tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805138158441245701.post8062867073254304213..comments2023-11-16T10:44:22.206+00:00Comments on The Mind of a Helmet Camera Cyclist: Reply to an MSPmagnatomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14920774671676488322noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805138158441245701.post-86756207459313332632012-06-12T19:49:17.426+01:002012-06-12T19:49:17.426+01:00I'm saddened you felt such a negative riding e...I'm saddened you felt such a negative riding experience for the fife coast road. I've ridden that route countless times over the years, and continue to do so. It really is a stunningly good road ride & no worse than many many roads I can think of, and way better than a lot of them. I feel no more vulnerable riding that route than on any other public highway....the only 'fly in the ointment' nowadays is the(as almost always :( ) useless cycle path which runs from leven to Lundin links & serves only to suggest to the 'less astute' motorist that we cyclists don't belong on the public highway...sigh. there are also more than one or two alternative routes, into quieter countryside, exiting most of the coastal towns, many of which are largely traffic free....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805138158441245701.post-22719717849270777842012-06-07T10:26:09.487+01:002012-06-07T10:26:09.487+01:00In Vancouver, Canada I'm currently part of a c...In Vancouver, Canada I'm currently part of a campaign trying to finally rid of the helmet law. It's not a question of whether you chose to wear one or not here, they force you to! There's actually spots I know of now on my daily commute where police sit and wait for cyclists not wearing one so they can give them a $100 fine! It's ridiculous! And now it's destroying all hope for a bike share program here in Vancouver that would increase cyclists, which is only beneficial to cyclist safety as well as all the health benefits it would bring with it. BC needs a kick up the arse! Their number one reason for enforcing it is to save health care costs on head injuries! So ignore all the benefits of cycling, all that exercise, fitness, less likelihood of smoking (I know many who quit smoking because they took up cycling), saving health costs related to potential cyclist head injuries that absolutely wouldn't have occurred if they were wearing a helmet is far more important. My argument to BC is if they're serious about health care costs as a result of head injuries, then their helmet focus would be far better placed on drivers (which will never happen, car companies will fight it tooth and nail as it suggests driving is a dangerous activity), the elderly, and those entering and exiting a bath/shower. <br /><br />I'm sick of the helmet debate and I'm sick of the red light argument too. There's bad cyclists and there's bad drivers. Drivers who do stupid things can kill a cyclist. Cyclists who do stupid things are more likely to injure/kill themselves! But I don't assume all drivers are bad because of the idiotic few; most drivers that pass me on a daily basis obey the rules of the road and give me plenty of space when they pass, I've no complaints about them! But why do most non-cyclists consider all of us bad? More cyclists follow road law than don't, yet they latch on to those one or two idiots like they represent the lot of us. It's the same as the argument that we hold them up in traffic. They're in a damn car, wherever they're going, they'll get there a hell of a lot faster than we will, so why the frustration? This person obviously has latched on to the negative stereotype whether they are willing to admit it or not, and needs to start analysing the real main point: cars are potentially deadly weaponsto cyclists on the road. We need protection and we need infrastructure to help protect us. Promoting cycling in school does nothing if parents deem the route to school unsafe, which most of the time is the case! <br /><br />And assuming rural areas don't need cycling infrastructure is just naive! I did a lot of cycling between towns along the coast in Fife when I was at my parent's holiday home. I wouldn't dare take my baby brother with me though as, like you noted, people ignore speed limits, or in some cases there was only one road and that was set at national speed limit and that made for some dangerous sections of the route. But there were no other route at all, and absolutely no regard for cyclist safety. This is along the coast, the views were astounding, right by the sea, I'm sure plenty would love to do it, especially all the visiting tourists, but not everyone had the guts to do it, myself included, I'd only ever do it very early in the morning at dawn and then hook the bike up to my dad's car rack to go home.<br /><br />Idiot cyclists, like you said, have nothing to do with infrastructure and it's a typical cyclist stereotype an obvious non-cyclist has projected into that reply. Very disappointing.Maddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641799093046439555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805138158441245701.post-48017022975924974892012-05-31T21:17:56.166+01:002012-05-31T21:17:56.166+01:00It's refreshing to hear your views on bicycle ...It's refreshing to hear your views on bicycle helmets, people are all too quick to jump to conclusions about them without good scientific evidence.NOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06060802236709268027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805138158441245701.post-80360222713946908172012-05-28T08:08:38.063+01:002012-05-28T08:08:38.063+01:00"Some cyclists ignore red lights, thereby end..."Some cyclists ignore red lights, thereby endangering themselves and others; others do not use proper lighting on their bikes either at night or when visibility is poor; and others still neglect to wear helmets. "<br /><br />Where have I read this before... If this isn't astroturfing I don't know what is.<br /><br />http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/feb/23/need-to-protect-internet-from-astroturfingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805138158441245701.post-61550366679901823652012-05-25T08:26:12.569+01:002012-05-25T08:26:12.569+01:00Fantastic reply. Very nicely done.Fantastic reply. Very nicely done.Balinorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05358784659056066258noreply@blogger.com