and inconvenience to cyclists, it has also affected other road users such as buses, as they didn’t have enough clearance to drive through. This is caused by flaws in the designs used (e.g. paint is not segregation) and a near-total lack of enforcement. The Council needs to do better, for the current Spaces for People schemes and any future projects.”
Trades on bikes
“but how can anyone run a sash window business on a bicycle?”
Maybe ask Sash Windows of Bath howhttps://t.co/1bM2KjLC4N pic.twitter.com/x1Sv54jJHG
— Trades On Bikes (@TradesOnBikes) March 15, 2021
Charlie Quarterman delays return to racing from concussion
Yeah, still some work to be done and some time to be taken to come back from the crash I had at the opening weekend. Progress being made but this isn’t one to rush! I’ll be back soon, don’t worry 😊 https://t.co/v51MHYqVfL
— Charlie QUARTERMAN (@quartermanc) March 17, 2021
Today’s Nokere Koerse comes too soon for 22-year-old Charlie Quarterman who hasn’t fully recovered from a concussion sustained in a crash at Omloop-Het-Nieuwsbald. However, there will still be plenty of British interest on the cobbles in Belgium with Mark Cavendish looking for his first win back at Deceuninck-Quick-Step and Jake Stewart hoping to go one better than his second place at Omloop. Young talents from the track Ethan Hayter and Matt Walls are also racing for Ineos Grenadiers and Bora-hansgrohe respectively. Owain Doull, Matt Holmes, Alexander Richardson and Chris Lawless complete the British contingent at the semi-classic which has just over three hours left.
Cycle hangar rents to increase by a third in Lewisham from next month
London news online reports that the cost of using a cycle hangar in Lewisham is set to increase by a third after Lewisham Council withdrew its subsidy. Cyclehoop, who provide the hangars, notified users that the cost will increase from £45 to £60 per year after the council removed the £15 subsidy from next month. Councillor Sophie McGeevor said the move was due to a lack of government funding.
A spokesperson for DeptfordFolk told the news site they’re “shocked with Lewisham Council’s commitment to sustainable travel going low thanks to the news that secure cycle hangers go up in price.” A trustee of the London Cycling Campaign also called the decision as “totally misguided”.
Army veterans in Warrington to receive training to tackle bike crime
I’m proud that my Community Police Fund is supporting a project in Warrington which supports army veterans
The programme with @OrfordWaPol will reduce social isolation and allow veterans to help reduce the number of bikes stolen in the area
More 👉 https://t.co/RfEouXWlYm pic.twitter.com/Ca4ACdzTNO
— David Keane #StayHomeSaveLives (@CheshirePCC) March 16, 2021
Members of an armed forces veterans charity will be offered training to help maintain and protect bikes following a rise in thefts in Warrington. Funded by the police and crime commissioner Davide Keane’s Community Police Fund, the training sessions will aim to upskill veterans, helping them with bike maintenance and bike marking.
The plan is to then offer their bike marking skills to the public free of charge. PCC David Keane said: “It is great to see how many veterans are being supported by the hub in Orford. Many of our armed forces veterans report feeling isolated or lonely after leaving the military and projects like this help us to ensure they can connect and build relationships with people in their local community.
“Not only will we help the veterans to improve their mental wellbeing, the project will also enable residents to gain access to free services which are vital to making our communities safer. Bicycle marking alone won’t stop thefts but it will help to raise awareness and reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim, as thieves will know the bike is protected and marked.”
Line of Duty star Martin Compston's exercise bike whipped him into shape for upcoming season
Line of Duty fans will be happy to see Martin Compston back on their screens this weekend for the next instalment of the police drama. The actor who plays the AC-12 Detective Inspector Steve Arnott says a two-week regime of “water, soup and the exercise bike” whipped him into shape after gaining a few lockdown pounds.
“I asked our lovely costume designer to leave Steve’s suits in my room so I could try them on as they were all tailored. That was a really tough day – I was bursting out of everything! I didn’t realise how the suits were quite so tailored to my original shape! I thought quarantine was going to be wine and pizza, but it was water, soup and an exercise bike for two weeks! I was chuffed to get out of it,” Compston told the Glasgow Times.
