Search found 207 matches

by londoncommuter0000
12 Feb 2019, 12:21pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

Oldjohnw wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
Oldjohnw wrote:The problem with this thread was, in my view, the original newspaper report. Describing the case as "BMW driver" was unnecessary, unhelpful and prejudicial.


The (excessive, puerile and wholly unnecessary) censorship on this forum makes it impossible for me to tell you what I think BMW drivers are.

Suffice to say that I don't believe that the headline was in error.


So a judge (or jury) asks: " what kind of car did the defendant drive?"

"A BMW".

"OK, case solved. He must be guilty."


Erm…
by londoncommuter0000
12 Feb 2019, 12:21pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

Oldjohnw wrote:
De Sisti wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
Well, since few of us buy several cars at once, I would hypothesise that the make of car you bought at any particular point in your life, reflected your personality and priorities at that point.

Choice of car is not the only decision one makes in life, so cannot be used to define personality.



True. I am more than my car.


Of course you are.

But the choice you make - let me correct that. The choices you make reflect on your personality.
by londoncommuter0000
12 Feb 2019, 12:16pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

De Sisti wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
De Sisti wrote:Hmmm, I'm not so sure about this. What sort of personality would you attribute to someone who buys:
small cars, big cars, estates, convertibles, sports cars, blue cars, second hand cars? :wink:


Well, since few of us buy several cars at once, I would hypothesise that the make of car you bought at any particular point in your life, reflected your personality and priorities at that point.

Choice of car is not the only decision one makes in life, so cannot be used to define personality.


I didn't say it defined your personality. I said it reflected it. If you decide to wear a fluorescent pink jacket and to have a foot-high yellow mohican, then inferences can be drawn from that. The same if you choose to buy a Mercedes SUV.
by londoncommuter0000
12 Feb 2019, 11:14am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

Oldjohnw wrote:The problem with this thread was, in my view, the original newspaper report. Describing the case as "BMW driver" was unnecessary, unhelpful and prejudicial.


The (excessive, puerile and wholly unnecessary) censorship on this forum makes it impossible for me to tell you what I think BMW drivers are.

Suffice to say that I don't believe that the headline was in error.
by londoncommuter0000
12 Feb 2019, 10:59am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

De Sisti wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
Bonefishblues wrote:People's personality affects their choice of car. I really don't see why that's so hard to accept.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure about this. What sort of personality would you attribute to someone who buys:
small cars, big cars, estates, convertibles, sports cars, blue cars, second hand cars? :wink:


Well, since few of us buy several cars at once, I would hypothesise that the make of car you bought at any particular point in your life, reflected your personality and priorities at that point.
by londoncommuter0000
12 Feb 2019, 10:55am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

thirdcrank wrote:As this discussion is in Campaigning and Public Policy, can I ask what we are pushing for? A ban on Beemers? A public shaming of BMW drivers?


If BMW drivers had the ability to feel 'shame', this thread probably wouldn't even exist.
by londoncommuter0000
11 Feb 2019, 10:40pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

Bonefishblues wrote:What are your thoughts on the propensity of those vehicles not to be owned & funded by the drivers themselves, nor insured by them, nor indeed fuelled by them? What effect do you think that might have?


I've been offered a company car twice. On both occasions, there was a choice. If my memory serves me, it was between a Ford Mondeo, a Vauxhall Cavalier, an Audi something, and another one that I can't remember. My wife spent a while running fleet car programmes at her previous job, and I asked her about it this evening. She says it was always the go-getters in sales, with an ego the size of Kent who picked the BMW or the Audi.

People's personality affects their choice of car. I really don't see why that's so hard to accept. Or is it that it would reflect badly on you, if it were true?
by londoncommuter0000
11 Feb 2019, 2:54pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist
Replies: 96
Views: 16321

Re: BMW driver walks free from court after deliberately running over cyclist

It's almost certain that when a particular make of car is mentioned online when talking about a conviction or an incident, there will be the usual 'what's the make of car got to do with it?'

Well, the answer is - a lot.

A study by GoCompare at the end of last year found that drivers of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar are more likely than anyone else to have at least one conviction.

If your car's a runaround - as our 8-year-old Peugeot is - then you just use it as a tool to get from A to B. If you go out and buy a fast, powerful, prestigious car then that's a different matter. Our purchases reflect our personalities. This is accepted for clothes, furniture, even food. Why is there this completely illogical refusal to accept that our choice of car is a reflection of our identity?

