MP’s bizarre LTN argument including calling proponent “bourgeoisie and woke”; MoD investigating security guard filmed threatening teenage cyclist; Van driver punishment pass; Sagan sprints to Giro win; DJ Froome; Bike lane bulletin + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Van driver U-turns after group ride to shout abuse and make second punishment pass
White van passes us without being held up, but inconveniences himself by doing 2 U-turns so he can shout abuse before sending an incredibly dangerous punishment pass on 6 people.@warkspolice if he doesn’t lose his license, I don’t know who would. He’s a danger to the public. pic.twitter.com/kbqA3jKv5M
— Matt (@matthewdbooth) May 16, 2021
I wonder what wound up the van driver more: not being held up by the group ride or getting a friendly wave when he sped past on their inside? This is one of those where it is hard to understand why cyclists inspire quite this much rage in some motorists…
The rest of the clip speaks for itself…the driver delays himself by pulling a U-turn just past the traffic lights before using his vehicle to try and intimidate the riders. The good news is the cyclist who posted the video has a phone appointment with the police this morning, so hopefully we will have news of some action shortly.
Describing the incident, Matt Booth tweeted Warwickshire Police: “White van passes us without being held up, but inconveniences himself by doing two U-turns so he can shout abuse before sending an incredibly dangerous punishment pass on six people. Warwickshire Police, if he doesn’t lose his license, I don’t know who would. He’s a danger to the public.”
Done, and made a crime report!
I haven’t had much luck with these in the past, but this was so completely unprovoked and obviously malicious I don’t see how he can be allowed the freedom to do it again.
— Matt (@matthewdbooth) May 16, 2021
Labour councillor and vocal active travel proponent Jo Rigby responded to the video: “Driver using his vehicle as a weapon. We need to get drivers like this off our roads. If any other marketed product had caused over half a million deaths in the UK, it would have a product recall. And billion pound compensation claims. There is something profoundly wrong with a car’s design if it kills someone.”
A quick dip into the road.cc archives found another recent shocking piece of driving from Warwickshire…Near Miss of the Day 544 featured a driver, whose vehicle was untaxed and had no MOT, barely deviating from their line as they passed. The cyclist told us they reported it to Warwickshire Police but had not heard the outcome…
Matej Mohorič update: Bahrain Victorious rider suffers concussion in frightening Giro d'Italia crash but no broken bones
Holy moly. 😱
Matej Mohoric getting a different view of the Giro d’Italia. #Giro #Giro2021 pic.twitter.com/tRSlfSkUJ5— Sam Edmund (@Sammy__Edmund) May 16, 2021
Matej Mohorič abandoned the Giro d’Italia after this frightening crash on stage nine. The Slovenian was taken to Avezzano Hospital and diagnosed with a concussion and polytrauma. He stayed with Bahrain Victorious at their hotel last night where he was monitored by the team doctor.
“I’m okay,” Mohorič said last night. “My bike and helmet took the most of the impact and I was super lucky. No broken bones, minor concussion and no headache at the moment. I am monitored by our medical staff.”
Mohorič is the second rider Bahrain Victorious lost during the opening week of the race. On Wednesday, Mikel Landa was forced to abandon with a broken collarbone and ribs after a crash involving a race marshal.
Bad pop music and Phil Collins: Chris Froome's training playlist
I don’t think any of us have ever doubted Froome’s ability to suffer, but some of this is next level. pic.twitter.com/keOyqrDBL6
— Daniel Lloyd (@daniellloyd1) May 16, 2021
You would have to pay me to listen to this…sorry, Chris. Perhaps this was the real cause of the Froome/Wiggo tension back in 2012. Get in the comments with your favourite banger for a big training effort…
Imagine you doing the 200% effort climbing listening to Nirvana and suddenly Phil Collins kicks in pic.twitter.com/SRCHWDDq2v
— Vinicios Silva (@vberga) May 16, 2021
Jesus Christ. It’s just missing Mr Brightside for a wedding reception full house.
