Nuxx:MPG.258629c28959c6ea9896d2@news.zen.co.uk

Path: num2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!num1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!number.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!nx02.iad01.newshosting.com!newshosting.com!83.128.0.12.MISMATCH!news-out2.kabelfoon.nl!newsfeed.kabelfoon.nl!xindi.nntp.kabelfoon.nl!multikabel.net!newsfeed20.multikabel.net!dedekind.zen.co.uk!zen.net.uk!hamilton.zen.co.uk!shaftesbury.zen.co.uk.POSTED!not-for-mail Message-ID:  From: Guy Cuthbertson  Newsgroups: uk.rec.cycling Subject: Re: Bus lane moaners. Date: Sun, 6 Dec 2009 20:52:18 -0000 References:     <2eadndaaRpovforWnZ2dnUVZ8uednZ2d@pipex.net>           <MPG.25836fb6837cf46a9896cb@news.zen.co.uk> <nOqdnf2hkcty-YTWnZ2dnUVZ8jmdnZ2d@eclipse.net.uk> Lines: 59 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit User-Agent: MicroPlanet-Gravity/2.9.13 Organization: Zen Internet NNTP-Posting-Host: 803b2468.news.zen.co.uk X-Trace: DXC=bSk]oQdKmA`NIg4<6BFRPinok4Z\<mH4ihDU:2=XKPkhPaAPEEFIHQhEn<S9LLeaZmeg64ndEB0Tl X-Complaints-To: abuse@zen.co.uk Bytes: 4949 Xref: perfectly-safe.chapmancentral.co.uk uk.rec.cycling:745650

In article <nOqdnf2hkcty-YTWnZ2dnUVZ8jmdnZ2d@eclipse.net.uk>, simon@simonmason.karoo.co.uk says... > > "Guy Cuthbertson" <guy.c@nothing.invalid> wrote in message > news:MPG.25836fb6837cf46a9896cb@news.zen.co.uk... > > > > > What do you honestly think the main reason for the proliferation of bus > > lanes over the last 10-15 years has been? Do you think it's to speed up > > bus journey times, or do you think it's to discourage motoring by > > causing unnecessary congestion? The truth please. > > Both.

So you admit that bus lanes are anti-motorist measures, at least in part (we're getting somewhere!) It's not therefore too much of a leap to think that speed cameras are also there, at least in part, to discourage motoring. Do you think that's the case as well? If not, why not? What makes you so sure that discouraging motoring isn't one of the aims of speed cameras (at least for the last 12 years) when you've admitted that it's one of the aims of bus lanes? What's the difference?

> I was persuaded out of my car onto a bike as I was sick of being stuck > in traffic, so there has to be both a deterrent and a faster alternative > like the bus or cycle.

Yeah, great. So people who have no option but to drive a car are also spitefully made to suffer along with those who supposedly "shouldn't" drive. The general spite, nastiness and single-minded viciousness inherent in anti-motorist measures is quite something to behold.

I really think things would be nicer for *everyone* (except those who enjoy seeing others being made to suffer) if the authorities concentrated on making public transport and cycling more desirable (they've got a way to go with public transport), rather than pissing off motorists and making the ludicrous car-hating presumption that *no* motorist should be driving and therefore it's quite acceptable to subject them to *entirely* needless delays (which shouldn't be "necessary" anyway if what the car-haters say about motorists themselves causing so much congestion is true...of course, as usual with the car- haters, they know that what they're saying *isn't* true and is nothing more than deceit).

> Of course, the majority of drivers will put up with > any inconvenience and won't be weaned out of their cars whatever

Because cars are extremely useful and the best form of transport overall. Why do a small minority (thankfully) have such a problem with people therefore choosing to use them? It's as though some people think that one just shouldn't choose the most useful option, and that if they do, they should be needlessly made to suffer to "balance it out". Suffering one way or another is good, apparently. Things shouldn't be too easy. God knows why, but that's what some people seem to think. They'll be rounding on computers next, trying to limit the speed of email transfer to ensure that emails take at least as long as the post (which is often a looong time these days). If such people think that it's good for things to be difficult, then no-one's going to stop them making things difficult for themselves, but why the hell do they have to inflict their ludicrous philosophy on others as well?