malumbu

Not a lot to say in the issue but what makes you so knowledgeable about highways to call professionals clowns? Why not enquire of TfL about the time this is taking. You could offer your professional services.

Penguin: "which makes driving behind them that much more tricky" If you are not able to do this then you are not meeting minimum driving standards. You would fail your driving test, The Highway Code is generally not road user specific, a bike in front of you has priority whatever the speed, noting that slower road users may choose to move into a safe space to allow you to overtake, but are not compelled to. Like in the Scottish Highlands when those towing caravans would let you overtake, not so common nowadays and no doubt many of us have been on a single carriage A road with a massive queue behind a tractor, nervous car driver or car towing a caravan. You should only overtake the bike if there is enough room, which includes giving the bike around a couple of metres. Significantly less than this you could be stopped by a police officer and given a ticket.

You have all the information you need to appeal, I expect you have a receipt for the items and can demonstrate that they were heavy.

So do you also think that there should be no new cycle paths until cycling standards improve? It would be interesting to apply this to new roads! I feel a letter coming on to our MP

So your views are that until there is an improvement in cycling standards there should be no new cycle lanes. Thanks for your honesty. I suggest that you respond to the consultation appropriately It would good to hear your blueprint for achieving this - would this be cyclist or bike registration, or both? Would there be age limits? And what would you do if cyclists are underage - or would they be prohibited from cycling in public spaces? Would there be a cycling test? Would bicycles need to be MOT'd. What about people building their own bikes, including using parts from other bikes? What about grey imports? Enforcement - who will do this, police through existing powers, local authorities through new powers. Would this be self funding? And what about the upfront costs?

Brings dogging into mind. I understand that this is slang for exercising canines. People who own dogs are known as doggers. From another thread there is some concern over dogging and doggers in the area due the state of local footpaths and parks. Hopefully this will feature in an episode of Amandaland. As it did in the last series of Outnumbered, a rare treat as this was funnier when repeated over ten years later compared to first time round when it was a little tired. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03w7snk/outnumbered-series-5-episode-4 Compared to Amandaland very much understated I live in UDB ie Upper Dulwich Bottom. Now Up Dub.

So do you agree that there should be a cycle lane? If not, why not.

I am a highly experienced cyclist. I know many cyclists. I know the local roads. Why do you find it so difficult to comprehend that due to human physiology, the mechanics of bicycles and simple physics, the condition of the roads, traffic lights and junctions, and the number of other road users, it is difficult to maintain a speed over 20mph. Why are you more of an expert that an experienced cyclist? "According to data from Strava, the average cycling speed in London is around 22.5 km/h (13.98 mph), with most cyclists averaging a speed between 12-16 km/h when commuting, taking into account traffic lights and stoppages; this can vary depending on the specific route and cyclist ability." The former relates to a relatively small number of active cyclists going for a hack eg on a Sunday morning. No doubt into the quieter outer boroughs and beyond. The latter is what you will generally see - the masses of utility cyclists particularly commuting.

Let's not turn this into another anti-cycling thread

There is a general lack of appreciation about the safeguards, watch dogs and other ways that government looks to good return on investment, and accountability. Of course every new government comes in and says waste has to be reduced, efficiency increased, often with a tightening of purse strings. I'm talking UK here, But the US will surely have similar processes in place. Obviously things go wrong from time to time, and that is what tends to make the papers/socials rather than the things that go right. Foreign aid was cut from the target of 0.7% to 0.5%, following Covid, stats from two years ago are here (not a riveting read): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-aid-spend-2022/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-aid-spend-2022

London roads are busy. Unless you travel mainly in the early hours you will rarely be in this situation. So total overkill. Disproportionate to the real hazard. This discussion appears to be fuelled by perception and for some dislike of cyclists/cycles. Not the real world. Where do you stop? Kiddies on balance bikes?

Portabello are an independent business that operate 18 pubs https://portobellopubco.com/our-story/ Not sure how this squares with Zetland Capital, who claim to operate the pub. Perhaps someone can explain.

How do you know how fast they are going? Are you a cyclist? I've done 10,000s of miles cycling and only down a steep hill with no traffic and a good surface could I possibly exceed 20 mph. A lot of histeria on this thread.

Ok trendy rather than successful!

Some days everything goes wrong, engineering works, diversions, signal failure, trespassers on the tracks, broken down trains/buses, cars parked on the bus lane etc etc. Always at the worst times. No answer I am afraid beyond checking your journey before you leave and return

Not sure why Brewdog is so successful, comes over as well marketed/Emperor's new clothes to me, and what is reported to be a horrid management culture https://www.punkswithpurpose.org/the-open-letters/an-open-letter-to-brewdog-on-behalf-of-current-staff/

I'd consider moving to America if you have this isolationist view of the world. Musk would welcome you. And for a more considered response this is called soft power. Others, in particular China and perhaps the gulf states, will step in where America leaves.

I hope you like this better, thinking of the future of the Blythe Hill Tavern. Barry White version as well thinking of Theo above

Just gone back a few posts as I wasn't sure why old faces were being discussed and one reappeared. I recall some pretty toxic discussions on Brexit with some of the aforementioned names being rather involved. Not sure if we want to go back there. Of course none of this relevant to Poundland apart from the damage it has led to our economy and pocket. Did buy some samphire sold on the side of the road in Norfolk, not sure whether you can get this in LL Certainly not Poundland

Changed ownership to Portobello from Antic, not sure when. Not a bad move bearing in mind Antic's opaque operations and shady accounts Food a bit too greasy. Otherwise fine.

Rendel publicly retired. Not sure of the others, you can search their activity and send them a message.

Deleted earlier post as it repeated what Snowy had attached. Drawing from this: The proportion of cars exceeding the speed limit by over 10mph on 30mph roads was 5%, whilst 1% and 11% exceeded the speed limit by more than 10mph on NSL single carriageway roads and motorways respectively. That is 40 mph, 70 mph and 80 mph. One could argue that motorways have much less collisions than other roads so the latter is the least concern, certainly to those of us living in cities, There is no longer a rule of thumb that you can exceed speed limits by 10% and it is fine, this goes back to the accuracy of speedometers from another age, If you were done for 22 mph in a 20 zone (as you will be) then you would have to pay to show that your speedo was under by 10% (which it wont be). I've attached a table on speed distribution showing a sizeable number exceed the speed limit by 5mph or more. Figure1-Cars.svg Further (according to the road safety charity Brake) : A vehicle travelling at 20mph would stop in time to avoid a child running out three car-lengths in front. The same vehicle travelling at 25mph would not be able to stop in time, and would hit the child at 18mph. This is roughly the same impact as a child falling from an upstairs window. The greater the impact speed, the greater the chance of death. A pedestrian hit at 30mph has a very significant (one in five) chance of being killed. This rises significantly to a one in three chance if they are hit at 35mph. Even small increases in speed can lead to an increase in impact severity. So if we judge 35 mph as being 'dangerous' in a 30 mph then around 15 percent of drivers on these roads are dangerous. All this of course gives greater credibility to 20 mph zones.

My last post on this thread

Well start a thread on floating bus stops. It feels me with no joy that some road users are dangerous. But this continued barrage against cyclists gets on my wick (to use polite language). I don't endanger pedestrians and nor do any of the numerous cyclists that I know. I similarly would not drive in a way that endangers pedestrians, Here's a bit of reading. https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-stop-bypass-safety-review-2024.pdf