War on Britain's Roads...

[One8Two]

Saw a trailer for this earlier. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p7q2l

Should be interesting! I'm very much in the 'can't we all get along' camp when it comes to cyclists and drivers spending a lot of money on two wheels and four.

It will probably just wind me up watching the extremists in both camps but i'll watch it anyway!

[2volvos]

Already a couple of threads going on this. I willl be avoiding it like the plague as it will just perpetuate the us and them mentality that seems to be haunting the mainstream media at the moment - see the Express and Mail articles in The More Misguided Claptrap thread below....

[paranoid airbag]

I think I have a better title.

"When wkers collide (everybody loses)"

[heebeegeetee]

2volvos said:

Already a couple of threads going on this.

Where? Are they and the programme all about thick people blathering on about road tax whilst failing to overtake a bicycle?

[2volvos]

heebeegeetee said:

Where? Are they and the programme all about thick people blathering on about road tax whilst failing to overtake a bicycle?

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=174&t=1223722&mid=90211&nmt=the+war+on+britains+roads

That's the thread in the Pedal Powered bit and there's another in the Telly section but a faff to find on my phone.

If you want to see some real stupidity look at the Express and Mail articles linked to in the More Misguided Claptrap thread below. A bad week for cycling in the media....

[Andy OH]

I commute in the City of London and some of the cyclists should not be allowed on two wheels. Tonight at about 6:20, I was waiting at the lights along with about 8 other cyclists at the junction of Bishopsgate and Great Eastern Street when a cycle courier on a fixie came from nowhere, jumped the lights narrowly avoiding a twin steer, double rear axle dumper truck then wound his way between a car and a double decker bus going the other way, both the dumper truck and bus had to break hard to avoid him. The cycle courier didn't bat an eyelid and just buggered off....the guy next to me looked at me and said 'organ donor waiting to happen!'.

I'll be watching this tomorrow night as it's probably close to what I see every day in London.....

[2volvos]

But surely the point is that you and the eight other cyclists shouldn't be tarred with the same brush as that nutjob, and I fear that this programme will do nothing but harm to the reputation of the vast majority of good, sensible, law abiding cyclists

[mudshark]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/535884/...

[RichB]

2volvos said:

But surely the point is that you and the eight other cyclists shouldn't be tarred with the same brush as that nutjob...

But they will be so perhaps it's up to cyclists on the street to rail against these two wheeled warriors to their faces instead of just tut-tutting about it? How else will it stop?

[Birdthom]

RichB said:

But they will be so perhaps it's up to cyclists on the street to rail against these two wheeled warriors to their faces instead of just tut-tutting about it? How else will it stop?

natural selection.

[2volvos]

RichB said:

But they will be so perhaps it's up to cyclists on the street to rail against these two wheeled warriors to their faces instead of just tut-tutting about it? How else will it stop?

I agree. We should and when the opportunity arises I try to. But my main point is that programmes like this, plus that drivel in the Mail and Express just pander to and reinforce the non-cyclists prejudice that this is the behaviour of all of us. And that I both resent and fear because I don't want the behaviour of that lot to cloud the judgement of the chap behind the wheel of the car trying to overtake me.