— Quicklink Podcast (@QuicklinkPod) May 16, 2021
Oxford active travel campaigners pen open letter to newly elected county councillors
Chairwoman of Cyclox, Dr Alison Hill and co-chairs of the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel, Brenda Boardman and Simon Pratt, have written an open letter to the city’s newly elected county councillors…
Dear County Councillor,
Congratulations on your election to Oxfordshire County Council.
The Coalition of Healthy Streets and Active Travel (CoHSAT) is a group of voluntary and campaigning organisations working across Oxfordshire to create attractive, accessible and people-friendly streets. We want to see a future where everyone is able to walk and cycle for everyday trips on quiet streets and in liveable neighbourhoods, and where no-one has to own a car because there is always an alternative form of transport.
In the run up to the election we invited you to support our manifesto and commit to putting walking and cycling at the heart of your plans for a fairer, healthier future. We are so grateful to the many of you who contributed. You may well have influenced voters who want to see active travel and public transport prioritised and nurtured.
Our manifesto asks are:
Ring-fence at least 10% of the total transport budget for active travel
Create 15-minute neighbourhoods
Prioritise disadvantaged communities in transport policy and investment
Take immediate action to make local transport zero-carbon and improve air quality to WHO standards
Apply the sustainable transport hierarchy to all transport and planning policy
Ensure that car-dependency is reduced in existing developments and new developments
Expand the Strategic Active Travel Network
Provide a comprehensive system of zero-emission public transport services, particularly in rural areas.
Reduce private car trips across the county
Ensure all road improvement projects make streets safe, not just safer
Progressively reduce public and private car parking spaces in town and city centres
Oppose any major road expansionThe county council has 63 councillors and already the majority of you have supported the first ten of these measures. This majority should increase when those of you who haven’t yet completed our survey, decide to do so. So this gives us hope that the new council will be transformative and brave. If we have to have more houses, this has to be achieved while decreasing the amount of traffic on the roads.
As we recover from the pandemic, we can’t return to the old patterns of travel. Change is imperative and your election, and a new administration, are a pivotal moment for Oxfordshire. We are looking to you to support a transport system that works for everyone, is fair, healthy and minimises carbon emissions. Given the urgency of the climate emergency, we want to see a commitment to zero carbon in Oxfordshire by 2040 and a coherent set of policies to deliver this. Transport is a major contributor to carbon emissions, as well as creating air pollution and congestion, so the future has to be investment in cycling, walking and public transport.
Given the weight of support, we are looking to you and the new administration to sign up to this manifesto for active travel and liveable streets. Now you are in a position to influence policy in your council, we urge you to press for the necessary changes that will enable the delivery of these commitments – commitments that you gave. We will work alongside you in ensuring that delivery.
Yours sincerely,
Brenda Boardman and Simon Pratt Co-chairs of the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel
News at 10 coming to you...from a bike lane
Oh the joys of breaking news on a non school day.
Look out for the full film running @BBCWorld from 2200CET.
A few out-takes 🎬#Eurovision pic.twitter.com/jyMh9IFuSB
— anna holligan 🎙 (@annaholligan) May 16, 2021
This will be familiar to any parents coming out of months of home schooling…BBC foreign correspondent Anna Holligan’s bike lane bulletins caught plenty of attention on social media recently. But now she has actually recorded a piece of breaking news for the BBC on Eurovision from one of the Netherlands’ many bike lanes…
Stolen Ride partners with 'valet-style' bike parking providers Bike-Drop
Cycling Industry News reports that Stolen Ride, the community-focused project tackling cycle theft in the capital has partnered with secure bike parking provider Bike-Drop. Bike-Drop opened three locations last year, on Regent Street, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly which allow riders to leave their bikes at a ‘valet-style’ secure parking facility.
Each drop has e-bike charging facilities, free puncture repairs and space for maintenance and servicing, as well as coffee and food to go. Richard Cantle, founder of Stolen Ride explained the partnership. “I’m pleased to partner and start collaborating with Bike-Drop,” he said. “They offer a new and unique cycle parking solution and have ambitious plans which will be very exciting to see unfold.