Lovely tribute to Mark Reilly from road.cc blogger Jo Burt
Long-time road.cc blogger Jo Burt, the artist and illustrator behind the much-loved Mint Sauce mountain-biking sheep cartoons, knew Reilly well, having been a regular customer over the years, with both based in Brighton. Here’s his tribute…
It’s terrible having a frame builder that lives in the same town as you. Mark has designed and built several frames for me over quite a few years, the single speed town bike that’s been in almost daily use for nearly two decades, the magenta road bike, the deliberately twitchy MTB, the single speed cyclo-cross bike, the “like a cyclo-cross bike but with bigger tyres before Gravel was even a thing” bike that was ridden to the Bespoked bike show in Bristol the day after it was built, the bike-fit that took a lifetime of his experience and three minutes of my time to create the most like-a-glove bicycle I’ve ever owned …
Mark knew about bikes, he’d been dong them all his life, he knew what worked and what didn’t and when it came to chatting about dimensions and geometry he was very diplomatic about any ideas you might have but you’d always listen to him in the end, because he knew. He also had an eye, that eye that craftsmen have after years of hands-on experience and he couldn’t help himself when it came to making a beautiful machine. It was also a pleasure, a privilege and a learning experience to hear his views about bikes especially when at a framebuilding show where he could spot genuine craftsmanship versus a nice paint job covering a multitude of sins at 50 paces.
While I will miss meeting Mark on the odd occasion and cheerfully talking bollocks about bicycles it is through his bikes that he will be remembered by me and countless others. It may be a cliche but he will live on in the miles and adventures his bikes go on and I’m pumping up the tyres on his orange one now.
BBC slammed for MP's unchallenged claim that LTNs are more contentious than air strikes on Syria
The BBC has been criticised for a video report on LTNs that featured Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq saying the schemes are more contentious than air strikes on Syria, Brexit and coronavirus. The report also used a video from a woman who said LTNs had made it impossible for taxi drivers to drop her off at her door, forcing her to walk home alone.
London Assembly Member Caroline Russell called the report “really extraordinary”. “The BBC are listening to loud voices and not looking at the evidence or reasons why boroughs, encouraged by government, are disrupting satnav enabled motor traffic take over of our city. Hint: to reduce danger, clean up the air and improve health,” she continued.
Not sure what’s going on with BBC coverage of Low traffic Neighbourhoods but running unchallenged claims women can no longer get to their homes and they’re more contentious than air strikes on Syria and Coronavirus is, well, stretching things https://t.co/039llHxNQV pic.twitter.com/U1N0Y1ifhV
— Laura Laker (@laura_laker) March 17, 2021
On the forum: what's your ideal gear ratio for a few days in the Alps?
My Orbea Gain with its 250w battery and motor! Plus the 11-32! pic.twitter.com/d2syoAcYel
— Andrew J 🏴🚴🏼♂️ (@andrew2336) March 17, 2021
We expected some bragging when we shared one of our forum posts asking for gearing advice for a trip to the mountains. We should have expected the smart-arses and comedians too… there were too many 52×11 and hidden motor jokes to count!
John Kirkham-Herrera said: “Boris Bike for me. In fact if you’ve not hit the alps on a Boris you’re not really a cyclist (p.s. only use the bottom and third gear for inclines of 10% and more)”
Nick Bell added: “Lower gears are like condoms; I’d rather have one and not need it, than need it and not have one.” Brilliant.