Not everyone who buys an Audi or a Mercedes or a BMW is an arrogant [expletive of your choice]. But more than a minority are.
by londoncommuter0000
8 Feb 2019, 3:55pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Google Maps
Replies: 30
Views: 3407

Re: Google Maps

Woodtourer wrote:Today I was doing a bit of route planning for part of our upcoming tour. I pick a few cities in Czech and put them in Google map. Stated there was not cycle route available. Plugged the same cities into Cycle Travel and bingo! A route was created.
So what gives?


We used google maps only twice. The first time was when we were navigating from Hoek van Holland to I think Breskens, and we arrived at a station where we could not get the bikes inside. I could not believe that such as situation would happen in the Netherlands, but it did. We used the little intercom to call the station manager, who said that no, at that station, we could not get bikes through. We offered to remove all panniers. Nope. So we used google maps to navigate to a nearby station, and it got us there just in time.

The second time was when we arrived in Belfast off the ferry from Stranraer. We could not find our youth hostel with the MotionX app, and my Garmin GPS was - as always - utter [insert fæcal synonym of your choice]. So we used google maps to get us there.

Both times, it took us on roads, but that was what we needed.
by londoncommuter0000
8 Feb 2019, 1:36pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Is there a perfect bike for commuting?
Replies: 86
Views: 10525

Re: Is there a perfect bike for commuting?

Mares wrote:Cyclo-cross or gravel bike.

Suitable for off road commute or sections of commute.
Variety of hand positions.
More suitable than a narrow tyred road bike for 99% of on-road sections.

If you can, run tubeless. I do on 38mm Panaracer Gravelkings (SK in winter, Slicks in summer) and they have been flawless.


Just sent a message on Signal to my wife.

'I have some bad news for you. I'm buying a new bike'. :D

*fires up PlanetX website*
by londoncommuter0000
8 Feb 2019, 12:38pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Is there a perfect bike for commuting?
Replies: 86
Views: 10525

Re: Is there a perfect bike for commuting?

Ryan1967 wrote:Is there a perfect bike for commuting? folding/road or just your average normal bike?


I've heard good things from colleagues about the PlanetX 'London Road'

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/road-bikes/london-road

I commute on a Giant Defy, and (when my legs and lungs allow it) a Genesis single speed. They are both fantastic machines for the commute, although they feel very different.
by londoncommuter0000
8 Feb 2019, 12:36pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bergen to Trondheim?
Replies: 17
Views: 3461

Re: Bergen to Trondheim?

Dear God, I just clicked on that link. :D :P
by londoncommuter0000
8 Feb 2019, 12:27pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bergen to Trondheim?
Replies: 17
Views: 3461

Re: Bergen to Trondheim?

Vorpal wrote:The only advantage of an entirely inland route, to my mind, would be that it will likely be much easier to find good spots for wild camping.


My wife steadfastly refuses to wild camp, so I reckon the coast it is. Once again, thank you for the tips. :-)
by londoncommuter0000
8 Feb 2019, 10:43am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bergen to Trondheim?
Replies: 17
Views: 3461

Re: Bergen to Trondheim?

Vorpal wrote:
Vorpal wrote: I think there may have been a previous thread a few years ago about Bergen to Trondheim. If you don't find it, I can have a look later. Need to run to work, now.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=61625&p=524382&hilit=bergen+trondheim#p524382


Thank you again. :-)

Let me dig this thread up to ask another question: I just put in 'Bergen' and 'Trondheim' to cycle.travel and I got the route suggested in the attached screenshot.

That's very much an inland route.

Is the inland way better? Is it because the coastal route is not suitable, or is it because the coastal route has ferry crossings?

In short - which is 'nicer'?
by londoncommuter0000
7 Feb 2019, 2:29pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: What Shape is the Earth?
Replies: 61
Views: 5432

Re: What Shape is the Earth?

Oh, man. Bad memories. First year of secondary, in-class geography test.

'The earth is a sphere. True or false?'

Well of course, I knew even then (and this was back in 1979) that the earth was almost a sphere, but that the forces caused by its rotation on its own axis 'flattened' the poles and made the equator bulge.

So I ticked 'False' but added a note to say that well .. what I just wrote above.

I got it wrong, and got into a heated debate with the geography teacher, who insisted that there was no 'flattening', and that if I didn't shut my gob, I'd be getting 'the belt' [1].

I still feel slightly bitter at that, since I was very good at geography, and if it had not been for that question, I'd have scored 100%.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawse