"Please train your drivers better" cyclist tells DPD after tailgating courier traps bike under van (+ DPD promises "further action"); Ineos plot audacious Remco transfer; RideLondon entries open; Marginal games; Ned's PM patter + more on the live blog

Exactly so, it's like the old one hundred biscuits joke (one hundred biscuits to be shared out, rich man takes ninety-eight, working man gets one, immigrant gets one, rich man tells the worker, "Watch out, if you're not careful that immigrant will have your biscuit"); cars get 85% (more with pavement parking) of street space but most drivers seeing the story would doubtless say bloody cyclists, now they're stealing space off the blind.

Rendel Harris wrote:

one hundred biscuits to be shared out, rich man takes ninety-eight, working man gets one, immigrant gets one, rich man tells the worker, "Watch out, if you're not careful that immigrant will have your biscuit"..

Not heard that one before but it sums up the world very well. Also works with lots of other X vs Y situations.

Awaiting hawkinspeter with his customary "eat the rich tea".

Some are well-fed millionaires, short bread for the rest.

chrisonatrike wrote:

Awaiting hawkinspeter with his customary "eat the rich tea".

Some are well-fed millionaires, short bread for the rest.

Xi Jing Ping, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc. all thank you for your support, and for ignoring the reality that Socialism is essentially dragging everyone back down to your level, for the millions who were killed by Socialist leaders, and live in poverty, gulags, re-education camps under Socialism. Sorry to all you Inner-city Gucci-socialist elites tho. 

Some reading about socialism seems be indicated. This would be as good a start as any:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism

Roulereo wrote:

Xi Jing Ping, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc. all thank you for your support, and for ignoring the reality that Socialism is essentially dragging everyone back down to your level, for the millions who were killed by Socialist leaders, and live in poverty, gulags, re-education camps under Socialism. Sorry to all you Inner-city Gucci-socialist elites tho. 

Using the same logic, anyone who supports any right-wing policies is also supporting Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet and Hirohito and ignores the reality of the millions killed, tortured and enslaved by them? No? Bloody stupid comment, even by your frothing standards.

Roulereo wrote:

Xi Jing Ping, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc. all thank you for your support, and for ignoring the reality that Socialism is essentially dragging everyone back down to your level, for the millions who were killed by Socialist leaders, and live in poverty, gulags, re-education camps under Socialism. Sorry to all you Inner-city Gucci-socialist elites tho. 

Sorry to hear that you're hard of thinking

An extra meme for luck

A good explanation!  The "Communism" graphic has lost its fence (iron curtain) though. "Red" squirrel to blame I guess.

After reading Jon Sopel's essays on the early Trump-years US I suspect that for many the last few Conservative governments over here would look pretty socialist.  I remind myself of that when reading the opinions of some US folks.  OTOH they could just be wacky conspiracists.

Glad you mentioned feudalism.
https://newsthump.com/2022/09/29/liz-truss-announces-plans-to-return-to-...

hirsute wrote:

Glad you mentioned feudalism. https://newsthump.com/2022/09/29/liz-truss-announces-plans-to-return-to-...

"Out of her depth in a puddle" - great line!

Wow, even your humour is Socialist. As in, being all at the lowest level, drab and boring. Your Meme game is definitely elderly ex Uni professor stuck griping on FB level. 

Come on you cursty old grumpy Inner City Lefties, have a genuine laugh for once. 

Maybe jump on your Socialist bikes, you know the drab boring ones all the same type that everyone has to have...

Roulereo wrote:

Wow, even your humour is Socialist. As in, being all at the lowest level, drab and boring. Your Meme game is definitely elderly ex Uni professor stuck griping on FB level. 

Come on you cursty old grumpy Inner City Lefties, have a genuine laugh for once. 

Maybe jump on your Socialist bikes, you know the drab boring ones all the same type that everyone has to have...

I would comment on your memes or humour, but there is no evidence of either

It would be easier if you could state what you think socialism is.

Also we don't all want ultegra cranks.

hirsute wrote:

It would be easier if you could state what you think socialism is.

Also we don't all want ultegra cranks.

At least Ultegra cranks try to seize the means of destruction

Roulereo wrote:

Maybe jump on your Socialist bikes, you know the drab boring ones all the same type that everyone has to have...

I'm confused.  Do you mean one of this boring kind, all the same type, that all the roadies here seem to have?

Something else?  Maybe you're referring to the Boris bike, sponsored by a global bank and championed by the Eton-educated non-socialist (for the UK) Boris Johnson?  Ah - apologies, do you mean a Flying Pigeon?  The one modelled after the English Roadster, product of advanced capitalism (early 20th century version)?

I'll certainly follow your advice though; I won't "do a Trump" (arf) e.g. I will jump on my bike.  The less boring one today as it's sunny!  Do send us a picture of your freedom machine!

Meanwhile, communists probably - or at least socialists - on their prole-speed bicycles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swqaAIkGtpA

We need to demand more cute dog advertising of bikes!

brooksby wrote:

OT, but interesting (and mildly depressing)

Chatteris: The town to be scrubbed from the bus route map

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63046348

Half Man Half Biscuit will have to change the lyrics of their splendid song For What is Chatteris, which begins:

One way system, smooth and commendable, 
go by bus, they're highly dependable,

We have a similar issue here in the East of Bedfordshire.

According to Stagecoach only Bedford, St Ives, MK and Hitchin exist as places people want to go to or from.  Our services to/from Bedford (being the main service) are being withdrawn and we don't have many services elsewhere on a regular basis.

Many students go to six form college in Bedford and workers too.  There is now no suitable services so that will put more cars on the roads, increase congestion and make active travel almost impossible.

brooksby wrote:

OT, but interesting (and mildly depressing)

Chatteris: The town to be scrubbed from the bus route map

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63046348

I do wonder about the suitability of current bus fleets - they seem to be mostly large vehicles with only a few people on.  Surely, a minibus type vehicle would be finiancially/ecologically better in a lot of cases?

Would presumably suit rich_cb's autonomous taxi ideas, or maybe a lower-tech Jeepney?  "The minibus departs when we've got enough passengers".

Alternatively we may have to get used to being content with living and working in a town of 10,000 or so.  "But there are no jobs" - well indeed; there were once, but ... Also one traditional - and contemporary - response to that situation (or "there's no food", or artillery bombardments etc.) is "leave".

I wondered this too. I suspect it's due to the fact that buses are "rammed" during commuting periods hence needing the bigger buses. Minibuses could be used during the day but then you have to purchase and store extra vehicles. In west Wales there are well used minbuses put on for people walking the Pembrokeshire coast path  (Puffin Shuttle etc.) but they don't have to cater for commuters.

I wonder if anyone has ever invented a "truck and trailer" bus system, where the main unit could be used outside of rush-hour with a hook on extra capacity in a trailer unit for busy times? Probably myriad technical difficulties but it would save on having to have two sets of buses or using large ones when small ones would do.

Rendel Harris wrote:

I wonder if anyone has ever invented a "truck and trailer" bus system, where the main unit could be used outside of rush-hour with a hook on extra capacity in a trailer unit for busy times? Probably myriad technical difficulties but it would save on having to have two sets of buses or using large ones when small ones would do.

Flexible, cost efficient bus trailers adapt to passenger demand:

https://www.itsinternational.com/feature/flexible-cost-efficient-bus-tra...