Ludovic Robeet wins Nokere Koerse, Cav crashes out of contention
“He can celebrate the biggest day of his career!” 🎉
A stunning solo attack from Ludovic Robeet sees him win #NokereKoerse! pic.twitter.com/2gsQbN5kAI
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) March 17, 2021
A big win for Ludovic Robeet and Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles. The big news behind was that Mark Cavendish crashed out with six kilometres to go, before his teammate Jannik Steimle suffered a serious looking fall too. No news on either yet but Cav did at least finish the race…
We’ll keep you in the loop with news and reaction to Cav and Steimle’s crashes when we hear more…
Criticism floods in for BBC's "one-sided" LTN piece "fuelling culture wars"
The war on the motorist is a line you’d expect from the Daily Mail, perhaps, but the BBC continues with the trope that these are “cash cows”. It’s worth adding these cameras were put in after scaremongering over emergency access. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. (9/18) pic.twitter.com/NuV9kdHPr3
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) March 17, 2021
The controversy over the BBC’s LTN report has rumbled on this lunchtime with the broadcaster coming in for plenty of criticism on social media. Adam Tranter described the report as “one-sided” and “devoid of any fact-checking” as well as sharing a thread noting the numerous problems with it. The BBC’s Environment Editor Justin Rowlatt shared the piece this morning with the comment “my inbox is already filling up” and described the video of the man’s swearing rant, included in the report, as “brilliant”.
Tranter continued his criticism of the piece, noting it didn’t include any of the widely available data on LTNs, and instead focused on “anecdotes an uncorroborated video clips”. One of the people interviewed for the piece replied to Rowlatt’s tweet saying he “deeply regrets taking part”. Mark Eccleston said: “We spoke at length about the environmental, health and safety benefits of LTNs for everyone. Yet you focused on the single heated exchange I had with my neighbour. The issue deserves more science and less sensationalism.
“I’d spoken at length about the health, safety and environmental benefits of LTNs. But of course they just wanted two neighbours arguing in the street. A bit depressing really… this was the environment unit and they still used anecdotes instead of the science.”
The video is promoted on the BBC homepage alongside a video on COVID misinformation. It’s interesting that we’re worried about misinformation in what crisis, but not another.
Imagine a piece on vaccines that gave weight to people who don’t think that Coronavirus exists.
(13/18) pic.twitter.com/yCXiBeoENT
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) March 17, 2021
Behind the scenes at Strade Bianche with Team Qhubeka Assos
The embargo has just lifted, so we’re here with a late blog update to share this cool vid from Africa’s only World Tour team. Enjoy before scrolling down and facepalming at today’s rather one-sided coverage about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods courtesy of Britain’s foremost public service broadcaster…
17 March 2021, 09:02
17 March 2021, 09:02
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Latest Comments
Just call them electric motorbikes, or e-motorbikes. Stick a battery in a car and your still a motorist, but stick a battery in a motorbike and suddenly you're a cyclist - why?
Note: These saddles might not work for you if you don't meet all of these requirements: A. Ride at least 30 hours per week. B. Have a minimal amount of your weight on the saddle because 1) your bars are super-low for maximum aerodynamics, 2) you're pushing 300+ watts into the pedals most of the day, 3) you weigh at most 65 kg. If these things aren't true for you, then you should ignore what saddles pro' riders are using and find something that's more appropriate for your type of riding style, frequency and physique.
The last competitive cycling event I entered also happened to be a warm-up for the Paris Paralympics for Sarah Storey. She had the quickest time in a 10-mile time trial. It's fair to say I didn't trouble the leaders' board (something of an understatement...). A legendary athlete. I'd have Pogačar, though, obvs!
@ktache Sickening, ain't it? Someone should take him aside and say look mate, you're already pretty much guaranteed GOAT status, do you have to be the coolest and seemingly one of the nicest as well? Didn't go to my predictions today, anyway, I thought he and Jonas would summit Tourmalet together and then Pogacar would take maybe 25-30 seconds on the final climb. He's unpredictable in his predictability, shall we say!
It may be a little predictable, but he is magnificent. He even looks good in white shorts...
This is an expensive vacuum flask, and as a water purification system, it's a non-starter compared to: https://www.pureclearfilters.co.uk/filters/ This also deals with viruses
@GravelIsNothingNew Just finished watching the whole stage today flag to flag, really enjoyed seeing Pogacar showing us how he thinks winning is irrelevant. Definitely couldn't have cared less about winning, no sir.
