Bizarre attack on cyclist by shirtless man wielding metal pipe; Phil Gaimon almost hit by speeding drivers overtaking on blind bend; Rate that infra…where is UK’s best (+ worst); Local paper fun; Nico Roche goes dancing + more on the live blog

29 thoughts on “Bizarre attack on cyclist by shirtless man wielding metal pipe; Phil Gaimon almost hit by speeding drivers overtaking on blind bend; Rate that infra…where is UK’s best (+ worst); Local paper fun; Nico Roche goes dancing + more on the live blog”

1. Not sure we can give

   Not sure we can give Westminster points for swiftness, it was supposed to be completed in 2017 but the awful terrorist attack in March that year delayed it far longer than necessary. Some very stupid people claimed that the painted cycle lane that was there at the time facilitated the terror attack – hard to see how as the terrorist actually drove his car down the pavement – and there’s been faffing about ever since. In fact the cycle lane now will offer protection against terrorists as – as on other London bridges – it will now be impossible to get a vehicle onto the pavement to attack pedestrians.

   For all that though, now it’s here it’s really good!

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2. Call that bad infrastructure?

   Call that bad infrastructure? Luxury! We had to cycle on square wheels across a wolf-infested minefield with targets painted on our back, with a headwind in both directions.

   You tell that to kids nowadays, they won’t believe you.

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   • Infrastructure? Luxury. When

     Infrastructure? Luxury. When I were a lad, there were nothing but roads.

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     • chrisonatrike wrote:

       Infrastructure? Luxury. When I were a lad, there were nothing but roads.

       — chrisonatrike

       Rourds?? You were loocky to have rourds….. 

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3. Interesting read on the Slate

   Interesting read on the Slate (US) – 

   The American Addiction to Speeding

   How we became obsessed with driving fast, no matter the cost

   https://slate.com/business/2021/12/speed-limit-americas-most-broken-law-history.html

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   • Interesting indeed. It

     Interesting indeed. It baffles me, though, that a police officer would (from a standing start) chase a car going at 90mph to pull them over and issue them a ticket. Surely it would be much safer and more efficient to put it in the post?

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     • You do know the prime

       Interesting indeed. It baffles me, though, that a police officer would…

       — AidanR

       You do know the prime moitvator for taking up the profession?

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       • visionset wrote:

         You do know the prime moitvator for taking up the profession?

         — visionset

         Are you suggesting that it’s not to protect and to serve? 

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     • AidanR wrote:

       Interesting indeed. It baffles me, though, that a police officer would (from a standing start) chase a car going at 90mph to pull them over and issue them a ticket. Surely it would be much safer and more efficient to put it in the post?

       — AidanR

       The more enlightened (I know, US, but everything’s relative) forces  have abandoned the policy of pursuing drivers over minor offences, due to the death toll resulting from car chases

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       • Captain Badger wrote:

         Interesting indeed. It baffles me, though, that a police officer would (from a standing start) chase a car going at 90mph to pull them over and issue them a ticket. Surely it would be much safer and more efficient to put it in the post?

         — Captain Badger

         The more enlightened (I know, US, but everything’s relative) forces  have abandoned the policy of pursuing drivers over minor offences, due to the death toll resulting from car chases

         — AidanR

         Wait – the cops pursue drivers?! Oh – maybe you mean “offenders in cars” not “people who commit driving offenses”? (See any number of stories on e.g. Streetsblog NYC etc. The US generally has an even more generous definition of “accident” than the UK!)

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         • chrisonatrike wrote:

           …

           Wait – the cops pursue drivers?! Oh – maybe you mean “offenders in cars” not “people who commit driving offenses”? (See any number of stories on e.g. Streetsblog NYC etc. The US generally has an even more generous definition of “accident” than the UK!)

           — chrisonatrike

           Fack me….

