Otto2

Hi Spartacus - I have direct experience working with the elderly, people in wheelchairs etc in a past job and many can and do cycle! I have also written an article about a woman with cerebral palsy for a major magazine who made the point that it is by far the easiest way for her to get around and why based on interviews and a lovely cycle with her, etc. partacus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > DC > I'm not discussing the able bodied but here you > have brought them in by assumed that they all act > the same, bit disrespectful to be honest and > without a proper consultation your view is just > that and possibly based on studies that don't > represent this area. > > If you look at what I am saying, it's that the pro > group aren't really showing empathy towards those > less able to cycle and walk. > > Otto2 without knowing others circumstances then I > find it uncomfortable that you are assuming people > speak for others without first hand knowledge of > them, I'm pleased that you condition allows you to > use a cycle but elderly , wheel chair users, and > so on can't... however you seem to be talking for > them here 😱. > > Again without a proper consultation no one knows > how these schemes disadvantage people and what > percentage of the local population are restricted > by them going forward. > > Will be interesting if a disabled person sues a > council for discrimination by removing access to > facilities they had before (restricted or no > access through LTNs). I suspect that whilst it > won't be a quick win, they possibly will win.

I know many with mobility issues that cannot walk or drive, but, can cycle. Cycling is a mobility device for many disabled people. Not all cycles are two wheeled - many are three wheeled to aid with balance issues. If you'd like more info on how cycling can help all sorts of people get around, visit https://wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk I have COPD, severe asthma and an arthritic knee and can cycle. Others find walking easier. I use an electric bike for some travels and a regular one for routes that are not hilly. It would be good to refrain from using (BAME, disabled, elderly) to make your points unless of course you are speaking up for your own hardship or have relevant experience or feedback from a specific person or group of people. As for the air quality argument, the less people driving equals better air quality. These measures are to get you to think twice before jumping in your car and explore other options.

Update: We have not had any further visits. Perhaps this note worked? Haven't even seen him walk by via my camera... Mr. milk thief - thank you. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and wishing you all the best for 2021!

Thanks for all the good ideas. We have a plan...it is gentle, and, a bit funny. We are also going to ask the milkman to leave the milk in a non-obvious spot.

I agree KidKruger - would be good to have a sense of community - a care for our fellow humans. A personal choice has an impact on everyone in a pandemic.

The time varies - today was 5:45. Actually did try to get it before him but he was first. Yes -- thanks Huggers.

Thanks James - we have a street what's app and they kindly have brought over some milk! Will pass on to the team - good idea.

Dear Milk Thief - Please stop stealing my milk (and juice). I live near Melbourne Grove and my family is shielding with me which means we are reliant on delivery as we cannot go in shops. I have you on camera (a few times) walking up to my door with your baseball-style jacket with dark cuffs and waistband, light coloured winter hat that sits like a triangle above your round face - with trimmed facial hair, a tidy scarf around your neck. You have a distinctive gait - perhaps a bit of arthritis or a bad knee. You have a kind face and a glint in your eye as you take the milk. You are not young. Please stop - we need the milk as much as you might. There are local food banks that can help you if you cannot afford your own milk and orange juice. Thank-you.

Also some kind of police thing going on on Ed Grove near Pizza Go Go late this afternoon. One police car, one van. Didn't see much else as I was cycling by and paying attention to traffic but they were there for a while as still there on my return journey.

I'm a mum cyclist and part of the local problem is yes - separate bike lanes needed. I think a lot of the existing cycling infrastructure thus far is not ideal in solving car reliance in that it is concentrated into going into central London to work and so many of the car journeys are mums or mum-dads that need to get kids laterally in our area - east/west. Tbh this job (school runs, groceries, ferrying to clubs/playdates etc) predominately falls to women and their needs have largely not been anything cycle infrastructure has taken into account and some of this traffic contributes to a good deal of the traffic issues here at certain times.