Unfortunately while we (probably) know what he means, technically if " BBC amends the language in the article so that it refers to ‘illegal e-bikes’ throughout, rather than just ‘e-bikes’ "... ... then they'll still be inaccurate. As (last I checked) it's the use of the machines for riding anywhere other than on private land that is illegal *. ... although that might be good propaganda? Certainly I wouldn't mind at all if there was also more done to steer sellers away from flogging them to the public with nothing but possibly a warning buried on page 94 of the manual. * That is, without them being type-approved. And then assuming that's done and they fall under the motorbike rules getting a suitable licence (driver would need to be old enough), insurance, paying any tax, then riding them *only* in accordance with those rules eg. only on (some) roads always wearing a suitable helmet and having the machine pass MOTs as required ... is this right? Obviously you could still legally use them as eg. a paperweight most places...
Presumably that just reflects what they normally get sent in for review, and this just got reviewed because the maker decided to send it. One of the first few reviews on their site is from someone who uses it for cycling, but they're using it as storage, and then filling bidons from it when they want to use it.
The technology works, has been in use for decades (e.g. google 'steripen'). That one got me safely through India over a 3-month period. Trust me, it works. The water has to be potable because if flocculent material is present, all bets are off (should be pre filtered first). Also, the liquid has to be clear (transparent to visible light). It works not by outright killing micro-organisms but by damaging their DNA/RNA so they can't replicate anymore. The idea is good but obviously, this has never been developed for on-bike use.
59 thoughts on “Criticism floods in for BBC’s “one-sided” LTN piece “fuelling culture wars”; The usual anti-cycling letter to local paper gets unusually well-informed replies; Count the cars; Hangar rents rise; Cobbles are back + more on the live blog”
Sounds like we may be finally
Sounds like we may be finally getting the message across
Today Worcester – Tomorrow the World!
To combat fake news, I’d just
To combat fake news, I’d just like to point out that nowhere in the linked letter to Worcester news does the writer mention “road tax”, nor does the headline.
In fact, contrary to the entirely false narrative constructed by Dan Alexander, the crux of the letter appears to be questioning the priorities of Worcester council and whether the money could be put to better use. I have no idea how many cycling and pedestrian bridges cross the River Severn, but I think the writer has every right to raise the point as to whether the money would be better allocated elsewhere.
Fair comment. Resources for
Fair comment. Resources for infrastructure are limited, so unless the Council got something in the recent Town Deal bid, reasonable question.
I would like to give Sash
I would like to give Sash Windows of Bath a medal for getting up them there hills with that trailer. He must be the local hill climb champion.
Genuinley, wonderful to see.
peted76 wrote:
I want to see them deliver to the top of Lansdown Hill.
They’d really have earned a
They’d really have earned a cuppa by the time they got there.
It’s an awesome setup! I also
It’s an awesome setup! I also like this page: https://walkridebath.org.uk/local-businesses-using-cargobikes/ which I’ve now bookmarked for every time someone says ‘how would businesses run without a van?’ Answer: they’ll get local and get a cargo bike. Even more so with the advent of e-bikes there’s precious little that couldn’t be moved on a bike/bike with trailer! 🙂
It’s an impressive setup! I
It’s an impressive rig. I hope it’s an electric assist. I had to go looking for some more details on it…
https://www.cyclesmaximus.com/Trailer-for-Cargo-Trike-TrailerTrike.htm
The cycle tax thing seems to
The cycle tax thing seems to be trying to establish a principle that cyclists should pay for their infrastructure. I currently pay a relatively small amount in VED for the car I sometimes drive, but mostly I pay for roads through general taxation. If the intent is that the user should pay for user-specific infrastructure, then surely cyclists who pay tax should receive a rebate for infrastructure that they are not permitted to use? So, if we were to weigh up the net difference between cycle-only bits of infrastructure and the motorway network, I see an opportunity for a substantial incentive to ride scheme.
For the avoidance of doubt, I am not serious, but it’s a nice thought!
