Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

xerxes
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Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by xerxes »

Thought this was quite amusing. A recent post on the 'Urban Cycling Institute' Facebook page.

"Bicycle is the slow death of the planet."
A banker made the economists think this when he said:
“A cyclist is a disaster for the country’s economy: he doesn’t buy cars and doesn’t borrow money to buy. He don't pay insurance policies. Don't buy fuel, don't pay to have the car serviced, and no repairs needed. He doesn't use paid parking. Doesn't cause any major accidents. No need for multi-lane highways.
He is not getting obese.
Healthy people are not necessary or useful to the economy. They are not buying the medicine. They dont go to hospitals or doctors.
They add nothing to the country's GDP.
"On the contrary, each new McDonald’s store creates at least 30 jobs—actually 10 cardiologists, 10 dentists, 10 dietitians and nutritionists—obviously as well as the people who work in the store itself."
Choose wisely: a bike or a McDonald's? It's something to think about.
~ Emeric Sillo
PS: walking is even worse. Pedestrians don't even buy a bicycle!
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Cugel
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by Cugel »

The worserer rascals are them as die before they've spent all their money! On the other hand, funerals can cost a lot, especially if the wake is extended and invites many friends, acquaintances and even passers-by who fancy a free vol-au-vent and a glass of plonk.

But hasn't that fellow you mention realised that bicycles now cost thousands and must include another few thousands-worth of essential clothing, accessories and holidays in The Alps?

Cugel, determined to do my consumerist duty.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
Stevek76
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by Stevek76 »

Ugh. That nonsense has been doing the rounds for a fair few years now, misattributed to some economist or banker (or occasionally an anonymous one).

No idea who originally wrote it but it's done in that same awful manner in which most of these written to go viral posts are.
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PT1029
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by PT1029 »

I don't know if the DfT have changed yet. In their economic cost benefit analysis of road schemes, it used to be that any scheme that reduced motor traffic use got a dis-benefit, as less fuel was used, so less tax income generated.
If only they factor in the health benefits of active travel - but may be healthier people need less medical help, so less economic (medical) activity as a result?......
mattheus
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by mattheus »

Fair to say this has spread far and wide ...

Un banquero hizo que los economistas pensaran esto cuando dijo:

Un ciclista es un desastre para la economía del país: no compra coches ni presta dinero para comprar.

No paga pólizas de seguro.

No compra combustible, no paga para llevar el coche a revisión, ni necesita reparaciones.

No usa aparcamiento pagado.

No causa accidentes graves.

No necesita grandes infraestructuras, ni autopistas con muchos carriles.

No padece de sobrepeso.

Las personas sanas no son necesarias ni útiles para la economía.

No compra medicinas.

No va a hospitales ni visita a médicos.

No aporta nada al PIB del país.

Por el contrario, cada nuevo restaurante de comida rápida crea al menos 30 empleos, en realidad 10 cardiólogos, 10 dentistas, 10 expertos en dieta y nutricionistas, obviamente, así como las personas que trabajan en la propia tienda.

Elige bien: ¿una bicicleta o un restaurante de comida rápida? Vale la pena pensar en ello.

PD: caminar es aún peor ya que los peatones ni siquiera compran una bicicleta.
Stevek76
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by Stevek76 »

PT1029 wrote: 6 Jul 2022, 9:16am I don't know if the DfT have changed yet. In their economic cost benefit analysis of road schemes, it used to be that any scheme that reduced motor traffic use got a dis-benefit, as less fuel was used, so less tax income generated.
If only they factor in the health benefits of active travel - but may be healthier people need less medical help, so less economic (medical) activity as a result?......
Tax is still factored in, though is usually a fairly small component of the total balance of numbers.

Health benefits of active travel are considered, though usually only when promoting an active travel scheme. Sadly the health disbenefits of fewer people walk/cycling as the result of a road scheme are never considered.

User travel time benefits of cycling are also rarely/never accounted for despite that for quality cycle infrastructure in urban areas these should be fairly considerable. I think partly this is because they often aren't needed. If you're promoting an active travel scheme the cost is usually low and the health benefits alone tend to punt the BCR well beyond what any highway or PT scheme could hope to see. The barrier is far more local politics
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mattheus
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by mattheus »

Stevek76 wrote: 5 Jul 2022, 10:30pm Ugh. That nonsense has been doing the rounds for a fair few years now, misattributed to some economist or banker (or occasionally an anonymous one).
My reading of it - our chief accountant emailed it to me this morning! - was as a gentle satire.

