tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post9167157476563197620..comments2024-03-18T23:52:31.939-04:00Comments on The Invisible Visible Man: A close pass, a misguided campaign - and why I won't just leave it on the roadInvisible Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-7092985655032229672016-02-06T20:05:31.558-05:002016-02-06T20:05:31.558-05:00Richard accidentally posted his comment twice and ...Richard accidentally posted his comment twice and I deleted one.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-30735487788279528312016-02-06T18:59:28.398-05:002016-02-06T18:59:28.398-05:00Richard,
Thank you for your kind words. I guess m...Richard,<br /><br />Thank you for your kind words. I guess my position now remains much as it was when I wrote the post. There's a false equivalence about bringing together motorists and cyclists and telling them both to do their part. All the statistics I've ever seen on the causes of road crashes put the blame for the vast majority of crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists on drivers. It makes little sense, consequently, to tell cyclists to control what they can to avoid being hit. That will, firstly, have very little effect on the number of people hit - since very few of the crashes are cyclists' fault. It secondly has the invidious effect of diverting drivers' attention away from the cause of the vast bulk of crashes - dangerous and negligent driving. It gives drivers the implicit signal that it's other people's job to get out of their way, not their job to avoid people.<br /><br />I am sure that you run your courses nicely and I know that it seems like an attractive option to hold these mutual-blaming type courses. I continue to think, however, that they're positively harmful and that the effort being put into them would be far better devoted to telling drivers - the people causing crashes - to drive more carefully and attentively.<br /><br />What effect do the statistics in your area suggest your courses are having on death and injury rates?<br /><br />I'm sorry not to be able to give you a cheerier response.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-18873217404875926352016-02-05T22:41:36.398-05:002016-02-05T22:41:36.398-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05869298180248060747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-65094269051740120802016-02-05T22:41:16.106-05:002016-02-05T22:41:16.106-05:00Thank you for the really well put post you made ba...Thank you for the really well put post you made back in Aug 2014. I manage a "Share the Road" campaign in New Zealand. I agree with everything you said, there is no effective alternative to better infrastructure when it comes to keeping cyclists safer. The question is what to do until we have safe roads. Our messaging focuses on what we as cyclists and drivers can control. When we ride we can control our bikes, be seen and chose appropriate routes. When we drive we can choose how safely we pass or follow people on bikes. We run workshops where we get heavy vehicle drivers and cyclists together to experience each other's world. They respond well to the messaging and to sitting in each others seat. I would be interested to hear where you thinking is about this now. Warmly RichardAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05869298180248060747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-56017461344491311992014-08-28T13:03:21.847-04:002014-08-28T13:03:21.847-04:00Glos,
It's nice to know there are others out ...Glos,<br /><br />It's nice to know there are others out there like me - although I've ditched the high-viz vest at the moment given the heat of a New York summer.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />InvisibleInvisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-90995040187089272432014-08-28T13:02:29.918-04:002014-08-28T13:02:29.918-04:00Anonymous,
I have occasionally pondered getting c...Anonymous,<br /><br />I have occasionally pondered getting cameras. I feel, I think, that they might be a bit of a hassle to deal with. As for reporting bad driving to the police, I imagine you don't live in New York City. The New York Police Department's policy is that it doesn't prosecute most driving offences unless an officer witnesses their being committed. There's a squad that investigates collisions that result in death or very serious injuries. But unless the driver is provably drunk or involved in a chase with police, the investigations are a joke. Video might help with the Taxi and Limousine Commission or insurance companies, though.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-37705651199258378952014-08-28T12:57:32.943-04:002014-08-28T12:57:32.943-04:00Anonymous,
