Saturday 1 September 2012

Cycling is safe - a foolish argument

I agree that cycling is a question of human rights and social justice and does not require a majority (on bikes). It should be progressed because it's the right thing to do. It only requires politicians to enact the acts, policies and plans they've put in place FOR cycling.

Get on with it!

Furthermore these "cycling is safe" and "stop Us versus Them" arguments that are swilling round the system (yawn, zzz) are a complete distraction from solving the actual problem.
  • "stop Us versus Them" is a behavioural change argument, which is lovely, cuddly and friendly enough - even so inoffensive that AA President repeats it repeatedly from his High Chair - but ineffective if the public doesn't take to their bikes for fear of traffic
Cueing nicely to this.
  • "cycling is safe" does NOT ring true with the public. Take this as the best example of misguided safety views that I've seen to date, so blinded they cannot even see what's wrong.
Too remote a thought that it could be the speed and volume of powerful MOTORISED traffic and the lack of space for cyclists that's the real problem. And NOT the mum, incidentally doing the right thing for a better future for her child. (Sadly we have plenty of examples of that reaction in Newcastle too. It's truly frightening how warped our society's thinking has become.)

Talking about warped. The Chancellor joins the fray by putting the economy before the planet. Not sure how that's going to work either, George. Logically, philosophically or even physically.

Osborne - state(ment) of denial

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