Chess and Road Cycling

[Louise Sinclair]

Change' Cyclists' to any religious or ethnic minority and it's easy to see what Gary and Louise are doing here.

I think you must have been be suffering from too much sun. I haven't a clue what you are talking about.
Louise

[Dave Ewart]

If the remark was indeed "tongue in cheek", then it was an ill-judged remark which warrants an apology, in my opinion.

First you fail to spot an obvious joke and then you expect an apology for it. Sorry but I have decided that not only will my wife not be apologising but I have told her not to show any more humour here as it is obviously not appreciated.

Gary

Someone driving a big car "joking" about deliberately colliding with vulnerable road users? It might have been more obviously a joke if the follow-up posts didn't show a clear collective dislike for all cyclists, spouting the usual "all cyclists are evil, they don't pay road tax etc. etc." drivel.

[Louise Sinclair]

I have a confession to make. I am a serial killer. I have murdered numerous cyclists during my life. I am the sole reason for the road blockages yesterday. The Tour de France passed by our road and my husband colluded with the authorities to block the streets to ensure the competitors were saved from being murdered by my basilisk glare which has felled many grown men at thirty paces.
My ferocity is legendary. I am the Morrigan and Medusa rolled into one. I can pulverise the unwary and entrap the delicate cyclist by turning his tyres to molten rubber - causing many 'accidents' by the power of my very thoughts.
This vulnerable group of people are in need of dire protection from my homicidal inclinations.
I am the great ogress who dines on cyclists. My appetite is insatiable. If you cycle and spot a female alighting from a green jaguar - run for your life.
Louise

[Dave Ewart]

Hah, we'll clearly have to agree to disagree on all this: however, that is indeed quite a funny little paragraph

[Louise Sinclair]

Hah, we'll clearly have to agree to disagree on all this: however, that is indeed quite a funny little paragraph

Dave
If I spot you I shall try not to melt your tyres in my frenzy
Pleased to amuse you.

[Michael Farthing]

Well that seems to wrap it all up, except that still no one has explained about the Shrek reference.

[David Gostelow]

Not sure whether I should fire this subject up again . I was one of the original posters and have not read the thread for a long time , but as with most forums when a thread goes to more than 2 pages its usually a heated discussion amongst limited individuals . Back to the thread as somebody who plays a lot of chess and a fair amount of cycling usually around 6000 miles a year and upwards of 70 races some years, here is my pennies worth

1) Vehicle Excise Duty is based on emissions . I pay zero for my car and my bicycles . We don't have hypothecated tax in the UK . Oh and bicycles came before cars , the roads were not built for cars ( exception motorways)
2) As others have said cyclists are like any bunch of people made up of some good ,some bad. Main difference is the consequences of riding a bike in a foolish or irresponsible manner have major consequences mainly for the safety of the rider. This is no where near the same when driving a ton metal box on 4 wheels with air bags and safety belts. If something serious happens, its generally someone else that gets hurt , pedestrian cyclist other driver etc Just look at the statistics
3) Why all the agro and negative vibes towards cyclists. I have cycled in many countries through out the world . Last year , I cycled in Berlin , Copenhagen, Stockholm and various parts of Spain , here people are not aggressive towards cyclists in fact in the European capitals listed they actively observe for cyclists on the inside before turning right ( like a UK left turn) . You don't get the outright aggression and abuse that you get from a minority of British Motorists. On a Sunday I go out and ride 60 miles mainly on unclassified roads in rural Shropshire avoiding main roads , but you still get the nutters who cant sit behind you for another 20 seconds who try and squeeze past on single track lanes or who come at you at 40 mph on these lanes taking 3/4 of the road width and expect you to cycle in the hedgerow to avoid death . Yet they all slow down for horses and get stuck behind farm vehicles for much longer, (who happily drive the main roads at rush hour in these parts ( and also pay no tax))
4) Traffic lights , some motorists love going on about cyclists and traffic lights. All vehicles have some rules and regs that they have a tendency to break . Cars speed ( try maintaining the speed limit on some motorways for instance and 80 percent of vehicles will be passing you ) driving and parking on pavements and parking in dangerous places. Using phones while driving - I see 100s when cycling to work , doing this , you even see lorry drivers negotiating complex junctions while on the phone. These are a few of the things motorists do . Difference over a cyclist read no 2 IE most of the dangerous consequences of a cyclists behaviour effect his or her safety , with a motorist its more likely to be other peoples safety.

