Friday's rant

[The Anathemata]

Every time I see stories about Pegida, I think of Pagoda and then wonder if the former like gardening or are fans of Agatha Christie.

[TerenureJim]

Right this is completely stupid http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/i ... -1.2091185 I dislike Friday night internationals at the best of times but in the six nations especially so but to be fair at least when it's Wales/England the two capital cities are within a commuting distance for people to be able to travel in some numbers. However expecting people from any further afield to make the trek is simply nonsense and goes against what the tournament is about. The travelling fans are what make the 6 Nations so special and I think this nonsense needs to be stopped.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

In fairness, it's over two years away. It's not like you don't have time to prepare for it if you need to.

There's a fair question around the economic effects of it not being on a Saturday or Sunday because chances are that the city will only reap the benefits for one night instead of two, but I don't think the fans having to travel is an issue.

[offshorerules]

Right this is completely stupid http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/i ... -1.2091185 I dislike Friday night internationals at the best of times but in the six nations especially so but to be fair at least when it's Wales/England the two capital cities are within a commuting distance for people to be able to travel in some numbers. However expecting people from any further afield to make the trek is simply nonsense and goes against what the tournament is about. The travelling fans are what make the 6 Nations so special and I think this nonsense needs to be stopped.

I'll go.

[Amz]

Why are there still people driving around with Rudolph noses on their cars?

Think there should be penalty points for that in February, (well, any month outside December).

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I think it helps to keep away the rain, dear.

[Oldschool]

Why are there still people driving around with Rudolph noses on their cars?

Think there should be penalty points for that in February, (well, any month outside December).

Cos that's what deer and other wild animals do! They leave their sh!t behind them.

[offshorerules]

Spending more money on cycling lanes when cyclists wont use the ones that are there already.

[Amz]

You only "have to" use then if they're correctly sign posted/laid out. Only a handful are mandatory as a result It's so much more dangerous to use the cycle lanes in this country. So many are token lanes that start and end at random, are littered with poles, bus stops and debris, not to mention pedestrians and the many, many cars which park in them.

[offshorerules]

You only "have to" use then if they're correctly sign posted/laid out. Only a handful are mandatory as a result It's so much more dangerous to use the cycle lanes in this country. So many are token lanes that start and end at random, are littered with poles, bus stops and debris, not to mention pedestrians and the many, many cars which park in them.

Pointless spending money on them then isn't it?

[fourthirtythree]

You only "have to" use then if they're correctly sign posted/laid out. Only a handful are mandatory as a result It's so much more dangerous to use the cycle lanes in this country. So many are token lanes that start and end at random, are littered with poles, bus stops and debris, not to mention pedestrians and the many, many cars which park in them.

Pointless spending money on them then isn't it?

Yes it is. They make people park further out onto the road than they would otherwise making the commute more unsafe than if they didn't exist. I particularly love the extra large ones carved out of narrow traffic lanes meaning that the only motorised vehicle that would fit in the rest of the lane is also a bike.

Their primary purpose in Ireland is for councillors to be able to say they had them done. They are not useless, they are worse than useless. They are actively harmful.

EDIT
They are however cheap: just a bit of paint and the job's done. No matter what was required.

[waterboy]

You only "have to" use then if they're correctly sign posted/laid out. Only a handful are mandatory as a result It's so much more dangerous to use the cycle lanes in this country. So many are token lanes that start and end at random, are littered with poles, bus stops and debris, not to mention pedestrians and the many, many cars which park in them.

Pointless spending money on them then isn't it?

Pointless spending money on them the way they have been designed in the past. They are also poorly maintained, used as parking spots by motorists, and usually spit cyclists straight into left turning traffic. They also tend to cross every tom dick and harrys driveway with a yield sign at each driveway. If they were designed properly and not as an after thought by a road dept that only think of drivers, then people would use them but at the moment it's far safer and faster to cycle on the road. At this stage public transport, cycling, pedestrians etc should be prioritised instead of car drivers being the only transport user that is ever thought of or planned for.

[johng]

Yes it is. They make people park further out onto the road than they would otherwise making the commute more unsafe than if they didn't exist. I particularly love the extra large ones carved out of narrow traffic lanes meaning that the only motorised vehicle that would fit in the rest of the lane is also a bike.

Funny how the world looks when you only view it as a motorist. They should stick you and G Hook out on a bike around town for the afternoon. Nice dry day. Take it easy on you.

[Xanthippe]

Yes it is. They make people park further out onto the road than they would otherwise making the commute more unsafe than if they didn't exist. I particularly love the extra large ones carved out of narrow traffic lanes meaning that the only motorised vehicle that would fit in the rest of the lane is also a bike.