“After all, everyone just wants to cycle, park their bike and know that it will be there when they get back. But, also, Bike-drop adds to the end-to-end experience of cycling in London, with valet-style parking and other high-end personal touches. The new partnership brings with it a special discount to the Stolen Ride community to enjoy.”
Reaction to the angry van driver video...including one positive story from a reader
This is the real reason why I’m starting to ride with a gopro.. https://t.co/TXjJXShe8b
— James Bendle (@DrBendleJ) May 17, 2021
One comment in particular caught our eye over on Facebook. Reader Matt Church shared his recent experience and gave us some hope that more dangerous drivers caught on camera will face action. Matt wrote: “Having recently had a similar experience where I live, I can’t praise the North Hampshire Constabulary enough. I uploaded the video to the reporting portal, which was easy to do, then provided a statement with dates and details.
“They contacted me to let me know the driver had accepted full responsibility, couldn’t do anything else with the footage to be fair, it was pretty blatant, and had accepted the fixed penalty with points rather than going to court. The handler who phoned me, said they they have a very limited budget, but with more videos like this the resources they have will increase.
“They are looking at the attitudes of drivers as a whole, but their stance on this is very much like the early days of the drink driving campaign, in other words, it’s a slow burn and will take time to gain traction, their words not mine.”
Good to hear, Matt. Here is what some others had to say on the Warwickshire video…
Stuart MacLean commented: “Wow, didn’t have the desired effect that he wanted so tried again. Fair play to the cyclist, best way of dealing with idiots looking for conflict is to be overly nice.”
Aidan Masterson said: “A person who behaves like that should not be given a deadly weapon, which includes a car.”
Ever wanted a coffee cup holder mounted to your handlebars?
Fancy a coffee on the go as you commute to the office or nip about town? Bookman thinks it has the perfect accessory for that…a coffee cup holder for your handlebars. After all, trying to stick a takeaway cup in your bottle cages is asking for a burnt calf and a messy down tube. It uses a spring steel construction to clamp down, keeping your brew secure as you negotiate bumps and potholes and can be flipped to a smaller or larger size depending on how much caffeine you need today.
We normally prefer to take five at a coffee shop, and at £25 it certainly is not cheap, but these could be good for delivery riders who need to keep moving…could you see yourself using one of these?
Some interesting numbers from Chiswick High Road
We looked at cars and bikes parked along Chiswick High Road – almost 3x more bikes than cars but cars take up almost 6x more space. The future isn’t more car parking. @HanifKhan_1 @CllrSteveCurran @willnorman @peterwalker99 pic.twitter.com/Tvl9lq6Jij
— Hounslow Cycling (@HounslowCycling) May 17, 2021
You couldn't make it up...
Ministry of Defence investigating security guard filmed making threats to teenage cyclist
The Ministry of Defence is investigating a security guard at the oil fuel depot near Faslane who was reportedly filmed threatening a teenage cyclist. The oil depot is run by the Oil and Pipelines Agency, a public corporation of the Ministry of Defence. According to the Helensburgh Advertiser, who broke the story and has seen the full video, the security guard can be heard telling the 18-year-old cyclist, “when I’m out in my car you’re going to come off that f***ing bike.”
Alex Sidney told the local news outlet he had been riding in the area on May 7 when he stopped to drink some water on the public road which runs next to the depot. A security guard then approached him and can be heard in the video telling the cyclist to “f**k off” and asking “why you being a c**k? Have you got nothing better to do with your f***ing time?”
Alex is silent throughout the video, while the guard continues to verbally abuse him, saying: “You’re just an arsehole eh? A f***ing waster in life. If I had my way, you wouldn’t be sitting up on that f***ing bike. When I’m out in my car, you’re going to come off that f***ing bike.”
In a separate video, also seen by the Advertiser, the guard tells the young cyclist to “give me a pose” and calls him a “f***ing c*** s***er”.