I’m often tempted to respond
I’m often tempted to respond with a ‘sure, let’s tot up the total cost of roads vs. the total number of miles driven by UK registered drivers and tax proportionately.’ I bet it’d cost most drivers an arm and a leg more than they currently pay in VED. (I’m aware there are issues with HGVs etc., but it’s more the idea that if we’re all supposed to ‘pay our way’ car drivers have got a lot more paying to do)
fwhite181 wrote:
The problem with totting up the “cost” of driving is that the majority of that cost is via intangible externalities, such as congestion, pollution and accidents, rather than the direct cost of the roads themselves.
If you set these intangibles to one side, ignore the fact that road taxes aren’t ring-fenced, and simply tot up the total cost of road infrastructure and compare it to the total amount of tax collected from driving (fuel duty and VED), then you’ll find that drivers pay more in tax than they receive back in infrastructure. Considerably more in fact.
However, as mentioned above the direct cost of driving doesn’t take into account externalities that driving create. But these externalities aren’t easily measurable and are subject to debate, hence the way the argument is easily hijacked by the driving lobby (and vice-versa with anti-car groups) resulting in the unseemly arguments that break out on a seemingly daily basis.
Nigel Garrage wrote:
Congestion and pollution, sure. But those externalities include things like traffic policing, driving related cases in the criminal justice and courts system, repairs to roads and other infrstructure following incidents, treating those injured in, and as a result of, incidents on the roads, lost work days from those injuries … all of those are measurable costs left out of the “drivers pay way more in tax than they get out” argument.
As you rightly say, if the only thing we include is the costs of building and maintaining the road network then VED and other motoring taxes bring in more than that, but there is plenty of other measurable financial cost that needs to be included.
Which still leaves aside the fundamental principle of UK taxation that the amount you contribute is not (and should not be) directly related to the amount you benefit. How would you raise the taxes required to pay for things like education otherwise?
I have wondered, given the
I have wondered, given the boom in cycling, what the total amout of VAT paid on cycling related purchases is and how that compares with money spent on cycling infrastructure.
Not sure how you can work out how much cyclists are spending on coffee and cake though
IanMK wrote:
That’s easy – you just ask the importer of Castelli and Santini what the average size of the jerseys and shorts they sell is. Furthermore, we sustain a business called Fat Lad at the Back – I don’t see any gym-wear brands going that way. Clearly, we all eat massive amounts of cake.
Could everyone stop using the
Could everyone stop using the c-word until Lent is over please?
mdavidford wrote:
Castelli?
Jetmans Dad wrote:
Cantilever
Nigel Farrage?
Nigel Farrage?
Happy to pay my taxes for
Happy to pay my taxes for riding my bike on public roads. As VED is emissions based, presumably I will need to present myself annually at an approved test centre. ‘Bend over sir, whilst we attach the emissions test apparatus’. ‘I’m afraid that’s a fail sir’. Perhaps I’ll need to swap my full cooked breakfast for bran cereal.
Or we could switch to weight
Or we could switch to weight through the rear axle to power 4 (which correlates with road damage) – I tell you what, to get a reasonable number for my 70kg bike + rider weight these people driving 2000kg SUVs are NOT going to be happy with their tax bill!
Carior wrote:
Just wait till the big lorries get their bills. Skip hire would cost a bit more.
I was puzzled over that BBC
I was puzzled over that BBC report (I don’t usually watch their videos, made an exception and regretted it) with the woman claiming that a taxi driver couldn’t get to her house. Aren’t LTNs just preventing vehicle access from one end? If so, what was stopping the taxi driver from dropping off their passenger and either reversing or turning round?
hawkinspeter wrote:
Yes, that’s my understanding. Where was the fact check? verification?
This was shitty click bait. The BBC’s utter dereliction of duty is sickening. This kind of “here are two people talking, I the ‘journalist’ am going to shrug my shoulders. You decide” reporting has had dire, real-world consequences over the years, the most obvious being the “debate” about the climate.
They didn’t know the area. It
They didn’t know the area. It was dark. The sat nav took them there.
