Safe Speed Forums

Huge in London I imagine, those banned cyclists that turned to driving would get in their cars and add to congestion which has a measurable economic impact which is quite large.

But London has the Underground Tubes .. lots of nice bright red buses and black cabs.


I use these whenever in London for an odd visit. Prefer the buses as I get to "see the sights" again


It can be an adventure as I have got on the wrong bus on occasions


I do use the "underground" - but confess I never felt the same about it after that scene from that film "American Werewolf in London"

So perhaps these cyclists who possbly are banned drivers or do not want to pay the Kengestion charge - which was why they got a bike in the first place and ride with the same chav attitude as they drive might discover the bus and legs instead


But all the same.. there are some roads which are really not suitable for cycling and these are those 70 mph - high volume A road DCs. If a path can be built alongside and linked to Sustrans routes - then we have a decent solution if these roads provide the shortest, practical route to get from A to B on a really long commute or touring jaunt.

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

And some people are arrogant sh*tes who think they can do as they like and get away with it - whether it's on the road, or building an extension on their house which does not match the planning consent.

Better monitoring and enforcement is part of the answer - not just leaving it up to a few cameras!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

To walk my commute would take a few hours, to jog it a couple, to cycle it an hour, to drive it about two hours, to tube it about an hour, to bus it about two hours.

I can also train it and get a boat along the Thames, which takes about two hours but is really good fun, but expensive (option when there's a tube strike and the cycle is bust).

Without doubt for me the best way to get to work is to cycle, quick and I really enjoy it, plus got buns and legs like steel and an oxes heart that can go up to 185 - 200 BPM and back down to below 60 (resting) in seconds.

But I use buses a lot, and the tube when I don't cycle.

I'd never drive cos that's just silly (unless I really had to, like I was transporting something, or going on somewhere, although I somtimes drive in when I work weekends).

I fully support Mrs Newlove and an outspoken judge as well. We police should also be doing more really.

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Perhaps why folk won't use buses - apart from the waits in the cold and wet.

And London is better off than Manchester and Durham and all the other places thinking of congestion/pay-drive schemes with a "promise of public transport honeyed milk tomorrow!"


Durham actually was the first to charge to enter the city centre. But this is an olde town and quite frankly we had problems. Before we did it.. park and rid schemes were in place and these are actually decent value for money as are the schemes in Oxford and Canterbury. But again.. these places had the area space to build these car parks and provide a bus every 15 minutes. Looking at Manchester.. they are gonna struggle to set these up space wise. Their public transport system is allegedly "hell" and I think Mad Doc's sisters say the bus/train/tram can turn what is for them a 40/60 minute drive in dense traffic to their schools inoto an epic two and half to three hours!. On a good day.. their drives are 20 minute/30 minutes

His sisters use their cars as they usually have books and stuff. They teach.






I really enjoyed that episode of Top Gear with the Stig on the public transport.. Hammond on his bike, May getting lost and Jezza plotting and losing yet again

[/quote]

Without doubt for me the best way to get to work is to cycle, quick and I really enjoy it, plus got buns and legs like steel and an oxes heart that can go up to 185 - 200 BPM and back down to below 60 (resting) in seconds.

But I use buses a lot, and the tube when I don't cycle.


[/quote]




I do use my bike for light shops .. like picking up the newspaper. and try to ride to work a couple of times per week dependent on demands on time.


I do use our Park and Ride as well.

When in London - I find the public transport fine.. but then I am not living there and will be staying within reasoned distance of whatever I am down there for




Once spoke to a young woman whilst shopping with Alice (my wife) - whose family orginate from London. Her parents only learned to drive in their 50s as they "did not need to drive in London" When they moved up North - they found they had to as they then needed to to get to work etc.. as the rest of England just does not have London's choices.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Maybe PeterE since you brought it up, maybe you should tell us the economic effect of banning cyclists from the roads versus the effect of banning motor vehicles from the roads especially when it comes to economic effect of each car crash as isn't it something like 1 million dollars per car crash?

And reality is that some cannot face, there are arrogant sh*tes in each of the groups be it drivers, riders or pedestrians.

Liebchen You redeem most esteemedly


But.. ist the difficult one to sort - nicht?


We have the yob culture everywhere.. even in Switzerland where we had lads mooning bare bottoms at speed cams.. digging them up und tossing them into field. These are the mild ones. The silly things some do. (They had not the brain to make reg plate indecipherable in first case und failed to remove the negs in the second.. Kids Or perhaps not really "criminals" but anger at automation perhaps.


But from the high spirits of daft youthful "hi-jinx" - which amount to the same of problem perhaps of reckless youth but without intended malice - we run into the arrogant who will behave as such no matter if on foot, roller skates, skateboard, horse, bicycle, motorbike, or in vehicle.


Our real problem ist how to tackle these.. nicht?


We have ACPO suggesting police officer based at each school to try to rein in these kids before they start to become problem. We even had Drony Tony's vision of logging the potential trouble maker from foetal stages .. but I do not know how we do this .. und in any case .. perhaps we should be monitoring the single teenage mama a lot better than we are - or even trying to stop her from seeing this as her only "career option" in life.

It a tough one. We have to motivate towards achieving toppest potentials. We cannot dictate any more than we can dictate everyone eat their five portions of fruit und veg with a moderate sweety or savoury sinful morsel. It has to be the tactful persuasion with a lot of education und I agree to some extent with compulsory cooking as life skill. I should be posting this in a ranty soapbox thread really.. but cycling forum ist also to do with promoting healthy life style all the same .. even if on allegedly or perceived "haunt for us car lovers" I would say it should start at home. but we have a generation who cannot or will not be "bovvered" to contend with too. School our kids (including adopted und also our tempo or long term fostered if they allow this for these) attend have compulsory cookery in Years 7-8. This become option in Year 9. It become compulsory again in Year 13 for one half term module as part of "prepare for Uni life skill" for one 60 minute double lesson time.

