Who lives in a town like this?

redvee
redvee Posts: 11,922
edited April 2011 in Commuting chat
Seems they drive everywhere apart from one Pimms supping layabout cyclist.

http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/2 ... n-britain/

Far too much car use TBH.
I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.

Comments

  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,613
    That's near you ITB. Any chance you could have a word?
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • eyko
    eyko Posts: 68
    Looking at a few of the pictures I was wondering if that was Hungerford, and I was right.

    I wonder when these were taken though? I going for early morning on a Sunday, before people flock in to visit from the surrounding areas.
    FCN 7
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    edited April 2011
    He has some valid points but serious WHEN is Hungerford every that empty? NEVER!

    It's a very busy little market town with lots of traffic passing through from the A4 & M4 so I guess the powers that be figure it would make sense to keep the narrow high street as clear as possible.

    I suspect that most of the parked cars would come from people living in the surrounding villages like mine that have no local shops and i guess most non regular cyclists wouldn't really want to cycle 5-10 miles over seriously tough hills and then back with a load of shopping, hence why people drive ...

    As you say this is very near to me (7 miles) I'm there quite frequently both walking and cycling and have never seen any cars blocking the pavement.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    redvee wrote:
    Seems they drive everywhere apart from one Pimms supping layabout cyclist.

    http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/2 ... n-britain/

    Far too much car use TBH.

    Good idea :wink:

    I'm off to the Savernake first for much mucking about on the MTB followed by a boozy lunch in Great Bedwyn.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • thelawnet
    thelawnet Posts: 719
    itboffin wrote:
    He has some valid points but serious WHEN is Hungerford every that empty? NEVER!

    It's a very busy little market town with lots of traffic passing through from the A4 & M4 so I guess the powers that be figure it would make sense to keep the narrow high street as clear as possible.

    I suspect that most of the parked cars would come from people living in the surrounding villages like mine that have no local shops and i guess most non regular cyclists wouldn't really want to cycle 5-10 miles over seriously tough hills and then back with a load of shopping, hence why people drive ...

    As you say this is very near to me (7 miles) I'm there quite frequently both walking and cycling and have never seen any cars blocking the pavement.

    Had a quick look on Google maps, sure enough, lots of cars on the pavement

    http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&sourc ... 7,,0,13.66

    mostly it seems from people with cars + front gardens who think that they have a right to both, outsourcing the problem to passing pedestrians

    http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&sourc ... 01635&z=20
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    Could also be that the on street parking is sort of on the pavement area? dunno but really its not a problem for us locals.

    Edit: It's a good job he didn't see the wickerman :wink:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • Confusedboy
    Confusedboy Posts: 287
    Oh, but I'm glad I don't live there! I am generally impervious to the anti-social behaviour of my fellow humans, but parking on pavements is a bit of a soap box of mine. My ex-wife used to use the baby's pushchair to scratch offender's cars; yay her! The penalty for this needs to be to have the vehicle removed and crushed for the first offence, On the second offence, the same but with the driver inside.

    More rational and moderate thoughts later, folks!
  • thelawnet
    thelawnet Posts: 719
    itboffin wrote:
    Could also be that the on street parking is sort of on the pavement area? dunno but really its not a problem for us locals.

    It's illegal and the police are supposed to enforce it. Some places do have on-pavement parking, but not that one, just selfishness obstructing wheelchairs, pedestrians, etc. There's clearly no problem parking there - if you are visiting someone find somewhere appropriate to park (not on the pavement), which might entail walking 100 yards on occasion (shock), and if you live there ensure that you can accommodate your motor vehicle either on a driveway or in another appropriate spot (not on the pavement).

    Pavements are for pedestrians, not for car parking.
  • Robstar24
    Robstar24 Posts: 173
    Confusedboy wrote:
    Oh, but I'm glad I don't live there! I am generally impervious to the anti-social behaviour of my fellow humans, but parking on pavements is a bit of a soap box of mine. My ex-wife used to use the baby's pushchair to scratch offender's cars; yay her! The penalty for this needs to be to have the vehicle removed and crushed for the first offence, On the second offence, the same but with the driver inside.

    More rational and moderate thoughts later, folks!

    i'd like to see much more rigorous enforcement of this, pavement parking is so damn selfish and so easily avoidable, unfortunately round where i live it's all too common.

    growing up in belgium, my mum has a story that once when i was a baby she was pushing me in my pushchair and dared to tell a motorist off for parking on the pavement, meaning she had to step out onto the road with a pushchair. the man in question was apparently very keen on hitting my mum but was dissuaded from doing so by his wife....charming man. belgium also seems to have a huge number of drivers who think that it's ok to filter up the traffic queue (ie go round on wrong side of road) when the lead car stops at a pedestrian crossing, in the style of Amir Khan.

    it's not just the UK that has more than its fair share of motorists who combine a sense of entitlement with victim mentality and an aggressive disposition.

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