Also there are some situations where in my opinion its legitimate to go through the traffic lights on red after checking for traffic a) Roadworks where the lights timing is not designed for slower vehicles and you can squeeze between the cones anyway b) Many lights particularly SUnday mornings around where I live only change for cars

5) Over 2/3 of the adult population have BMIs over 25 and in the overweight to obese zone, the effect of this is bankrupting the NHS . You don't get many fat cyclists besides Boris .

I can go on

The Clarkson effect seems to rule in the UK

[Roger de Coverly]

Back to the thread as somebody who plays a lot of chess and a fair amount of cycling usually around 6000 miles a year and upwards of 70 races some years, here is my pennies worth

I wouldn't know about races, but I was struck by cultural differences on recent visits to the Netherlands. Admittedly they have the geographical advantage of being mostly flat, but they have developed a parallel infrastructure. Essentially they have roads reserved for cyclists. These have white lines down the middle to segregate traffic in opposite directions and traffic lights where they cross roads reserved for cars, lorries and pavements for pedestrians. They also allow motorised bicycles, up to 50cc, on these segregated roads and don't make helmets mandatory. I never did figure out the legality of walking on the cycle roads, but I gather that it isn't advisory. As befits an urban environment, most cycles were not capable of any enormous turn of speed, being designed for practicality of riders wearing normal clothing and load carrying. Town centres more often than not had been configured to be bus (and tram) and cycle only.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Heh. Trams. We could go completely off topic and discuss whether London (and some other major UK cities) should bring back or expand tram networks as opposed to the buses clogging up some areas of central London. I personally hate the way overhead tramlines affect the sight lines in historical areas, but trams are much better than buses in built up central areas.

[Andy McCulloch]

Please look up the cost, and inconvenience, of re-introducing trams in Edinburgh. A salutary story.

[Gary Cook]

When is a tax not a tax - when it's a duty and is designed to raise more money than a simple tax.

You are right the roads were not built for cars, but they weren't built for bicycles either, I think you will find the horse came before both. But they were covered in tarmac for the car.

[Nick Thomas]

Not sure whether I should fire this subject up again . I was one of the original posters and have not read the thread for a long time , but as with most forums when a thread goes to more than 2 pages its usually a heated discussion amongst limited individuals . Back to the thread as somebody who plays a lot of chess and a fair amount of cycling usually around 6000 miles a year and upwards of 70 races some years, here is my pennies worth

1) Vehicle Excise Duty is based on emissions . I pay zero for my car and my bicycles . We don't have hypothecated tax in the UK . Oh and bicycles came before cars , the roads were not built for cars ( exception motorways)
2) As others have said cyclists are like any bunch of people made up of some good ,some bad. Main difference is the consequences of riding a bike in a foolish or irresponsible manner have major consequences mainly for the safety of the rider. This is no where near the same when driving a ton metal box on 4 wheels with air bags and safety belts. If something serious happens, its generally someone else that gets hurt , pedestrian cyclist other driver etc Just look at the statistics
3) Why all the agro and negative vibes towards cyclists. I have cycled in many countries through out the world . Last year , I cycled in Berlin , Copenhagen, Stockholm and various parts of Spain , here people are not aggressive towards cyclists in fact in the European capitals listed they actively observe for cyclists on the inside before turning right ( like a UK left turn) . You don't get the outright aggression and abuse that you get from a minority of British Motorists. On a Sunday I go out and ride 60 miles mainly on unclassified roads in rural Shropshire avoiding main roads , but you still get the nutters who cant sit behind you for another 20 seconds who try and squeeze past on single track lanes or who come at you at 40 mph on these lanes taking 3/4 of the road width and expect you to cycle in the hedgerow to avoid death . Yet they all slow down for horses and get stuck behind farm vehicles for much longer, (who happily drive the main roads at rush hour in these parts ( and also pay no tax))
4) Traffic lights , some motorists love going on about cyclists and traffic lights. All vehicles have some rules and regs that they have a tendency to break . Cars speed ( try maintaining the speed limit on some motorways for instance and 80 percent of vehicles will be passing you ) driving and parking on pavements and parking in dangerous places. Using phones while driving - I see 100s when cycling to work , doing this , you even see lorry drivers negotiating complex junctions while on the phone. These are a few of the things motorists do . Difference over a cyclist read no 2 IE most of the dangerous consequences of a cyclists behaviour effect his or her safety , with a motorist its more likely to be other peoples safety.

Also there are some situations where in my opinion its legitimate to go through the traffic lights on red after checking for traffic a) Roadworks where the lights timing is not designed for slower vehicles and you can squeeze between the cones anyway b) Many lights particularly SUnday mornings around where I live only change for cars

5) Over 2/3 of the adult population have BMIs over 25 and in the overweight to obese zone, the effect of this is bankrupting the NHS . You don't get many fat cyclists besides Boris .

