Impatient driver mounts pavement to overtake cyclists on 20mph road; Pidcock "pushed rider" during sprint, relegated by jury; Erik ten bar bag; Phil Gaimon targets legendary KOM; Fausto wants to get back in the saddle at Pinarello + more on the live blog

Not sure what age has to do with it. It's an inconvenient truth that empowerment of a huge portion of the Chinese population has gone from virtually starving to all buying the latest car. 

Why is the car the enemy? Why does my car travel have to stop because Prince Harry or Greta Thunberg says so?

I think the over reach of all forms of government and bureacracy has been given a boost from Covid, where hysteria can be peddled to bring about new forms of control to the way you want it. Mandates for only vaccinated people to be able to work, or enter certain countries, for example.

The removal of freedom is rarely given back easily. 

The car is not the 'enemy'. It's about achieving balance. And at the moment there is none. Cities are entirely dominated by car users who, most often, are a minority in the urban realm. Your 'freedom' to drive means that children don't have the freedom to cycle to school, or I don't have the freedom to breathe cleaner air, or that my neighbour doesn't have the freedom to cycle to work because there is nowhere to lock her bike or safe infrastructure for her to use.  Try, for example, taking a bike to a supermarket - try and find the bike parking. It's non existent, or hidden in a dark, dingy corner whilst acres and acres is given over so you have the 'freedom' to park a vehicle and clog up all the local roads. The roads should be everyone - not just large vehicles. 

BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP wrote:

The car is not the 'enemy'.

Or is it?

Funny how you see giving people choice of transport and equalising transport access as 'the removal of freedom'. I see it as the complete opposite, it's about returning a freedom of choice we once had, where bicyces, cars, trams, trains, walking were all on the whole equal choices. You're so stuck in the car-centric mindset you can't imagine another way - the 'is ought fallacy' perhaps?

You have the freedom to sit in traffic jams.

It's been carmaggedon out there most of the week...

Yep,  as a former resident of Whitley Bay, I wondered where that pic was too. 

But hover over the image and the 'alt' text shows, "Whitecliff-Baiter cycleway, Poole."  Heck,  that's 'only' 300 miles away from Whitley Bay,  and the first 4 letters of the name match...

when the police were going to prosecute someone for removing stuff which was illegally obscuring a car's licence plate?

Not up here, they weren't! Obscuring the number plate is an industry in Lancashire, accepted as a harmless jest by the police. This is K141 GAO

Tbf Lanc rozzers are far to busy outing vulnerable missing persons to the media, to cover their arses,  to worry about a silly little number plate.

Tbf Lanc rozzers are far too busy outing vulnerable missing persons to the media, to cover their arses,  to worry about a silly little number plate

You're right! What was I thinking in even noticing this?- naturally, I don't report illegal plates as there are so many here. They're so so busy that even vehicles without MOT and insurance for 4 years 7 months, and untaxed for 4 years 9 months don't divert them from their ceaseless toil

Whe even Sue Ellen thinks it was a bit much you know you must have gone too far...

I'm not sure that cynical sneering and sarcastic comments about the opposing argument helps yours, or anyone's views of the issue. Especially if that is quoting from a Left wing mainstream media hack that heartily backs any actual socialist agenda items being pushed. Given the recent history of mandated "vaccines" and the behaviour of the Tories under Lockdowns, allows anyone to reasonably question the agendas being pushed undemocratically on us? 

Lazily rehashing tweets might be the standard for reporting here now, but snarky tweets into an echo chamber of like-minded types is not reasoned discussion or analysis of an issue. Blindly calling somone a conspiracy theorist is facile and self entitled. 

My understanding is the 15 minute city concept is based on restrictions and borders, and controlling any entry/exit to motor vehicle traffic. It dictates to the proletariat what they can and can't have inside their 15 minute city. I'm happy to be informed otherwise on that. 

Doesn't that push the problem of traffic outside, down the road (literally), and create a have's & have not's scenario for those based on where you live?

How do these restrictions stop traffic jams exactly? 

What's to stop a Council from putting different/more measures in place at the border of its area ("15 minute city")? Facial recognition and social credit score is used effectively in China to prevent movement also, resulting in blocking 'unwanteds' from buying train tickets for example. Is that the technology you want to use?   

Big tech seemed good when we were all scared of a pendemic, we only had to flatten the curve for two weeks, etc. and when it seems to align with your ideology. But seeing the evidence from the Twitter Files (of the US government moderating content, FBI deleting tweets and shadow banning certain posters, to directly running influence campaigns on Syria and Yemen) and various examples of misuse, Big Tech can easily blow back against you.  

Can I ask where your "understanding"  of the concept comes from? As I haven't seen what you describe except from let's say less than reputable sources (Jordan Peterson for example). If I look at what some experts in the field of urban planning suggest (Brent Toderian for example) the idea is nothing like you understand.  

I'm thinking that you've probably fallen down that conspiracy rabbit hole.
 

Almost everywhere I've lived shops, pubs, schools etc have all been within a 15 minute walk (5 by bike). Growing up we walked or cycled everywhere. The car was used to get dad to work or to visit relatives on the other side of town. The '15minute town' is not about restricting peoples travel by car but challenging them if their journey by car really necessary. 
 

I have a friend who would sooner make a 3 mile round trip by car to Morrisons rather than walk a 1 mile round route. Another friend would rather drive 1 mile to work rather than walk.  One of our commenters has pointed out that their neighbour drives their little darlings 500metres to school. 

By changing mindsets towards the use of car will benefit society. Less pollution, better health, quieter streets. These are just some of the advantages. 

Stw

And therefore less traffic and congestion for those who absolutely have to drive.

Including those less than able whom only seem to concern motorists when any thought is put into maybe, just maybe, making it just a little bit more difficult to drive. But no concern when parked or waiting in a disabled parking space...

There was nothing to see there apart from the normal movement you get in a sprint.

Apart from the push. If Tom had backed off, no issue: could be argued as averting a crash. He was seen to take advantage during and after the push, so relegation was inevitable.