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Ben (BicycleBenUK)

@ben.fiets.uk

Introverted advocate/blogger on UK active travel. Self-employed podcast editor. Also sustainable public transport, nature, environment, Holland. Sometimes spins vinyl, dabbles in ham radio, badly plays piano. 📍 Nuneaton, Warwickshire 🌎 fiets.uk/links

1832 Posts1372 Follower894 Folgt
Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · yesterday

Just a reflection of poor driving standards and bad choice of over-powerful cars. I've been doing a spot of rare driving in a Vauxhall Corsa, including plenty of 20mph limits in hilly areas. I had exactly zero difficulty keeping to the limit. How do these people cope with car parks, traffic queues?

The Ranty Highwayman@rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · yesterday

Meanwhile over on LinkedIn (I know). A recently retired professor of user experience posts this in response to me singing the praises of 20mph speed limits and calling on fellow professionals to make the case for them. 1/2

Text which reads: The 20 mph zones are REALLY not popular in London. Drive at less than 20 and the traffic just crawls and drivers are super frustrated, particularly when motorbikes, electric bicycles and conventional bicycles weave in snd out of the traffic. The problem with 20mph is that it is incredibly difficult to drive at that speed.a small dab on the accelerator and the car goes from 15 to 20+ and the driver gets caught in a speed trap, even though they were genuinely trying to stay under 20. At higher speeds the same dab on the accelerator has very little effect. Its not as simple as saying drivers just have to learn to control the accelerator better because it seems that however careful they are, its just not the way the accelerator works. At that speed cars are more likely to speed up past the speed limit downhill and slow down excessively up hill. So the traffic slows to 15 and there is even more frustration. The traffic does not clear but instead clogs the streets and the pollution problem is not helped but made worse. So if we are going to insist on requiring drivers to drive at those speeds, the behaviour of the accelerator has to change, in the way that power steering behaves differently at slower and fast speeds.
Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2d ago

In a sign of how little I've been riding my bike recently, following Saturday's Lime Bike excursion (e-bike) I did wonder when going across town today why my bike wasn't responding well when setting off! I really want e-assist but it's out of reach at the moment (especially for what I want) #cycling

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 4d ago

Had my first rides on #LimeBikes in Birmingham today, a spontaneous decision over walking from New Street to Edgbaston Stadium. A good experience; motor makes it easy and the A38 cycleway was mostly delightful (connecting in to Priory Road needs work). But there's one thing I don't like... [1/2]

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 6d ago

I might be a fair bit older than the Gen-Z people who are the subject of this, but as someone trying to reduce screen time, to remove apps, accounts, and subscriptions because I feel like it's all become too embedded into day-to-day life, I find this very relevant. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qw5...

First we paid to get online. Now we're paying to log off

In the past few years, a whole industry has sprung up to sell itself as the cure to screen addiction.  There are gadgets that’ll lock you out of your mobile device — and subscriptions that’ll swap…

youtube.com

Peter Walker@peterwalker99.bsky.social · 6d ago

Every single person who rides an ostentatiously noisy motorbike can just fuck off. Those who do so in London or any town or city, and especially those who use chainsaw-volume engine revving as a “warning” can then fuck off all over again.

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · last wk.

Trashing UK astronomical science, all to save a back-of-the-sofa amount in government spend terms of £2.8m - I think that's less than 9p per person per year (33m UK taxpayers). Extremely short-sighted, risking the loss of a world-famous facility. #Science #JodrellBank www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands

Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.

bbc.co.uk

Lindsay 👩‍🔬🚲@broadwell.eu · last wk.

I'm not a luddite to the extent that I don't use Google Maps and the like at all, but there's something to be said for looking up the routes beforehand and navigating based on landmarks and direction-finding. Tends to mean that places stick in your head better.

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

I suspect it's not the AI bots that people want to talk to, it's using a chat interface over telephone that people prefer and has led to a reduction in calls. This is just being used as a feeble excuse to cut customer services, one which I'd guess many companies are probably itching to follow.

‘Customers prefer AI chatbots,’ says British Gas owner as 1,300 call centre jobs axed

CEO Chris O’Shea defends Centrica’s plans as it reports rise in retail profits following focus on bigger margins

theguardian.com

Bicycle-Riding Motorist@grahamecooper.com · 2w ago

I did wonder, given that the alleged crime revolves around the legal status of the bicycle or motorcycle, whether its destruction constitutes destroying or tampering with evidence, and even attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

It's the right outcome, but as well as improved roadside testing, there must be better safeguards/expert follow-up testing before *anything* is destroyed. It shouldn't just be on the whim or belief that the police are right. An impounded bike can be returned; a destroyed one now needs reimbursement.

David Gregory-Kumar@drdavidgk.bsky.social · 2w ago

Hey! Would you like good news? Remember how the police seized and crushed a legal Tern cargo bike by mistake? Well charges against rider dropped! Compensation for crushed bike! And dodgy “test” used to detect illegal “e-bikes” dropped! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

All for seeing the bus fare cap reduce back to £2 - but it'd be great if there was something simple + affordable for rail too. And for regular users, why can't we additionally have something akin to Germany's monthly public transport pass, covering all local/regional services for about £50/month?

Burnham announces bus fares across England to be capped at £2

Measure to cost more than £500m, with money allocated to allow devolved nations to do the same

theguardian.com

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

This is a massive cock-up by West Midlands Police. Shows ignorance, a huge failing in procedure, and arrogance. Yes, officers can make errors, but why was the bike get destroyed without independent testing to confirm alleged illegality before such a final action? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Birmingham man's legal e-bike seized and destroyed by police in error

The BBC finds the bike was legal and supplied as part of a scheme to reduce pollution in the city.

bbc.co.uk

Ian Dunt@iandunt.bsky.social · 2w ago

Watching Trump try to get into the World Cup photo, then shuffle off because no-one was paying attention to him, was the perfect ending to this evening.

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

Boos for Trump. Deluded Trump, probably, "They all loved me. Everyone said, 'Mr President, you did a great job, what a show. The best World Cup ever. We couldn't have done it without you.'"

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

Thank goodness for that. Had a vision at the start of the second half of extra time, of Argentina winning on penalties - and that would have been a travesty. Relief that Spain managed to score and hold it.

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

In my rules, every time a yellow card is issued, the opposition is awarded a goal; two for a red card. More incentive for sporting play, but failing that, Spain would be in the lead right now and this rubbish would be put to bed.

Ben (BicycleBenUK)@ben.fiets.uk · 2w ago

Curses for both teams for not scoring and prolonging this absolute drudgery which I'm somewhat forced to endure. If I were even slightly open-minded to being convinced football is fun, this match wouldn't sell it to me.