[brooksby]

[quote]

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering wants a law change so cyclists are prosecuted for the offence of using a phone, in the same way that car drivers are.

…

Lady McIntosh questioned why Rule 149 of the code, requiring motorists to “exercise proper control of your vehicle at all times” and banning use of a mobile phone while driving, did not apply to cyclists and other road users.

To illustrate her point, she said she had recently been walking to the Houses of Parliament and as she was crossing the road, she suddenly became aware of a cyclist travelling towards her using a mobile phone, “one hand bicycling, one hand on the mobile phone, on the wrong side of the road”.

She added: “I wasn’t clear whether he was going to stop or not.”

[/quote]

Ahhhh – legislation based on anecdata 😉

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61018584

Topic

[chrisonabike]

RE opportunity to rethink

RE opportunity to rethink transport rather than swap ICE for electric.  You’re preaching to the choir but don’t underestimate the escape velocity of the present.  From biological evolution to English spelling and grammar “have to be able to get there to from here” is almost a law.  Skeuomorphs and panda’s thumbs are everywhere.  Stonehenge was designed with woodwork joints.  I find that troubling in some ways as it suggests ideas of being able to get away without incremental change (e.g. just import the infra designs and principles from The Netherlands to avoid reinventing it / wasting time on “but does it work?”) are fantasy.

Electric bikes?  That’ll never fly.  Anyway it all started with the car as I discovered when I found I’d move next to the UK’s first electric car factory.

[Hirsute]

According to DoT nts0101

According to DoT nts0101 stats, from 2010 to 2019 (I ignored 2020 ) the average trip is between 6.8 and 7.1 miles and 22.5 to 23.9 minutes.

But you need that massive suv just in case you have to transport a us style fridge every week.

[ktache]

Small, light and more

Small, light and more efficient cars are just not wanted anymore, or so it seems.

Because of “range anxiety” car owners seem to want 2-300 mile range, or that is what the car company seem to sell them.  That means transporting huge weight of batteries meaning more weight which then needs more batteries.  When most journeys are only a few miles, and even 50 miles would be a huge amount to drive on a daily basis.  Perhaps removable battery packs for that very rare occasion that the really need the range would work.

I think it might be in Singapore, they did an emoped scheme that you never charged the battery, when getting flat you’d visit a hub remove the old battery and pick up a fully charged one, shove it in and away you went.  Negating the problems of charging in apartment complexes.

[hawkinspeter]

Sriracha wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

Um… https://www.ship-technology.com/analysis/crewless-cargo-the-worlds-first-autonomous-electric-cargo-ship/ And you can buy electric planes at Screwfix ?

I was reading about electric cargo ships the other day – the writer was making the point that disruptive technologies should be more than just swapping an ICE motor for an electric motor. With electric cargo ships, it’s a major advantage in being able to reduce the size of them which then allows them to dock at more locations (i.e. smaller ports). There’s also the advantage that after travelling, the ship isn’t lighter due to the fuel being burnt and thus doesn’t need to take on ballast.

Similarly, we should be moving away from just swapping ICE cars with electic cars – there’s a major opportunity to reduce size and improve road congestion. Maybe something like a bicycle powered by electricity could be invented?

[chrisonabike]

“Must look / fit as many as

“Must look / fit as many as my last car” may not be helping.  If you can get away with not needing to permanently carry 4 extra seats with you then microcars can probably go further.

[Sriracha]

Um…
Um…
https://www.ship-technology.com/analysis/crewless-cargo-the-worlds-first-autonomous-electric-cargo-ship/

And you can buy electric planes at Screwfix ?

[brooksby]

I’m sure I read somewhere

I’m sure I read somewhere that most of the mass of an electric car is the battery, and that’s why electric planes or ships won’t be happening any time soon: the batteries required would be too big and too massive.

[chrisonabike]

ktache wrote:

There was a bit in the graun yesterday on the new electric hummer, four and a half tons.

Are us tons different to our tons?

That’s nothing, is short and long tons and indeed tonnes.  Some places get far more creative.  Wikipedia Afghan units of measurement (seems to be focussing on drug-related ATM for some reason) – you’ve got your Kabuli Ser, then there’s you Mazar Ser … (For a great read if you get on with the tone Eric Newby’s classic “A short walk in the Hindu Kush” has some wonderful 1950s Afghan culture notes.)

But yeah, heavy cars.  David Hembrow is as usual good on this.  Can’t imagine electrickery is going to make them lighter in the near term either.  Although as costs are shooting up currently you never know!

[Hirsute]

Google says lighter by 240 lb
Google says lighter by 240 lb.
( Not that I use imperial or us nonsense).

[ktache]

There was a bit in the graun

There was a bit in the graun yesterday on the new electric hummer, four and a half tons.

Are us tons different to our tons?

[ktache]

Luckily it’s not that high,

Luckily it’s not that high, tends to be about 50 a year on pavements verges and crossings.  Most get killed crossing the road, I would suppose. With the police of course accepting the “nothing I could do about it” line.

[OnYerBike]

I think the logical

I think the logical conclusion to the helmet debate is that we should all wear helmets all the time.

Getting in a car? Helmet.

Going to a theme park? Helmet.

Playing football? Helmet.

Going for a walk? Helmet.

(and that’s just page 1 of Google News search results for “head injury”)

[Rendel Harris]

13 posts and still not one

13 posts and still not one about anything other than criticising cyclists or supporting anti-cycling measures, got to give you credit for consistency, even the most notorious trolls on here occasionally try to throw in the odd neutral “I’m a genuine cyclist” post for credibility, you’re really going for it 100%.

[AlsoSomniloquism]

Don’t bother asking for more.

Don’t bother asking for more. He takes after PBU on deciding to mainly post on an “against cycling” angle including going back multiple months just to have ago against the cyclists in certain NMOTD. And like PBU’s favourite follower, if asked simple questions to expand the point they are “agreeing” with, doesn’t bother replying. 

[hawkinspeter]

wycombewheeler wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Cycling one-handed tends to make you slow down

For some of us this may be true, but I’ve seen some impressive selfie skills from moving cyclists

Everyone’s gangsta until they hit the potholes

[Author]

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