Planned bicycle hire for London in 2010
Nov 21st, 2008, 11:24 AM
#1
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Planned bicycle hire for London in 2010
Just saw this on tfl's website:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/...e-hire-scheme/
<i>A new cycle hire scheme is due to be introduced to central London in 2010, similar to the successful Vélib scheme in Paris.
The scheme will allow you to pick up a cycle at a docking station, use it as you like, and then return it to any docking station.</i>
I will be nervous to cycle in the streets of London, given how narrow some streets are and the crazy traffic.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/...e-hire-scheme/
<i>A new cycle hire scheme is due to be introduced to central London in 2010, similar to the successful Vélib scheme in Paris.
The scheme will allow you to pick up a cycle at a docking station, use it as you like, and then return it to any docking station.</i>
I will be nervous to cycle in the streets of London, given how narrow some streets are and the crazy traffic.
Nov 21st, 2008, 11:58 AM
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we are an individualistic society. the concept of sharing something or of property that exists only for the common good is foreign to us. the french think "a bike i can use and then neatly park so that someone else can use it" (but said with the requisite corny french accent) and we think "free bikes, yipeee!". within hours these pushbikes will be trashed and strewn around our nasty housing estates. then we will install cctv on the bikes so that we can keep track of them. this won't work either as it's only a plaster on the deep, festering wound that is the UK.
Nov 21st, 2008, 01:27 PM
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Are there even bike lanes in London? Or bike paths along the embankments on either side of the river?
Think it may complicate things for me since the British drives (and rides) on the correct side of the road.
Think it may complicate things for me since the British drives (and rides) on the correct side of the road.
Nov 21st, 2008, 11:48 PM
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>>>>>>
Think it may complicate things for me since the British drives (and rides) on the correct side of the road.
>>>>>>>
unnecessary arse-kissing.
forward thinking britains understand that we drive on the wrong side of the road. it's only the flag waving dinosaurs who defend this archaic ancient roman practice. no need to pander to the lower levels of our society.
all civilised nations who used to drive on the left changed to the right a long time ago. the exception is japan...the only modern nation that continues to drive on the left.
Think it may complicate things for me since the British drives (and rides) on the correct side of the road.
>>>>>>>
unnecessary arse-kissing.
forward thinking britains understand that we drive on the wrong side of the road. it's only the flag waving dinosaurs who defend this archaic ancient roman practice. no need to pander to the lower levels of our society.
all civilised nations who used to drive on the left changed to the right a long time ago. the exception is japan...the only modern nation that continues to drive on the left.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 12:56 AM
#7
Excuse me walkinaround - what about Australia???? We drive on the left and are most definitely a "modern nation".
And you British are the most negative bunch of people I have ever come across. If you all hate it in the UK so much why don't you leave?
Kay
And you British are the most negative bunch of people I have ever come across. If you all hate it in the UK so much why don't you leave?
Kay
Nov 22nd, 2008, 01:05 AM
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>> within hours these pushbikes will be trashed and strewn around our nasty housing estates. <<
Not if you have to put down a deposit of £150 on your credit card to get your hands on one in the first place, which is what happens with Vélib in Paris. Not much of an "exception française" about that.
Not if you have to put down a deposit of £150 on your credit card to get your hands on one in the first place, which is what happens with Vélib in Paris. Not much of an "exception française" about that.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 01:23 AM
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"If you all hate it in the UK so much why don't you leave? "
Be very careful what you wish for.
As a gesture of friendship to the people of Oz, all whingeing Poms are kept locked up online, dumping ill-written moans onto cyberspace.
You surely don't want containerships full of them turning up Down Under? Didn't you get enough in the 50s?
Be very careful what you wish for.
As a gesture of friendship to the people of Oz, all whingeing Poms are kept locked up online, dumping ill-written moans onto cyberspace.
You surely don't want containerships full of them turning up Down Under? Didn't you get enough in the 50s?
Nov 22nd, 2008, 02:00 AM
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>>>>>
Not if you have to put down a deposit of £150 on your credit card to get your hands on one in the first place,
>>>>>
two words for you...crowbar. or maybe it's one word.
continental ideas don't work here and they never will. we want so badly to have a cafe society but all we have are lager louts and dingy pubs. and most just get drunk on the streets now as it's cheaper than the pubs and we don't need to socialise. our attempts to engineer such a cafe society have failed. imagine britons going to a cafe and drinking one glass of red wine while discussing sartre. someone's taking the pi££ here but that's what our nanny state is trying to engineer for us. the french say "let's go have a glass of wine" we say "lets have a pi££ up tonight". different people require different solutions.
we have now set up our german christmas market on the south bank. unfortunately it's directly across from the graffiti and cursing skateboarders of the queen elizabeth hall undercroft (our lame attempt at being 'cool'). the christmas market is just like being in bavaria except there is vomit all over the pavement and customers of the market are terrorised by skateboarders and bikes flying through the air. great idea.
and australia has little relevance. the only reason why you continue to drive on the left is that you are afraid that we will no longer invite you to participate in the commonwealth games if you part with this vestige of our rule over you. at least america and canada had the sense to establish roads as the rest of the civilised world has.