           The forces that actually analysed outcomes found that a high percentage of fatal collisions resulted from chases that were started on things like dodgy tail lights, but then found that the real reason for running turned out to be personal use possession or a licence infringement. Important, maybe, but the RBA on the chase just didn’t stack up

           There have been similar studies in the  UK, with similar findings. What’s more important than training officers in high-risk driving, is training them in public risk assessment, and when to stop (or even not start) chasing. Few chases are ever abandoned due to risk to the public, and this has tragic results.

         • Captain Badger wrote:

            

            

            

           Fack me….

           …… Few chases are ever abandoned due to risk to the public, and this has tragic results.

           — Captain Badger

           Probably an over-simplification of the current situation.  All police pursuits are assessed over the radio by an experienced controller and the decision to continue is theirs, not the police driver’s.  This removes, or at least reduces, the ‘red mist’ effect from the equation.

           Obviously no system is perfect and mistakes will be made but they are many fewer than years ago.

         • mike the bike wrote:

            

            

            

           Fack me….

           …… Few chases are ever abandoned due to risk to the public, and this has tragic results.

           — mike the bike

           Probably an over-simplification of the current situation.  All police pursuits are assessed over the radio by an experienced controller and the decision to continue is theirs, not the police driver’s.  This removes, or at least reduces, the ‘red mist’ effect from the equation.

           Obviously no system is perfect and mistakes will be made but they are many fewer than years ago.

           — Captain Badger

           The controller relies primarily on RA by the driver – as they’re are largely the ones who can actually see what’s going on. That doesn’t mean they’re objective.

   • Not Just Bikes on Youtube

     Not Just Bikes on Youtube does alot about the americans obsession with multilane “choads” and no alterantives to car travel,

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4. Also from Bournemouth Echo,

   Also from Bournemouth Echo, the council have decided to remove the well used LTN https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/19786796.bcp-council-votes-reopen-tatnam-road-poole-traffic/

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   • I posted last week in the
     I posted last week in the blog Suffolk county council were planning to remove this segregated lane in Ipswich, its already gone within 7 days of that article https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/traffic/ipswich-cycle-barriers-down-after-tom-hunt-complains-8536176

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5. Ah yes, Bournemouth.  

   Ah yes, Bournemouth.  

   Been there on my bike, arrived on Swanage Ferry, left via Christchurch.  Took ages to weave my way through seemingly endless gridlock, nearly got taken out a few times by RLJing motorists who wanted to get across a junction to the next standstill before their fellow morons motons. Abused by irate peds when cycling at walking pace along supposed “shared use” path.  Shan’t be going back. not. ever.

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   • Sounds like you had a

     Sounds like you had a positive day in Bournemouth. They normally drive at you to run you off the road. Having ridden a 100 miles a week, every week for several years, this year I’ve ridden about 100 miles total on the roads. Since lockdown it got worse, and I’d rather live. The lanes they are building look fantastic from the car, but actually ride them, and you realise that you have to stop and press the beg botton to leave, only to cross and find yourself on a pavement where cycling is forbidden.

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6. Just to bring a bit of

   Just to bring a bit of balance to the letter in the Echo.

   https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/14/anti-cycling-lobby-is-on-the-wrong-path?CMP=fb_cif&fbclid=IwAR3uqcLtIBeVMN_ib4N2OJhjwoa6FN1t-oEqk1xiQZc0UASkcaYM3DLFEpE

    

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7. Quote:

   This shirtless pipe-wielding attacker, 29-year-old Zachary Nulsich, has been arrested by the Harris County Sherriff’s Office and now faces 20 years in prison having been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.

   Here in the UK, that would probably have been written off as a mere jape by a bloke having a bad day, and nothing more said about it…

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8. Christmas Trees on a bike:
   Christmas Trees on a bike:

   I can’t help but think, after looking at some of the images shown on here, that if a car decided to carry a load the same way that cyclists have – we’d all be shouting, ranting and raving about what a dangerous arse they were being.

   I know we’re all cyclists, but are we *really* ok with loads being carried horizontally, or over hanging the rear without markers?
   Are we *really* ok with loads being carried in the front of a cargo bike that obscure the forward vision of the rider?

