http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "In search of the famous 'war on motorists' " en Sun, 31 May 2026 08:38:44 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-359859 Sat, 16 Apr 2022 08:28:39 +0000 chdot 359859@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“<br /> Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP and shadow local government secretary, Miles Briggs, said: “The SNP’s war on motorists seemingly knows no bounds. Not only do they want to hammer workers for simply driving to work, they are upping the ante even further. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20073414.snp-pledges-charge-commuters-enter-edinburgh-wide-congestion-zone-cut-traffic/" rel="nofollow">https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20073414.snp-pledges-charge-commuters-enter-edinburgh-wide-congestion-zone-cut-traffic/</a></p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/cocteautriplets/status/1515122740784771072" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/cocteautriplets/status/1515122740784771072</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20722 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:16:58 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 20722@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The thing I hate most about the reporting of these incidents was highlighted by BBC Breakfast the other morning. There was a crash down south and someone had been killed.</p> <p>90% of the report was about tailbacks caused by the road having been closed, and relief that it had been announced it would soon be open again.</p> <p>Can't let pesky dead people making people late for work can we? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20721 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:02:28 +0000 chdot 20721@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Strange its hard to find the reports for these killings..."</p> <p>Not entirely true -</p> <p><a href="http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Five-dead-in-20-hours.6681044.jp" rel="nofollow">http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Five-dead-in-20-hours.6681044.jp</a></p> <p>But media tends to only highlight the 'unusual' - 'quite a few in short space of time' or 'killer A9'. </p> <p>"as if they only effect motorists coz no one else uses the roads"</p> <p>Yes there is a lot of that. </p> <p>'Opinion formers' tend to be well paid and likely to own/use cars. </p> <p>Most MP/MSPs etc. fail to realise/understand how much better off they are than MOST people (before expenses). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20720 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:49:09 +0000 holisticglint 20720@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Latest casualty figures <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12125487">for just the last 24 hours</a> I think that makes about 7 or 8 in Scotland alone over the last 2 weeks. Strange its hard to find the reports for these killings...</p> <p>Things a bad on the propaganda front too with BBC Breakfast doing special reports today on the price of fuel and the terribleness of potholes as if they only effect motorists coz no one else uses the roads right ... grumble, complain, whinge </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20711 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:52:53 +0000 TwoWheels 20711@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If you chumps export that "war on the motorist" malarkey over here, I'm gonna get cranky. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20707 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:53:23 +0000 kaputnik 20707@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Good point chdot, it's rarely put about by the motoring lobby that you can get relatively "a lot" of car now for relatively "a little" (especially if you get it on credit / hire purchase / nearly-new seconds or some similar scheme). Anyone got a similar graph for the relative cost of bikes!? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20704 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:43:37 +0000 chdot 20704@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Even The Economist isn't impressed!</p> <p>"Leaving aside the nitty gritty of the government's <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prestidigitation">prestidigitations</a>, there is the broader point that the idea of a "war on the motorist" is, to put it politely, bunk."<br /> <a href="http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full-width/Transport%20costs_1.JPG"><br /> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5246/5328573166_b951c96a56.jpg"></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21014388" rel="nofollow">http://www.economist.com/node/21014388</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20662 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:10:25 +0000 Min 20662@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes that is a good point. The flashee does not know why they are being flashed at and the distraction and/or unneeded braking could cause problems. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20660 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:04:16 +0000 steveo 20660@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Wingpig's point reminds of when my mate first got his licence we were driving up to Pitlochry for some cycling with the bikes on the back of a beat up metro. As we approached a corner a few cars started flashing and waving we immediately assumed there was something wrong with our bikes and the driver was slowing to stop at the next safe point as it turned out that was where the police were sitting with a speed trap, don't think we were actually speeding that old car with three large lads and three heavy bikes on the back couldn't i don't think. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20659 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:59:39 +0000 kaputnik 20659@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Interesting point Wingpig. Might be cheaper and more effective for the Polis to drive around in unmarked cars, flashing their headlights and getting people to slow down :) (but that would deny them their "revenue" stream) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20658 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:52:07 +0000 wingpig 20658@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My driving instructor and my dad both pointed out that the problem with flashing people is that it might not be obvious what that flash means. "Go on, you first/will you get on with that manoeuvre?" is sometimes obvious but a flash from a car coming in the opposite direction when not manoeuvring/waiting would usually get me worrying that something was hanging off the car, the foglights were accidentally on or that there was someone sitting in the back seat with a pair of scissors. I wouldn't immediately think of it being a warning about an impending speed trap as I wouldn't be speeding, but might conceivably slow down anyway, possibly suspecting a potential hazard along the lines of an accident or a flock of sheep in the road.</p> <p>Tricky one... whilst I am quite happy for speeding motorists to be fined and endowed with points I'd prefer them to never speed in the first place, and it's conceivable that they might be more likely to continue to speed after being warned by someone flashing them and getting away with it rather than being trapped, detected, fined and endorsed. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20657 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:39:38 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 20657@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that rule. One I've broken many-a-time myself! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20656 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:38:29 +0000 kaputnik 20656@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>HWC;<br /> <em><strong>110</strong><br /> Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.</em></p> <p>He must have done something silly like admit why he was flashing his lights to get himself successfully prosecuted. He should have known his HWC and when stopped by the polis should have said "yes officer, I was flashing my lights, I was warning other road users that I was there, as it says in the Highway Code". </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20655 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:18:47 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 20655@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That's an interesting one kaputnik - given speed traps have to be 'visible', and the aim is to get people to slow down, has he not made the speed trap more visible and got people to slow down? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20654 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:54:41 +0000 SRD 20654@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Good for George! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20653 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:55:27 +0000 kaputnik 20653@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-12115179">Or by traffic Police, on people breaking the law...</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1973#post-20650 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:45:37 +0000 chdot 20650@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"The only transport war being waged in this country is by motorists – against pedestrians and cyclists"</p> <p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/jan/04/war-on-motorists" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/jan/04/war-on-motorists</a> </p>