In the news

What father in his right mind would send his daughter out on a bike in London.

good grief.

Andrew Gilligan claimed more women and older cyclists would mean fewer pedestrians injured by boisterous male riders.

I like the way the article then doesn't provide a single fucking quote from Gilligan to demonstrate that's what he actually said.

This was a discussion about "normalising" cycling. That the Standard, unrepentant cyclist-hating cunts that they are, would twist his words into yet another whinge about the current Menace to Society should not come as a surprise to any of you.

Cycling in a manner rude (and at times hazardous) to other public space users is an equal opportunities behaviour.

I'm pretty sure Andrew Gilligan already knows that. That won't stop the Evening Standard stirring up shit by claiming he doesn't, though.

Oh yeah, I wasn't disagreeing with that. It's just such a visibly stupid idea.

True. Standard, though.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to borrow a small child to smash into some guide dogs, in the interests of journalistic balance.

As if fathers own their daughters (like all the other women in their pride). What a grown-up and progressive thing to say.

Well done Señor_Bear, for today you said the good thing to be said from the obviousness of your understanding.

The Mayor’s Cycling Commissioner said he wants a “continental” culture with people of all ages riding “clunky bikes in their ordinary clothes”.

Hahaha. They should have a look at (brand new) cycling infrastructure here in Berlin if they really want that.
For example Kottbusser Tor, a dangerous bottleneck with a lot of traffic, was just redesigned to make me safer on the bike.
Narrow cycle lane segregated with poles, 2x more lights for cyclists than people in cars, weaving trough pedestrians.
And it has signs that make it mandatory to use.

It was so clearly built for the benefit of motorised traffic that it makes me want to smash stuff.
Or ride a very clunky bike at walking pace. But then I could just take public transport. Or a car and and get stuck.

I agree that everyone should feel safe riding a bicycle. But forcing me to use infrastructure that looks like those places were kids train their traffic skills is not the way to go.

Welfare reform minister: "Disabled people should get paid less because they can't sweep my chimney as quick as an able bodied serf might", or some shit.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/15/welfare-reform-minister-disabled-not-worth-minimum-wage

i smell another ukip defection in the coming days.

It was probably a slip of the tongue.

[Edit] His Wikipedia entry is wrist-slashing stuff.

Jesus fucking wept, WAC.

perhaps a... freudian slip?

nyuknyuknyuk

/twirls cheroot

"Welfare reform minister Lord Freud."

Our welfare reform minster is a Lord.

a massive one at that.

*tommy-lee-jones-shaking-head.gif*

One reviewer of Freud's book on his City career wrote that he "will be remembered in the City as one of the key players in several of the most embarrassing and badly managed deals in investment banking history".

that made me lol

Badly managed for the clients and public, maybe. Faceripping amazeballs deals for the bankers though.

http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/Man-unconscious-severe-head-injuries/story-23174505-detail/story.html

helmet thread etc.

That the Standard, unrepentant cyclist-hating cunts that they are,

Steady now. The Standard has published a lot of very positive stuff about cycling since about 2008. Whatever you think of Gilligan, he used to write some of it for them. My favourite writer there was Andrew Neather, but I don't know if he's still there. He did some good stuff.

hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/M­an-unconscious-severe-head-injuries/stor­y-23174505-detail/story.html

Ah, the Herts Andes Sex Observer.

Welfare reform minister: "Disabled people should get paid less because they can't sweep my chimney as quick as an able bodied serf might", or some shit.

theguardian.com/politics/2014­/oct/15/welfare-reform-minister-disabled­-not-worth-minimum-wage

No surprise there, and there's company already paying less the min to those with disability (Goodwill for example).

Philip Davies suggest the same thing as well back in 2011.

It highlights staggering basic lack of awareness as to what minimum wage is. The type of lack of awareness that should really prohibit someone from being in a position of power, full-stop, let alone in a position which really should require expertise on the issue.

Also it's disable-ist, which is bad.

So he's both incompetent and evil.

Same old, then.

I thought that being both incompetent and evil were requirements for Tory party membership?