Anti social BBC programme

[plancashire]

I'm glad I didn't listen to this. A question for those that did: Was parking mentioned? It has a huge effect on our environment, costs a lot, is heavily subsidised and is guaranteed to get tempers boiling. Economists find it a fascinating example of market failure, societal failure really.

[Jdsk]

I'm glad I didn't listen to this. A question for those that did: Was parking mentioned? It has a huge effect on our environment, costs a lot, is heavily subsidised and is guaranteed to get tempers boiling. Economists find it a fascinating example of market failure, societal failure really.

I don't think so, but I only listened to it once.

It didn't make any attempt at systematic economic analysis.

Jonathan

[Traction_man]

I sort of listened to it. Not very impressed.

... the woman who was the pro cycling. I think they could have got somebody better to support cycling with a few facts etc. Most of it was personal experience or anecdotal.

same here, I thought the comments about cycling in rural areas was particularly bizarre, especially re Snowdonia / Eryri, as that is surely exactly what we should be encouraging, greater active travel in and to our national parks!

yes, missed opportunity, pity.

[JerseyJoe]

The BBC are famous for missed opportunities. It's amazing how they still regularly get cycling wrong on TV.

[thirdcrank]

You can always tell somebody from the BBC - but not very much.

I don't watch much telly but I was attracted by a recent Panorama programme about "so-called" SMART motorways. A big subject and so a lot to cover but I was surprised when the reporter Richard Bilton several times drove on a live motorway while speaking to a fixed camera where a front-seat passenger would sit. I was so surprised that I reviewed several bits of his report to be certain I was not mistaken.

I appreciate that this is a big subject with a lot to cover in one programme but Bilton was repeatedly seen not paying attention to the road ahead but speaking to a fixed camera on the passenger side - surely a pretty obvious source of danger on motorways where so many other dangers have been minimised.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... logy-fails

"Older readers" may remember a hit from the late 1950s in which the driver was told to "keep his mind on the driving" etc and to ignore what was happening on the backseat he is told to pay attention to his driving and that they prefer to remain in the backseat "kissing and hugging with Fred."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Lit ... e_Backseat

FWIW, this episode of Panorama is linked on Iplayer but perhaps others have told told Richard Bilton of his ignorance of a basic driving skill

[plancashire]

I drive rarely in Britain. A few years ago I was using the inside lane on an all-lanes-running motorway, colloquially and irritatingly known as "smart". It was dark. A broken-down car was in my lane. There was no warning. Fortunately I had time to react and avoid. Since then I treat the inside lane on such motorways like the hard shoulder: I don't use it. My sister tells me she knows several people who do the same. If we all do the same the status quo ante will be restored.

[axel_knutt]

You can always tell somebody from the BBC - but not very much.

Some years ago, You and Yours did a piece with someone plugging cycle paths, so I emailed them pointing out John Franklin's view of them. I got a phone call from a researcher who was genuinely interested, and spent about half an hour discussing it with me, then invited Franklin onto the program on the strength of that.

I was surprised when the reporter Richard Bilton several times drove on a live motorway while speaking to a fixed camera where a front-seat passenger would sit.

That's his stock-in trade, he does that quite a lot.

[ratherbeintobago]

What is John Franklin’s view, out of interest?

[Jdsk]

What is John Franklin’s view, out of interest?

http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclecraft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_cycling

Jonathan

[JerseyJoe]

What is John Franklin’s view, out of interest?

Who be John Franklin?

[TrevA]

What is John Franklin’s view, out of interest?

Who be John Franklin?

He is a Cycle Safety Adviser and the author of the book Cyclecraft. He is an advocate of vehicular cycling - that cyclists should, with appropriate training and experience, be able to cycle as part of the traffic and not have to be segregated on cycle infrastructure.

[JerseyJoe]

What is John Franklin’s view, out of interest?

Who be John Franklin?

He is a Cycle Safety Adviser and the author of the book Cyclecraft. He is an advocate of vehicular cycling - that cyclists should, with appropriate training and experience, be able to cycle as part of the traffic and not have to be segregated on cycle infrastructure.

Ah, I see. A militant!

[ratherbeintobago]

That’s a bit at odds with the Dutch experience though, no?

In any case, it’s not usually the skill and experience of the cyclist that’s the issue, it’s the idiot at the wheel playing with their phone rather than looking at the road.

[arnsider]

Who really cares what the BBC tells us about cycling? You can bet it's all London Centric BS. Other more enlightened countries have long since moved on or likelier never started an endlerss tirade about bicycles.
Who needs it?

[Psamathe]

Who really cares what the BBC tells us about cycling? You can bet it's all London Centric BS. Other more enlightened countries have long since moved on or likelier never started an endlerss tirade about bicycles.
Who needs it?

Telling "us" as in forum members is maybe not so important. But telling those motorists who regard cyclists as a nuisance just reinforces their attitude, validates their anti-cyclist views as mainstream.

Most cyclists recognise the futility of bike registration plates, compulsory insurance, obligatory use of cycle lanes, etc. But keep feeding the motoring lobbies with unchallenged myths and those constraints become more likely.

Ian