Gordon Ramsay 'risking further wrath from neighbours' with 22 mile ride, claims Daily Mail; Custom bike stolen from man visiting sick daughter; Council signs WILL remain on path; Former women's team manager guilty of harassment + more on the live blog

No harm in the owners posting notices to make clear that horses, cycles and whatever else are prohibited - one might otherwise assume different on a tow path. Coronavirus changes nothing there.

But you need to see the photo of specifically the towpath "cyclist/coronavirus" notice opportunistically errected by the BPC to understand the deception they are trying to pull. I've nicked the one posted by mias_dad on the other thread.

Sriracha wrote:

No harm in the owners posting notices to make clear that horses, cycles and whatever else are prohibited - one might otherwise assume different on a tow path. Coronavirus changes nothing there. But you need to see the photo of specifically the towpath "cyclist/coronavirus" notice opportunistically errected by the BPC to understand the deception they are trying to pull. I've nicked the one posted by mias_dad on the other thread.

Is anyone else getting rather fed up with the emotional blackmail being trotted out "protect our NHS".  Not just this misguided council, but the government spokespeople keep using it, despite the fact the tories detest the NHS and have done everything possible over the past ten years to sabotage it.

I think we're vehemently agreeing.

• The original signs, detailing all the prohibited uses are fine
• The new signs, singling out cyclists and pretending it's to do with the virus, are unwarranted and misleading
• The claim that it's just 'making it clear' is obviously post hoc rationalisation, because why wouldn't you also 'make it clear' to other prohibited users
• The argument that you wouldn't get horse riders there anyway because it's not a bridleway (and somehow they would magically know that?) doesn't wash, because if that was the case, why bother including it on the original signs?

The original signage is from Peel Holdings (the land owners of the canal) and forbids emptying your dog there, cycling (please dismount), horse riding (somewhat ironically as horses were the original users of a towpath!) and motorbikes etc. 

The new Covid-19 related signage was placed there by one or more members of Little Bollington Parish Council (probably without asking permission from Peel Holdings).

"emptying your dog" ?

ktache wrote:

Damn eburt, you beat me by 19 seconds.

  Only on the keyboard, not on a bike!

You have no idea how slow I roll, and you are now the electically assisted burt.

ktache wrote:

You have no idea how slow I roll, and you are now the electically assisted burt.

I didn't think that many people voted for me.

I'd also be interested to know under what powers they believe they can put such signage up relating to the towpath and canal

Well, I don't appreciate the foul language either. If a point can't be made without foul language then either the writer or the point itself is defective. I'd endorse the BPC's comments in that respect. However I have no time for them muddying the waters by conflating parochial xenophobia against cyclists and their consequent extrajudicial signage with existing legal restrictions on cycling.

One. Just one comment with foul language, based on a quick skim back through the comments.  

One is all it took. 

Agreed. While most of the statement is welcome, that part is not.

Do the actions of Little Bollington Parish Council reflect badly on the Parish Councilling community?

I guess that means that the signs themselves reflect badly on the "Parish Community".....

I think a (not insignificant) number of people lumping cyclists together is the very definition of an out-group - the members of the out-group don't necessarily wish to be members of an out-group.

As someone once wrote, "some are born out, some achieve outness, some have outness thrust upon them!"

Cycling community... Road.CC... Obvious, innit. 

the little onion wrote:

Apparently some language used re. the Little Bollington issue "reflects badly on the cycling community" - what is this "cycling community"? Is it like the "driving community", the "walking community" and the "train-taking community"?

Why do people lump all cyclists together like some kind of out-group? I'm not responsible for every cyclist when I am on my bike, nor for every driver when I'm in my car.

My response isn't directed at you specifically, more aimed at the general point being made.  Whilst I agree, to a certain extent, I do find it somewhat ironic that on this very website, any video featuring certain brands of car results in posts like "who would have guessed it, an Audi being driven by a to**er", or "what a surprise, a BMW without indicators". How is that kind of commentary any different to the thing that is being complained of here?  Defining a person's behaviour by the car they drive.  Not all BMW drivers are tossers just like not all cyclists jump red lights etc etc.

So, no, in the perfect world of people thinking rationally and independently, the actions of one person do not have an influence on the perception of any group they are part of.  In the real world, they do.  Whether you like it or not and whether it's right or not.  There are some really bad police officers who are being exposed right now, that is having a very negative impact on people's perception of the police.  A small number of bad police officers do not mean the police as a whole is bad, but it's easy for that narrative to take hold and it's easy to understand why it does.  

As I say, I'm not directing this at you specifically but I just think that it's easy to look outward without perhaps realising that, as a community, we can be just as guilty of this behaviour ourselves (see what I did there, I called the readers of Road.cc a community...)

lbmxj560vr46 wrote:

the little onion wrote:

Apparently some language used re. the Little Bollington issue "reflects badly on the cycling community" - what is this "cycling community"? Is it like the "driving community", the "walking community" and the "train-taking community"?

Why do people lump all cyclists together like some kind of out-group? I'm not responsible for every cyclist when I am on my bike, nor for every driver when I'm in my car.

My response isn't directed at you specifically, more aimed at the general point being made.  Whilst I agree, to a certain extent, I do find it somewhat ironic that on this very website, any video featuring certain brands of car results in posts like "who would have guessed it, an Audi being driven by a to**er", or "what a surprise, a BMW without indicators". How is that kind of commentary any different to the thing that is being complained of here?  Defining a person's behaviour by the car they drive.  Not all BMW drivers are tossers just like not all cyclists jump red lights etc etc.

So, no, in the perfect world of people thinking rationally and independently, the actions of one person do not have an influence on the perception of any group they are part of.  In the real world, they do.  Whether you like it or not and whether it's right or not.  There are some really bad police officers who are being exposed right now, that is having a very negative impact on people's perception of the police.  A small number of bad police officers do not mean the police as a whole is bad, but it's easy for that narrative to take hold and it's easy to understand why it does.  

As I say, I'm not directing this at you specifically but I just think that it's easy to look outward without perhaps realising that, as a community, we can be just as guilty of this behaviour ourselves (see what I did there, I called the readers of Road.cc a community...)

There has been research into car makes and people's behaviour and there is a strong link between high-status cars and arsehole behaviour. I'm not aware of any similar research done for cyclists.

Ah yes, I remember that research.  The same research that this very website reported on (selectively).

If memory serves that research found that drivers of said vehicles often drove better than others as they were more likely to take pride in their possessions...

Doesn't fit your narrative though, does it...

Good example of whatabboutery though

"There has been research into car makes and people's behaviour and there is a strong link ..."
Audi, moreover, would agree:
https://youtu.be/ZrGhTet_KTQ

I think most BMWs are built with indicators, the suprise comes from the drivers of said cars actually using them.