I wouldn’t start from here if I were you.
hirsute wrote:
Surely you are referring to Ubers, not Pwoppah Bwack Cabbies TM. A Cabby needs no sat-nav and can see in the dark like an owl. And they know everything…..
hawkinspeter wrote:
Nothing is stopping the taxi driver, or any vehicle getting to someones house. Nothing.
It might add 30 seconds to a minute in a bad case (with congestion caused by other cars) but why should that matter? How bout we compare the time taken to walk somewhere within an LTN and without? I’m guessing the extra time it takes to cross a road/multiple roads for pedestrians is longer than the delay to cars in most cases…and at least half the people in london dont own a car (most dont in inner london)
‘Cos the other end of the
‘Cos the other end of the road is full of mutant feral squirrels capable of stripping the tires off your wheel in a matter of seconds. Obviously.
Compact Corned Beef wrote:
Sorry, I knew I’d left them somewhere.
I suspect what’s stopping
I suspect what’s stopping them is laziness and a rush to get to the next fare.
hawkinspeter wrote:
I’d also query why the video shown was a close-up selfie at night – wouldn’t our intrepid reporter have followed up during the day for the person to show exactly the distance she had to walk, how the road was stopped.
Or was the person just an anti-LTN warrior making shit up on the spot…..
I detest these talking heads
I detest these talking heads pieces where some random idiot that wants to appear on TV is allowed to say whatever they want without any form of counter questioning or fact checking. I used to be a fan of the BBC but it’s increasingly obvious that they aren’t impartial on any topic.
I wonder whether
I wonder whether
“LTNs [make] it impossible for taxi drivers to drop [me] off at [my] door, forcing [me] to walk home alone“
be translated as
“Taxi drivers take the long way around and charge me more”
With private cabs using Sat
With private cabs using Sat Nav I normally had to tell them the best routes for the final 500 yards so the “facts” that he didn’t know where to go does seem to be she couldn’t be bothered to warn him the best routes.
When I cycled to get to the ToC Registration the one year from the Peterboro Train station, my Nav unit took me to the nearest entrance. This was closed off due to the TT races at the time. A lady walking nearby gave me the wanker sign and when i asked why, it was because “you lot have got the roads closed and a taxi had to drop us off down there and made us walk the rest and I have a bad leg and shopping ” (she was also tipsy on something but didn’t mention this to her). This was being told to me whilst several other cars were easily getting on to the estate from the other direction.
Correct me if I’m wrong – but
Correct me if I’m wrong – but it is a condition of the black cab license that they drop you off where you request – if they accept the fare, they have to take you there. So either this woman in the video is lying, or the cabbie is breaking the conditions of their license.
the little onion wrote:
Cabbie breaking conditions of licence???
I refuse to hear of it. I demand satisfaction
Captain Badger wrote:
I’d be pretty wary of saying that to a cabbie.
Why oh why did I renew my TV
Why oh why did I renew my TV license last month? A waste of £157.
Brexit coverage, election coverage, transport coverage, climate coverage… it’s absolutely dreadful!
There are many parts of the BBC doing great work but the News and Current Affairs teams (BBC News, R4’s Today etc) that are really letting the side down.
Or is it letting the mask slip?
Either way it is shockingly poor. I stopped using the BBC as my source of UK and international news some years ago but a lot of people still think it’s impartial. Even worse, some insist that it is run by lefty liberals, even though I can’t see much evidence of that while the top jobs are increasingly filled by Tory cronies and party donors.
Rupa Huq can join Robert Winston and many others in the category of ill-informed, prejudiced tw@t unsuitable for public office.
I don’t watch BBC news,
I don’t watch BBC news, listen to BBC news or read BBC news. Haven’t done for years. Feel much better for it. In fact, I rarely watch the BBC full stop.
Can someone who is a bit more
Can someone who is a bit more savvy than me please tell me how I should go about making a complaint about this article? I regularly visit BBC News website and saw this article earlier today. Needless to say it had my blood boiling. An appauling piece of journalism of the sort that I would expect of the Daily Mail.
