Email to British Waterways

[al78]

oh for pity's sake....

Dogs were domesticated 15000 years ago and have been living alongside humankind in cities since the first cities were established. Bikes were invented in the 19thC. Get over it.

(No I don't own a dog, nor will I ever do so, don't see the point)

It goes like this; people and other living ambulant creatures have priority over people on machines powered by sweat, people on machines powered by sweat have priority over people in machines powered directly or indirectly by fossil fuels. It really isn't that complicated.

Having priority does not absolve one of the responsibility to be considerate towards other people, regardless of their mode of transport.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Having priority does not absolve one of the responsibility to be considerate towards other people, regardless of their mode of transport.

From whence does this responsibility to be considerate derive? Because I'd like a word with whoever imposed it on people because it isn't working.

Now why might that be?

 

[gouldina]

Blackadder version....

Pray do tell, if you encounter an uncontrolled canine in the company of its proprietor whilst on your velocipede what course of action would you undertake? When you encounter the next beast, perhaps leashed on this occasion, with what argument will you remonstrate with its hapless erstwhile owner? When, mere yards away, a third, a fourth, a fifth and sixth animal crosses your path with what force of rhetoric will you engage those in whose custody the unfortunate beasts chance to find themselves?

How many such pointless interactions, with (insert name of which ever group you are railing at here, drivers, pedestrians, fishermen, narrowboaters, dog owners, etc., etc..), doomed to fail from the very outset, do you engage in before your begin, slowly at first, but with increasing, shattering, awareness that other people's worlds don't revolve around your wants, and your perceived needs and supposed rights? That your attempts to influence the behaviour of others, that which you find so frustrating, are almost utterly futile? When do you learn that the only thing you have control over in this world is yourself?

in short whatchagonnado?

just sayin'

So basically, there's nothing you can do about anything and you should stop trying. There's a word for that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihilism

 

[gouldina]

Listen for Two Tings
Two Tings is not an order for you to move out of the way. It is to make you aware that cyclists are looking for a safe opportunity to pass. We advise you not to use headphones at peak times so you can hear a cyclist’s Two Tings.

Particularly if you're running silently at full pelt round a blind bend under a towpath bridge. With your running partner. Straddling the entire towpath. With a huge dog. Which isn't on a lead. You idiot.

It's a small change but a necessary one I feel.

 

[jimboalee]

The reason I never use canal towpaths is....

Around SE Brum, the towpath is surfaced with a crushed limestone gravel.

After seeing a couple of MTBs being put on a car at Knowle Locks, I decided the liberal covering of rock dust was not what MY bike needed.

 

[gouldina]

The reason I never use canal towpaths is....

Around SE Brum, the towpath is surfaced with a crushed limestone gravel.

After seeing a couple of MTBs being put on a car at Knowle Locks, I decided the liberal covering of rock dust was not what MY bike needed.

There's a bit of a trend to this too it seems. I tried the new Ely Trail in Cardiff the other day and it's covered in big gravel like this. Not only does it mess your bike up, but on some of the cambered bends, it felt positively dangerous.

 

[brickisred]

There's a bit of a trend to this too it seems. I tried the new Ely Trail in Cardiff the other day and it's covered in big gravel like this. Not only does it mess your bike up, but on some of the cambered bends, it felt positively dangerous.

Hey gouldina, Is that on the part to the south of the river? I use the Northern part from St Fagans - Fairwater and it's liberally covered in dogsh..

A friend of mine sits on the Council's cycling committee and I've asked him to bring up the condition of the Ely Tail (basically no maintenance ever)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

So basically, there's nothing you can do about anything and you should stop trying. There's a word for that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihilism

If I wanted to read Philosophy again I wouldn't start with wikipedia, or in a cycling forum, thanks.

Challenging and changing one's own behaviour and attitudes towards others is not nihilism. If one wants the world to be a better place one must be realistic about what is achievable, and start with what one can change and control, i.e. one's self, one's own behaviours and attitudes. Don't demand that others modify their behaviour, and the behaviour of their livestock , to fit in with the demands of one's own ego.

There is plenty you can do about anything you can control and you should never stop trying. The trick is identifying what is under your control.

 

[gouldina]

Hey gouldina, Is that on the part to the south of the river? I use the Northern part from St Fagans - Fairwater and it's liberally covered in dogsh..

A friend of mine sits on the Council's cycling committee and I've asked him to bring up the condition of the Ely Tail (basically no maintenance ever)

Well quite a lot of it really. The bit between Ely and St Fagans has some rather hairy gravel covered cambered (the wrong way) bends at the bottom of steep slopes that are quite scary.

 

[gouldina]

If I wanted to read Philosophy again I wouldn't start with wikipedia, or in a cycling forum, thanks.

Challenging and changing one's own behaviour and attitudes towards others is not nihilism. If one wants the world to be a better place one must be realistic about what is achievable, and start with what one can change and control, i.e. one's self, one's own behaviours and attitudes. Don't demand that others modify their behaviour, and the behaviour of their livestock , to fit in with the demands of one's own ego.

There is plenty you can do about anything you can control and you should never stop trying. The trick is identifying what is under your control.

Er, yeah but the point is that BW are trying to change cyclists behaviour and no-one elses. They are demanding that we modify our behaviour but according to you I'm not allowed to expect the same of anyone else? How is that right? Why am I even posting this? My existence is futile.

 

[brickisred]

Well quite a lot of it really. The bit between Ely and St Fagans has some rather hairy gravel covered cambered (the wrong way) bends at the bottom of steep slopes that are quite scary.

The steep slope on the corner is my favorite part! Getting up enough momentum going up in the morning and flying round the corner coming back (avoiding rabbits and fishermen!)

The gravel before the woods is terrible though, too deep and acts as a giant litter tray for dogs (I'm not obsessed with dog poo, honest!)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Er, yeah but the point is that BW are trying to change cyclists behaviour and no-one elses. They are demanding that we modify our behaviour but according to you I'm not allowed to expect the same of anyone else? How is that right? Why am I even posting this? My existence is futile.

No. Far from it. But I judge that your letter was.

BW own the towpath. They can be as capricious and partial as the Law of the land allows them to be. Because they behave in a less than ideal way does not entitle you to expect anything. imo. ymmv.

 

[BentMikey]

Well duh! No harm in asking for them to be more fair about it though.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Nor profit either.

 

[Arch]

Ring with Two Tings
Use a bell, giving Two Tings when approaching pedestrians. Ringing with Two Tings is not an order to pedestrians to get out of your way.
Be aware that some pedestrians may have visual or hearing impairments and might not hear your Two Tings.

How does that work if I'm on one of my bikes with a rotary bell, not a 'ting' bell?