Lets remind ourselves what cycling should look like. Visit the ICE
website and watch the Cycling Friendly Cities video file (video stream
15mins or download 152mb) - http://www.cycling.nl/frameset.htm
Not a scent of lycra or dayglo! And surely that's how it should be.
Imagine the authorities advertising that everyone should walk around in
bullet proof vests for fear of being shot instead of controlling those
that do the shooting!
Tim Jones
Oxford Brookes University
Dave Horton wrote:
>An additional concern might be that the companies in the business of selling
>such cycling specific accessories as helmets, hi-viz jackets, fluorescent
>strips etc have a vested interest in constructing the practice of cycling as
>unsafe - that, after all, is why they argue you should buy their gear - to
>make you (feel) safer. The overall effect of this product construction of
>cycling as a dangerous activity against which you need to be guarded is
>surely undesirable, increasing as it does an already powerful if largely
>unvocalised fear of cycling?
>
>Dave
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Ian Walker" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2006 4:14 PM
>Subject: Re: widespread visible onroad cycle facilities
>
>
>
>
>>Martin,
>>
>>I think you're right, but I also think the effect might unfortunately
>>be a negative one. I can't help but feel that the hi-viz clothing does
>>indeed draw attention of the "oh, look, there's a cyclist" variety, but
>>at the same time I reckon this might increase the "us vs them" feeling
>>of many non-cyclists - the more cyclists look like a breed apart,
>>dressed in lycra and helmets (a uniform, as you say), the harder it is
>>for non-cycling people to identify with the group and so see themselves
>>doing that activity. Again, this is speculation based on nothing more
>>than my experience, but I do tend to make a point of cycling to work in
>>ordinary clothes for this reason...
>>
>>Ian
>>-----
>>Dr Ian Walker,
>>Department of Psychology,
>>University of Bath,
>>Bath BA2 7AY,
>>England.
>>
>>Tel: +44 (0)1225 383908
>>E-mail: [log in to unmask] (academic)
>>E-mail: [log in to unmask] (other matters)
>>Website: www.drianwalker.com
>>
>>On 25 Feb 2006, at 13:29, Martin K Parkinson wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Ian Walker" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 11:58 AM
>>>Subject: Re: widespread visible onroad cycle facilities
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>One possible interpretation of the increase
>>>>in cycling you refer to (and I throw this out as a thought rather than
>>>>hard fact) might be that the creation of cycle lanes doesn't
>>>>necessarily make people feel safer as such, but rather acts as a form
>>>>of advertising, regularly illustrating the potential to cycle and -
>>>>perhaps more importantly - demonstrating official approval of the act.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>From personal anecdote, I think this might be true. As someone who
>>>>cycled
>>>>
>>>>
>>>(in london) in the early eighties and has recently returned to doing
>>>so, I
>>>certainly felt gladdened and encouraged by all the nice green lanes
>>>(although when I started using them, they did seem to have promised
>>>more
>>>than they delivered).
>>>
>>>To build a speculation on what is already a mere speculation, I wonder
>>>if
>>>there might be something similar going on with high-vis clothing. I've
>>>haven't worked through the research on conspicuity but I gather
>>>(please put
>>>me right if I've got this wrong) that there is by no means an
>>>inevitable
>>>chain of causality that goes "bright clothes - will be noticed by
>>>motorist -
>>>motorist takes extra care - cyclist will be safer" and that in some
>>>circumstances it might in fact go "semi-official-looking clothes -
>>>will be
>>>interpeted by motorist as indicating exceptional competence - motorist
>>>passes closer - cyclist slightly less safe".
>>>
>>>However, maybe the appearance of cyclists in a sort of specialised
>>>uniform
>>>(the high-vis jacket plus helmet and flashing lights) might act as an
>>>advertisement for the activity. All this extra kit does make cycling
>>>look a
>>>bit dangerous but by that very token it also makes it look both
>>>*exciting*
>>>and *serious* as a mode of transport - the sort of thing a grown-up can
>>>legitimately *choose* to do, and that is worth doing, not just a casual
>>>default for poor people (and people will make strenuous efforts not to
>>>appear poor).
>>>
>>>I certainly wouldn't advocate the increasing "formalisation" of
>>>cycling on
>>>these grounds and I do agree that if you start to feel that half a ton
>>>of
>>>kit is *necessary* it does put off more people than it attracts and
>>>should
>>>be resisted for that reason. But on the other hand, the flocks of
>>>flourescent cyclists who have recently appeared in london do sort of
>>>make me
>>>think "oh, that does look fun!".
>>>
>>>
>>>Martin Parkinson
>>>(www.parkinson.greenisp.org)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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