I think it possible to reach these very awkward teenagers .. but only if prepared to to apply firm, but very fair und friendly discipline to them- but to reach out to them quickly at first signs of trouble.


Our "foster from hell" - he was our first really difficult challenge. Aged 15.. with bad history... we had an initial nightmare und a baptism in fire. It took endless work .. but we now have a young man training to be a plumber .. who does not suck in his teeth in that way.. und who take pride in his driving too. He now IAM driver. to him.

But perhaps he reacted to calm but determined feline attitude in a very family orientated lifestyle. Maybe this "lack of very traditional family values" ist a part of problem. Buying gifts, treats, caving into every whim does not make a child happy or at ease with its lot whether traditional husband/wife/co-habitpartners of whatever chosen lifestyle.

But perhaps Wayne was just decent. His own Mama ist so. His Papa died. He got in with wrong lot. She struggled to cope.

So our problem ist still revolving around how we break down the yob culture along with yob peer pressures too.

I do not know how we as society can tame these kids/arrogant little types with small brains und their own perceived knobs to match perhaps.

. I think we need to discuss properly. Maybe we collectively put across some suggestions which can work.

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Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

there are so many smileys in the above post I found it hard to read.

that was quite restrained actually.

can't say i often bother reading beyon the inevitable liebchen

drive 45mins
cycle 1hr 15
run 3hrs

Also

bus = wait an hour or so in the cold... for three crowded ones to turn up at once and wait another hour for the next empty one!

Then wonder why folk prefer their cars... ...... .....

By the way ed.. Wildy uses "Liebchen" in her normal vernacular. Every conversation has "Liebchen" umpteen times .. plus the odd French word.

The smilies? Each time we use 'em - we put coins in tins and then distribute to charity - including this campaign's funding. If we go overboard on 'em - then Wildy's family and in-laws fine her and all of us on these sites

She usually gets "well hammered"


Now I know she's my first cousin and I did "babysit" her when a young lad.. (I'm about 12 years older ) She gets a bit upset when I post I changed her nappies as a toddler - so I know | have a personal bias here... but do read past the "Liebchen" and ignore the daft bastardation of English .. and you get the real brain box in that woman.


I will warn.. the more you criticise .. the worse her devilry and daft stubborn-ness in refusing to use a spell checker But she does sound pretty much as she types. Read the posts aloud.. I find it helps! But I admit.. am used to it.. ,,, have known her since she was just days old.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Dan.. no worries. Nice to see you back


Please contribute and if you cannot understand Wildy .. just chat to me and Ted.

Mate... your views are welcome and I am truly delighted all worked out fine for you that time.


We are safety led folk here. I keep bangin' out COAST as I know pinged drivers will hit here and I want to help them improve their skills .. as all others.

Do add your views. They do count. WE CAN make that safety difference if we quit the petty bickering and point scoring and just work together here.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

can't do it on the bus.
well not in any form that is worth considering... takes several changes.
and certainly wouldnt get me there for 7:30am.
(but then nor would running, i tend to save that for the way home on a friday and then run back on saturday to get the car)

Ah the "joys" of public transport. Then they wonder why so many choose and prefer the cars and will cough up to run the car in spite of all our grumbles over cost.



What about the train? tram?

suffer from the wrong kind of leaves... snow.. ice.. rain..

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

This is to my closest point of work in South London.

Car 10-40 minutes (in rush hour)
Motorbike 10-15 minutes (in rush hour)
Walk 2 hrs
Cycle 20 minutes if I get fit enough (2 B@sthard hills to climb)
PT 10 minute bus + 15 minute tram + 10 minute walk

IC engine for me most of the time. Even PT to my furthest point in South London would struggle to beat a car in rush hour because of the route I would have to go and the number of changes I would have to make.
bus + tram + train + train + walk

Kens one size fits all transport policy falls over 2-4 miles outside the centre of London.

train..... same problem as bus really... have to go into missle of birmingham and back out... possibly walking between stations in the meantime.... and then there's the cost...

And that's the rub.. the blinkin' prices


Now my sisters tell me they can travel on the train to Manchester from Walkden station for the price of a two hour parking fee in the multi-storey off peak. It costs a fiver in peak. OK.. they think OK value - and perhaps cheaper on a saver ticket if they had to do this every darned day.

But Walkden station. Ju Ju has a wheelchair bound son. He had the misfortune to suffer meningitis as a baby. There's no lift there. She has to take him by car.. and yes.. the child does have a Blue Badge entitlement which helps her quite a lot.

But this station does not cater for anyone with a limp.. a tempo "disability".. mothers with prams.

Now we need affordable and decent public transport.. and before we talk "toll tax"... as Jazz says to me .. they need to know if non-viable routes will have a bus service too at times which mean all can get to where they need to be when they need to be.

Not all of us can cycle.. want to cycle or have jobs which make a cycling commute possible and there's also the matter of dress code and changing into a properly pressed suit. if so required.

Oh sure.. we need to make roads safer .. train folk better. COAST and Bikeability and Green Cross are the MUSTS in reality.

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Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

ah now we've done brum for the day on a weekend, fiver day return.

never can be sure to get a seat on the mainline tho..... and bags on the way back isnt so good either.