Alex explained that the threats did not bother him…”I’m not bothered by the remarks, but my main worry is that they are paid to be professional, and if they are not doing that, and instead are verbally abusing people, then that might not be the right line of work for them.
“I was on a bike ride and pulled into a lay-by for a water break, next to one of the closed gates to the oil fuel depot. The guard came out and started shouting at me. I was always on public land but he seemed to think it was MoD property, despite having asked police later, who confirmed that it was public.
“I was never blocking any entrances or causing any disruption to work or traffic so I don’t see what the issue was. I had just stopped for a few minutes to catch my breath, but evidently this guard was already in a bad place and wanted to take out his frustration on somebody.”
An MoD spokesperson confirmed the incident is currently being investigated.
Peter Sagan wins stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia
“They came for a stage, they have their stage win!”
You can’t stop Peter Sagan when he’s in this kind of form 💪#Giro pic.twitter.com/CmWIheRAFr
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) May 17, 2021
History repeated itself at the Giro today. Last year on stage 10, Peter Sagan won…this year he repeated the trick. Fernando Gaviria had a few choice words for the Bora-hansgrohe rider after the finish about his sprinting, but all was fair in the eyes of the commissaires. Dylan Groenewegen, Tim Merlier and Giacomo Nizzolo were all put off the back by the pace set by Sagan’s teammates on the main climb of the day.
In the run to the finish, Israel Start-Up Nation helped out for their sprinter Davide Cimolai, who eventualy finished third behind Sagan and Gaviria. No change of maglia rosa, although a split in the final kilometre means Aleksandr Vlasov is now just one second behind Egan Bernal. Evenepoel cut his deficit to the Ineos rider by one second with a cheeky move at the intermediate sprint.
An update on the Warwickshire van driver from this morning
He’s going to be given a notice of intended prosecution for careless driving and some other offense involving noise(?). ‘Careless’ feels under-sold, but the range of potential penalties for it seem to be quite broad. 🤞 he finds the top end of them.
— Matt (@matthewdbooth) May 17, 2021
Here is what Matt had to say after his phone call with Warwickshire Police this morning…
Birmingham MP's bizarre LTN argument including calling proponent "bourgeoisie and woke"
This is the chaos on Friday on Vicarage Rd/Highbury Rd junction at about 4.50pm – gridlock in both directions – the LTN has caused long periods of idling traffic and at some points total gridlock – who would want this outside their house? #PoliticsMidlands pic.twitter.com/pu2CPqTNYv
— Catherine Hubbard (@cathub80) May 16, 2021
Labour MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, Khalid Mahmood, got in a bizarre Twitter argument with proponents of LTNs and Coventry’s Bicycle Mayor Adam Tranter. The exchange stemmed from the video above which was shared on Sunday of gridlocked traffic in King’s Heath, in the south of the city. Better Streets For B14 addressed the clip by pointing out that overloaded road networks are a result of more cars on the road, something which LTNs tackle.
However, Mahmood objected to point…
“Significant confounding variables over the last 8 months” makes a suggestion that during the lockdown when the figures and traffic flow was relatively low this ‘success’ has been achieved by implementation of the LTNs.What a preposterous claim to make.#LetsBeHonest#DontDecieve
— Khalid Mahmood (@khalid4PB) May 16, 2021
The MP then went on to say implementing greener buses and stopping “fining poor people to make money” were better solutions to tackling pollution before topping off his argument with this…
Take your head out of the sand and listen to the people.Bourgeoisie and woke at your very best.#Ostrich
— Khalid Mahmood (@khalid4PB) May 16, 2021
When challenged on his views by Adam Tranter, Mahmood said he welcomed cycle initiatives but was more concerned with “the poorest 25 per cent of people where the car is a necessity for their independence and dignity in life, not a luxury.”
This is a graph correlating car ownership in B’ham and wealth.