Thank you. It has long struck me that ...Anonymous,<br /><br />Thank you. It has long struck me that there's a desire to increase cycling while doing nothing to inconvenience motorists and that the two desires are simply contradictory.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-67171731757547377262014-08-21T05:44:39.425-04:002014-08-21T05:44:39.425-04:00In reading your intro in your profile i thought i ...In reading your intro in your profile i thought i had met my twin although i am not a Scotsman nor do i live in New York.<br />But i am 6'4" i too wear an eye catching helmet, Hi-Viz and even my motorcycle has bright reflective panels yet i too can be invisible!!!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05324738502870742064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-29113956381081538622014-08-15T23:05:38.811-04:002014-08-15T23:05:38.811-04:00Get yourself some video cameras front & back s...Get yourself some video cameras front & back so you can record the bastards'pathetic and dangerous driving. Then instead of leaving of it on the road you can leave it on the internet &/or the police desk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-75458520608277872162014-08-15T23:01:47.189-04:002014-08-15T23:01:47.189-04:00Too true unfortunately. The TdL approach to blame ...Too true unfortunately. The TdL approach to blame the victim is pathetic. I work in providing cycling infrastructure and the gutless bosses are so careful about not being seen to be engaging in a "war on cars". They fail to achieve anywhere near as much as they could if only they and the politicians would grow a pair and tell the public the truth about how much our car dependant culture costs the community in so many ways.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-67197567976353489762014-08-12T11:20:51.608-04:002014-08-12T11:20:51.608-04:00Sacramennah,
Thank you. Funnily enough, I'm c...Sacramennah,<br /><br />Thank you. Funnily enough, I'm currently on vacation and drove yesterday for the first time in ages. Every time I drive, I'm struck by quite how hard it is to remain alert and see what's going on around. A big part of the problem is that people forget that driving safely is difficult. It becomes an everyday, boring process.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-72896082057213015342014-08-11T22:42:38.530-04:002014-08-11T22:42:38.530-04:00Good observations, invisible. The driving communit...Good observations, invisible. The driving community is numb to the true lethality of vehiclessacramennahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917361666387990219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-3227733041264789322014-08-11T12:31:25.782-04:002014-08-11T12:31:25.782-04:00Deepstreets,
Thanks for that. It sounds like the ...Deepstreets,<br /><br />Thanks for that. It sounds like the campaign that you mention does face similar issues to the Transport for London one, albeit they perhaps started out with better intentions. People confuse the things that make people unhappy on the road - the conflict and anger - with the things that cause danger. They're similar and a little bit related but by no means the same.<br />All the best,<br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-27550776265509794742014-08-10T03:31:27.632-04:002014-08-10T03:31:27.632-04:00I wrote about similar a year ago... http://greenid...I wrote about similar a year ago... http://greenideafactory.blogspot.com/2013/05/hugging-like-this-is-not-solidarity.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-62578563597945333072014-08-05T12:12:51.732-04:002014-08-05T12:12:51.732-04:00Harry,
I agree that people's behaviour is rat...Harry,<br /><br />I agree that people's behaviour is rather frightening.<br /><br />I suppose we should remember that the roads have broadly got a lot safer in most countries in the last couple of decades, so we should applaud the declines in drunk driving and improvements in vehicle technology that have brought that about.<br /><br />But safety improvements seem to have stalled in many places in recent years and it's hard not to link that to the rise of distracted driving.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-34327458274825865872014-08-05T00:27:33.061-04:002014-08-05T00:27:33.061-04:00I find the attitudes of people on the road today a...I find the attitudes of people on the road today are frightening. There is no regard for anyone else or the rules of the road. People are texting, talking and doing everything but watching the road. Harry Kohlhttp://www.attorney-leonard.com/personal_injury.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-21278635253667221112014-08-04T11:37:54.639-04:002014-08-04T11:37:54.639-04:00David,
Thank you. I'll have a look at that sh...David,<br /><br />Thank you. I'll have a look at that shortly.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-75292193163358170452014-08-04T11:33:20.053-04:002014-08-04T11:33:20.053-04:00A few kilometres North of you, Edmonton has their ...A few kilometres North of you, Edmonton has their own version of "The Nice-Way Code". I wrote about it <a href="https://plus.google.com/114578085331408050106/posts/ZHaTtpcBin1" rel="nofollow">here</a> adn <a href="https://plus.google.com/114578085331408050106/posts/cKU1qrSrmG1" rel="nofollow">here</a>. It's about as condescending in tone as any campaign could possibly be.David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.com