Or so jim Orr thinks:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/cycling-can-oil-the-wheels-of-social-change-1-3120735
I thought politicians were supposed to listen to and represent their constituents?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Apparently we're doing it all wrong...
(18 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Seems like a longwinded way of saying 'if I appear to be doing anything which could be vaguely construed as supporting cycling, I should be given your wholehearted support'.
Actually Jim, we're generally a bit smarter than that.
Posted 11 years ago # -
A more charitable reading might be that more senior politicians have been giving him grief about how ungrateful we are, and his response to this is to lecture us.
Should we be grateful for receiving this wisdom?
Posted 11 years ago # -
We are supposed to just shut up and take the abuse. Surely you know this by now?
Posted 11 years ago # -
A direct quote from old jimmy to me:
" I would
much rather that cycling stakeholders and pressure groups expended their
energy campaigning for some sort of "strict liability" and more 20mph
zones.Positive campaigning almost always pays more dividends. I know that
from politics."That's right. He knows that. From Politics. Politics.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"The quirky tone might not have appealed to everyone, but an awful lot of cyclists got themselves very wound up by this"
It's just that he doesn't realise that it wasn't the quirky tone that angered people who cycle.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"It's just that he doesn't realise that it wasn't the quirky tone that angered people who cycle."
This.
The few comments so far are beautiful - including that rgeat line of cyclists should behave properly before we spend any more money on them. Interesting how that doesn't apply to drivers...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Anyone seen that article in print?
Is it billed as "Opinion" or?
Obviously he is right and wrong and wrong.
Yes good to have a positive view of possibilities.
Wrong to defend NWC - but understandable considering his 'best mate' he went abroad with.
Wrong to (apparently) target a relatively small number of 'noisy' people in this way.
That's just my opinion - in public - of course...
Posted 11 years ago # -
If politicians love positive campaigning so much - how come they almost never do it themselves, e.g. latest headlines on party websites:
SNP "Cameron expects Scots to buy a pig and a poke"
Scottish Labour "It's one year until Scotland decides - here's 3 ways the SNP campaign is confused"
Scottish Tories "Salmond reverts to bunker mentality"
Obviously, there are hundreds of other examples from these, and other, parties.
I appreciate that cyclists can seem a pretty unlovable bunch at times - our persistance, general inability to be fobbed off, techno and campaign literacy are annoying to politicians used to less tenaceous types. They have to remember - you are talking about people who cycle on Scottish roads, at night, during the dead of winter - Nothing. Will Stop. Us.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm sure the picture of the POP cyclist heading down the wrong side of the high street with feet off the pedals was chosen deliberately.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I thought it was one of those 'Friends of the Scotsman' pieces? http://www.scotsman.com/news/friends-of-the-scotsman-invitation-from-the-editor-1-2943334
Posted 11 years ago # -
So not inked on paper?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I find it fun to look through the commentors and guess who on here is who on there. I may not be 100% correct but detecting posters on here through traits on there is fun! :O)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Stop complaining and be grateful for what you get, or you won't get any more.
Sorry Jim, if we tell politicians what a marvelous job has been done; "quality", "visionary" and the like, when it isn't anything of the sort, then they might actually think they've done a good job.
"Stop de kindermoord" was such a positive influence on the Netherlands, wasn't it?
Dear Cyclists, stop being mean, why aren't you Nice when we've asked you to be Nice?
Robert
Posted 11 years ago # -
What I find extraordinary is that he has gone to the EEN to air these views. I'm guessing then that this not aimed at 'us', rather it is aimed at frothing EEN readers and petrolheads who will lap up this public chastisement of cycle campaigners: music to their ears! In this respect it resembles the Nice Way Code in that it purported to be addressing cyclists, but in fact was playing to motorist's (irrational) prejudices.
Certainly smacks of "these ungrateful cyclists, how dare they?" Very disappointing from the one person on the Council who is supposed to be championing cycling. It's in his job title for goodness' sake!
Posted 11 years ago # -
When the roads are not a race track and I don't have to wonder if I'll make it from Queen Street to Haymarket alive then he can consider it job done.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@crowriver, no idea what he has turned to the Scotsman now, but he has expressed this same idea/argument to me and others.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I suppose that is consistent at least. Cllr Orr must have an instinct that the folk who voted for him think this way too, otherwise he'd soon change his tune.
Posted 11 years ago #
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