The AA Complaining Again

[Cletus Van Damme]

I am not sure that cycling is the answer to be honest unless some investment is made to create safe cycle paths/lanes. I was commuting most of last year but now a knee problem has stopped me. Also I live in rural Cumbria and I could take a route that once I got of my small town I encountered next to no traffic. If I lived in a city like a lot of people probably do on here and had to cycle on busy roads I honestly do not think I would bother as I would be bothered about my personal safety. Thats just my opinion but I could imagine a lot of other people that live in built-up areas with high traffic volumes might feel the same, and I cannot see there been a sudden decline in the number of cars on the road to recify this. Just because some cyclists might be comfortable cycling in those situations does not mean that everybody else will be. Still as mentioned above by Inertia this goverment wants to create more roads, apparently paid for by private companies (so I heard on the radio) so it would appear that they do not actually want to reduce the amount of cars on the roads. So basically the best option for most people (myself included) will be to buy a cheap to run car and only use it when absolutely necessary.

 

[MacB]

There are some interesting comments here but no-one's joined them up: in the world we live in much of what goes on is based on the ready availability of the internal combustion engine and cheap fuel for said machine; the disatrous economic management of the last 30 years or so has hammered living standards for all but a few; the era of cheap eneregy is well and truly over, even if we are prepared to fight further wars to secure supply; the political mantra has been "flexible workforce" which requires us all to work more, for less, with less protection. Net result? There are many people caught in a trap where they NEED an internal combustion-engined vehicle. It's precisely because there are so many jobs requiring skill and experience which pay very little that this happens - give someone a decent wage and sufficient employment protection and they will move for work. Otherwise, they are subsidising exploitative employers. So please, let's recognise the villains here, the people who STILL drive less than 5 miles for whatever reason, and not the hard-pressed making their way in the world who really do rely on a car. We all cycle (if you don't what are you doing on this forum?) so let's recognise that as very good thing.

I think that's an excellent synopsis but I would add that I think the thrust of some of the comments on here have been taken the wrong way. Your post recognises the 'villain' very well but I think other posts on here were attempting to point out that the choices aren't as limited as they may seem. There's also an aspect that there has to be forerunners of change and where better to identify this than a cycling forum? No cycling isn't the answer, it is just one element of the sort of changes needed, but promoting it certainly doesn't hurt.

I would agree with you that the most destructive part to be overcome is the erosion of wages...on other threads I've highlighted that we have lost the balance between time/skills/wealth or labour/talent/capital. In other words the rewards for a persons time, regardless of their talent or wealth, are too low as a %age share of the overall reward created by the combination of all three. In even more simple terms, the rent is too damned high, I love this clip:-


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4o-TeMHys0

 

[Ludwig]

Read The Party’s Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies by Richard Heinberg

 

[Fab Foodie]

I am not sure that cycling is the answer to be honest unless some investment is made to create safe cycle paths/lanes.

That's not the answer either. Though bus lanes are good, we should have more of those and less space for cars.
We just need more cyclists, cycling on roads, so it becomes 'normal' commonplace. And it will.
More cyclists, less cars. Simples and cheap!

 

[Inertia]

That's not the answer either. Though bus lanes are good, we should have more of those and less space for cars.
We just need more cyclists, cycling on roads, so it becomes 'normal' commonplace. And it will.
More cyclists, less cars. Simples and cheap!

and we can all get work as cycle mechanics!

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eCdIe0wdvU

 

[col]

My petrol costs are no longer an issue for me. I'm now working in town and no longer need the car for work :-)

 

[The Jogger]

My petrol costs are no longer an issue for me. I'm now working in town and no longer need the car for work :-)

Lucky you, I wish...........

 

[snorri]

Hi col, welcome back , Have you been in summer hibernation?

 

[col]

Hi col, welcome back , Have you been in summer hibernation?

Hi Snorri, I wish I had been, long hours and short nights induced heavy sleeping for most of it.But I carried on searching for my new job until a full time permanent position came along and applied. I got lucky

 

[col]

Again, result.

It was Adrian, two days a week less working on average, and 18 days holiday a year more than my last job. Im pretty chuffed about it

 

[growingvegetables]

It was Adrian, two days a week less working on average, and 18 days holiday a year more than my last job. Im pretty chuffed about it

Nice one - and better people to work for? Hope so.

 

[Black Sheep]

Why is there no option to vote

No - The government should put the price up to at least 2.50 a litre.

On y'day commute I tried to count all the cars I saw heading up one A road with just a single person in them. To waste a limited finite resource in such a casual way is crazy.

I have a motorbike, I can do 270 miles on £15 of petrol, surely it's only a matter of time before others follow suite if their commute is a bit too far to cycle.

 

[The Jogger]

I have a motorbike, I can do 270 miles on £15 of petrol, surely it's only a matter of time before others follow suite if their commute is a bit too far to cycle.

BS, what bike have you got?

 

[The Jogger]

It has to be a 125

 

[col]

Nice one - and better people to work for? Hope so.

Thanks,Im back on the ward GV, first impressions are good, nice bunch of good uns and still feeling good after a month, so its looking good, how many times did I say good?