Not if you have to put down a deposit of £150 on your credit card to get your hands on one in the first place,
>>>>>
two words for you...crowbar. or maybe it's one word.
continental ideas don't work here and they never will. we want so badly to have a cafe society but all we have are lager louts and dingy pubs. and most just get drunk on the streets now as it's cheaper than the pubs and we don't need to socialise. our attempts to engineer such a cafe society have failed. imagine britons going to a cafe and drinking one glass of red wine while discussing sartre. someone's taking the pi££ here but that's what our nanny state is trying to engineer for us. the french say "let's go have a glass of wine" we say "lets have a pi££ up tonight". different people require different solutions.
we have now set up our german christmas market on the south bank. unfortunately it's directly across from the graffiti and cursing skateboarders of the queen elizabeth hall undercroft (our lame attempt at being 'cool'). the christmas market is just like being in bavaria except there is vomit all over the pavement and customers of the market are terrorised by skateboarders and bikes flying through the air. great idea.
and australia has little relevance. the only reason why you continue to drive on the left is that you are afraid that we will no longer invite you to participate in the commonwealth games if you part with this vestige of our rule over you. at least america and canada had the sense to establish roads as the rest of the civilised world has.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 03:33 AM
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The project is going out to tender so don't hold your breath. The Parisian scheme was funded by Deacaux who got additional space for their advertising hoardings in exchange. We are told that will not be done in London. So unclear how this will be funded.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of driving/cycling on right and left it is a bit worrying that those used to doing the opposite to their habit will be cycling in London and Paris. No requirement to be an experienced cyclist before taking one of these bikes.
Some bad accidents and deaths in Paris plus a heavy rate of theft for export of the bikes, losses met by Decaux.
A really nerdy website on left versus right also gives the stats that 34% of world population live in countries that drive on the left. http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/
Whatever the rights and wrongs of driving/cycling on right and left it is a bit worrying that those used to doing the opposite to their habit will be cycling in London and Paris. No requirement to be an experienced cyclist before taking one of these bikes.
Some bad accidents and deaths in Paris plus a heavy rate of theft for export of the bikes, losses met by Decaux.
A really nerdy website on left versus right also gives the stats that 34% of world population live in countries that drive on the left. http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/
Nov 22nd, 2008, 04:01 AM
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I agree with walkinaround, it will be a cock up.
This is how it will be.
1. Customer takes bike from docking station having paid loads of money and a deposit to get it.
2. Customer rides bike to work narrowly missing being killed by 6 taxis and a bus, whilst breathing in enough carbon monoxide to commit suicide.
3. Customer arrives at work locks up bike with big padlock and chain that cost £25.
4. Customer returns to bike to find it has been nicked along with the lock.
5. Customer phones up bike company to tell them and loses his £150 deposit.
6. Bike is used as a getaway by a hoody in a stabbing incident.
7. Customer gets arrested under suspicion of attempted murder.
8. Customers family go to visit him at the police station, incurring a £80 fine for speeding, £60 fine for parking with 1cm of bumper over the double yellows and another fine for forgetting to pay for congestion charge.
9. Customer gets released.
10 Customer gets the tube home, gets his wallet nicked and his identity cloned and loses £20k to some drug barrons in South America before he even realised his wallet was gone.
11. Phones the banks help number and waits in a queue for 3 hours whilst the Indian call center deals with the huge number of calls from irate Brits.
12. Wonders why he bothered to hire that bike.
13. Bike company goes into liquidation because of the credit crunch.
Perhaps not the best idea...next please..................
;-)
Muck
This is how it will be.
1. Customer takes bike from docking station having paid loads of money and a deposit to get it.
2. Customer rides bike to work narrowly missing being killed by 6 taxis and a bus, whilst breathing in enough carbon monoxide to commit suicide.
3. Customer arrives at work locks up bike with big padlock and chain that cost £25.
4. Customer returns to bike to find it has been nicked along with the lock.
5. Customer phones up bike company to tell them and loses his £150 deposit.
6. Bike is used as a getaway by a hoody in a stabbing incident.
7. Customer gets arrested under suspicion of attempted murder.
8. Customers family go to visit him at the police station, incurring a £80 fine for speeding, £60 fine for parking with 1cm of bumper over the double yellows and another fine for forgetting to pay for congestion charge.
9. Customer gets released.
10 Customer gets the tube home, gets his wallet nicked and his identity cloned and loses £20k to some drug barrons in South America before he even realised his wallet was gone.