Very easy on their website, I
Very easy on their website, I did so this morning, look at the bottom for ‘contact the BBC’ then ‘Compaints’ whether they pay any attention is another matter but the more the better.
iandusud wrote:
Here you go: https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint
Just follow the instructions – it shouldn’t take very long.
iandusud wrote:
I can’t promise to be more savvy, however, at the bottom of each web page there is a “contact the BBC” link (even, interestingly, on the “Contact the BBC” page).
On the linked page there is a green-bar menu with “Complaints” being the option to click.
On the Complaints page the first paragraph has a bold link (“how to complain”) which takes you to an explanation but not a complaints form. Lower down, a green button (“Make a Complaint”) takes you to a new page.
On the new page, there is a request for messages to be sent as comments rather than complaints, as that invokes a lighter-touch process rather than a hands-on complaint. This does not stop you continuing along the complaints process, for which you scroll down and start by selecting the innocuous-looking drop-down to identify the area of concern. After that, the pro forma builds up in front of your eyes as you choose and complete ever-increasing detail.
Enjoy.
iandusud wrote:
Not quite. The Mail only comes at these cycling stories from one side, in an attempt to fuel their road wars media coverage. The BBC apears to have tried to come at this from a more neutral position, but failed horribly, and created something just to grab anti-LTN viewership in the end.
Thank you for the replies. I
Thank you for the replies. I shall be complaining.
iandusud wrote:
One tip; take a screenshot of the final page to refer to later.
iandusud wrote:
Good luck. I don’t think the BBC cares that their coverage is biased, far left, and only represents London. Hence multiple surveys showing more and more dissatisfaction with the BBC and its funding.
Jenova20 wrote:
Left wing biased or right wing biased?
The answer may *shock* you!
https://www.vice.com/en/article/ex7j97/the-bbc-is-biased-towards-politicians-in-general-not-the-left-or-right
(Biased towards politicians in general)
Jenova20 wrote:
Ah yes, the far left BBC, who’s DG is very keen to “find a better balance of satirical targets rather than constantly aiming jokes at the Tories.”
The far left BBC who have just, coincidentally, cancelled ‘The Mash Report’ – presumably for being too…right-wing?
Anyone else hearing this in
Anyone else hearing this in their head in one the voices on the old Points of View programme?
And a little upset that it wasn’t signed of as “Yours Angrily, Mr Disgruntled (Barnstable)” or wherever?
CygnusX1 wrote:
Along with “C’mon BBC, we expect better”…
CygnusX1 wrote:
I hear it being read in Graham Chapman’s voice.
CygnusX1 wrote:
I hope you mean Barry Took and his wry smile, not Anne Botox Robinson.
I wanted to do monthly DD but they were demanding to start payments SIX MONTHS before it was due. Faaark orfff!!
To tangent on the Aberdeen
To tangent on the Aberdeen mess – Mandatory cycle lanes (MCLs) need to renamed mandatory cycle-only lanes. Then we won’t have issues with people thinking we have to cycle in them.
Very sad news: Mark Reilly
Very sad news: Mark Reilly (of Reilly Cycleworks) has passed away. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMhCDC8hE-R/
Edit: Road.cc now has article https://road.cc/content/news/renowned-framebuilder-mark-reilly-dies-aged-53-video-281791
There was a similar article
There was a similar article on BBC R4 this morning, similarly badly presented, with no attempt to correct the glaring mistakes or to examine the case in depth. bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000t476
It starts at 1:23:10.
Given that this is such an important issue, surely it deserves rather more than a couple of minutes from some rabid antis and some sensible pros, with proper presentation of the facts, not the fakery? I’ll be making yet another complaint. Clearly a royal row is worth a thousand times the attention of something that actual people actually care about.
Quote:
Reporting just the bare facts…
Make your complaint to the
Make your complaint to the bbc here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints
The BBC report made me smiles
The BBC report made me smiles, especially from about 40 seconds in to 50 seconds in where pedestrians and cyclists can be seen in the background enjoying the benefits of a ltn. And the reporter is completely oblivious!
What is Rupa Huq’s major
What is Rupa Huq’s major malfunction?