kevinjohnsonmbe

If it’s a perfectly flat, level and cleanly swept track with no imperfection, no obstacles and no distractions that is required, or if racing, the pot-bellied maniacs in garish lycra and shrivelled ball bags should get themselves in a velodrome or on a static bike well away from inflicting their addiction on the rest of humanity. For the (almost) rational majority that have bikes capable of being used on the road, rather than super light weight, mm thin wheels supporting a blind obsession with either speed or distance, you pays your money you takes your chances.... if there has been the thought, time, money and effort of installing a cycle-way, but they are too obsessed to use it, and choose rather to occupy road space, it seems pretty obvious there will be conflict.

I’m in Kernow, my neighbour is ex-wife of that bloke who’s up before the beak. I think he lives Bovingdon way but not sure.

I'd agree that vehicles will, if they think they can, try and squeeze past and that "standing proud" and holding your line so as to not give the option is a better course of action - take away any confusion and make your intentions clearly known. It's safer if one stops rather than having 2 passing at speed. I walk the dog on a narrow lane where 2 cars can just pass, but not if there is a pedestrian there. Rather than step in and cower into the bank, I step out and make it obvious that there isn't enough room. All road users have equal right to be there.

That'd be something like what they'd do down hereabouts Gary.... Cornwall council sub the job out to Cormac (100% share owned by - you guessed it Cornwall council!) CC highways charge Cormac for closure, Cormac sub in ™ company and light the place up like Blackpool illuminations, Cormac charge CC a massive fee for the works and the whole thing just goes around in circles emptying the council tax payers pocket.... There were 12-15 blokes, 2 big tractors, an 8 ton dump truck, 2 vans and a ™ van doing the rounds here at the moment. The first tractor has an edge cutting blade which is taking about 2" off the Cornish bank at the road side (stone and earth) then comes the next tractor with the brush and loader to lift it into the dump truck, then come the strimmers and back back blower brigade. Had a chat with one of them, they'd been doing it all the way from St Germans to Bathpool and were about 8 weeks in doing a few miles a day! That was last week, frankly you can't see that it's made a toss of difference and the cost must be mind-boggling!

Whilst not apparently in the HWC, it seems that a cyclist is recommended to ride at 0.75m from the kerb and a vehicle passing should allow a further 1.5m clearance to pass a cyclist. But it's difficult to find an authoritative reference. In the case I highlighted earlier, from the horses mouth, the driver is being prosecuted on the basis of not moving fully into the outside / opposing lane in order to pass the cyclist (he only partially straddled the central white line) which has been deemed "careless" and resulted in the prosecution.... But for the grace of God any one of us could have a life changing experience simply driving home from work, not to mention the potential for guilt / remorse for the implications for the cyclist (for those of a more delicate disposition ?) I couldn't find the part in the HWC that recommends riding 2-abreastb but there are these: Cyclists Rule 66 You should keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear keep both feet on the pedals never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends Rule 68 You MUST NOT carry a passenger unless your cycle has been built or adapted to carry one hold onto a moving vehicle or trailer ride in a dangerous, careless or inconsiderate manner ride when under the influence of drink or drugs, including medicine. Drivers Rule 163 Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215). Rule 212 When passing motorcyclists and cyclists, give them plenty of room (see Rules 162 to 167). If they look over their shoulder it could mean that they intend to pull out, turn right or change direction. Give them time and space to do so.

A tragedy for someone... I've done a bit of cycling and a bit of driving (and been an idiot and seen idiots in both settings) so not coming at it from a pro/anti position for/against either group... Sounds like a busy, high volume, high speed road, I wonder if the cyclist was 'lit up like a Christmas tree' or wearing black, on a black night, on a black bike.... Our very good friend and nearby neighbour's ex-husband has just been in court for killing a cyclist. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-43729449 Certainly a tragedy for the cyclist's friends and family, but the impact upon the extended family of the driver is also significant. The driver was a self employed delivery driver. Van seized, no money coming in, rent to pay, family to support, pending loss of licence, potential loss of liberty, etc, etc... It was in court recently and referred to Crown court. The cyclist was racing on the road, was 'old', might not have been focussed on peripheral situation.... It could happen to anyone of us road users and have life changing implications.... Scary stuff.