Can you see an issue that in order to fight for the needs of the poorest, you feel you have to not restrict expensive mode of private transport (cars) – most used by the wealthiest? All while active travel is free. pic.twitter.com/8Util5F6iz
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) May 16, 2021
I did not suggest the low traffic over the lockdown was a result of LTNs. I support greener buses and services, but can you provide evidence they reduce journeys? I’m not deceptive, fining people, making money, bourgeoisie or woke. False personal attacks from an MP are troubling
— Better Streets For B14 (@for_b14) May 16, 2021
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Latest Comments
Oh sir! sir! Johnnys riding his bike without a helmet, he’s going to die when he falls off!, Yes what a silly boy he is ! Anyway jump in the car we’re going to be late for school and I hope no one gets in my way especially bleeding cyclists!! I wonder if AI will see what fools we are..
It's more about the nomex suit, car helmet and five point harnesses (with HANS), but "reply" ain't what it used to be...
'Gotten' ? The word is 'become', as in, I have become sick of seeing 'gotten'.
OK, all the stuff I said elsewhere on this thread in defence of helmets, I take it all back. I'd sooner be seen as an anti-lidder than be associated with that heap of steaming ordure.
Exactly my thoughts. A real shame, they're amazing bikes, same as Islabikes. Really sad to hear the news. Having said that, we probably didn't do enough to help them. My son had one Islabike and two Frogs, all second hand that we resold for about the same amount.
I couldn't agree more, and when we have all that everywhere I might think about leaving off the helmet, but until then if I have to share the road with huge fast-moving chunks of metal, many of them piloted by persons of limited intelligence and even less self control, I'm going to keep the lid, which even Burt agrees can "probably" offer some protection from injury.
And the irony is that helmet promotion and mandation kills lots of people and they don't reduce the death rate of cyclists. The benefits of cycling vastly outweigh the risks, and helmet promotion and mandation deter cycling (the only proven effect) so those deterred lose those benefits and die earlier.
I see Mont Pythons upper class twits have been replaced by male anti helmet twits who probably ride under 10000 km/year while wearing bike gloves, ladies bib capris, power meters to register the watts they dont produce ,gps because they are easily lost on a tiny island, a mobile phone to call the wifey in case the ride gets too hilly or wet or fast or windy, all while complaining their tushy hurts. They always ask for proof..you could crash a few times on purpose without and with a helmet and send us the pictures. Do pros complain about helmets?..if you rode in a country with sun you would know that styrofoam actually keeps your head cool.. Ps ice hockey players say they dont need mouthguards..ask them to smile
If it saves one life...
Pro cyclists wear helmets as it is mandated. Before it was mandated, very few wore them. Infrastructure, separation, 20 mph, traffic calming are far more important.
47 thoughts on “MP’s bizarre LTN argument including calling proponent “bourgeoisie and woke”; MoD investigating security guard filmed threatening teenage cyclist; Van driver punishment pass; Sagan sprints to Giro win; DJ Froome; Bike lane bulletin + more on the live blog”
It’s always funny to see how
It’s always funny to see how many drivers are willing to delay and inconvenience themselves when they think that cyclists might delay or inconvenience them…
I had this scenario a few
I had this scenario a few years ago.
I was cycling alone on a quiet but pretty wide B road. A driver in a Mercedes sat behind me for ages even though there was plenty of passing room. The only times I would move out was at pinch points like traffic islands. Eventually the driver pulled alongside me and shouted that I was holding her up. I replied that if she was in so much of a hurry, why did she feel the need to slow down to talk to me when her path was clear? She really had no answer to that. I just said enjoy your day and ignored her. Some drivers attitudes are just totally inexplicable .
I’ve had a similar experience
I’ve had a similar experience Smoggy Steve, me and a friend wereriding along a perfectly straight 2 lane section of road, a car closed in behind us, and crept closer and closer until they were within about a foot of us.
We heard the car, we saw there was nothing coming and that it was perfectly safe for the driver to overtake so we ignored them and continued as we were were not holding them up. They followed us for around 3/4 of a mile, before making a dangerous overtake after the straight piece of road ended, all the while slowing down as they passed to wind their window down and shout abuse at us.
