onionbagblog
U-turn
And so the Sub-Standard has decided that it LIKES cyclists. For this week, anyway.
Like others, I'm genuinely left speechless as to why the Standard has performed such a major U-turn. For a paper that has historically been pro-Petrol Head, to embrace all things pedal power overnight must have meant one hell of a quiet news day at the start of the week.
But cycling is the way ahead for London, so claims the Standard. And praise where it's due, they've done a damn good job at debating and raising the daily issues faced by London cyclists.
Not too sure how well the campaign will play though with the Standard readership as they board the 18:20 from Waterloo to Woking.
It's all about the Great Summer of Cycling in London coming up of course. Even I have been amazed at some of the sights I have seen on London's streets in the past few months. The build up to Le Grand Depart is accelerating faster than the fifteen year-old kid who laps me every Saturday morning at Herne Hill.
Numbers are up on the roads for the daily commute. I'm now even part of a pelaton that cycles from Clap'ham towards the City each morning. It's a refreshing sight, and one that I'm sure over the coming weeks will be a hell of a lot more refreshing than the commuters who emerge from the various Underground stations en route.
There's nothing like a sanctimonious cyclist of course, but it really is all about the bike.
Sadly the Standard's love of cycling has been counter-balanced by an even more bizarre anti-cycling line taken by... Time Out.
Yep - Time Out for fucks sake.
Traditionally 'London's Listings Bible' has banged on about bikes with a passion that has even put me to shame. There's the annual bike issue which is not only strong editorially, but also in terms of advertising as well.
But wait - what's this? Michael Hodges Slice of Life (TO 1915) column comes up with the kind of crap one would normally associate with The Standard. Has the Tottenham Court Road collective lost out to the High Street Ken crew over some Le Tour exclusive coming up?
For whatever reason, the editorials in London's newspaper and weekly listings magazine this week have both left me scratching my head.
Hodges groups together ALL cyclists as though we peddle through the streets of London each day on some mega machine with some 60,000 seats attached to it. I'd like to see that beast take on Central Hill, SE19.
But no, we don't all perform to his misguided stereotype of:
'White (sic) self absorbed and arrogant.'
That's like saying that ALL Time Out columnists are shit-for-brains from the suburbs whose idea of a good night out is hob knobbing it with fellow 'urban, edgy' knobbers at the opening of some new arsehole East End art gallery.
Which clearly they aren't.
'Seen any laughing cyclists recently?' asks Hodges?
Um, yes. The last Friday of every month sees around 1,000 grinning cyclists as they crank up the gears around town.
'Seen any pug-faced fuckspud Time Out columnists lately?' asks onionbagblogger.
Not now that I've cancelled my subscription to Time Out in protest.
Having pathetically played the race card (get yourself down to Brixton Cycles before you write wanky columns bordering on racism, you little shit,) Hodges then finds the need to make a truly absurd parallel with London cyclists and the Luttwaffe.
It's the kind of crap that if spoken by Kuddly Ken, My New Favourite London Newspaper would pick up on and peddle with for the next six months.
'The government gives our money to the new fascists. Why should taxpayers pay to put more cyclists on our paths?'
Probably for the very same reason that I pay to put more Petrol Heads in cars, you stupid little prick.
'So what are we going to do about the new fascists?' enquires Hodges, clearly losing the plot in his last paragraph as he bangs on about some middle class wank fantasy of 'men in yellow tights.’'
I’'d suggest stop trying to run me over at Vauxhall Cross when clearly I have the right of way as wankers with no concept of road space cut me up every morning.
There's space for us ALL out there. Consideration, not sixth form crap should be what Hodges preaches in his pathetic piece.
Cycling in London is all about awareness. If motorists are aware of their fellow road users then there's likely to be less friction. Misinformed and dangerous tirades as put forward by Hodges only serves to alienate further the different groups that share the public space in London.
You shouldn't write about what you don't know - it just makes you look like a knobber. I don't write about wanky West End restaurants. Michael Hodges shouldn't write abut cycling. But he has and so he is crowned as King Knobber #1.
Chapeau!
*plus - cheers to the homophobe who has been signing me up for various gay jobsites / adult 'entertainment' sites this week. I've already received one improved job offer (TRUE!) and my gay friend is grateful for all the links I've been able to pass on. Keep it up, so to speak*
*plus plus - bike rants, spamming. It all means so little when compared to this terrible news that saddened me this week. A fine reporter for his patch and a genuine South London sports fan*
technorati: london cycling
| Thursday 3 May, 2007 |
And so the Sub-Standard has decided that it LIKES cyclists. For this week, anyway.