Charter is fine but the computer science curriculum in secondary schools in the UK isn't terribly exciting and needs an update. We ended up finding an online tutor to supplement with fresh ideas (AI etc) outside of the curriculum.

We have the latest Worcester Bosch Greenstar lifestyle combi boiler -- there is a small pressure drop when someone starts a second shower or a tap on full but then, it equalises. Sometimes have to adjust temperature but it easily handles that. https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/products/boilers/lifestyle

Just cycled down Melbourne Grove on the south side of ED Grove and it was full of parents and kids making their way to school cycling -- quite lovely.

I remember that! Around the same time, I rode a triple tandem with three seats and three sets of pedals for my school run with two small kids. In fact, I still have it if anyone wants to give it a try. I only wish Calton Avenue was less congested back in the day. You are all very very lucky. ames Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The alternative I found to driving my kids around > when small - Nihola trike - > http://www.nihola.com/home.html > You can try one out at London Recumbents in > Dulwich Park who distribute them. > > Kids LOVED It. Once had six little ones in it > around Belair Park. > Best part was convincing them if they flapped > their 'wings' it helped me cycle up hills. > Furthest cycled kids loaded was Coram's Fields. > > Happy to share privately pictures of family using > it. > > > Shaggy Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Mrs Nicklin Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > I can't believe this is happening. Cycling is > > not > > > really an option when you have to get 2 small > > kids > > > to get to school and there is literally no > > other > > > way that the South Circular and a car, > electric > > or > > > not. > > > > > > The standstill traffic is horrific for > > pollution > > > and traffic AND not all the schools have > even > > > gone back yet. We might have to take ours out > > of > > > their school as we just cannot afford a 1h 45 > > min > > > round trip twice a day when we're both > working. > > > > > > > > Totally mismanaged and selfish by the looks > of > > > what I've read. You cannot just do this to > > people. > > > It stinks of NIMBYism > > > > > > This is clearly causing chaos, and > inconveniencing > > many people. However, what exactly is selfish > or > > NIMBYish about this situation? > > > > Inconvenient, yes. Annoying, yes. But selfish? > Who > > is being selfish?

Our street in the new CPZ would fill up with "commuters" every morning but more so on rainy or bad weather days. I think a lot of people that lived further away from the station would drive down and park to take the train rather than hopping on the bus or walking to it. During good weather, there were always less cars. So, I think these commuters are still commuters, but, finding another way to the station.

This article should be passed to out anyone without a mask on the bus really... https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/15/bus-drivers-were-forced-to-play-russian-roulette-the-shocking-truth-about-the-death-of-mervyn-kennedy

This. exdulwicher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You get a better response to change when you have > buy-in from those affected. Prove your case, > explain what you're doing and facilitate recourse. > Don't hide. > > Yes and no. People fear change and on anything > contentious like traffic management, the general > response is one of resistance and resentment. > Consultation happens, vocal resistance is met, > proposal gets watered down, re-submitted, vocal > resistance is met and so on. Eventually, what > happens is so light-touch that it only succeeds in > annoying people and not delivering any of the > originally promised benefits. > > A far better (and cheaper) way of doing things is > to just tell people what you're doing and why, > implement the changes, consult as you go and you > get to actually SEE the changes from the start > (disruption, traffic jams) right through to the > final result (acceptance, lowered traffic etc) > without relying on traffic models. The advantages > are that it's temporary and cheap. If it doesn't > work, you don't need to call in construction crews > and dig the entire road up again, you just move a > few planters. If it sort of works in some areas > but not others, you can tweak it reasonably > easily. > > You'll still get resistance - you always will no > matter how many consultations you carry out - but > this is quicker and cheaper. Eventually, by a mix > of ongoing consultation, traffic / pollution > monitoring, traffic modelling and actual physical > data of what is happening right there on the roads > gives you a far better picture of what works and > why than just trying to rebuild one junction or > block off one road. Honestly, this should be the > standard method of doing this, not the constant > back-and-forth of proposal -> consultation -> > counter proposal -> further consultation... > > Long term, it's far less disruptive and far > cheaper and gives better modelling info.

