The morality of cycling

[glasgowcyclist]

I just missed today's Radio 4 episode of Thinking Allowed which discussed "the morality of cycling".

"... the sociologist, Judith Green, talks about her study into the
morality of cycling - do cyclists feel they are 'better' than drivers and
have drivers conceded the ethical high ground?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k290g

It'll be available on iPlayer soon.

Anyone here catch it?

GC

 

[theclaud]

I just missed today's Radio 4 episode of Thinking Allowed which discussed "the morality of cycling".

"... the sociologist, Judith Green, talks about her study into the
morality of cycling - do cyclists feel they are 'better' than drivers and
have drivers conceded the ethical high ground?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k290g

It'll be available on iPlayer soon.

Anyone here catch it?

GC

When exactly did drivers occupy the ethical high ground?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

When exactly did drivers occupy the ethical high ground?

Ha, good question! I'm off to listen to it HERE

 

[MrJamie]

It sounds like another one of the debates that categorises people as either a cyclist or a driver, but overlooks that most cyclists are both and that taxi drivers, bus drivers etc can also be cyclists so its not so much them vs us.

Ill listen to it in a bit before I post any presumptive rants

 

[theclaud]

It sounds like another one of the debates that categorises people as either a cyclist or a driver, but overlooks that most cyclists are both and that taxi drivers, bus drivers etc can also be cyclists so its not so much them vs us.

Ill listen to it in a bit before I post any presumptive rants

Yebbut not usually at the same time...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Ha, all those drivers want to (or feel they should) be cycling but not cyclists!

 

[bluemint]

When exactly did drivers occupy the ethical high ground?

Arf, exactly my first thought.

Interesting and lighthearted prog through, touching on a few of the usual grievances, as well as raising the ideas of guilt and resentment that driving can cause. The recent notion of the carbon footprint I feel has been a great way for people to take individual responsibility for pollution.

 

[400bhp]

The morality of cycling.

WTF

It's a bike

I ride it

The end.

 

[Davidc]

When exactly did drivers occupy the ethical high ground?

Succinct, to the point, implicitly accurate. 10 out of 10 for that one!

 

[edindave]

BBC trolling again.

 

[Pauluk]

What an absolute waste of air space

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I've only been able to ride a few times this year, which makes me more of a motorist than a cyclist by activity. I don't think of any moral high ground at all. Why should I be better as one compared to the other?
But then that's when I'm thinking of myself in the two different roles. I know we discuss on here so many things that both cyclists and drivers do that is wrong, but when I'm part of the driving community I feel that the drivers are the ones letting their side down by far the greatest extent. Many drivers should really never be allowed behind the wheel again.

If there's any moral high ground to be had as a cyclist, I don't take the environmental argument. I'm not the pedaling equivalent of the Hollywood star's Prius. My lycra clad bum is not an ecological statement. I think we're just better in the way we're coping with the challenge handed to us by lawmakers, authorities, and our fellow road users. The moral high ground is in how cyclists ... can't think of the right word ...endure? overcome? survive? the situation.

Anyway it's late and I'm rambling. Good programme though

 

[CopperCyclist]

How many cyclist aren't also drivers. I don't understand the medias constant need to separate the two into tribes to provoke arguments.

No I don't think I'm 'better' than drivers - I AM a driver!

 

[Crankarm]

BBC / Guardian muncher = poorly researched pointless article of no merit what so ever.

Last week there was the Guard muncher article about "professionals" teachers and civil servants being "one bill away" from financial meltdown and living in poverty when it turned out they would having to make stark choices such as whether to give up SKY TV (Murdoch Empire) or not get a new car this year or axe the second foreign holiday .............. get a grip.

Cycling is an activity. Since when was morality introduced? Perhaps the "sociologist Guardian muncher" Judith Green who has written this article should look up in a dictionary what morality actually means.

 

[growingvegetables]

But I did like the quotable quote "Driving's becoming the new smoking". Can't come soon enough, imho.