We simply waved and carried on
On Saturday, 2 of the drop
On Saturday, 2 of my group were told they were being selfish riding 2 a breast, by a land rover driver. This is despite that they were taking up less road space and not churning out diesel fumes. There needs to be more debate about what entitlement looks like.
Riding two abreast is one of
Riding two abreast is one of the three ways to make sure a motorist sees you. The other two are jumpring a red light and not using a cycle lane. In all other circumstances you are ********* invisible. Speaking as someone who got taken out riding on the southern part of CS7 on Friday (again). At least this time the driver had a licence.
@Road.cc – how about an FOI request to TFL for the accident stats on the southern part of CS7, southbound in particular, though Tooting
At least with cyclists they
At least with cyclists they are only two abreast when both seats are occupied. Never seems to occur to car drivers that they are the ones taking up empty space.
Yes.
Yes.
“I couldn’t get past you because you were two abreast.”
“No, you couldnt get passed because you are too wide for the space available.”
If people actually read their
If people actually read their Highway Code, then they’d know riding two abreast is perfectly acceptable…..
But, most people don’t, and therefore are clueless about what is/isn’t allowed – or what road signs/markings mean.
Is there any requirement to
Is there any requirement to read the Highway Code anymore? I thought that you just read the question and answer book and sat your multiple guess test?
cidermart wrote:
That is actually the problem. Essentially, a driving instructor can teach to the test and you can learn the kind of answers you need to pass the test by rote with no need actually understand what any of them mean.
When I did my test in 1987, the examiner asked me to identify some road signs and then asked me several questions from the highway code, specific to some of the situations I had had to deal with on the test I had just completed.
I couldn’t say it was a comprehensive test of my HC knowledge, but there was no way to know ahead of time what I was going to be asked, and no way to answer the questions without understanding what the HC said about those situation.
You just don’t get a separate piece of paper for that.
My point exactly and the main
My point exactly and the main reason I walked away from teaching
I also took my test in 1987
I also took my test in 1987 and passed forst time. The Highway Code questions section was a farce. I gave answers that were close to being correct and the examiner said “Did you mean…?” and told me the wording in the book. I agreed and was advised to refamiliarise myself with the Highway Code. My instructor told me that you couldn’t be failed for not knowing the Highway Code.
What has always been the main problem is that you’re never tested again so there is no need to go anywhere near the Code once you’ve passed.
Just to join the club – I
Just to join the club – I also passed my test, first time, in 1987. I’d heard a theory at the time that the more HC questions you got, the more borderline you were (if you’d comfortably passed, you wouldn’t get many; and if you’d definitely failed you wouldn’t get many because, well, what was the point). I had loads! Including one two parter which was “What’s the hand signal for slowing down” and then “when in particular would you use it”. I only got the answer he wanted to the second after lots of leading by the examiner – and I’ve never found anyone who would have got it straight off.
“Sorry but my initial
From the twitter link
“Sorry but my initial reaction is why is the chap on the outside riding a childs bike? Is this staged utube footage perhaps?”
Or maybe they are trying to be ‘humorous’
From his profile pics he is a
From his profile pics he is a keen cyclist but then spoils it all for being a Zombie Rangers fan so…….
It is the ones like SamEFC who states we shouldn’t use the road if we don’t like it or are more dangerous. Or Rhino who states the HC shows it is illegal for the cyclists to riding two abreast on a busy road and then when pointed out none of the advisory rules apply, then states cyclists changing the goal posts.
“There is something
“There is something profoundly wrong with a car’s design if it kills someone.”
Erm…That’s a strange thing to say in this context. The issue is the thing behind the wheel, not the vehicle.
I wondered if Jo was trying
I wondered if Jo was trying to make the point that if a cars design ended up killing someone it would not be accepted, yet little is done about drivers like this.