 It's all about the Summer of Cycling |
But cycling is the way ahead for London, so claims the Standard. And praise where it's due, they've done a damn good job at debating and raising the daily issues faced by London cyclists.
Not too sure how well the campaign will play though with the Standard readership as they board the 18:20 from Waterloo to Woking.
It's all about the Great Summer of Cycling in London coming up of course. Even I have been amazed at some of the sights I have seen on London's streets in the past few months. The build up to Le Grand Depart is accelerating faster than the fifteen year-old kid who laps me every Saturday morning at Herne Hill.
Numbers are up on the roads for the daily commute. I'm now even part of a pelaton that cycles from Clap'ham towards the City each morning. It's a refreshing sight, and one that I'm sure over the coming weeks will be a hell of a lot more refreshing than the commuters who emerge from the various Underground stations en route.
There's nothing like a sanctimonious cyclist of course, but it really is all about the bike.
Sadly the Standard's love of cycling has been counter-balanced by an even more bizarre anti-cycling line taken by... Time Out.
Yep - Time Out for fucks sake.
Traditionally 'London's Listings Bible' has banged on about bikes with a passion that has even put me to shame. There's the annual bike issue which is not only strong editorially, but also in terms of advertising as well.
But wait - what's this? Michael Hodges Slice of Life (TO 1915) column comes up with the kind of crap one would normally associate with The Standard. Has the Tottenham Court Road collective lost out to the High Street Ken crew over some Le Tour exclusive coming up?
For whatever reason, the editorials in London's newspaper and weekly listings magazine this week have both left me scratching my head.
Hodges groups together ALL cyclists as though we peddle through the streets of London each day on some mega machine with some 60,000 seats attached to it. I'd like to see that beast take on Central Hill, SE19.
But no, we don't all perform to his misguided stereotype of:
'White (sic) self absorbed and arrogant.'
That's like saying that ALL Time Out columnists are shit-for-brains from the suburbs whose idea of a good night out is hob knobbing it with fellow 'urban, edgy' knobbers at the opening of some new arsehole East End art gallery.
Which clearly they aren't.
'Seen any laughing cyclists recently?' asks Hodges?
Um, yes. The last Friday of every month sees around 1,000 grinning cyclists as they crank up the gears around town.
'Seen any pug-faced fuckspud Time Out columnists lately?' asks onionbagblogger.
Not now that I've cancelled my subscription to Time Out in protest.
Having pathetically played the race card (get yourself down to Brixton Cycles before you write wanky columns bordering on racism, you little shit,) Hodges then finds the need to make a truly absurd parallel with London cyclists and the Luttwaffe.
It's the kind of crap that if spoken by Kuddly Ken, My New Favourite London Newspaper would pick up on and peddle with for the next six months.
'The government gives our money to the new fascists. Why should taxpayers pay to put more cyclists on our paths?'
Probably for the very same reason that I pay to put more Petrol Heads in cars, you stupid little prick.
'So what are we going to do about the new fascists?' enquires Hodges, clearly losing the plot in his last paragraph as he bangs on about some middle class wank fantasy of 'men in yellow tights.’'
I’'d suggest stop trying to run me over at Vauxhall Cross when clearly I have the right of way as wankers with no concept of road space cut me up every morning.
There's space for us ALL out there. Consideration, not sixth form crap should be what Hodges preaches in his pathetic piece.
Cycling in London is all about awareness. If motorists are aware of their fellow road users then there's likely to be less friction. Misinformed and dangerous tirades as put forward by Hodges only serves to alienate further the different groups that share the public space in London.
You shouldn't write about what you don't know - it just makes you look like a knobber. I don't write about wanky West End restaurants. Michael Hodges shouldn't write abut cycling. But he has and so he is crowned as King Knobber #1.
Chapeau!
*plus - cheers to the homophobe who has been signing me up for various gay jobsites / adult 'entertainment' sites this week. I've already received one improved job offer (TRUE!) and my gay friend is grateful for all the links I've been able to pass on. Keep it up, so to speak*
*plus plus - bike rants, spamming. It all means so little when compared to this terrible news that saddened me this week. A fine reporter for his patch and a genuine South London sports fan*
technorati: london cycling
| #permalink |
