The Decline Of Civilisation

[Paul Sherratt]

>>Whatever happened to

scotty,

Surely you and everyone you know love Vincent Del Bosque ?

[scottycelt]

>>Whatever happened to

scotty,

Surely you and everyone you know love Vincent Del Bosque ?

You mean the incomparable 1st Marquis, of course ... does he wear a trilby and smoke a tobacco-pipe, Paul ... ?

[MrGongGong]

Regarding football as culturally significant

evidence enough IMV

[Paul Sherratt]

>>does he wear a trilby and smoke a tobacco-pipe, Paul

Sin duda, scotty ( but it's not a pipe ... )

[Stillhomewardbound]

let's remember that pedestrians have right of way

People like to complain about the lawlessness of cyclists. Well, the pedestrian has no legal restriction placed on them in this country whatsoever, unlike some American cities where they have the offence of jaywalking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking

As with any right, it is one that should be used sensibly. Walking directly across the road, away from a crossing, while on the phone or texting, and while not even giving a cursory glance to check the progress of oncoming traffic - should that really be a common law entitlement of the pedestrian?

[Petrushka]

As one who has been hit three times by cyclists, all of them, incidentally, on the pavement forgive me if I mutter 'bloody cyclist' each time one hurtles past, again on the pavement, on a dark, badly lit winter's night without any lights on.

Round here the cars drive on the pavement too. A few weeks ago I was staggered to have a motorist honking his horn at me to get out of the way as the car followed me on the pavement.

[Nick Armstrong]

As one who has been hit three times by cyclists, all of them, incidentally, on the pavement forgive me if I mutter 'bloody cyclist' each time one hurtles past, again on the pavement, on a dark, badly lit winter's night without any lights on.

Round here the cars drive on the pavement too. A few weeks ago I was staggered to have a motorist honking his horn at me to get out of the way as the car followed me on the pavement.

Gordon Bennett, has the rule of law not reached Staffordshire yet?! Cars on the pavement?! Sounds like the odd cyclist is the safer option...

Seriously, muttering 'bloody cyclist' at a loony of the sort you describe is not only forgivable, but totally appropriate. I say it too, on my bike, as other (often lycra-clad) morons cut me up, insist on overtaking leaving 0.01cms clearance, etc etc: in fact, 'bloody cyclist' is at the lower end of the range of phrases I use. I often think that the nearest I get to accidents is at the hands of other cyclists, let alone half-witted pedestrians and motorists.

I think where we all agree is that your use of the singular ('cyclist') is spot on: what's unfair, as shb points out, is when one or a few two-wheeled nutters lead people to condemn cycists plural, generally.

[greenilex]

Some of you folks remind me of my grandfather, who walked from Pimlico to the British Museum every day in the dead centre of the carriageway, waving his stick at the traffic.

[amateur51]

Some of you folks remind me of my grandfather, who walked from Pimlico to the British Museum every day in the dead centre of the carriageway, waving his stick at the traffic.

What a wonderful picture that conjures up - many thanks

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Round here the cars drive on the pavement too. A few weeks ago I was staggered to have a motorist honking his horn at me to get out of the way as the car followed me on the pavement.

That's happened to me too. It was the Scarborough Meals of Wheels service, wanting to park on the pavement, but I was standing in the way, not moving. He honked at me, but I wasn't going to move; there was plenty of room for him on the road in any case. So he drove towards me, braking in the nick of time. The practice of pavement parking started quite suddenly in 1971 when parking lights became optional. Nothing was done about it then, so the practice has changed from being utterly taboo (look at old films and news clips from the 50s and 60s) to being what the arrogant motorist thinks is his right. (I use the masculine personal adjective to include the feminine.)

[Nick Armstrong]

Some of you folks remind me of my grandfather, who walked from Pimlico to the British Museum every day in the dead centre of the carriageway, waving his stick at the traffic.

Perfection, greens!

That image and the 'condom' question currently pending on the AA thread have cheered me up no end after the rigours of Tesco's

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, yes and yes!

There's supposed to be a £500 fine for this, but does this ever happen?

£60 actually...

Not according to my copy of the Highway Code. It definitely says £500.

[Nick Armstrong]

Not according to my copy of the Highway Code. It definitely says £500.

Blimey. Even more reason not to

[Petrushka]

Gordon Bennett, has the rule of law not reached Staffordshire yet?!

Well we do get the PCSO's occasionally wandering the streets...

What it all points to is a basic lack of manners and respect for other people. This is at the heart of what we are calling the 'decline in civilisation'. Rightly or wrongly, people did tend to respect the police and the rule of law in my younger days. Driving cars on the pavements was unheard of 30/40 years ago; no-one would have dreamt of doing such a thing. Nowadays where contempt for the police and the law is commonplace and where laziness and lack of respect for fellow citizens abounds, people do such things because they can and know that no-one will challenge them.

Mind you, Caliban, you may be interested to know that Mark Cavendish and several hundred other bikers came flying past my house last September during the Tour of Britain. It was quite a sight.

[MrGongGong]

people did tend to respect the police and the rule of law in my younger days.

Maybe if the police weren't seen to get away with murder (literally !) then people would respect them ?
Maybe if we didn't see film of the police tipping people out of wheelchairs ?
When it's illegal to stage a simple protest outside ones own parliament then that maybe says something as well ?

just a thought

(cue the nonsense .............)