Forum Topic

Cycling in Ealing

The country is SUPPOSED to be very short of money, councils have got to cut millions of pounds off there budgets, librarys being closed funding to hositals not being increased inline with inflation etc etcyet any amount of money can be WASTED on cyclists, the great mojoritybreak every rule in the book, cycling the wrong way up one way sreets, going through red traffic lights and putting pedestrains lives at risk by cycling on pavements and going through zebra crossings while people are crossing the road, knowing that the police have choosen not to take action on the law breaking cyclists.£15 million pounds to be spent in Ealing alone on cyclists, this is a DISGRACE!

John Charles Todd ● 4317d28 Comments

Incidentally Tony, some else wiser than myself said:  "If I'd known I was going to live as long as I have, I'd have taken better care of myself".

Gerry Tan ● 4311d

Yes absolutely Gerry,on a sad note my brothers last words were "I wish I'd done more,.....I'd like to catch one more big fish and  I wish,I wish I'd spent more money" :0).... yes we should all do more while we can,it's not a bad old life really!

Tony Wood ● 4311d

After all's been said and done, argued about, debated to the full, personally experienced and generally tried, life is what you make it - do you agree Tony?

Gerry Tan ● 4312d

Or as Marvin the paranoid Android put it "Don't talk to me about life ....I've had mine....it was horrible."

Tony Wood ● 4312d

Try not to worry about children Tracey - they have to grow and make their own mistakes, like we did. There's a wise Chinese saying..."Life's so important, it shouldn't be taken too seriously".

Gerry Tan ● 4312d

No matter how old they get you always worry, then they get partners, wives, husbands etc and the worry extends to them too

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 4312d

I know the feeling of terrified angst when one gets an emergency call from the police about one's child. Nearly thirty years ago, the police phoned me at work informing me that my son was in Du Cane Road hospital, he and his friend having been beaten-up that night in Notting Hill Gate. Terrifying experience.

Gerry Tan ● 4312d

Thank you Gerry he did indeed, still has the scars, I just get really angry when people think the safety of people is unimportant

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 4312d

I don't know. But that doesn't change me disagreeing with sweeping generalisations and a lack of engaging with the evidence. It also doesn't prove that the majority of cyclists break every rule in the book.

Caspar Mason ● 4312d

As I say, Gerry, those of us intent on killing ourselves off by our lifestyle choices will save the state a fortune in pensions and benefits in the long run. Drinkers and smokers already pay huge taxes on their sin of choice.

Susan Kelly ● 4312d

Gosh Tracey, how frightening - I could feel the pain myself at your description. Hope yor son recovered well.

Gerry Tan ● 4312d

John Charles Todd, how much is a human life worth ? Have you ever had a phone call on a Saturday afternoon to tell you that your son is in resus at Charing cross hospital due to an idiot driver turning left across them whilst in a cycle lane, and catapulting them about 10 foot over the car and down the road leaving them with permanent facial scarring ? Yes he's a pretty fast cyclist BUT was riding within the rules of the Highway Code or maybe it would matter to you more that his mac book that was in his laptop rucksack was smashed to smithereens ? I know that I value life at a lot more than £15000000

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 4313d

The answer lies between the lines if you read twixt them.

Keith Iddon ● 4313d

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying Keith - I'm a touch thick this am. Please explain, thanks.

Gerry Tan ● 4313d

I wonder how much health benefits will help these people when their luck runs out?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e9eeCbWzQI

Tony Maxey ● 4313d

Yes and tax those who eat butter and drink gold top milk and eat red meat and who injure themselves through fell walking or mountainerring or cycling..the list is endless. I suppose we could go to work, come home and sit and play solitaire all night...

Keith Iddon ● 4313d

Its frightening to know that almost 50% of us are too fat or plain obese, mostly because of lifestyle choice. Should those of us who are too fat through choice pay for treatment and also those who persist in drinking too much alcohol and smoking cigarettes? It would say the nation money and concentrate the mind of the feckless imo.

