Another stressful disruptive weekend

NickTheGreek wrote:

That bike ride is a pain in the arse.
During last year's event it took me an hour and half from Swindon to Hammersmith, and then two and a half hours from Hammersmith to SE1. Where do I send the invoice for my wasted Sunday?

You're telling me. Mine's still sore three days later!

theedy wrote:

I had doubts yesterday too. My mother-in-law in Battersea could not cross the river to get to her church by public transport. I went to lunch with her. 90 minutes from Waterloo via train and bus...

Not much use for this year, but maybe for next - I don't know where in Battersea you were trying to get to, but walking from Waterloo Station to Battersea park takes less than an hour at a reasonable pace - http://walkit.com/walk/?city=london&from=Waterloo&fuid=2916145_3302464&to=Battersea&tuid=415224_464306&rta=old&direct=0

To go a long way back to one of Guy's comments, I was worried on a personal basis for my mother-in-law who was quite upset. and on an environmental basis for turning chunks of south London into a car park. Increasingly cars turn their engines off in those circumstances, but many don't, And I don't think the effect is marginal, more importantly it is avoidable.

Phil, I take your point although until all the building is finished in Battersea it is not a very pleasant walk. I was trying to get to the west side of the Park. When I got to Waterloo there was twenty minute wait for a train stopping at Queenstown Road so I went to Vauxhall and caught a bus. Big mistake, I should have waited, and as you say, walked the rest from Queenstown Road through the park

People ask what is the difference with the Marathon, I think the answer is that far fewer bridges are shut, none are shut west of Westminster, so the disruption is much more confined.

As I said in my original post, I just have doubts balancing the clear gains for cycling against the disruption for so many others. It is finely balanced.

lucysalisbury wrote:

antonyb wrote:

Shall we keep on point without the Ad Hominem?
Irony is difficult perhaps to convey, and I apologise if it has been misunderstood, and it would be a shame if utterly mistaken cold-reads about another members' imputed politics were to hi-jack the OPs' thread .

Thankyou

No need to apologise dude, it was a funny comment! Don't worry about the perennially offended

Seems the only one really offended was antonyb.

Zoe wrote:

It's odd that people presume they have the right to drive in central London

Explain please as I for one am confused. Motorists pay road tax etc cyclists do not? So more "right" than others excepting pedestrians naturally

Paramount wrote:

Zoe wrote:

It's odd that people presume they have the right to drive in central London

Explain please as I for one am confused. Motorists pay road tax etc cyclists do not? So more "right" than others excepting pedestrians naturally

It was only a matter of time before the myths and lies. Motorists do not pay road tax because IT DOES NOT EXIST! FACT!!!
The roads are maintained with money from council tax, which everyone pays. Get it? It's so simple but I'm expecting you to not get it at all.

Roads are maintained from both council tax and general taxation, so everyone pays whether they have a car or not. There is no road tax, car drivers are paying for the right to pollute the environment, hence why less polluting cars pay less.

Given the increasing evidence about the impact on health of pollution, we should treat car driving like cigarettes and make it more difficult to do. I have a car and I like driving, but I have to accept that by doing so I am adding to the pollution and as a society we need to find alternatives. Most journeys are less than three miles and for many people cycling would be an alternative.

Well after all these self satisfied correctives may I state that I do not drive a car or aim or ride sic a bike. So cannot upset anyone OR CAN I??? Just walk.... much more healthy in general

Such logic.

There you are! Pleased you already. Not difficult was it? Easily pleased .