Here we go again...they don't pay road tax,they should be made to take a test blah blah blah!

[Accy cyclist]

Don't think I agree. The daily mail deliberately create hatred in order to stir up righteous indignation, and hence paper sales, or website hits from their readers. They stir up racial hatred as well for the same reason. And if cyclists are (deliberately) knocked off their bikes and a few "foreigners" beaten up or murdered, well so be it, maybe even something they'd tacitly support. It isn't a Godwin to remind everyone that the Daily Mail supported Hitler before the war.

I don't see anti cyclist thoughts as entirely left or right wing. I've had some tit wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt give me a load of abuse in a pub,when he spotted my bike propped up against the bar.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Versus one Charlie Alliston. Still it is clear which is the menace to society.

Mentioning that irresponsible idiot does your argument no favours whatsoever. He should have been sent to jail for a LONG time, because of his s**t attitude as much as anything. Look no further than morons like Alliston if you want to see what fuels a lot of anti-cyclist hatred from other road users.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

[QUOTE 5096952, member: 9609"]I found a 900,000 link for you
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/man-borrows-friends-900000-lamborghini-9822709[/QUOTE]
15,000,000 - the number of drivers who admit to using a mobile phone without a hands-free kit whilst driving.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Let's not forget the new bad practise of not indicating when driving. I'd say there are more who don't bother to indicate than do bother.

 

[winjim]

@Accy cyclist could just stop reading it though

Or at least stop being surprised by its content.

 

[Gravity Aided]

700,000 vehicles on road unlawfully not paying tax
800,000 drivers on road without a licence
1,000,000 drivers on the road with no insurance
1/3 of motorists have driven a car without an MOT

That's amazing and depressing. There's where some enforcement may be needed. In the States, I have to carry a card both on my person and in my vehicle proving I am insured.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Let's not forget the new bad practise of not indicating when driving. I'd say there are more who don't bother to indicate than do bother.

There's nothing new about this at all. People have been driving cars badly since the car was invented, just like people have been riding bikes irresponsibly since they were invented. The real issue is a lack of visible police presence leading to a belief that rules can be ignored with impunity because they won't be enforced. Hence there are just as many mobile phone using drivers as ever, despite the bigger penalty. People know the chances of getting caught are very low, so they don't respect the law.

 

[Thorn Sherpa]

There's nothing new about this at all. People have been driving cars badly since the car was invented, just like people have been riding bikes irresponsibly since they were invented. The real issue is a lack of visible police presence leading to a belief that rules can be ignored with impunity because they won't be enforced. Hence there are just as many mobile phone using drivers as ever, despite the bigger penalty. People know the chances of getting caught are very low, so they don't respect the law.

I think this hits the nail on the head there's good and bad on both sides. There will be plenty who drive and ride as safely and as considerately as they can and others that don't and that will never change imo. I think the biggest difference between using a car and a bike is a car is more lethal and likely to kill/seriously injure others in an accident. That's why a 'Cycle test' or however they'd refer to it as is far fetched in my eyes and like others have said is just DM click bait. If this did materialize you'd have to take a rest to run/jog/walk as any of these could result in an accident!

 

[mjr]

Don't think I agree. The daily mail deliberately create hatred in order to stir up righteous indignation, and hence paper sales, or website hits from their readers. They stir up racial hatred as well for the same reason. And if cyclists are (deliberately) knocked off their bikes and a few "foreigners" beaten up or murdered, well so be it, maybe even something they'd tacitly support. It isn't a Godwin to remind everyone that the Daily Mail supported Hitler before the war.

I'd like to see forum software reconfigured to include a link to "Hurrah for the Blackshirts" alongside every DM link or mention, just to remind people of how good their judgment has been, historically.

 

[Profpointy]

I don't see anti cyclist thoughts as entirely left or right wing. I've had some tit wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt give me a load of abuse in a pub,when he spotted my bike propped up against the bar.

Stiring up hatred against minorities, or so-called "out" groups is the DM's mode of working. Also, it must be said, that's a common trait of many right-wingers too - Trump, Farage, et al

Not all to be fair, and one-nation tory types tend to be far more inclusive and genuine.

 

[NorthernDave]

15,000,000 - the number of drivers who admit to using a mobile phone without a hands-free kit whilst driving.

The bit that really annoys me about that is that it's become virtually impossible to buy a car that doesn't have Bluetooth fitted as standard now, so there is no excuse at all for not using hands free (although I'm aware of the stats indicating using hands-free is still significantly more risky that not using the phone at all while moving).

On the subject of "not paying road tax" (presumably they mean VED), is it not true that the vast majority of cyclists also have a car?
I do like to drop that into the argument when 'road tax' chestnut gets rolled out - I then confuse them by pointing out I also have a car which is fully taxed, and then mention it's in VED Band 'A'....
You can hear the cogs going round as they try to process that one

 

[Profpointy]

The bit that really annoys me about that is that it's become virtually impossible to buy a car that doesn't have Bluetooth fitted as standard now, so there is no excuse at all for not using hands free (although I'm aware of the stats indicating using hands-free is still significantly more risky that not using the phone at all while moving).

On the subject of "not paying road tax" (presumably they mean VED), is it not true that the vast majority of cyclists also have a car?
I do like to drop that into the argument when 'road tax' chestnut gets rolled out - I then confuse them by pointing out I also have a car which is fully taxed, and then mention it's in VED Band 'A'....
You can hear the cogs going round as they try to process that one

Apparently we (cyclists) should pay extra tax for not using a car on a given day. Maybe if we just burned some (taxed) petrol in a bucket to compensate it would be OK

 

[J1888]

LBC had a phone in about this very article. Amazing how the right wing media hate cyclists...

 

[PatrickPending]

Daily Fail...hang on - isn't VED (road tax doesn't exist these days) based on CO2 emissions....plus a cycle does far less damage to the roads than a car.. still Daily Fail journalists with their tiny brains.......

 

[youngoldbloke]

Daily Fail...hang on - isn't VED (road tax doesn't exist these days) based on CO2 emissions....plus a cycle does far less damage to the roads than a car.. still Daily Fail journalists with their tiny brains.......

Yes - it would be interesting to know just how many millions it would cost to set up the bureaucracy required to charge cyclists precisely nothing-at-all in VED.