The constant smear campaign against cycling

[hunch]

If you want to risk the brain cells on a.m. TV, they were running a promo on 9 last night for this mornings Today show - Sydney...fairly safe to say, it won't be complimentary.

[g-boaf]

If you want to risk the brain cells on a.m. TV, they were running a promo on 9 last night for this mornings Today show - Sydney...fairly safe to say, it won't be complimentary.

When that is on, I'm on my way to work or busy so I will miss it. How convenient!

[softy]

When i step back and look at the bigger picture it makes sense.

P.C. is really entrenched now, so comments about, race, sex, weight, etc are frowned on, so where is the fun?

Cycling in general has increased in recent times so there is more around and more on the road. Drivers are noticing them. So how can we dump on them, oh those pesky cyclists, can't they ride on the footpath or something?

I can see how this has all gained traction, cycling is the new football to kick around! And it is not seen as P.inC.

[mikesbytes]

In April the front page of the Wentworth Courier put speeding cyclists on the front page, showing excess speeds that wouldn't be noticed if it was cars on Anzac Pde but yet it made the front page because it was bicycles.

Now in another thread its been mentioned that 2/3's of cars in CP were caught speeding vs 10% of bicycles

[warthog1]

Unsurprising.
It is under the Newscorp stable. Murdoch majority owned, so hardly noted for factual, objective reporting.

http://www.newscorpaustralia.com/brand/ ... th-courier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Corp_Australia

[il padrone]

39 kilometres per hour !!!

Got in himmel ! Warumpt hier ??? Das ist schnickembaumst! Ve must act now und prosekute diese bastarts, ja !!

[biker jk]

Unsurprising.
It is under the Newscorp stable. Murdoch majority owned, so hardly noted for factual, objective reporting.

http://www.newscorpaustralia.com/brand/ ... th-courier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Corp_Australia

But the Wentworth Courier revealed that two-thirds of motorists were speeding in Centennial Park versus one in ten cyclists. Mind you, it didn't shut up a frequent letter writer to the WC who lives in my suburb and always whinges about cyclists breaking the rules in CP. This guy is big on rhetoric but short on facts.

http://newslocal.newspaperdirect.com/ep ... irect=true

[il padrone]

BTW, whatever is the "Wentworth Courier" ?? Some flea-rag out of central-western NSW ?

[warthog1]

Unsurprising.
It is under the Newscorp stable. Murdoch majority owned, so hardly noted for factual, objective reporting.

http://www.newscorpaustralia.com/brand/ ... th-courier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Corp_Australia

But the Wentworth Courier revealed that two-thirds of motorists were speeding in Centennial Park versus one in ten cyclists. Mind you, it didn't shut up a frequent letter writer to the WC who lives in my suburb and always whinges about cyclists breaking the rules in CP. This guy is big on rhetoric but short on facts.

http://newslocal.newspaperdirect.com/ep ... irect=true

I went looking for the article in the WC but didn't find it.
Did find this however;
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslo ... a561c8c832
and who should pop up;
Pedestrian Council of Australia chairman Harold Scruby said the State Government had ignored his calls to impose realistic penalties for speeding cyclists.

“A pedestrian hit by a cyclist weighing 100kg at 50km/h could suffer similar injuries to that of being hit by a car,” Mr Scruby said. “Yet there’s no CTP insurance for cyclists.”

One serial pest and a fax machine again

[mikesbytes]

But the Wentworth Courier revealed that two-thirds of motorists were speeding in Centennial Park versus one in ten cyclists. Mind you, it didn't shut up a frequent letter writer to the WC who lives in my suburb and always whinges about cyclists breaking the rules in CP. This guy is big on rhetoric but short on facts.

http://newslocal.newspaperdirect.com/ep ... irect=true

So the article should of been about speeding motorists in CP, being 67% of the motorists being the speeders and noted how that compared with only 10% of cyclists, but as noted this local Sydney eastern suburbs is part of the group of newspapers known for their editorial impartiality - not

And that's why I posted it in this thread

[mikesbytes]

Let connect cycling with terrorism

http://bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic ... 9#p1361979

[mikesbytes]

As reported in the H thread, Richard Branson's bike accident, as reported in the SMH

http://www.smh.com.au/world/richard-bra ... r2hdl.html

Is an accident by a public figure more likely to get reported if cycling related? If Richard had fallen down the stairs landing on the concrete resulting in similar injuries, would it of been reported? I'm 50/50 on this

[ironhanglider]

As reported in the H thread, Richard Branson's bike accident, as reported in the SMH

http://www.smh.com.au/world/richard-bra ... r2hdl.html

Is an accident by a public figure more likely to get reported if cycling related? If Richard had fallen down the stairs landing on the concrete resulting in similar injuries, would it of been reported? I'm 50/50 on this

They did report Molly falling off a ladder IIRC.

