Saturday, 31 August 2013

Pedal-positive please

It's so deeply hurtful when you are asked to do something, but there's no real physical support for or willingness to support that activity at all. Of course, I am thinking cycling and the government here. Promotion and encouragement is all we ever got. Gee thanks. Why not do something cycle-positive?

Such as.

Thanks for cycling (Stockholm) handing out goodybags to cyclist. Just imagine, you are stopped and someone says "thank-you for using a bike today". Wouldn't that be great!



Do the right mix (Europe-wide) tackling car-dependence and it not afraid to say so. Something UK initiatives consistently fail to do.



 No ridiculous car trips (Malmö) - just watch and be blown away by the simplicity and openness the subject of silly car trips is approached.

In the UK?

We do have people speaking up for cycling. Thanks to Jon Snow and Chris Boardman.



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But otherwise? Non-car road users get patronised and even blamed by way of info initiatives. Local and national government are not 'afraid' to even do this to our children.

Ghost Street (Newcastle) - award winning, they say. It must also be there fault that they get themselves killed.




Tales of the road (UK-wide) - to scare them into parents cars, seems to be the only solution here.






Nice Way Code (Scotland, please keep it there) - and when they are trying to be funny, you can be sure they get it seriously wrong. Sharing the road but not the risk. Well, think horse, must be the answer surely. Moreover, the bull-crap has been endorsed by CTC and Sustrans too.




Yes, aw, sure, being told we road users are so alike. DfT's Think! thingy - thinking that lumping together motoring and cycling does the trick. Only one in five drivers has on-road cycling experience.  Anyone listening? Thought not.



It appears as though our authorities can just not imagine life without a car. They are so besotted by it they are unable to tackle the real problem: curbing car use. And speaking proportionately positively about walking and cycling. Proportionate to risks and benefits.



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11 comments:

  1. jollyselfrighteous1 September 2013 at 02:02

    If God didn't want us to drive, he wouldn't have given us petrol. Seriously though, it's British culture to drive.. You can't change our culture. If you want to live in a cycling culture then move to the Netherlands or Denmark. Please don't try and change ours.

    When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. katsdekker1 September 2013 at 04:03

      As you say. Jolly selfish, and certainly not forward thinking.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1 September 2013 at 11:53

      Didn't Britain use to have a culture of cycling before we went car-centric? (roads were built for bicycles and all that)In which case it would just be reverting to a previous culture. Culture is very much dictated be environment, once the petrol runs out there will be a very definite cultural shift.
      The motor car has had its day, now is the time to think about the future and promoting ethical, sustainable and people oriented urban solutions.

      Delete
    3. Unknown2 September 2013 at 06:11

      God? You are bringing God into an argument about cycling. That is the most random thought process I have ever in my life witnessed.

      If God didn't want murders* (*insert absolutely anything you like here) he wouldn't have given us knives** (** again feel free to insert anything loosely connected here).

      I wonder whether the Romans are still going around in chariots? It was their culture. Which cretin decided to make them move with the times. "If you don't like our Chariot culture then go and live in Venice and buy a boat!"

      Delete
    4. Parimal Kumar2 September 2013 at 09:01

      Hey Keith Peat (jollyselfrighteous), do you not have Drivers Union meetings to organise?

      Delete
    5. Gazza_d2 September 2013 at 09:59

      Hey Keith what are you doing on cycling blogs? Should you not be polishing the walnut on the Rover?

      Britain had a massive cycling "culture" - I prefer to call it people riding bikes, right up to the 50/60s. That's why things like the Tyne cycling tunnels were built (before the car one) to accommodate the tens of thousands of people what cycled to work.

      That's what we need to get back to. We need space back from vehicles and turn this country into a pro-people country NOT a pro-car country

      Delete
  2. elcustardo1 September 2013 at 03:18

    Really? So what about the change in culture towards drink driving? Smoking?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown2 September 2013 at 03:38

    Just watched the No ridiculous car trips (Malmö) vid and wept tears of joy! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4 October 2013 at 00:16

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