The cycling elephant in the room
The cycling elephant in the room
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Discussion

HertsBiker

Original Poster:

6,443 posts

300 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
I keep hearing of ways to protect them, but is it now time to ban them for their own good? No one wants to ban modes of transport, but have these really had their day? I haven't made my mind up yet because I hate the thought of anything being legislated off the road. What are the pros and cons of this idea?

leafspring

7,032 posts

166 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
I'll say it to get it out of the way... even though I don't mean it:

Lets ban pedestrians too! rolleyes

Carry on...

McWigglebum4th

32,414 posts

233 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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And how many car drivers have been killed this week?


Paradise is one ban away

ambuletz

11,751 posts

210 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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i think the increase in deaths is probably partly down to changing weather and sunset times.

ad551

1,502 posts

242 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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Pros

- drivers will not have to pay so much attention. It's really irritating to have to check those mirrors all the time.
- all those people who cycle at the moment will have to start driving their cars or taking public transport, which will mean greater fuel use and therefore revenue to the government.
- no more pesky ASLs. You'll be able to drive right up to that traffic light that's on red, gaining an extra car length. If you go through enough traffic lights on the way to work, you might save 20 car lengths on the whole journey, so you should get to work about 20 seconds earlier.
- no more lyrca clad people around with those annoying toned legs. They just make chubby bus people look even worse.
- we can turn all those annoying cycle lanes back into lanes for cars and lorries. Admittedly they'd have to be really narrow cars and lorries. Hmmm. Maybe we'll see the return of the Sinclair C5.
- they're just so old fashioned. Who wants to put in a bit of effort to get somewhere?! Hopefully we can ban walking soon because those pavements really take up a lot of space that could be used for car parking.
- no more people having fun on bikes, it really is incredibly selfish to look like you might be enjoying your chosen mode of transport when everyone else is stuck in a queue.

Cons

- nope, can't think of any. Great idea. 10/10.


jonstable

2,925 posts

242 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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Sadly not in a room as per the thread title.

Terminator X

20,604 posts

233 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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Life can be dangerous at times, best stay indoors if you want to be really safe:

"Slips, trips and falls are the most common accidents in the home and lead to more than a million people going to hospital annually.

More than 500,000 people are hurt when they strike things (such as walking into furniture) or are struck by moving objects (such as dropping something on your foot) and around 230,000 suffer cuts or tears.

The top three causes of death in home accidents are falls, poisoning and the effects of fire and smoke."

TX.

otolith

68,883 posts

233 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
HertsBiker said:
I keep hearing of ways to protect them, but is it now time to ban them for their own good?
No. HTH.

otolith

68,883 posts

233 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
swerni said:
Would rather ban motorbikes.
Seeing as more of them get killed and injured then any other road user.
For their own good, we should take them off the road.

HTH
yes

In terms of risk of death,

"An hour of cycling is equivalent to about two hours walking, about five hours in a car (in terms of the overall risk of being killed...) or about five minutes on a motorbike"

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...


McClure

2,173 posts

175 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
HertsBiker said:
I keep hearing of ways to protect them, but is it now time to ban them for their own good? No one wants to ban modes of transport, but have these really had their day? I haven't made my mind up yet because I hate the thought of anything being legislated off the road. What are the pros and cons of this idea?
No, ban HGVs from towns during rush hour instead. And it with just be cyclists' lives which benefit, imagine how much nicer driving a car to work would be too.

Then ban them from elephant racing and we'd be halfway to a civilised society.

mp3manager

4,254 posts

225 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
HertsBiker said:
I keep hearing of ways to protect them, but is it now time to ban them for their own good?
No.

We need a constant stream of organ donors to save lives, so I'm glad that bikers and cyclists are getting killed as it means other more sensible people can live. soapbox

Toltec

7,179 posts

252 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
HertsBiker said:
I keep hearing of ways to protect them, but is it now time to ban them for their own good? No one wants to ban modes of transport, but have these really had their day? I haven't made my mind up yet because I hate the thought of anything being legislated off the road. What are the pros and cons of this idea?
Might as well add equestrians, mopeds, scooters and wearing earphones.

Never, ever give the PTB any ideas for banning things 'for our own good'!

eldar

25,274 posts

225 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
HertsBiker said:
I keep hearing of ways to protect them, but is it now time to ban them for their own good? No one wants to ban modes of transport, but have these really had their day? I haven't made my mind up yet because I hate the thought of anything being legislated off the road. What are the pros and cons of this idea?
No. It would ruin the lycra industry.

Cerberus90

1,553 posts

242 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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I don't see why everyone's been blaming everything other than the cylists as the problem, not the method, the individual people riding them. When your on a bike, you don't ride next to a big bus, or a big lorry or anything that's significantly larger then you and more likely to win in a fight.

Sure, accidents will still happen, but they're accidents, can't stop that unless we all just stop living. The fact that some morons have managed to get themselves injured by riding next to a lorry then wondering why they've gone under it shouldn't be a reason to ban bikes, it should be a lesson to other cyclists to take care of themselves rather than wanting everyone else to take care of them.

leafspring

7,032 posts

166 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
Flame suit on, deep breath &

Print a number plate on a rear mudguard (this type http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/... except reflective yellow) so the registered keeper can be traced and fined for breaking the rules like car drivers are

not calling for insurance or training...

Just a way to trace them and fine the dumb fkers for running red lights, under taking, riding on the pavement, not having lights...

sensible cyclists will gain a mudguard.

Just for the extra revenue whistle

OR

Call it Darwinism... and stop blaming the motorised vehicle every time no matter who is at fault

Edited by leafspring on Thursday 21st November 18:20

jmcc500

676 posts

247 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
Cerberus90 said:
I don't see why everyone's been blaming everything other than the cylists as the problem, not the method, the individual people riding them. When your on a bike, you don't ride next to a big bus, or a big lorry or anything that's significantly larger then you and more likely to win in a fight.

Sure, accidents will still happen, but they're accidents, can't stop that unless we all just stop living. The fact that some morons have managed to get themselves injured by riding next to a lorry then wondering why they've gone under it shouldn't be a reason to ban bikes, it should be a lesson to other cyclists to take care of themselves rather than wanting everyone else to take care of them.
Wind it in a bit - who's to say that the trucks/buses didn't go for an overtake and then turn across the cyclists? It has happened to me, fortunately with space to escape into.

And in reply to the topic, no, don't be retarded. What is it with some people on this forum? Too much reading of the daily heil?

deadslow

8,788 posts

252 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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For Christ's sake don't ban them - this is Britain, home of the free after all!! Just restrict their use of their toy transport to thier own back gardens. Job jobbied hehe

grumbledoak

32,571 posts

262 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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A stupid idea.

It's still a better idea than banning HGVs. We invented commercial vehicles and well maintained roads thousands of years before we invented lycra shorts, and the former remain far more important to society than the latter.

m8rky

2,090 posts

188 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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Generation of car drivers that have never ridden a bike + generation of cyclists that have no interest in driving = lack of understanding and experience on both parts.

HertsBiker

Original Poster:

6,443 posts

300 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
quotequote all
m8rky said:
Generation of car drivers that have never ridden a bike + generation of cyclists that have no interest in driving = lack of understanding and experience on both parts.
However one lot pay to use the road? Not that that fact prevents many people from using it of course.