Regarding the faslane
Regarding the faslane security guard, what do you think motivates this, the fact he is on a bike or that he lives at the peace camp outside the base, I cannot imagine any polite conversation has ever passed between the two groups of people in the last 30 years or so
EK Spinner wrote:
The 18 year old is a role model to us all. There is no better way of handling this type of so called human than what he did.
Well he cycles a tall bike
Well he cycles a tall bike and is a climate protestor so probably recogniosable to locals and the guard, however from the apparent video, he didn’t respond at all and it was all the security guard. However as he is on a suspended order for another protest before xmas, I suppose he realised he couldn’t do anything that could have construed being criminal.
There is a cycling painted murder strip on the road along the base and it is even pavement sharing outside the one gates so it wasn’t like he was trespassing though.
Don’t get me wrong guys, I
Don’t get me wrong guys, I would rather Faslane wasn’t there. I was simply meaning that this was probably less of a cycling story and more of an abusive gaurd story, in a battle that has gone on since before the rider was born.
BTW I cannot see a link to the video either here or on the linked Helensburgh Adveertiser page. hass it been taken down or not linked in the first place
Not linked from the off
Not linked from the off judging by the phrasing “also seen by the Advertiser”.
I suspect that as it is
I suspect that as it is showing a military base entrance that they adjudged not to provide it to the public.
On You couldn’t make it up…
On You couldn’t make it up… – I bet that driver also takes their dog for a walk on the end of a twenty foot extending lead…
On “bourgeois and woke”, this
On “bourgeois and woke”, this is what happens when you place cycling needlessly right in the center of a culture war. Jeremy Vine fans take note.
Labour MP and front bencher
Labour MP and front bencher suddenly deciding to try to shed another image that has been associated with Labour by the right wing press. I wonder if jumping the queue for a vaccine all the way back in December is bourgeois enough for him.
BTW, Emergency and planned water main work is the main cause for the excess traffic with “locals” then only blaming the LTN as they can’t then rat run around it.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
I’m actually pretty ambivalent on LTNs seeing both sides of the argument. but I think it is a huge mistake in the way they’ve been pitched – undemocratic and “virtuous”, rather than simply presenting a cost/benefit logic to them.
On Labour, this was a great article on their demise (written by a left-winger): https://unherd.com/2021/05/labour-isnt-working/ – unfortunately Sir Keir will always be associated with kneeling down which will be very toxic for him in the old Labour heartlands, regardless of what he says now.
Nigel Garrage wrote:
Oh dear, it seems your recent improvement on the trolling front was a blip.
Is walking ok then ? Or is
Is walking ok then ? Or is that also part of some ‘culture war’ ?
hirsute wrote:
That’s my point, cycling shouldn’t be part of a culture war but for some reason Vine, “fully vaccinated Mikey (EU flag, FBPE)”, and the rest of the crew are trying to thrust it center-stage.
Why do you think Shaun Bailey got 45% of the vote in London, standing on an anti-LTN ticket in the most anti-Tory city in the UK? What does that tell you about their popularity?
So now you have this mad panic among politicians especially on the left where they’ve suddenly cottoned on to the fact that – outside their silly Westminster and middle class bubble – people really hate wokedom and LTNs. And the main proponents of LTNs are Vine, Mikey and Hackney champagne socialist Council.
Result: furious backpedalling and condemnation.
Take cycling back as a sustainable form of transport for getting from A to B which eases congestion, pollution and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Just like walking.
Why do you think Shaun Bailey
Why do you think Shaun Bailey got 45% of the vote in London, standing on an anti-LTN ticket in the most anti-Tory city in the UK?
I don’t because he got 35%.
markieteeee wrote:
Thanks – to clarify 35% in First past the post (vs 40% for Khan), 45% after second preferences.
Have you looked and compared
Have you looked and compared this to previous elections. In 2016 the Conservatives got 35% in the first round and 43% in the second round. And more people voted for Goldsmith then Bailey in both rounds. It looks like Khan lost most of his votes to the greens this time around (plus lots more candidates to take small amounts across the board).