?? I didnt bother digging into it Mark, it was the most obvious cover-job imaginable ? Is there seriously anyone out there that would even contemplate punting a bid for it - smoke & mirrors skulduggery! We’ll have to be careful not to make a habit of publicly agreeing with each other, the implications could be nationally disastrous - Like a Labour government ????

What goes around comes around..... https://mailchi.mp/lsh/business-for-sale-scl-group-ltd-ta-cambridge-analytica?e=e178a23938

Is it a recent one? There was that one not so long back where the Welsh rugby player decided to “stroke” a ? through the cage bars...

Isn't it "intentionally and or recklessly" disturb etc, etc....? Or each and every one of us on a daily basis (within the nest building and using season) as we drive down the road and a Blackbird is startled from the hedgerow.... Saw that on the news, despicable, but kind of puts this nonsense into perspective....

Brilliant!

What is a 6ft cavity in 3 dimensions and in relation to the whole (not hole, whole)?

Wide sweeping statements ya say....?

Interesting points. Certainly would make sense that longevity and advances in med science can be credited for diagnosing the cause of death whereas decades ago folks would simply have “got ill and passed.” That certainly has an influence on older years cancer rates. Would be interesting to compare mid / older age cancer instances with younger years. Your diplomat friend has has an interesting angle! There was a thread a while back which exposed the gross inefficiencies in terms of energy lost at each stage of growing feed for stock animals, stock animals converting that input into growth output which in turn was eaten by us and again converted into growth output - wish I’d taken note of the reference (if there was one.) Im not available for a no meat diet, and certainly not excited by lab-meat, but a reduced meat diet makes a whole lot of sense on many levels.

That's a thoughtful post How would we best correlate (if we even should) the current health, cultural and environmental implications of the agriculture sector with the recent past, dramatic changes, to farming techniques, output and historical, socio-economic influence that you accurately highlight? Can we assume that sedentary lifestyles, increasing cancer rates, obesity, respiratory conditions, soil erosion and flash flooding, methane release, reduction in wild bird population, pollinating insects and bees, bTB etc, etc, have absolutely no relationship with the changes to agricultural processes over the past half decade? Perhaps a return to the hardship and rationing is EXACTLY what is required to haul us back onto some form of sustainable pathway... Too heavy for this time of day, I'm off to McDonalds for breakfast....

? I wasn’t, so am ashamed of my lapse now..... Slash the boats before they put to sea would be my humanitarian contribution! Take away the risk of perishing at sea??

uncharacteristicly, I suspect we’re not on (opposite) pages here.... My lame attempt at humour was linked to yr suggestion that Greek rozzers will want to see ‘papers’ and my mind took me to the thought of an overcrowded boat full of the desperados crossing the Med.

It’s been mentioned already, as well as many other sound points, for & against, IF the driver makes a judgement call and stops the train because of what he/she sees, and considers it a risk to the operation of the railway, in that split second they approach and speed by, the choppers bank balance will start haemorrhaging at an alarming rate! It’s such a judgement call, I’d have to REALLY want the job or REALLY like the customer to even consider it.... Life’s too short! Tis a really good point about how come the trains didn’t stop whilst ladder man was up aloft though....

That's gotta be about as tenuous as DA's grasp of reality!

Mmmmmm.... Which is more and less likely to appeal to the tourist (mindful that there is minimal economic output from hill farming and I interpret your premise to be that tourism is of greater value that hill farming)

Unless you arrive by rubber boat.....

There's no bigger lobbyist in this area than the NFU! And they don't represent the individual hill farmer but rather the multi-national conglomerate, the landed gentry and big $ NFU London office: Smith Square, Westminster, London SW1 DEFRA address: Nobel House on Smith Square, SW1