   The site seems to be celebrating these dangerous acts, rather than pulling the riders up for it.

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   • Go on – show us how it’s done

     Go on – show us how it’s done, you know you want to…

     (sorry – half the lights are round the back…)

      

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   • I confess, I’ve done worse,

     I confess, I’ve done worse, much worse – but not on roads.

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   • Oldfatgit wrote:

     Christmas Trees on a bike: I can’t help but think, after looking at some of the images shown on here, that if a car decided to carry a load the same way that cyclists have – we’d all be shouting, ranting and raving about what a dangerous arse they were being. I know we’re all cyclists, but are we *really* ok with loads being carried horizontally, or over hanging the rear without markers? Are we *really* ok with loads being carried in the front of a cargo bike that obscure the forward vision of the rider? The site seems to be celebrating these dangerous acts, rather than pulling the riders up for it.

     — Oldfatgit

     I confess, I’ve done worse, much worse (well – as bad). But for what it’s worth not on roads (I’m blessed with an mini car-free network nearby).

     Agreed – people gonna stupid on whatever form of transport. If someone was cycling poorly secured trees down an A-road or even just a busy urban road that wouldn’t be clever. Nor if they strapped one crosswise and rode down a busy pavement.

     “Dangerous” though? The examples don’t seem to be doing that, though?

     Reason for shouting about drivers is they’re a risk to everyone – with the possible exception of bigger vehicles. Cyclists? Mostly other cyclists and pedestrians. My feeling* is that if you correct for the fact that we exclude pedestrians from lots of “car spaces” cyclists are less dangerous to pedestrians than cars – on their own or transporting stuff.

     A bike is not likely to be transporting as big / heavy a tree as a motor vehicle, nor moving it as fast.  Electic power does make a difference – but again speed is still limited. I wouldn’t like to be hit by a cargo bike – even unloaded – but I’d take my chance with that over a car anytime.

     Bike transport is arguably less hazardous in that for overhanging loads they will be lower e.g. than having them on a car roof / van.  So the “dropping them on” likelihood would be less. Finally if you missed with the bike but the tree hit someone I don’t think you’d drag someone along with the tree – as you could with a car – because you’d also be off.

     * I’ve zero data on that and there are plenty of circumstances which could skew things e.g. if tons of people ride pissed-up / careless kids “scaring” the old or disabled / maybe there are more TT bikes than I think (wink).  Possibly rich_cb might have some numbers…

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9. Here is what I found

   I came across two BT vans parked completely on a cycle path yesterday, and the front van blocking some of the pavement too. Sorry I can’t work out how to rotate the picture, it is upright in my pictures but it has pasted it side on. You get the idea.

    

    

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10. The Bournemouth letter (“it’s

    The Bournemouth letter (“it’s not Amsterdam”) reminded me irresistibly of the novel The Better World of Reginald Perrin (if you only know the TV series, I heartily recommend the novels, some of the funniest books of the last quarter of the last century): Reggie sets up his ideal hippie community in Brockley and the neighbours come round to complain (from memory so forgive errors):

    “I quite understand,” said Reggie, “Brockley is not Montmartre.”

    “No, it’s not.”

    “It’s not the Reeperbahn in Hamburg.”

    “Exactly.”

    “It’s a pity, isn’t it?”

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11. This is on NCN 54 between
    This is on NCN 54 between Stourbridge and Brierley Hill. It’s about as good as it gets from Dudley Council. They did get some emergency active travel funding and installed some bike stands but alas no pop up lanes around here.

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    • Ah, good old Notional Cycle

      Ah, good old Notional Cycle Network!  Still, on the bright side, that’s parking for you and five friends when you want to go drink Super Pils / get high behind a bush…

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12. “This shirtless pipe-wielding

    “This shirtless pipe-wielding attacker, 29-year-old Zachary Nulsich, has been arrested by the Harris County Sherriff’s Office and now faces 20 years in prison having been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.”

    The Americans, once again, showing us how pathetic the UK legal system is.

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