You are reading a single comment by @Aroogah and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@Aroogah
I'm not saying that the work is not getting done, it's that the message that makes the press appears to be one sided. Print and TV pieces about mass protests feed the "this needs to change to accommodate us" perception. Unfortunately Cycle Safety events don't make the same headlines. Not a criticism, it's just reality. It would likely engender more good will if the pieces that do make the press had a more rounded message. A message about how cycling organisations are working on a two pronged approach: better facilities + better cyclists = benefits for everyone.
I recognise the complexity of things. I'm press trained, have been company spokesperson and used to be "press." When you only get 9 seconds for a sound bite not everything will fit in there. 60-180 second radio and TV 'debates' are too short, and not everything recorded will survive the editing floor. What may be missed by the organisations is how one-sided everything can sound.
It's Stonehenge's perception that it is one-sided. It's my perception too, and probably the perception of many others.
So the challenge is, how can we round out the message? I don't have the answer, but it would be nice to see some of the organisations recognising it as a challenge to start with.