Gerry Tan ● 4313d

If obesity reduces life expectancy in the dramatic ways claimed, then the costs of treating it will be recouped in pensions and benefits saved.

Susan Kelly ● 4313d

Couldn't agree with you less.

Caspar Mason ● 4313d

There seem to be two types of people who post on Ealing Today... (I'll let you fill in the rest.)

Caspar Mason ● 4313d

When obesity reduces life expectancy by an average of three years that costs the UK an estimated £18 billion per year then £15m is peanuts.Shouldn't we also be spending more money on attempting to change car drivers attitudes towards cyclists? It needn't cost nothing to the country, but because it has to, every cyclist wouldn't argue against it!

Ben Owen ● 4313d

"there are probably three types of cyclist"Do you enjoy casting prejudice, aspertion and generalisations toward other groups of people, or just people on bikes?

Paul James ● 4314d

More here on the benefits:http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Cycling.aspxAnd this is well worth a watch showing how shops in towns and cities rally want people on bikes not in cars:http://www.ted.com/talks/janette_sadik_khan_new_york_s_streets_not_so_mean_any_more

Paul James ● 4314d

>£15 million pounds to be spent in Ealing alone on cyclists, this is a DISGRACE!The benefits of cycling are wide, with increased participation bringing broad socio-economic benefits to the UK:• £2.9b total contribution to UK economy• 28 per cent increase in volume of cycle sales in 2010, generating £1.62b• £853m further contribution to the UK economy through the purchase of cycling accessories and bicycle maintenance, resulting in total retail sector sales of £2.47b• Over £500m generated in wages and £100m in taxes from 23,000 employed directly in bicycle sales, distribution and the maintenance of cycling infrastructure • Health benefits save the economy £128m per year in absenteeismhttps://corporate.sky.com/documents/pdf/press_releases/2011/the_british_cycling_economySpending money on cycling is a win win situation in so many ways!

Paul James ● 4314d

The London Cycling Campaign has produced its own set of proposals for safer cycling for every local council ward in London and are trying to get local election candidates to sign up to them. They can all be viewed via an online map here: http://action.space4cycling.org/ Also, anyone interested in the details of Ealing's "Mini Holland" bid can download the document from here: http://www.ealing.gov.uk/downloads/download/2548/mini_holland_cycle_bidIt includes proposals for new segregated cycle lanes in Ealing town centre and along the Uxbridge Rd.

Paul Conlan ● 4316d

Read the article again.  I think it is referring to the fact that the centre of Ealing IS one way that is intimidating to cyclists.Unfortunately when a road is one way is tends to speed up the traffic up.Work on an Uxbridge Road cycle route sounds good.  Anything to keep cyclists safer from other road traffic and speeding cyclists away from pedestrians please!

Philippa Bond ● 4316d

there is no 15million from Ealing, TFL will fund itthe real question is if Ealing does become one way to help cyclists, exactly where from :)

Ron Gill ● 4316d

I just posted this on another thread, however, this seems a much more natural home:)Watching the traffic waiting by the crossing on Popes Lane I was struck by the thought that there are probably three types of cyclists. a) There is the gentleman in front of me on an ordinary bike in his paint-stained work-clothes making his way to work, patiently waiting at the crossing until the lights change. b) There is the unpleasant and selfish herbert like the one that I encountered yesterday on the Maytree Rest Garden footbride where it crosses the Piccadilly Line, the narrow footbridge with the "Cyclists Dismount" signs on both sides of the bridge. Not wishing to squeeze myself against the size of the narrow walkway I kept on walking and the on-coming cyclist had to stop (or run into me or the sides). I gently pointed out to him that this was a pedestrian walkway and the Cyclists Dismount signs and that what he was doing was probably illegal. His response was: "I don't give a sh*t", and then "You are now wasting my time" as he played with his smartphone. c) The third type of cyclist is the adrenaline lycra monster out of whose way I get very quickly on the pavement...

Peter Mcleod ● 4317d