Nigel Havers in Waily wrote:
They are bellgerent .. Foul mouthed and a danger to us all .. but ist not the sheer selfishness of these .. ist the smug self righteousness which accompany it
Nigel Havers ist of course not talking about the normal guy und gal who stiill pedal away in genteel visible refinery in Oxbridge utopia or even our G- --G G- Granville on his errands....
He say
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Gentility und modesty have been replaced by arrogance und aggression.
Brimming over with hostility und indifferent to those saround them - these louts on bikes think they are above the law. Normal rules about red lights, one way streets are treated with supreme indifference by this new army of Lycra mad maniacs whose every action show their contempt for pedestrian und motorist alike
[i]Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Way to go! Nigel - if you lurk on 'ere
You speak your mind for all of normality including the genteel und refined on bikes.
und this ist witnessed by the bizarre nude ride "to demonstrate how vulnerable a cyclist ist.." That so ... then perhaps a ride sweating it out inf fullest "body armour" und showing real suffering because of need to "protect" against the muppets we want to educate to COAST und not to watching for a speed cam .. may have got the righter response of "poor things .... ist not right to subject them to this in the summer"
He go on to say he even more annoyed by their "greenier than thee conceited self righteousness"
Ja
.. we KNOW! I think he lurked somewhere..
or read some of the letters in CW und so weiter
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Their belligerence ist cloaked in the moral superiority. In our politically correct culture - they have turned the bicycle into a badge of envoronmentally awareness which they think frees them from any obligation to conduct themselves with restraint.
Ja .. nude cycling..
Arrogance on roads und even justifying the red light run as it "get in way of momentum und pedal power."
So .. I was in line of traffic und lights changed this morning. I was just changing to second gear when light change back to red. You could say I lost the momentum of smoothest of geat change und engine deprived of its silkiest purr up to cruise in third gear in urban traffic flowing at steadiest of 26 mph.
I still had to stop though.. it was a red light. The cyclist almost got run over... He got marroooned in middle of crossing. I am pleased to say he looked scared.
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They think because the bike does not emit fumes .. they can treat diver
as "scum"
The irony ist that a green outlook - so fashionable of metropolitan political circles ist meant to be concern for our surroundings
But that ist the opposite.. the boorish cyclising classes in a cocoon of self absorption believe rest of world can go hang themselves.
Much of their environmentalism ist pure posturing. If you did an audit of their lifestyles - you would find they are a lot less green than they claim.
Mad Doc if you remember posed the question on here in soapbox as to whether or not we could live ethically. He concluded that we could not as ist an opportuinity cost somewhere .. fail to buy the cheap goods und those working for peanuts starve. But what ist purchasing power? To us - would not buy the tabloids. To them .. it have purchasing power to stock larder perhaps. Und we judge by our cost of living und not theirs - und ist not necessarily an objective analysis.
I did not use disposable nappy for youngest.. but if I total up cost of the terry towels... the boiling of the Number Two soils und the lower temp wash of the Number Ones.. I still think we balance even stevens on enviro- costs to planet.
Nigel Havers also comments on something which Mad Doc mentioned as a general comment. Nein.. am marrried to a completely Mad Doc und not an well known actor who has been in some enjoyable "relax/entertain mildly" dramas over the years.
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They go on holidays to places like Africa und Eastern Europe und feel very good about themselves as their planes emit more clouds of nooxious gas than the whole of the jam on the M25!
They do not bother to question whether or not their lycra was made by some child in the Third World or whether or not their bike was made in some seat shop in China.
Ist true.. und how are they made? Lycra und nylon und vinyl .. by products of oil industry... How do these goods get to shops.. by train (powered by polluting diesel powered engines... und then by lorries.. und the shops burn electricity.. ..
You cannot live ethically at all.
Even a candle will "pollute"
He mention the absurdity of cycling to work .. or walking to tube station .. with limo containing briefcase behind..
Nigel Havers wrote:
I had to share dressing room with actor who insisted his bike could only be safe in the dressing room. As I struggled to get ready each night.. I fought an urge to put knife through the tyres
I am not against cycling. I still possess a bicycle... but I make sure I obey the rules of the road.
That cannot be said of the London cyclists.
At this point he goes off on one about road tax und other taxes all we drivers pay out on fuel und repairs und insurance tax.
He mentions being aghast in disbelief at mother und daughter pedalling through a red light und traffic on green having to serve und brake to avoid them.
Und then he launches into his experience as a pedestrian... und being subjected to four letter words for being on the pavement..
As for lights ..
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So many refuse to fit lights - implying again that they are above the law and that motorists and pedestrians alike are obliged to keep their eyes open und avoid these ever so vulnerable road users who carry on in their own sweet "sod everyone" way.
He add that despite paying less overall in taxes ... these cyclists chain up their bikes wherever they like und do not consider anyone else.
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The place average Chelsea Tractor driver in shade when it come to display of bad driving
I think I like that line..
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When a cyclist kicks und bangs on my car whilst I am waiting to turn or for light to change.. I yearn for Edwardian England when men were thrown into jail fro swearing
I think he has point though.. yob culture ist very much root of all ills whether using two or four wheels.
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It was probably a calmer und saner world. Certainly not one where you fear a broken limb each time one of these hoodlums comes into view.
Cyclists have certainly changed over the years - und not for the better
I think really - you could say that about most things.. und we always seem to return to the tried und true und tested .. returning to singing times tables, artificial phonics ... we always end up looking back to what Grandpapa did.. und find he was right after all
Nein ..ist not a sign of the wrinklies setting in.. it happen to be reality.
Nigel conclude his interesting rant in Waily Wail und he said in Indy first!
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Moral superiority does not lie in boasting about green awareness while marauding around the streets .
It really blongs to those who consider the needs of others und of the wider society - even if they choose to travel inside a car.