Comments on: No longer alone http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/ hopping along the corridors of power Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:32:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Kevyn http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47901 Kevyn Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:24:39 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47901 big lime yellow jackets? Wouldn't lights and reflectors be a better idea? Maybe even make it compulsory to have the lights on at night? Pity you can't look forward to that happening in the future since it happened 110 years ago. big lime yellow jackets? Wouldn’t lights and reflectors be a better idea? Maybe even make it compulsory to have the lights on at night? Pity you can’t look forward to that happening in the future since it happened 110 years ago.

]]> By: nik http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47809 nik Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:49:13 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47809 Sorry for all the winky smiles. I should learn some new punctuation :P Sorry for all the winky smiles. I should learn some new punctuation :P

]]> By: nik http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47808 nik Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:48:38 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47808 Panda, "... the greens attitude to cars !!! they want them gone and sooner rather than later" “Maybe we can look FORWARD to the day when car drivers need to wear big lime yellow jackets on their cars because otherwise cyclists wouldn’t expect to SEE THEM “ I really think you are being a little overly paranoid here (understandable for an endangered animal ;) ) Frog is being flippant. At least I haven't seen any car sized jackets on the market lately ;) I understand why you don't appreciate being told you are making excuses when probably your choices about transport are limited. It is different out in the country ... and I think you will see a new post from Frog trying to clarify this point.... rational amphibian that he is ;) Panda,
“… the greens attitude to cars !!!
they want them gone and sooner rather than later”

“Maybe we can look FORWARD to the day when car drivers need to wear big lime yellow jackets on their cars because otherwise cyclists wouldn’t expect to SEE THEM “

I really think you are being a little overly paranoid here (understandable for an endangered animal ;) )
Frog is being flippant. At least I haven’t seen any car sized jackets on the market lately ;)
I understand why you don’t appreciate being told you are making excuses when probably your choices about transport are limited. It is different out in the country … and I think you will see a new post from Frog trying to clarify this point…. rational amphibian that he is ;)

]]> By: Anita http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47776 Anita Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:28:38 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47776 I'm not sure about the big yellow jackets, I'd settle for them just indicating before turning through me or using my space for an interesting left hand overtaking manoeuvre. I'd love to see some cops out on bikes picking up the kind of dreadful driving that has cyclists living in fear. Although, as last week has taught us, some of them already are :( I’m not sure about the big yellow jackets, I’d settle for them just indicating before turning through me or using my space for an interesting left hand overtaking manoeuvre.

I’d love to see some cops out on bikes picking up the kind of dreadful driving that has cyclists living in fear. Although, as last week has taught us, some of them already are :(

]]> By: panda http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47765 panda Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:59:35 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47765 So my mate Panda with his excuses: getting his “kids to School, music ,rugby, or buy my groceries� - well I’m guessing that you probably could do a lot of those things without car. really ? how I cant walk 20km I wont be relent on friends coming to pick me up then take me home that would only double the distance traveled maybe I could move into town ? yes that the answer abandon my farm and live in the city walking or biking distance to all services is that the green answer thought so !!!! and some greens wonder why they are thought of as morris dancing loonies!!!! So my mate Panda with his excuses: getting his “kids to School, music ,rugby, or buy my groceries� - well I’m guessing that you probably could do a lot of those things without car.

really ? how

I cant walk 20km
I wont be relent on friends coming to pick me up then take me home that would only double the distance traveled

maybe I could move into town ?
yes that the answer abandon my farm and live in the city walking or biking distance to all services
is that the green answer
thought so !!!!

and some greens wonder why they are thought of as morris dancing loonies!!!!

]]> By: panda http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47759 panda Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:55:23 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47759 I am sorry Nik but I don't share your hope I know frog was having a warm fuzzy but the last comment shed a glaring light on the greens attitude to cars !!! they want them gone and sooner rather than later "Maybe we can look FORWARD to the day when car drivers need to wear big lime yellow jackets on their cars because otherwise cyclists wouldn’t expect to SEE THEM " I am sorry Nik but I don’t share your hope
I know frog was having a warm fuzzy but the last comment shed a glaring light on the greens attitude to cars !!!
they want them gone and sooner rather than later

“Maybe we can look FORWARD to the day when car drivers need to wear big lime yellow jackets on their cars because otherwise cyclists wouldn’t expect to SEE THEM “

]]> By: kk http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47743 kk Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:43:03 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47743 Thanks Nic, couldn't agree more. I use to own cars, back when I was 17-19. I've lived in places where cars really aren't necessary: Dunedin, Wellington, the Netherlands, I appreciate that in some circumstances cars are necessary but people simply overuse them (and admit that I did back in the days). I lived in Christchurch once too (it's spread out, it's not compact) and a friend of mine told me that you CAN'T go without a car there. But I managed to bike around for over a year. There are bike lanes all over the show, it's flat, and during busy traffic, it really is just as fast to bike. So my mate Panda with his excuses: getting his "kids to School, music ,rugby, or buy my groceries" - well I'm guessing that you probably could do a lot of those things without car. As for the "sodding bike" argument, it's all a bit subjective and reactive. And biking's not only better for the environment but in many other ways. Thanks Nic, couldn’t agree more. I use to own cars, back when I was 17-19. I’ve lived in places where cars really aren’t necessary: Dunedin, Wellington, the Netherlands, I appreciate that in some circumstances cars are necessary but people simply overuse them (and admit that I did back in the days).