Funny how the world looks when you only view it as a motorist. They should stick you and G Hook out on a bike around town for the afternoon. Nice dry day. Take it easy on you.

To be fair John a big part of the argument is either make proper cycle lanes and enforce use of them or do away with them altogether and put lanes back to original width to allow both to use. There is absolutely no point in taking away a large section of the road for a cycle path that is unfit for purpose.

[johng]

Yes it is. They make people park further out onto the road than they would otherwise making the commute more unsafe than if they didn't exist. I particularly love the extra large ones carved out of narrow traffic lanes meaning that the only motorised vehicle that would fit in the rest of the lane is also a bike.

Funny how the world looks when you only view it as a motorist. They should stick you and G Hook out on a bike around town for the afternoon. Nice dry day. Take it easy on you.

To be fair John a big part of the argument is either make proper cycle lanes and enforce use of them or do away with them altogether and put lanes back to original width to allow both to use. There is absolutely no point in taking away a large section of the road for a cycle path that is unfit for purpose.

That's fine. We probably all agree on that bit. Just the language used demonstrates someone looking at it from an "I drive a car, cyclists are an inconvenience" pov. Perhaps I am reading into it too much from a "motorists are all trying to kill me" pov. Although I drive a lot more than I cycle these days.

[Xanthippe]

Yes it is. They make people park further out onto the road than they would otherwise making the commute more unsafe than if they didn't exist. I particularly love the extra large ones carved out of narrow traffic lanes meaning that the only motorised vehicle that would fit in the rest of the lane is also a bike.

Funny how the world looks when you only view it as a motorist. They should stick you and G Hook out on a bike around town for the afternoon. Nice dry day. Take it easy on you.

To be fair John a big part of the argument is either make proper cycle lanes and enforce use of them or do away with them altogether and put lanes back to original width to allow both to use. There is absolutely no point in taking away a large section of the road for a cycle path that is unfit for purpose.

That's fine. We probably all agree on that bit. Just the language used demonstrates someone looking at it from an "I drive a car, cyclists are an inconvenience" pov. Perhaps I am reading into it too much from a "motorists are all trying to kill me" pov. Although I drive a lot more than I cycle these days.

Have you seen Braemor Road recently - they took away a massive amount for road/footpath to put in new 'state of the art' cycle lanes and still nobody uses them. I guess a lot of motorists get pissed at the fact that they have to pay tax and insurance to drive on what's left of the roads after the cycle lanes/paths are created - meanwhile uninsured and untaxed cyclists don't bother using the lanes/paths motorists road taxes paid for!

[johng]

I guess a lot of motorists get pissed at the fact that they have to pay tax and insurance to drive on what's left of the roads after the cycle lanes/paths are created

Probably the same ones that complain about disabled spaces in full car parks.

[waterboy]

Have you seen Braemor Road recently - they took away a massive amount for road/footpath to put in new 'state of the art' cycle lanes and still nobody uses them. I guess a lot of motorists get pissed at the fact that they have to pay tax and insurance to drive on what's left of the roads after the cycle lanes/paths are created - meanwhile uninsured and untaxed cyclists don't bother using the lanes/paths motorists road taxes paid for!

I think part of the problem is that motorists fail to remember people who cycle are also tax payers, and indeed probably 95% of them also pay "road tax". They'll also be a fair few who have third party insurance via Cycling Ireland, although there is some ambiguity as to whether commuting is covered.

I don't know what the cycle lane along Braemore road is like so can't say why it isn't being used. I commute along St Peters Road, which is fairly wide and just has the painted line along the side of the road along with that red grip surface which is great, surface is fine and cars have a visual line to give you space. Then you move onto Cypress Grove Road which has the cycle path now separated from the road along the grass verge which I don't use as it full of debris, has shores, you're forced to yield at every junction, is poorly lit at night, and usually cars parked in it. I see cyclists use it and cyclists who don't use it. I've been beeped and roared at for not using the "mandatory" cycle lane by other road users. I will continue to not use it as it is safer for me to not use it.

[domhnallj]

As far as I know there is no such thing as a road tax (there is a motor vehicle tax) - roads are paid out of general taxation. Also, I'd say the majority of cyclists are also car owners, those that aren't are usually to young to pay tax anyway.

[fourthirtythree]

I cycle to work (never bought a new bike on the tax scheme though) every day rain, rain, or rain (didn't during the big snows a few years ago), I don't like bike lanes as a cyclist as they encourage people to park their cars further out onto the road than they would otherwise, or have bus stops on them anyway, forcing you to veer out into the traffic. I don't like them as a motorist as they don't stop bikes mingling with the traffic and are often impossible to avoid driving in having been carved out of a barely adequate lane anyway.

Road tax does not exist so I don't pay it for my bike or my car. I hope nobody else does either.