"Give cyclists space campaign" First press story!!
litwardle
Posts: 259
My local paper have included a story about the campaign and facebook group.
http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Reckless-drivers-putting-life-danger-says-cyclist/article-2173230-detail/article.html#StartComments
There is a lot of anti-cycling responses. I wondered if you might want to have a read and see if you could add a little balance!
Here is one of the responses........
" Motorists are fed up of careless and ignorant pushbike riders, some examples of which include:
:Riding down the Ashford duel carriageway when there is a perfectly good, purpose designed cycleway a few yards away.
:Riding in the center of roads such as the A377 causing cars to turn bends to find a pushbike in their path.
:Swinging around town failing to signal and swerving in front, in and out of traffic.
:THINKING THAT YOU CAN RIDE ABOUT LIKE IDIOTS AND BLAMING EVERYBODY ELSE FOR YOUR FAULTS
For it isn't just car drivers that are subject to your abuses is it:
:Bullying and wynging at walkers using the Tarka Trail believing that just because pushbikes are allowed to use the way that you own it and other people are not allowed to walk along it.
We don't see the instigation of "death by dangerous cycling" ,other offenses, insurance and tax for pushbikes for nothing do we.
You are a down right danger and hazard to everyone whether it be road, foot path, pavement, if you want to go about riding dangerous roads, even duel carriageways and causing dangers, quit your wynging when you cause accidents.
Clive Webster, Ilfracombe "
!!!!!!
Lee
http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Reckless-drivers-putting-life-danger-says-cyclist/article-2173230-detail/article.html#StartComments
There is a lot of anti-cycling responses. I wondered if you might want to have a read and see if you could add a little balance!
Here is one of the responses........
" Motorists are fed up of careless and ignorant pushbike riders, some examples of which include:
:Riding down the Ashford duel carriageway when there is a perfectly good, purpose designed cycleway a few yards away.
:Riding in the center of roads such as the A377 causing cars to turn bends to find a pushbike in their path.
:Swinging around town failing to signal and swerving in front, in and out of traffic.
:THINKING THAT YOU CAN RIDE ABOUT LIKE IDIOTS AND BLAMING EVERYBODY ELSE FOR YOUR FAULTS
For it isn't just car drivers that are subject to your abuses is it:
:Bullying and wynging at walkers using the Tarka Trail believing that just because pushbikes are allowed to use the way that you own it and other people are not allowed to walk along it.
We don't see the instigation of "death by dangerous cycling" ,other offenses, insurance and tax for pushbikes for nothing do we.
You are a down right danger and hazard to everyone whether it be road, foot path, pavement, if you want to go about riding dangerous roads, even duel carriageways and causing dangers, quit your wynging when you cause accidents.
Clive Webster, Ilfracombe "
!!!!!!
Lee
0
Comments
-
Narrow minded fools Lee, There are more motorists than cyclists so the bias will always swing that way imo.
Keep plugging away and I'm certain you will get a result.0 -
'Wynging' is my new favourite word; it's very Olde English.
Obviously Clive Webster is an utter bell-end, but the problem is, percentage wise there will be just as many duff cyclists out there as there are duff drivers. It's as pointless for nobbers like Clive to tar everyone who rides a bike with the same brush as it is for those cyclists (a few of whom pass by here) to make blanket statements about drivers. That said, a poor driver can do a lot more damage to a cyclist than a poor cyclist can do to a driver.
Everyone generalises*
*pun intended*0 -
I would have posted a "balancing" reply on the website but you have to be a registered user on their site and the registration doesn't seem to be working at the moment.
Well done for getting some press coverage. Maybe one of the things to mention (which is what I was going to post) is that all forms of transport are entitled to use the PUBLIC roads and we're all trying to just get somewhere regardless of the method we choose. How hard is it for everyone to relax, enjoy the journey and try not to kill or injure anyone on the way?
By taking the focus away from 1 particular form of transport (i.e. the bicycle) you remove part of the emotion that is stirred up in some idiots. And by pointing out that the roads are for the use of everyone, you don't have to get in to the whole "road tax" debate.0 -
Arghh, this same old story goes on over and over again... I have to agree with White horse here:,all forms of transport are entitled to use the PUBLIC roads and we're all trying to just get somewhere regardless of the method we choose. How hard is it for everyone to relax, enjoy the journey and try not to kill or injure anyone on the way?
Which also takes me back to this advert, which for me hits the nail on the head. (Honda make the best adverts eh?! )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-n6Tafp5zM"I have a plan, a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a fox." (from the Blackadder TV series)0 -
Credit to you for getting your 'campaign' profile raised
Unfortunately, you're always going attract the angry people who seem to think that every single cyclist is out to get them, and it always seems to be only these people who have the time to post their rants on comment pages :-)
They're the minority though, and it's good to see calm and polite responses to a certain 'Clive' on the local papers website.
The 'them' and 'us' thing that some motorists (and cyclists) perpetuate is never going to go away, but it's important for cyclists not to behave or react in such a way as to fuel the negativity.
Always ride legally, courteously and responsibly. If people still have a problem with you, then that's their issue.Earn Cashback @ Wiggle, CRC, Evans, AW Cycles, Alpine Bikes, ProBikeKit, Cycles UK :
http://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/stewartmead0
