The MP and the 15minute city conspiracy

[matticus]

Full story on road.cc
[edited to removed dangerous references to actual living political parties. WARNING: clicking on that link may take you to unlimited sections of the Interwebs!]

Thoughts?? In particular, why do some drivers think these schemes are stopping them driving to anywhere more than 15 minutes away?

 

[DCLane]

IBTL as NACA is ↑ way.

And because he's been fed a daft idea and isn't bright enough to do any fact-checking for himself.

 

[matticus]

IBTL as NACA is ↑ way.

And because he's been fed a daft idea and isn't bright enough to do any fact-checking for himself.

But why are so many "men on the Clapham Omnibus" taking this view?

(and the forum is called Advocacy and Cycling Safety ↑ - 15min cities and traffic filters are highly relevant. )

 

[chriswoody]

To be honest I'm completely perplexed as well, as to why people are thinking this way. There was another article recently by Peter Walker touching on this:

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...n-schemes-attract-so-many-conspiracy-theories

It's not only in Britain either, in Berlin they are also trying to experiment with curtailing car freedoms and meeting with strong opposition.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/11/berlin-car-free-city-plan-culture-war

Not matter how much I read on the matter, I'm still struggling to understand how people can conflate these issues with wider conspiracy theories though.

The increasing popularity of E-bikes and the plethora of Cargo bikes, along with good alternative transport infrastructure should surely mean that this is the golden moment to seriously look at schemes like this?

 

[matticus]

https://road.cc/content/news/tory-mp-attacks-15-minute-cities-conspiracy-theory-299249

Thoughts?? In particular, why do some drivers think these schemes are stopping them driving to anywhere more than 15 minutes away?

I don't tend to read road.cc much, but it happened to be the first google hit to sum-up events. Now I've read the comments section, and it has boosted my opinion of their readership!
"
It's all about taking away peoples' freedom.
Presumably by force fields around the boundary.
"

 

[cougie uk]

There are just too many idiots in the world. I blame Health & Safety as clearly most of these should have fallen by the wayside after drinking bleach or something similar.

 

[Electric_Andy]

My guess is:

option 1: He has a dislike for change, and for cyclists, and sees freedoms for peds and cyclists as "pandering to the tree-huggers". Despite the increased potential for healthier, safer, greener and less congested cities.
Option 2: He has a personal financial interest in motorised vehicles and/or infrastructure

 

[All uphill]

Years ago I was taught that feelings of being persecuted often arise in people who otherwise would be invisible in an indifferent universe. Better to feel persecuted than ignored.

Maybe we should all give the conspiracy theorists a big hug. Or maybe not.

 

[Moderators]

Mod note: we agree that this is an advocacy thread and it can remain within the sub-forum. However, the naming of the MP's Party in the title is not necessary and has been deleted. The thread is, thus far, avoiding political comment. Thank you and please can we keep it that way.

 

[PK99]

Years ago I was taught that feelings of being persecuted often arise in people who otherwise would be invisible in an indifferent universe. Better to feel persecuted than ignored.

Some would say that is true about cyclists - they are not out to get us, we are invisble.

 

[FishFright]

Mod note: we agree that this is an advocacy thread and it can remain within the sub-forum. However, the naming of the MP's Party in the title is not necessary and has been deleted. The thread is, thus far, avoiding political comment. Thank you and please can we keep it that way.

Are you sure ? It is pretty important in the story as it about policy.

 

[matticus]

Are you sure ? It is pretty important in the story as it about policy.

It's mostly a local government thing. MY question is about the views of the every day road-user. (Perhaps I shouldn't have highlighted the incident in parliament if I wanted this to stay in the main forum, oops!)

Can we stick to that please? Everyone?? Pretty please x

 

[TheDoctor]

The policy is to have life's essentials nearby. But just because there's a pub at the end of my road, doesn't mean I can't go to another one.

 

[Time Waster]

@Mods - Of course the MPs party appears in the link in the OPS starting post. Not as obvious as the title but still part of this thread through such a link. Obviously you don't have the power to moderate the link content.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'd never heard of the "15 minute city" catchphrase before. Must look it up.