The Good News Only - thread...

[deptfordmarmoset]

One way of making the last 15 years plateau drop, of course, would be to generalise Twenty's Plenty use. I think this will become more apparent once the impact of Wales' policy becomes fully understood. But, War on Motorists, etc, it's not going to happen any time soon.

 

[Pross]

One way of making the last 15 years plateau drop, of course, would be to generalise Twenty's Plenty use. I think this will become more apparent once the impact of Wales' policy becomes fully understood. But, War on Motorists, etc, it's not going to happen any time soon.

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Fair play to the Welsh Government, they stuck to their guns instead of caving to the very vocal minority (none more so than Wales' answer to Kemi Badenoch, Natasha Asghar, who likes nothing more than demonstrating her ignorance and lack of intelligence very loudly). Unfortunately, it's looking ever more likely that Reform will take power next year and with their fingers on the pulse they'll almost certainly reverse it along with many of the environmental schemes that Wales has done well. Fortunately their plans to reopen mines in Wales are cloud cuckooland even for them so won't be happening.

 

[BoldonLad]

Pedestrian fatalities were over 3000 in 1966 (the worst post-war year) and 409 last year.

There's suggestion that part of the reduction in fatalities is that vulnerable users stop using the roads as they consider them too dangerous.

just from observation, I would guess it is due to a reduction in miles (or even yards) walked, if my neighbours are anything to go by, no-one leaves the street on foot (or bicycle), except myself and Mrs B

 

[Pross]

just from observation, I would guess it is due to a reduction in miles (or even yards) walked, if my neighbours are anything to go by, no-one leaves the street on foot (or bicycle), except myself and Mrs B

Probably. I used to occasionally help out another part of the business I was working in, one of their jobs was travel surveys for new developments to try to get plans in place to reduce car use and get them onto public transport or active travel. The excuses reasons given for why they couldn't do this were generally bordering on ridiculous but none would ever just admit they were too lazy.

 

[BoldonLad]

Probably. I used to occasionally help out another part of the business I was working in, one of their jobs was travel surveys for new developments to try to get plans in place to reduce car use and get them onto public transport or active travel. The excuses reasons given for why they couldn't do this were generally bordering on ridiculous but none would ever just admit they were too lazy.

Depending on your definition of “new” (our street was built 35 years ago), we have reasonable bus service (every 15 mins) within 100 yards, and, a metro service with stop about 1 mile away (bus link available), but, still car use prevails. One young mother ferries children to school in a Range Rover. The school is about 200 yards away on foot, maybe 0.5 miles by car. 😊

 

[Pblakeney]

Depending on your definition of “new” (our street was built 35 years ago), we have reasonable bus service (every 15 mins) within 100 yards, and, a metro service with stop about 1 mile away (bus link available), but, still car use prevails. One young mother ferries children to school in a Range Rover. The school is about 200 yards away on foot, maybe 0.5 miles by car. 😊

Similar to here then.

As an aside (and probably the wrong thread), we had a visitor over from Canada this summer.
She couldn't walk more than 500m without needing a rest. No health issues other than being unfit. Could be the future here.

 

[briantrumpet]

Hab

Probably. I used to occasionally help out another part of the business I was working in, one of their jobs was travel surveys for new developments to try to get plans in place to reduce car use and get them onto public transport or active travel. The excuses reasons given for why they couldn't do this were generally bordering on ridiculous but none would ever just admit they were too lazy.

Habitual car drivers start with all the reasons why they couldn't possibly do their journey any other way, whereas as a car avoider, I start with the question "How can I do this without a car?"

In my case, it involved buying extra (cheap) trumpets and copies of music, which I could leave in various strategic places, for the most part.

 

[briantrumpet]

Depending on your definition of “new” (our street was built 35 years ago), we have reasonable bus service (every 15 mins) within 100 yards, and, a metro service with stop about 1 mile away (bus link available), but, still car use prevails. One young mother ferries children to school in a Range Rover. The school is about 200 yards away on foot, maybe 0.5 miles by car. 😊

One of the objections to a local LTN scheme here came from a lady who complained that a journey that took her just five minutes in the car now took her 20 minutes because she had to drive the long way round.

The problem is that 'the car' is so embedded into the psyche and habits of the vast bulk [sic] of the population that they simply cannot conceptualise not using a car to move further than the end of their drive. And I'm not exaggerating for effect. I genuinely think it's that deeply embedded in many people's minds. (cf guns in the US)

 

[briantrumpet]

Anyway, sorry, that's good news. I need to find something to be cheerful about, apart from having opened a bottle of Lindemann's Shiraz (2020).

 

[Ian H]

Hab


Habitual car drivers start with all the reasons why they couldn't possibly do their journey any other way, whereas as a car avoider, I start with the question "How can I do this without a car?"

In my case, it involved buying extra (cheap) trumpets and copies of music, which I could leave in various strategic places, for the most part.

I shall be looking in ditches and under hedges for cheap trumpets now. Is there a prize for finding one?

 

[briantrumpet]

I shall be looking in ditches and under hedges for cheap trumpets now. Is there a prize for finding one?

I'll give you a free lesson.

 

[icowden]

I'll give you a free lesson.

I managed to leave my trumpet at a peri-teaching job about 20 years ago. I toy with the idea of buying myself a replacement. A better replacement - it wasn't a great trumpet.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I managed to leave my trumpet at a peri-teaching job about 20 years ago. I toy with the idea of buying myself a replacement. A better replacement - it wasn't a great trumpet.

When I was a kid I had a plastic trumpet as a Christmas present. I went around the house trying to play it all day until, in exasperation, my mother hit me across the head with it and broke it.

A promising career was abruptly ended.

 

[briantrumpet]

I managed to leave my trumpet at a peri-teaching job about 20 years ago. I toy with the idea of buying myself a replacement. A better replacement - it wasn't a great trumpet.

One of the more useful things has been being able to get really quite passable (John Packer) trumpets for about £100. I guess that's about the cost of one car tyre, so it's not hard to justify the minimal outlay to make cycling into work doable.

FWIW, if you wanted to replace it, second-hand Yamahas via eBay or wherever are the safest bet - the 4-series is more than acceptable, even if it won't zing or sing like a professional model. Yamahas actually made in Japan are uniformly better than the Chinese versions: all the top models are still made in Japan, but the student models made in China these days.

 

[Rusty Nails]

When I was a kid I had a plastic trumpet as a Christmas present. I went around the house trying to play it all day until, in exasperation, my mother hit me across the head with it and broke it.

A promising career was abruptly ended.

All was good.

She bought me a guitar some years later and I failed to learn that as well.

I took the hint.