(The healthcare section being key - although if you think sickness is a growth area that The West should be leveraging, we may disagree!)
Psamathe
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by Psamathe »

Re: "Bicycle is the slow death of the planet...."
I'm uncertain if it's a spoof actually highlighting the benefits of cycling. But spoof or serious it does highlight the attitude held my many confusing our capitalist economy vs the planet. We (human species) are determinedly and rapidly modifying our planet to be very unsuited to our survival. We fully recognise the damage we are doing to ourselves but the belief of some that our economy trumps all other concerns results in those who can act to avoid disaster don't act. GDP growth year on year is a bit irrelevant when we make large parts of the world uninhabitable by humans. Capital growth, inflation, etc. are somewhat irrelevant when frequent extreme weather destroys crops, means evacuation of parts of cities with damage and disease, etc.

But people continually delay acting because capitalist economy is seen as more important than climate destruction.

Ian
mattheus
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by mattheus »

It seems that even cyclists (well, ok - internet cyclists) have no care for future consequences:
PedallingSquares wrote: 17 Jun 2022, 9:22am
I have 4 children.Well 3 of them are adults now and one is 15.I stated in another thread that they will adapt to whatever comes along after I'm gone.It is not my concern what happens then.As I keep saying you have one life and you're a long time dead.
Maybe there'd be more happiness in the world if folk lived their lives for themselves now rather than worrying what will happen in 10/20/50 years times :wink:
Stevek76
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by Stevek76 »

mattheus wrote: 6 Jul 2022, 11:22am My reading of it - our chief accountant emailed it to me this morning! - was as a gentle satire.

(The healthcare section being key - although if you think sickness is a growth area that The West should be leveraging, we may disagree!)
Possibly, perhaps even probably, but it's still been round the houses for 5 years or more at least and I honestly can't read a sentence like

"A banker made the economists think this when he said"

without cringing.

It's vague enough as satire (if it is) that it's net unhelpful I think by the time sufficient motons have read it going around the facebooks.

Also it stops working as satire because it isn't actually correct. A city in which cycling is the dominant mode will be more economically productive and see higher 'growth'. We see that in the Netherlands! Cycling might actually be bad for the planet :wink: :lol:
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xerxes
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by xerxes »

Well, of course it's a spoof, I thought that went without saying.

I think the odd way it is written is because it was produced by someone for whom English is not their first language.
atoz
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by atoz »

Reminds me of why governments are loth to discourage drinking too much. Or why in the past why they didn't do too much to discourage smoking.

The ideal worker from a tax standpoint is someone who is not exactly overpaid but spends their money on consumer goodies, junk food, has a few drinks (but not too much), drives and has their own vehicle. They ideally should be home owners. Oh yes, and when they retire, they die within a few years, thus saving on health and social care costs, not to mention state pensions and other benefits.

Sound like Red Wall voters to me...by a strange coincidence, politicians' favourite polling group. No prizes for guessing which politicians - yes, all the establishment political parties, regardless of what rosette is fashionable this season
Last edited by atoz on 7 Jul 2022, 11:34am, edited 1 time in total.
Psamathe
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by Psamathe »

xerxes wrote: 6 Jul 2022, 8:15pm Well, of course it's a spoof, I thought that went without saying.

I think the odd way it is written is because it was produced by someone for whom English is not their first language.
But when you listen to many of the Climate deniers (even some who are MPs in Westminster at the moment) their arguments are pretty much the same yet we don't assume they are comedians whose next gig is Edinburugh ('cos they are deadly serious and seem to be doing everything they can to block or slow our response to the emergency).

Iam
Jdsk
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by Jdsk »

The cost of ill health isn't only in costs labelled healthcare paid by organisations labelled as healthcare providers. It incurs massive costs in informal care and lost productivity.

Ill health is very expensive to the country and much of it is avoidable. And even more expensive when you include the suffering.

If you want to deter people from smoking or drinking too much alcohol I recommend showing them the quality of life of people with chronic lung or liver disease rather than mentioning early deaths.

Jonathan
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RickH
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Re: Bicycle is the slow death of the planet

Post by RickH »

Jdsk wrote: 7 Jul 2022, 11:33am The cost of ill health isn't only in costs labelled healthcare paid by organisations labelled as healthcare providers. It incurs massive costs in informal care and lost productivity.

Ill health is very expensive to the country and much of it is avoidable. And even more expensive when you include the suffering.

If you want to deter people from smoking or drinking too much alcohol I recommend showing them the quality of life of people with chronic lung or liver disease rather than mentioning early deaths.

Jonathan
Greater Manchester's 2017 "Made to Move" document (download link on this page - https://beeactive.tfgm.com/publications-and-downloads/) has a quote that 50% of GM adults don't get enough exercise costing local health provision £500,000 a week (at 2017 costs).

More recently I saw figures (I don't know the source but can find out if anyone wants to know - the person who showed it is usually reliable) putting our fair borough of Bolton as having the highest levels of inactivity of any borough in the country (probably just England) - 37% (I think it was) of adult get less than 30 minutes of activity per week, bearing in mind the recommended figure to stay healthy is 30 minutes per day.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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