Benjamin Patterson
3.9K posts
PIC 1 — "Cyclists think they own the place"
PIC 2 — The reality. Drivers actually own it.
Julie Burchill@BoozeAndFagz
Do cyclists know how hated they are? spectator.co.uk/article/do-cyc… It's me in the Spec!
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@leemcd3251 @theJeremyVine yawn... this is so tired and so wrong
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@BolsoverE @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles You ever read about towns that have had a major industry plant shut down and the result is mass unemployment and local business’s going under ?
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Sunday morning cycle to the shops on Swindon’s disused railway line. It was blissful. I’ve had my @bobbinbicycles for 7 years now and whilst I’ve had to replace quite a few parts, she’s still going strong (ignore the rusty handlebars).
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On the cyclist problem - the reason people hate them is because they often insist on riding 20 mph in front of cars who want to go the 35 mph speed limit. And they are arrogant about it - moral grandstanders about their ‘low carbon footprint.’
This is mainly in American cities designed for cars on the West coast. Less of a problem in somewhere like NYC or the flatter parts of Europe.
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@martynschmoll I think the reason people hate "cyclists" is because so many of the vocal ones are car-haters.
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Counterpoint: The reason people hate “cyclists” is because the auto industry and auto industry-adjacent institutions (cops, insurers, media) have spent the past 100 years framing bicycles as toys, riders as fringe hobbyists, and refusing to acknowledge their rights to the road.
FischerKing@FischerKing64
On the cyclist problem - the reason people hate them is because they often insist on riding 20 mph in front of cars who want to go the 35 mph speed limit. And they are arrogant about it - moral grandstanders about their ‘low carbon footprint.’ This is mainly in American cities designed for cars on the West coast. Less of a problem in somewhere like NYC or the flatter parts of Europe.
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@valentinejamoke @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles you need to read some Bobby Kennedy:
theguardian.com/news/datablog/…
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@valentinejamoke @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles this is all wasted capital and labour. these are costs
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@BolsoverE @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles Because of cars we need road designers, maintenance , software developers , traffic and police enforcement , mechanics, car part manufacturing, driving instructors , fuel outlets, the list is endless . The economy is propped up in cars not some fantasy narrative
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@valentinejamoke @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles and while we're on infographics. this really demonstrates the inefficiencies and harms of driving:
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@valentinejamoke @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles you're so far off here.
Car costs and externalities are huge
US example but gives a reasonable idea of the true costs
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@roundbarrel @Bikery1966 @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles the original post is highlighting the benefits of re-purposing disused railway lines for cycling and walking. Buses already have a dedicated road network, they just need fewer cars in the way and bus lanes - which I'm all for
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@BolsoverE @Bikery1966 @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles Your first tweet…….rather than build a lanes for cyclists why not build a lanes and run a bus service on it. Far more people can use a bus service than cycle lane………that’s my point 👍
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@BolsoverE @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles Imagine thinking that dedicated cycle paths between towns & cities would actually be used except by a few zealots. Roads are critical infrastructure for delivery & service sectors. For 5+ miles trains are more efficient than cars. On local roads bicycles take twice as long.
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@E7Drew @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles only if you drive dangerously fast and give over half of valuable land area to parking (and are willing to live within a car park).
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@roundbarrel @Bikery1966 @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles most people don't or can't travel by car or taxi. what's your point?
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@BolsoverE @Bikery1966 @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles Hundreds of millions of £’s has been spent on cycle lanes in London and large parts of London are 20mph but it is still the most congested cities in Europe theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/j… I am a cyclist but again the vast majority of people either can’t cycle or don’t want to.
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@roundbarrel @Bikery1966 @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles only because the roads are so hostile. In cities where roads are made safe for cycling a huge proportion of people cycle. Very much including children, elderly and disabled people. No reason why that should be different in the UK
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@Bikery1966 @BolsoverE @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles You don’t think non cyclists are the majority ?
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@valentinejamoke @Heidi_Labour @bobbinbicycles they aren't paid for by people who drive. They are paid for out of general taxation. Taxes associated with driving don't cover the costs.
Non-drivers subsidise the roads for drivers.
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@KemiBadenoch @Conservatives 20mph is so much better for towns and cities. Fewer road deaths and injuries and calmer neighbourhoods. Also, people are only speeding between traffic lights barely makes any difference to journey times. This is pure culture ware BS
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Labour has failed Wales—longest NHS waits, worst literacy, billions wasted, 20mph limits throttling roads.
The fight to give Wales the future it deserves is on!
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@johnthejack @TomHCalver why do you think buying stuff equates to quality of life? This sems like a really weird assumption
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Consumption, how much stuff you actually buy, is a better indicator of quality of life. It captures whether you’re living like a prince or a pauper. It explains why London is one of the toughest regions in England to live in.
(£)thetimes.com/comment/column…
Interesting by @TomHCalver
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@MikeKaneMP this is quite likely to be more harm than good. People just need to fly less. High speed rail is the best bet for transport and flights should be rationed
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🚨BIG NEWS: this afternoon I introduced groundbreaking legislation to put a rocket booster under Sustainable Aviation Fuel production in the UK.
Our nation is now a world leader in pioneering green flights, and creating high skilled and cutting edge jobs in the process 💪
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