11. Phones the banks help number and waits in a queue for 3 hours whilst the Indian call center deals with the huge number of calls from irate Brits.
12. Wonders why he bothered to hire that bike.
13. Bike company goes into liquidation because of the credit crunch.
Perhaps not the best idea...next please..................
;-)
Muck
Nov 22nd, 2008, 07:08 AM
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There isn't a screaming match.
There's a bit of standard banter about why velib won't work in London. Irritatingly defeatist banter, if you ask me - but on the whole good humoured.
Then one pillock turned this into the standard loser's whinge. Unsurprisingly, the rest of the board told the losing whinger to go and do one.
That's not a match. It's the common sense of the people asserting itself against a tosser. Rarely pretty to watch - but as characteristically English as it's possible to get.
There's a bit of standard banter about why velib won't work in London. Irritatingly defeatist banter, if you ask me - but on the whole good humoured.
Then one pillock turned this into the standard loser's whinge. Unsurprisingly, the rest of the board told the losing whinger to go and do one.
That's not a match. It's the common sense of the people asserting itself against a tosser. Rarely pretty to watch - but as characteristically English as it's possible to get.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 07:27 AM
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I really hope it works out. I'd love to zip along Rotten Row on a bicycle.
Watching bicycyles navigating in the London bus lanes looks so alarming, but there must be a reason for it. Does it turn out to be safer?
Watching bicycyles navigating in the London bus lanes looks so alarming, but there must be a reason for it. Does it turn out to be safer?
Nov 22nd, 2008, 08:07 AM
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>> Customer arrives at work locks up bike with big padlock and chain that cost £25.<<
That's where your logic goes wrong. This stage should read:
3. Customer arrives at docking station near work, parks bike, takes receipt <i>and can safely forget about it</i>.
The point about the Vélib model is that it's not a bike hire scheme, nor one of those 1960s trust-everyone free loan schemes that inevitably failed. It's a self-powered taxi that works best for trips of less than about half an hour.
Provided, of course, that there is enough space to put in as many docking stations as they think they need. But it does work in Paris, and there's no <i>inherent</i> reason why it can't work in London.
That's where your logic goes wrong. This stage should read:
3. Customer arrives at docking station near work, parks bike, takes receipt <i>and can safely forget about it</i>.
The point about the Vélib model is that it's not a bike hire scheme, nor one of those 1960s trust-everyone free loan schemes that inevitably failed. It's a self-powered taxi that works best for trips of less than about half an hour.
Provided, of course, that there is enough space to put in as many docking stations as they think they need. But it does work in Paris, and there's no <i>inherent</i> reason why it can't work in London.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 09:06 AM
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even the feasibility study does not work right. it is presented in the order page 4, page 1, page 2, page 3. why do you think the scheme will work when we can't even get the feasibility study to function as one would expect a proper document to function.
when you get run down by one of the bendy buses (another 'scheme' we couldn't get to work), you will be put on a 9 month waiting list to be seen in the nhs a&e (one of the first things that 'modern britain' got wrong).
but we try so, so hard. god bless us.
and finally, we britons can't get humour or self-defecation right either (with the exception of mucky). as usual, this thread shows britons as unable to laugh at ourselves, taking ourselves far too seriously and completely failing to find the humour in this queer little island. but all to happy to take the piss out of everyone else.
when left with no career choices due to our completely failed economy, i will start a new business giving tours with the theme 'failed britain'. after arriving at heathrow terminal 5, i will drive punters around 'great' britain in a mouldy bus visiting symbols of our great failures. sure to be a big hit with french and german tourists.
when you get run down by one of the bendy buses (another 'scheme' we couldn't get to work), you will be put on a 9 month waiting list to be seen in the nhs a&e (one of the first things that 'modern britain' got wrong).
but we try so, so hard. god bless us.
and finally, we britons can't get humour or self-defecation right either (with the exception of mucky). as usual, this thread shows britons as unable to laugh at ourselves, taking ourselves far too seriously and completely failing to find the humour in this queer little island. but all to happy to take the piss out of everyone else.
when left with no career choices due to our completely failed economy, i will start a new business giving tours with the theme 'failed britain'. after arriving at heathrow terminal 5, i will drive punters around 'great' britain in a mouldy bus visiting symbols of our great failures. sure to be a big hit with french and german tourists.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 09:16 AM
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I don't think walkinaround has been anywhere outside his/her fevered imagination for quite some time. Certainly not actually in Britain.
>>we britons can't get humour or self-defecation right either <<
but most of us at least know the difference between bile and humour - and between self-deprecation and a posh word for crap.
>>we britons can't get humour or self-defecation right either <<
but most of us at least know the difference between bile and humour - and between self-deprecation and a posh word for crap.
