Strangely Perfect

Students die in India as bus plunges into river The above headline is awful enough for the people involved, but in reality, it’s subject, a road crash, is common enough in my own country, the UK. What is really bad is how the BBC is reporting this.  They should know better but essentially, they’ve reported [...]

Alan Johnson Sacks the Messenger This, of course, relates to the recent sackings and supportive resignations of Government Scientific Advisors (see More advisers may go in drugs row) . The home secretary faces the threat of more scientists resigning after sacking his chief drugs adviser Prof David Nutt for his comments about cannabis policy. Two [...]

New Jaguar XJ In common with most cars like this, it’s a lovely looking machine – a style marvel; sleek and vapid, mercurial. It’s also a waste of space and a waste of effort. It’s two tonnes of mass for a 400kg payload is pants.  An ecological disaster zone. Money for Old Rope Not only [...]

Introduction Simple. Live in County Durham, UK Don’t pass the driving test Drive a car, unsupervised, with your partner and her 6-year old child as passengers! Find a cyclist while driving around Make sure the cyclist is not wearing a helmet Knock over the cyclist with your illegally driven and thus un-insured car Make sure [...]

This is the full text of an ‘article‘ posted on the Michigan State University (MSU) news section by ‘the State News opinion writer’ apparently.  Zack (for it is he) has his own particular version of personal rights and responsibilities, somewhat at odds with US law.  His article worked though – he has had a shed [...]

This is an unashamed plug for the Warrington Cycle Campaign. Their dedicated work over the years has now brought in the first real 20mph zone in their town (see here).  Elsewhere on the website, is an article called The Effect of Cycle Lanes on Cyclists’ Road Space. (pdf file) … Have a look.  The photos [...]

What indeed? Today, we’ve had two (at least these are the ones I’ve spotted) news releases from the Department for Transport (DfT) that presage some changes in the future: Advisers urge fast action on speed limiters – FT Drivers ‘face health tests every decade’ – Guardian Now all we have to work out is, “What [...]

People are mad, Not Cyclists People Are Mad, Not Cyclists; Extra Information Following on from these two previous posts where I mentioned the laughable penalties for killing someone who happens to be riding a bike and the weasely excuses, I hate to say that it’s another case of I told you so… £500 fine and [...]

Six young people died at about 2 this morning on the A607 just south-west of Melton  Mowbray. This is where it was.  It was a bend of about 45 degrees on a 40mph double white-lined single carriageway road. Bizarrely, one of the father’s blames the police for confiscating his son’s car as he was driving [...]

In the news currently is the case of a loony aggressive bloke who knocked a girl down on the road who subsequently died from a head injury sustained as she hit the kerb. The death of everyone is inevitable but an early death is especially hard for those closest to bear.  I just hope that [...]

Introduction There’s a lot in the news about the terrible cost of road fuel. See here for example. The truth is that the whole system is shite and people, by their very actions PROVE that they can afford fuel AT ANY COST. Here’s how (from my trip experience). Yesterday I came back from Northumberland, a [...]