I can go on

The Clarkson effect seems to rule in the UK

A brilliant post.
I also cycle several thousand miles a year and agree with every word. Sadly I couldn't be bothered to write something similar as I was fairly certain it would fall on deaf ears.

When is a tax not a tax - when it's a duty and is designed to raise more money than a simple tax.

You are right the roads were not built for cars, but they weren't built for bicycles either, I think you will find the horse came before both. But they were covered in tarmac for the car.

I fear I was correct.

[Gary Cook]

Not sure whether I should fire this subject up again . I was one of the original posters and have not read the thread for a long time , but as with most forums when a thread goes to more than 2 pages its usually a heated discussion amongst limited individuals . Back to the thread as somebody who plays a lot of chess and a fair amount of cycling usually around 6000 miles a year and upwards of 70 races some years, here is my pennies worth

1) Vehicle Excise Duty is based on emissions . I pay zero for my car and my bicycles . We don't have hypothecated tax in the UK . Oh and bicycles came before cars , the roads were not built for cars ( exception motorways)
2) As others have said cyclists are like any bunch of people made up of some good ,some bad. Main difference is the consequences of riding a bike in a foolish or irresponsible manner have major consequences mainly for the safety of the rider. This is no where near the same when driving a ton metal box on 4 wheels with air bags and safety belts. If something serious happens, its generally someone else that gets hurt , pedestrian cyclist other driver etc Just look at the statistics
3) Why all the agro and negative vibes towards cyclists. I have cycled in many countries through out the world . Last year , I cycled in Berlin , Copenhagen, Stockholm and various parts of Spain , here people are not aggressive towards cyclists in fact in the European capitals listed they actively observe for cyclists on the inside before turning right ( like a UK left turn) . You don't get the outright aggression and abuse that you get from a minority of British Motorists. On a Sunday I go out and ride 60 miles mainly on unclassified roads in rural Shropshire avoiding main roads , but you still get the nutters who cant sit behind you for another 20 seconds who try and squeeze past on single track lanes or who come at you at 40 mph on these lanes taking 3/4 of the road width and expect you to cycle in the hedgerow to avoid death . Yet they all slow down for horses and get stuck behind farm vehicles for much longer, (who happily drive the main roads at rush hour in these parts ( and also pay no tax))
4) Traffic lights , some motorists love going on about cyclists and traffic lights. All vehicles have some rules and regs that they have a tendency to break . Cars speed ( try maintaining the speed limit on some motorways for instance and 80 percent of vehicles will be passing you ) driving and parking on pavements and parking in dangerous places. Using phones while driving - I see 100s when cycling to work , doing this , you even see lorry drivers negotiating complex junctions while on the phone. These are a few of the things motorists do . Difference over a cyclist read no 2 IE most of the dangerous consequences of a cyclists behaviour effect his or her safety , with a motorist its more likely to be other peoples safety.

Also there are some situations where in my opinion its legitimate to go through the traffic lights on red after checking for traffic a) Roadworks where the lights timing is not designed for slower vehicles and you can squeeze between the cones anyway b) Many lights particularly SUnday mornings around where I live only change for cars

5) Over 2/3 of the adult population have BMIs over 25 and in the overweight to obese zone, the effect of this is bankrupting the NHS . You don't get many fat cyclists besides Boris .

I can go on

The Clarkson effect seems to rule in the UK

A brilliant post.
I also cycle several thousand miles a year and agree with every word. Sadly I couldn't be bothered to write something similar as I was fairly certain it would fall on deaf ears.

When is a tax not a tax - when it's a duty and is designed to raise more money than a simple tax.

You are right the roads were not built for cars, but they weren't built for bicycles either, I think you will find the horse came before both. But they were covered in tarmac for the car.

I fear I was correct.

Nick, unfortunately not only do I drive but I also cycle - I am one of those cyclists that stops at red lights and zebra crossings and rides on the roads. There are plenty of bad drivers out there as well as bad cyclists. What gets on the nerves of both drivers and pedestrians is certain cyclists holier than thou attitude.

Gary

[David Gostelow]

In reply to some posts
Roads tarmacked for cars http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... -for-roads

[Louise Sinclair]

In reply to some posts
Roads tarmacked for cars http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... -for-roads

Then it is a pity the cyclists don't contribute to excise duty and have number plates for identifying them when they cause an accident.
Equality on the roads please.
Louise