Death by Dangerous Cycling

[andygates]

People have been asking me what I think about this.  I think it's rubbish, and here is why:

The death rate is so vanishingly low that a law specializing in death by dangerous trousers is more urgently needed.  Seriously, we have an accident category for them in A&E and everything.  

The crime is already covered by manslaughter. Only a petrolhead would fail to spot that, because they have special super-lax and weakly applied laws to make them feel better about screwing up.  Or maybe they have spotted it and are keeping stum in case they feel "the full force of the law" themselves.  Imagine how people would drive if they expected a manslaughter charge for killing people? 

It's a tribal sop to Clarkson Man, who feels aggrieved by fuel prices and such, and who likes to see those naughty cyclists kicked.  This fits in with the current Hammond transport vibe, which is so petrolheaded that it looks like he wants to replace Hamster Hammond.  That would make Cameron into Captain Slow, which is a pity because I like Captain Slow, but he is posh and they are all mates.  Yes, your transport policy is being run by Top Gear. 

Note that every discussion you have with anyone about this proposed law changes within a couple of sentences from death to red lights and chavs on the pavement. It's nothing to do with the issue. It's pure vacuous politics and it stinketh.

Comments

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

Wait -- are people pushing to have specific laws passed regarding people who are hit by *bicycles* and killed? Please tell me I've misunderstood you.

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

No, you've got it exactly right.

And yes, we'd be livid if it weren't so poxy, stupid and beneath such emotional investment as rage.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Ban This Trouser Menace!

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

Truly amazing. I mean, with all the people dying under the wheels of cars, you'd think that would be a problem more on the forefront. But, then, I live in a country whose economy has been ravaged by imbecilic, greedy bankers and corporations that don't pay taxes, and we're going after ... those over-paid union teachers.

Speaking of which, heard a funny joke:

A corporate CEO, a union teacher, and a member of the voting public arrive together at the office kitchen. On the table is a box with a dozen donuts in it. The CEO takes 11 of them, and then says to the member of the voting public, "Hey, watch out -- that union guy is gonna take your donut."

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13040607

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

"Lycra louts"! Wow. Is that really the best they've got? That's just sad.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's alliterative, Beowulf did that.

Almost all cycling journalism is centred on London, which is about as silly as basing all US critique on NYC. Both (from what I've read) are crowded, fast, rude places where any compliance by anyone to traffic rules is considered tweetable.

But yes, a special law for what is a *rounding error* in the car kill stats.

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

It's Daily Wail alliteration. It makes drivers feel smug. That's all that's needed.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

To be fair, it is a riff on "lager louts", which was commonplace when the term was coined. Joe, did lager lout get over to the US?

[carldem.livejournal.com]

well roadkill by car is so common it should be "natural causes" by now. :|

[ladyjulian.livejournal.com]

Bonus asshat points to Sebastian Shakespeare of the Evening Standard who points out that with "barely any" ped-deaths-by-cyclist, those being around 0.3 per year, well, there are "barely any" deaths due to drink driving, those numbering only 460 per year and therefore the drink driving laws should be removed.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Is he an actual person, or one of these rent-a-rant bloviators?

[tyrshundr.livejournal.com]

I say we go the other way and remove "Dangerous Driving"; after all we do not have "Death by Large Volume of Mildly Toxic Fluid" so why make cars special? If you cannot drive your vehicle, be it a car, bike, or pram, safely then you are already covered by broader laws on reckless behaviour.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Well, that removes the "there but for the grace of God" salve that makes drivers dare to use their ton of metal in public.

[tyrshundr.livejournal.com]

On behalf of the people inconvenienced by failure to signal or incorrect signals, speeding, light-jumping, and all the other "rights" abrogated by the average driver, I say anything that makes them more careful is a good thing.

And if it reduces that number of cars on the roads because people no longer want to risk it just to get a pint of milk form 10 minutes walk away then Yay say I Yay!