But no, just state that one ticket item (and I sincerely hope the Tories were campaigning on more then just that) was being used against Khan when most of the LTN’s are local council responsibilities and the only thing Sadiq can be blamed for is some of the extra cycle lanes.
The Dutch born Mikey flying
The Dutch born Mikey flying an EU flag? Burn him.
And why is it that you and another right leaning person on here seems to be peed off that he is old enough to be vaccinated and it happy to tell people that it is safe with his twitter handle?
Nigel Garrage]
Ooooh sir, sir, I know!! Is it cos 65% of those that turned out rejected him? and 58% of the overall electorate were so passionately pro-Bailey/anti-LTN that they couldn’t be arsed to turn out at all?
Nigel Garrage wrote:
I think the anti-cycling-brigade already did that…..
Captain Badger wrote:
I think the anti-cycling-brigade already did that…..— Nigel Garrage
Does not mean one must follow that lead. Cycling has the propensity to be a cross-cultural affair, and would be far stronger as such.
Sriracha wrote:
I think the anti-cycling-brigade already did that…..
— Captain Badger Does not mean one must follow that lead. Cycling has the propensity to be a cross-cultural affair, and would be far stronger as such.— Nigel Garrage
As the “culture war” is essentially a right-wing construct, there seems little I can do about it either way.
Unless of course riding a bike is considered a political act in itself.
White van driver: so now we
White van driver: so now we need to know what happened. If this is not a con, because it seems almost too barmy to be true, then the police can identify the driver and do something severe to him. I hope Matt Booth tells us in a couple of weeks! If the police start thinking of stupid excuses, it will be obvious and will be more evidence that most of what we go on and on and on about on here is a waste of time when the police refuse to enforce the law. Or what we think is the law! At least one person on here thinks that non-contact close passing is definitely not an offence- and I know from personal experience that Lancashire don’t think it’s an offence if they do hit you with the mirror and require a lot of blood on the road before they take it seriously.
It seems pretty obvious that
It seems pretty obvious that if you wanted – say, to prevent street stabbings – it’s little use only catching people after they stab someone. You haven’t prevented that stabbing, obviously.
The police know this, that’s why they will arrest you simply for waving a carving knife around harmlessly in public – oh, the injustice of it!
Why does the same logic not apply to people who do the equivalent with their vehicles?
“Ever wanted a coffee cup
“Ever wanted a coffee cup holder mounted to your handlebars?”
I’ll mount mine just next to the ashtray. Does it have a pen clip?
GMBasix wrote:
Why not keep the pens in the glove box like everyone else?
re Khalid Mahmood
re Khalid Mahmood
It used to be that the best argument against democracy would be found in a 5-minute conversation with the average voter. Now it seems that the best argument is found by reading a morning’s tweets from a very below average MP….
Captain Badger wrote:
Thinks he’s being clever using the word “bourgeoisie” but doesn’t realise he’s using a noun as an adjective. As for “woke”, that’s just saving keystrokes by not having to type “I’m a bigoted clown”.
Eton Rifle wrote:
Thinks he’s being clever using the word “bourgeoisie” but doesn’t realise he’s using a noun as an adjective. As for “woke”, that’s just saving keystrokes by not having to type “I’m a bigoted clown”.— Eton Rifle
“Ew, that’s sooo bourgeoisy….”
I can see that sticking tbh
TBH, when it had Birmingham
TBH, when it had Birmingham MP against LTN’s, I expected it to be “Gary Sambrook Eats Big Dinners”. However I shouldn’t be surprised it is Mahmood. Afterall as I eluded to earlier, he thought it was a good idea to jump the queue for the jab and then post it on Twitter to state it was a good thing. His argument was he needed it but he was well down on the priority list and just used his contacts in the Hospital to jump ahead. He then told everyone to go down like he did which caused concern and a rush at the hospital.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
Are we sure that he is a labour MP? His behaviour and values seem positively tory….