In the news

I got a dog. It's been busy.

Farmers: Yet to fully embrace the polluter pays principle:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/10/farmers-union-lobbied-to-increase-pesticide-limit-in-uk-drinking-water

One I refuse to learn from.

Quite the thread on Zahawi

https://twitter.com/DanNeidle/status/1788950111135072693

Unrolled version, because who even has a twitter account any more

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1788950111135072693.html

And a link to Dan Neidle's own website:

https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2024/05/10/nadhim-zahawis-slapp-results-in-disciplinary-action-for-his-lawyer-why-it-happened-and-what-it-means/

Thank you for your service 👍

Being intimidating in Lycra is difficult to do

You know that's bullshit right?

The goddamn dogs are petrified.

+1

Some of the rider behaviour in Richmond Park (which I assume this is about) is genuinely fucking awful.

Since the cars have been banned from various sections of the park it has just amplified the problems between cyclists and pedestrians.

I'm quite happy with group riding but I've been overtaken by pace-lines with very little clearance, literally under an inch between ends of handlebars. Any attempt at "Oi, give more space" is often met with a "fuck off" or similar. I now perform the "pre-wobble" that I reserve for cars I think are approaching too closely.

It was the stopped at red lights that shows it was made up

Though it was regents park that people had issue with.

I never understood why Regents Park out outer loop didn’t have zebra crossings or pelican crossings dotted around, particularly by the zoo entrance.

It does. There are 5 light controlled crossing points (3 pelican, 2 bigger junctions). One pelican crossing is at the top of The Broad Walk which is on the obvious route from Camden Town station to the zoo or the zoo car park to the zoo.

Something immediately west of the zoo would be nice, where Primrose Hill Bridge is. There is a big traffic island but a zebra would be helpful too. Or just shut the park to anything other than access.

I'm quite happy with group riding but I've been overtaken by pace-lines with very little clearance, literally under an inch between ends of handlebars. Any attempt at "Oi, give more space" is often met with a "fuck off" or similar.

Precisely the type of dumb shit cunts that make people hate everyone on a bicycle.

Shouldn’t be tolerated, imo. Want to ride fast, go on a track or road with a higher speed limit. Relatedly, the whole legal argument of bikes not being subject to speed limits because they’re not fitted with speedometers is stupid and self-defeating.

Relatedly, the whole legal argument of bikes not being subject to speed limits because they’re not fitted with speedometers is stupid and self-defeating.

But that's not the reason they're not subject to speed limits.

Motor vehicles aren't fitted with breathalysers but there is a drink drive limit.

But that's not the reason they're not subject to speed limits.

My mistake then, just repeating what a police officer told me.

Dulwich paragon used to do that on the Dulwich Dynamo

Some particular clubs were a problem even before covid and the changes.

just repeating what a police officer told me.

That's your mistake, right there.

A quick and dirty mental calculation tells me that a bicycle would have to travel at circa 150mph to have the same kinetic energy as a car travelling at 20mph.

That is one good reason for speed limits not to apply to bicycles.

Counterpoint: the predominant consideration should be the potential impact on self and especially others in a crash, not the total energy involved. Speed limits go hand in hand with the environment: increased presence of vulnerable road users = lower speed limit.

Quick calculation says a 75kg total weight cyclist travelling at 20mph has the same kinetic energy as if they were dropped from a 4m height. Even at 20kmh, it would equate to being dropped from just under 1.6m, easily enough to hurt someone.

There’s tons of roads where cyclists can go faster. Acting entitled to ride recklessly at 30mph through a popular pedestrian park is ridiculous and contemptible.

#hippyisfa[s]t