Thanks for posting that rahrahrah. I live very nearby and yes - this was not unusual.

Coming from NYC, where more cars than road space always an issue - even in the outer boroughs that somewhat resemble here - the deterrent to ownership was "alternate side of the street parking". Not all cars could squash onto the other side of the road to park, and, car owners grew tired of waking up early and sitting in their cars with hopes of nabbing a parking space on the other side of the road. You could also pay an extortionate price for a parking garage. The reality is population growth will make car ownership unsustainable and create a very polluted London. Other cities around the world are taking similar measures. We can do it! I've raised two children here and had a car in the beginning as well as bicycles. We swapped to all public transport, cycling and walking over nine years ago when my kids were 7 and 10 (with massive trepidation - it is definitely daunting!) The reality is that cycling can often be the fastest and most pleasurable way. Before you chime in "not all people can cycle" - I can tell you I have an arthritic knee, copd, and severe asthma. I have an electric bike and a regular one - the electric bike allows me to tackle hills that my lungs would never keep pace with. The air quality during the peak of lockdown was such a pleasure - I could breathe much much better for the first time in my life. I visited Soho the other day by bike and it was wonderfully vibrant with the closed off streets especially as the restaurants were able to set up tables outside. Being a New Yorker, I'm always happy to raise my hand for a taxi or call one when needed - there are definitely times! Not having a car saves enough money so you can do that without hesitation. Cars are definitely a necessity for some and for some people some of the time. What we should be lobbying for are segregated cycle lanes so that our children and less confident can feel a sense of freedom and safety! To be honest, the current congestion on Ed Grove/ the village is largely school-related as far as I can see and has always been that way. Our public transport system lacks east/west options as do our cycling routes. If we fix that, it will be a happier, healthier place to live. One thought for school runs that need to go thru these pinch points is setting up a park and cycle. If we had a place where mums and dads who had a school run longer than feasible by foot or a bike could park somewhere and hop on some bikes for the rest of the trip - that would be great!

The World Economic Forum link below features a study of different mask materials and their effectiveness. Surprisingly, "vacuum cleaner bag" is up there with the best. I bought some cheaper ones to cut up and use as filters in cotton masks (in the pocket). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/covid19-coronavirus-infection-protection-mask-material/

I agree rahrahrah. It basically is more flats at the moment with 10 resident guardians...

Yes - it is currently occupied by tenant guardians. Quite a good number of them I think.

Brilliant initiative - well done Southwark!

Rockets Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > rheller Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I cycled from East Dulwich to Dulwich Village > > Infants School then back to East Dulwich > Charter > > School this morning to drop off both my > children. > > I was cycling between 8.30 and 9.30 and the > > traffic was fine - it wasn?t backed up or > > congested. Townley Road didn?t have much > queuing > > traffic and neither did Dulwich Village. It was > a > > pleasant experience and it certainly felt safer > as > > a cyclist. > > > > I cycled back home along Melbourne Grove - > again > > this seems to have settled down and it was an > > enjoyable and calm cycle along the road. > > May I ask - in the depths of winter when the days > are cold, wet and short would this be your > preferred way to get to the school? If you were to > drive which route would you take? Everyone who can > is doing more cycling now as the days are warm, > dry and long and many are working from home > allowing more flexibility to drop and pick > children up from school. When many return to work > and days draw in many may not have the option to > cycle. Having the experience of both driving and cycling on school runs in the past down to the village (along Calton), I can say that it is actually faster to do the run when it rains on a bicycle as more people take to their cars when the weather is bad and there is more traffic congestion. Sensible clothing does the trick. If you drive, you not only spend time stuck in traffic, you have to drive about a bit looking for a spot to park. Cycling wins on the time it takes argument even when cycling slowly with kids in tow.

Tbh the great majority of Charter kids do walk or cycle - admission is based on distance to the door.