Cheers,

Cameron

[uart]

They did report Molly falling off a ladder IIRC.

Yep, and I don't remember thinking of that in terms of a smear campaign against ladders.

TBH I think Branson's incident would have been reported much the same if he had have fallen out of a tree or even just slipped in the shower. It's just the public figure thing.

BTW. I like Richard Branson's explanation of how the accident happened. "I was heading down a hill towards Leverick Bay when it suddenly got really dark".

Funny how that tends to happen when the sun goes down. You'd almost think someone as worldly as Branson would have figured that one out already. :p

[bychosis]

They did report Molly falling off a ladder IIRC.

Yep, and I don't remember thinking of that in terms of a smear campaign against ladders.

I don't see how the article is a smear campaign against cycling, unless you are a bit precious about cycling. It is an article that is biased towards our helmet laws s kinda like reporting on suicide, the media have agreed/been taught/instructed to not report on suicides, and that helmets are important for cycling.

[human909]

I don't believe such articles are a deliberate smear campaign. But there is a definite focus on cycling and helmets in Australia, MHLs definitely are a big reason. It is always reported on. If you read an article about a car crash it doesn't say the driver was wearing a seatbelt and had air bags... Nor is it commonly mentioned on motorbike crashes.

No matter what sport if somebody is in a head impact accident while wearing a helmet they often give credit to their helmet. Often this credit involves exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims. It does seem to be more common from cyclists though...

In rock climbing I've read plenty of stories where helmets have certainly reduced injury. But counterfactual speculation of the consequences of not having a helmet seem less common.

[g-boaf]

Helmets or otherwise, all you can do is keep your wits about you.

This morning a rider was hit by a taxi, he was crossing the road, probably to ride down to the beach. One of my colleagues was the first person to assist him - and he was in a very, very bad way. My colleague was pretty heavily shaken up by the whole thing (I think it was the blood) and even now is still pretty upset

So no, not everyone is out to get us. There are good people out there who are considerate towards riders as well.

[fat and old]

I don't believe such articles are a deliberate smear campaign. But there is a definite focus on cycling and helmets in Australia, MHLs definitely are a big reason. It is always reported on. If you read an article about a car crash it doesn't say the driver was wearing a seatbelt and had air bags... Nor is it commonly mentioned on motorbike crashes.

Think you might be taking the helmet thing a bit far. It is always mentioned in the report when a car driver/passenger is suspected of not wearing a belt. On the M/C....that would be because it is extremely rare to see m/c riders not wearing a helmet. When the report concerns hoons on cross or monkey bikes, the helmet (lack of usually) is always mentioned. Just my obs

[human909]

Think you might be taking the helmet thing a bit far. It is always mentioned in the report when a car driver/passenger is suspected of not wearing a belt.

But it isn't mentioned when they ARE wearing a seatbelt! Which was my point.

On the M/C....that would be because it is extremely rare to see m/c riders not wearing a helmet.

It is also very rare to see a cyclist in Melbourne not wearing a helmet.

Likewise car accidents, skiing, football, kayaking, rockclimbing, hiking accidents I don't see helmets mentioned.... It is pretty clear that the helmet status of cyclists is a big focus and for most other activities it is not.

[fat and old]

On the M/C....that would be because it is extremely rare to see m/c riders not wearing a helmet.

It is also very rare to see a cyclist in Melbourne not wearing a helmet.

You don't spend enough time on Canning St then.

I have a lot of respect for your passion towards cycling. Saying things like that only diminishes your arguments.

Edit: of course, I expect you'll come up with a statistical interpretation of the word rare, and put me back in my box. That's cool I still think the original point you made was a bit far left.

[mikesbytes]

We are all batting for the same side. Just have different views on how to do it.

A valid point on the reporting on helmet compliance for cycling incidents and the non reporting on seat belt compliance.

It's another suggestion that cycling is dangerous and motoring isn't. Another subtle way of campaigning against cycling

Another way that the campaigning is geared to saying that cycling is dangerous is in the reporting of a bicycle/car collision and noting that the [sensible] motorist was not hurt in the incident

[silentC]

I don't believe such articles are a deliberate smear campaign. But there is a definite focus on cycling and helmets in Australia, MHLs definitely are a big reason. It is always reported on.

Completely unscientific of course but:

"cyclist hit by car" site:au returns 2,190 results
"cyclist hit by car" helmet site:au returns 244 results

[fat and old]

Non scientific observation #2.

On my ride home tonight I counted 5 other cyclists. 2 wearing helmets, 3 without. That's 60% of my sample group helmet less. Mix of bike path and road. All non helmeteers on the road, all helmeteers on the path.

The helmeteers left me for dead.

[mikesbytes]

The helmeteers left me for dead.

Hairodynamics

[fat and old]