I lived in Christchurch once too (it’s spread out, it’s not compact) and a friend of mine told me that you CAN’T go without a car there. But I managed to bike around for over a year. There are bike lanes all over the show, it’s flat, and during busy traffic, it really is just as fast to bike.

So my mate Panda with his excuses: getting his “kids to School, music ,rugby, or buy my groceries” - well I’m guessing that you probably could do a lot of those things without car.

As for the “sodding bike” argument, it’s all a bit subjective and reactive. And biking’s not only better for the environment but in many other ways.

]]> By: nik http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47737 nik Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:11:47 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47737 Unlikely Panda. Cars are reality and I think the greens know that as well as anyone. I am pretty sure Jeanette has a car out on the farm in the coromandel. But on this bike ride today there was so much fluorescent yellow it was blinding, and it disturbs me that cyclists are so marginalised that no one is willing to just roll up a leg of their jeans and jump on a bike to do simple stuff, maybe not serious grocery shopping but the popping out to buy a loaf of bread or return a library book. I think that that is the point that frog was trying to make, rather than blame motorists for all the ills of the world..... at least I hope so ;) Unlikely Panda. Cars are reality and I think the greens know that as well as anyone. I am pretty sure Jeanette has a car out on the farm in the coromandel. But on this bike ride today there was so much fluorescent yellow it was blinding, and it disturbs me that cyclists are so marginalised that no one is willing to just roll up a leg of their jeans and jump on a bike to do simple stuff, maybe not serious grocery shopping but the popping out to buy a loaf of bread or return a library book. I think that that is the point that frog was trying to make, rather than blame motorists for all the ills of the world….. at least I hope so ;)

]]> By: panda http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47736 panda Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:01:36 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47736 nik I am a cyclist I ride mountain bikes and if I had the choice and I lived in the city i would ride a bike to work what I object to is the green dogma "Car = Bad" we must get rid of them a lot of us have no choice and we are afraid this choice will be taken away from us by radical green theorys, nik

I am a cyclist
I ride mountain bikes and if I had the choice and I lived in the city i would ride a bike to work
what I object to is the green dogma “Car = Bad” we must get rid of them
a lot of us have no choice and we are afraid this choice will be taken away from us by radical green theorys,

]]> By: nik http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47733 nik Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:34:10 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/06/26/no-longer-alone/#comment-47733 My goodness people! Lighten up! I biked home from work today for the first time - after participating in the memorial ride for the two cyclists killed in Wellington last week. It was 15 km, took 40 minutes, and was an absolute pleasure despite the appalling state of the route. (Glass, unsigned ripping up of the surface, poor signage resulting in cars turning in front of us without warning...) I do have a car but I bike/train to work more often than not, not because it is cheaper (train fares are still 10-20% more expensive than the petrol my little car uses), not because of traffic (I commute in the opposite direction to most people) but because it is a lot more fun than driving the same 20 minute commute every day. I am a much better, safer, and more relaxed driver since I made cycling a part of my regular commute. Frog's comment relates to the fact that putting the onus on cyclists to make themselves visible is not enough - what we need are clearly marked spaces/cycle lanes on our roads and footpaths which make CYCLING visible as a permanent feature of our roads/public areas. I don't blame drivers - I am one - but cyclists deserve the same amount of thought and consideration that other road users get. My goodness people! Lighten up!
I biked home from work today for the first time - after participating in the memorial ride for the two cyclists killed in Wellington last week. It was 15 km, took 40 minutes, and was an absolute pleasure despite the appalling state of the route. (Glass, unsigned ripping up of the surface, poor signage resulting in cars turning in front of us without warning…) I do have a car but I bike/train to work more often than not, not because it is cheaper (train fares are still 10-20% more expensive than the petrol my little car uses), not because of traffic (I commute in the opposite direction to most people) but because it is a lot more fun than driving the same 20 minute commute every day. I am a much better, safer, and more relaxed driver since I made cycling a part of my regular commute.
Frog’s comment relates to the fact that putting the onus on cyclists to make themselves visible is not enough - what we need are clearly marked spaces/cycle lanes on our roads and footpaths which make CYCLING visible as a permanent feature of our roads/public areas. I don’t blame drivers - I am one - but cyclists deserve the same amount of thought and consideration that other road users get.

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