Cycling UK Forum

Is there anywhere where I can obtain leaflets to inform people of this issue? It makes me so angry.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ntas-study

I'm not good at remonstrating with drivers who sit in their stationary vehicles pumping out toxic fumes for no particular benefit to themselves but I could imagine tapping on the window and handing them a leaflet. Perhaps they would take the time to read and understand how stupid and pointless their behaviour is.

GrahamMC wrote:Is there anywhere where I can obtain leaflets to inform people of this issue? It makes me so angry.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ntas-study

I'm not good at remonstrating with drivers who sit in their stationary vehicles pumping out toxic fumes for no particular benefit to themselves but I could imagine tapping on the window and handing them a leaflet. Perhaps they would take the time to read and understand how stupid and pointless their behaviour is.

Still confrontational. Better to pin them to roadside telegraph poles or something like that. Pushing a leaflet at someone will make them defensive and non-receptive.

AKA the Greenpeace approach! Leafletting cars creates rubbish for landfill. Not very good idea imho.

Perhaps look at places where vehicles idle and place notices on lamp posts there. Friendly so that people will take it on board and begin to think about it.

GrahamMC wrote:Is there anywhere where I can obtain leaflets to inform people of this issue? It makes me so angry.

Your intention is good. However, I fear that this would lead you into the "unfavourable reaction" zone.

Refs : Radio 4 items
- Nigel Havers [ a famous actor, I'm told ] tried speaking to drivers about idling whilst stationary and got a range of responses. Some good : sometimes ignored : sometimes abusive.

- Some schoolchildren, outside their school. They got a generally more positive response from guilty parents. They are much less likely to be abused or attacked.

===========================

Us Joe Ordinaries have little control over such matters.
The worst offenders are the ones most likely to get abusive / aggressive.

Try to train yourself to get less angry : you have no control over the misdeeds of others ( a.k.a. societies norms ).

Join Extinction Rebellion.

I don't see how anyone could be unaware of the pollution their vehicle creates.

The problem is that car-as-default is designed into society. That is what we have to change. Until then, most individuals will carry on doing the easy thing and feeling angry and defensive when called out for it.

I'm with Graham. Focus your anger elsewhere. Use the bike ride to feel better, not worse. The time and energy is better spent campaigning for change.

Okay, points taken. It's very difficult to influence the behaviour of these people by direct contact - I thought perhaps a leaflet would give them something to browse and a few interesting facts to make them take notice.

In fact a few small actions like this would make little difference in the overall scheme of things. Best to look the other way, bite your lip and say nothing.

GrahamMC wrote: It's very difficult to influence the behaviour of these people by direct contact.

"These people" are us .... 90% of CTC members are drivers, 100% of CTC members use diesel and petrol fuelled vehicles to support their lifestyle ...

To quote Mitchell and Webb .."Hans ..are we the baddies" .

It might be possible to produce something like a flyer that includes enough of the important information, in a manner that doesn’t cause too many people to disengage with it. The real challenge would probably be coming up with a format and content that is more effective at engaging people than making them feel that they are being picked on.

Lots of people these days find it very easy to dismiss any evidence that doesn’t support their existing views, and have “had enough of experts”.

Picking the right pieces of information from amongst the plethora of possibilities would be a significant challenge but would not be insurmountable.

landsurfer wrote:

GrahamMC wrote: It's very difficult to influence the behaviour of these people by direct contact.

"These people" are us .... 90% of CTC members are drivers, 100% of CTC members use diesel and petrol fuelled vehicles to support their lifestyle ...

To quote Mitchell and Webb .."Hans ..are we the baddies" .

Sorry, by 'these people' I was referring to the ones who sit in their stationary car and pollute our streets. I like to think that 99% of the 90% CTC drivers don't behave in this way, or exhibit other bad behaviours such as speeding, cycle lane parking, close passing etc. etc. Of course, we drivers are all guilty to a certain extent but until our transport system is transformed we could be forgiven for occasional necessary car usage, in a considerate way of course.

I do think that better education is important and the leaflet idea is not great. A sensational Panorama programme on the subject of unborn babies being affected by tailpipe pollution might get noticed.

Flushing the engine exhaust gasses through the interior of the vehicle before dumping it into public space might help to focus minds.

Graham wrote:Flushing the engine exhaust gasses through the interior of the vehicle before dumping it into public space might help to focus minds.

That's the way to do it.

Mike Sales wrote:

Graham wrote:Flushing the engine exhaust gasses through the interior of the vehicle before dumping it into public space might help to focus minds.

That's the way to do it.

After you ...........

landsurfer wrote:

Mike Sales wrote:

Graham wrote:Flushing the engine exhaust gasses through the interior of the vehicle before dumping it into public space might help to focus minds.

That's the way to do it.

After you ...........

If the effluent is harmless enough to dump into the air that others breathe, then why not?