Entirely unashamed anti car propaganda, and the more the better.

[maomao]

At least they're getting a physical workout, in the same way that cyclists do despite experiencing common cycling injuries.

Unlike driving it's definitely a net gain.

Driving: A Road to Unhealthy Lifestyles and Poor Health Outcomes

Driving is a common part of modern society, but its potential effects on health are not well understood.The present cross-sectional study (n = 37,570) examined the associations of driving time with a series of health behaviors and outcomes ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Cid]

Speed isn't a priority for everyone when selecting their preferred transport method for a particular journey.

You were talking about convenience of different activities.

 

[maomao]

You were talking about convenience of different activities.

Well it's not about convenience it's about laziness and entitlement.

 

[Cid]

Well it's not about convenience it's about laziness and entitlement.

My point being that even if you’re lazy and entitled, cycling should still present itself as a convenient mode of transport. Unlike doing your washing by hand.

 

[platinumsage]

You were talking about convenience of different activities.

Convenience isn't the same as speed. Not everyone wants to get drenched in pissing rain and arrive covered in sweat.

 

[Cid]

Convenience isn't the same as speed. Not everyone wants to get drenched in pissing rain and arrive covered in sweat.

True enough, which is why I tend to leave room for light electric vehicles. But if you’ve got a shower at work, it’s no great inconvenience.

 

[platinumsage]

True enough, which is why I tend to leave room for light electric vehicles. But if you’ve got a shower at work, it’s no great inconvenience.

Sure but they don't have a shower at the barbers or the dentist, and sitting in their chairs covered in sweat and road spray isn't much fun.

Cycling isn't something you can simply substitute for cars in a "ditch your killing machine and cycle instead" kind of way. There are numerous scenarios where it's unviable, not all of them merely convenience-related.

 

[maomao]

My point being that even if you’re lazy and entitled, cycling should still present itself as a convenient mode of transport. Unlike doing your washing by hand.

I live at the opposite end of a foot tunnel from my daughter's school. It's a four minute walk with a small child, I've done it in two. Despite this I have a neighbour who drives her son to school over a distance nearly ten times as far involving two roundabouts and three sets of traffic lights. And then parks over the dropped kerb knowing full well that there will be dozens of buggies there. The entitled driver's mind doesn't seem particularly adept at recognising convenience.

 

[Cid]

I live at the opposite end of a foot tunnel from my daughter's school. It's a four minute walk with a small child, I've done it in two. Despite this I have a neighbour who drives her son to school over a distance nearly ten times as far involving two roundabouts and three sets of traffic lights. And then parks over the dropped kerb knowing full well that there will be dozens of buggies there. The entitled driver's mind doesn't seem particularly adept at recognising convenience.

That’s astonishingly stupid, though we should probably expect that going by the pro-car posters on here.

 

[Cid]

Sure but they don't have a shower at the barbers or the dentist, and sitting in their chairs covered in sweat and road spray isn't much fun.

Cycling isn't something you can simply substitute for cars in a "ditch your killing machine and cycle instead" kind of way. There are numerous scenarios where it's unviable, not all of them merely convenience-related.

They probably don’t have a parking space either.

 

[platinumsage]

They probably don’t have a parking space either.

Nor a cycle parking facility. Thankfully both are available within walking distance.

 

[platinumsage]

It's almost like the ideal situation would be one where people had the freedom to choose the most appropriate transport method for their circumstances, which is exactly how things are now.

 

[Cid]

It's almost like the ideal situation would be one where people had the freedom to choose the most appropriate transport method for their circumstances, which is exactly how things are now.

No it isn’t. Private car use and the design of infrastructure around it severely restricts access to other forms of transport.

 

[maomao]

It's almost like the ideal situation would be one where people had the freedom to choose the most appropriate transport method for their circumstances, which is exactly how things are now.

Except the unacceptable level of death and injury, effect on health through inactivity and pollution and destruction of urban spaces all suggest it's far from ideal or even the best option.

 

[platinumsage]

No it isn’t. Private car use and the design of infrastructure around it severely restricts access to other forms of transport.

Really? I thought cycling was currently supposed to be quick and convenient.

 

[platinumsage]

Except the unacceptable level of death and injury, effect on health through inactivity and pollution and destruction of urban spaces all suggest it's far from ideal or even the best option.

I think your sunlit uplands of a world where everyone cycles to town in order to do a spot of bird watching are an illusion.

 

[Cid]

Really? I thought cycling was currently supposed to be quick and convenient.

It is, but it’s also rendered dangerous by cars. As are covered LEVs etc. I want people to cycle if they can, I understand why they don’t. The solution is not ‘oh yeah, it’s all fine’.

 

[maomao]

I think your sunlit uplands of a world where everyone cycles to town in order to do a spot of bird watching are an illusion.

If I'm enthusiastic it's because any reduction in motor traffic has immediate benefits for my life. And I'm pretty sure your 'freedom to choose' is an even bigger illusion anyway.

 

[CNT36]

Even if that is true on average, it certainly doesn’t mean that owning a car and doing regular exercise are mutually exclusive activities. It’s up to the individual’s habits and lifestyle, as most things in life tend to be.

A great many individuals who only cycle when commuting to work and do no other exercise will invariably be less healthy than plenty of car drivers who jog regularly, or play sports. There are plenty of lazy unhealthy drivers about as well of course, but not because they own a car.

Cycling is beneficial but countless people who only get on their bikes to commute a few short miles to work at a sedated speed so not to break sweat will not necessarily be any healthier than someone who commutes by car but goes running several times a week, or plays tennis, squash, 5-a-side football or other high aerobic sports regularly.

I'm not sure how typical that experience is of bike commuters but low intensity steady state exercise is highly beneficial especially for longer periods. I choose not to push it in the bike though I do sweat as I take higher intensity exercise elsewhere.

 

[T & P]

Any stats on the general fitness of the tens of millions of people in this country who don't own a car but don't own a bicycle either, and commute to work solely by public transport? The fucking unhealthy lazy bastards...

ETA: extra cunty points awarded to those who use double-decker death machines as part of their commute.

 

[Crispy]

The good thing about double decker death machines is that the cunty points get shared out among all the passengers, as opposed to all being awarded to the driver. The more people on each death machine, the fewer cunty points each person accrues, which should help them through the pearly gates.

 

[Saul Goodman]

There appears to be an assumption here that everyone who owns a car sits behind a desk all day. This might come as a shock to people in London but there are people who do actual physical work. They're fucked at the end of the day and the last thing they want or need is a 5 mile bike ride home.

 

[maomao]

There appears to be an assumption here that everyone who owns a car sits behind a desk all day. This might come as a shock to people in London but there are people who do actual physical work. They're fucked at the end of the day and the last thing they want or need is a 5 mile bike ride home.

You need a cushy desk job to be able to contemplate commuting by car in most of London.

 

[Saul Goodman]

You need a cushy desk job to be able to contemplate commuting by car in most of London.

Again, it may come as a shock but there are places that aren't London.

 

[platinumsage]

You need a cushy desk job to be able to contemplate commuting by car in most of London.

There's like a whole country outside of London where stuff like tube trains every 3 minutes and buses going everywhere every five minutes is simply not viable.

 

[maomao]

Again, it may come as a shock but there are places that aren't London.

Yes, we all know you live in a field and were driving tractors at six or whatever but in the large urban centres where most people live, commuting by car is expensive and indicates a reasonably well paid job. Buses exist in the first place for a reason.

 

[maomao]

There's like a whole country outside of London where stuff like tube trains every 3 minutes and buses going everywhere every five minutes is simply not viable.

20% of the UK population is defined as 'rural' and most of those people live in small towns where public transport exists and could be improved.

 

[platinumsage]

Let's pick a random example. You live in Wolsingham and work in Barnard Castle. A 16 mile journey of 30 minutes by car. Or a 2 hour journey on 2 to 3 buses.

Is it reasonable to have a direct bus route between the two? How frequent should that be. How many passengers would you expect on each bus?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Let's pick a random example. You live in Wolsingham and work in Barnard Castle. A 16 mile journey of 30 minutes by car. Or a 2 hour journey on 2 to 3 buses.

Is it reasonable to have a direct bus route between the two? How frequent should that be. How many passengers would you expect on each bus?

One hour on an ebike, not working up a sweat.

 

[maomao]

Let's pick a random example. You live in Wolsingham and work in Barnard Castle. A 16 mile journey of 30 minutes by car. Or a 2 hour journey on 2 to 3 buses.

Is it reasonable to have a direct bus route between the two? How frequent should that be. How many passengers would you expect on each bus?

You'd probably be better off looking for work in Darlington (or en route to Darlington) which you'll be able to reach in 45 minutes on the new express bus than a randomly chosen town that isn't even particularly well-served by roads. Or consider moving to Barnard Castle. What's the job? How much does it pay?