Bike licences call for Birmingham and the West Midlands

Rememebr the name Sion Simon - for it is he behind this nonsense - when it comes to the next election

There is of course something very good coming out of the West Midlands, namely close passing policing - see https://rdrf.org.uk/2016/11/22/a-new-dawn-in-policing-to-prevent-danger-....

There is no point in engaging in rational argument with the kind of scapegoating, red herring trailing, victim blaming bigots. Oh alright, you do have to give a rational argument - but don't expect it to get you anywhere, because the people you are up against aren't interested in rational, logical discussion.

Might understand why it is I hate cycling in Birmingham.  The earlier on a Saturday morning I get out past the city boundary the happier I am, and I switched jobs to work in a nearby town rather than trying to commute by bike surrounded by those homicidal halfwits.

As for the local rag, it's interesting to note that out of all the sensible (and not so sensible) suggestions, this is the one that the Birmingham Mail picked to lead their article with. 

This sorry fact might have made a more  interesting article for road c.c.

'Making riders carry licence plate is high on voters' wishlist in upcoming mayoral elections...'

Is it? As per 'lessismore' above, this barmy idea seems to be one suggestion (among several contradictory ones) from someone who obviously hasn't thought it all through very well. There is no link to, or indeed mention of, how many WM residents support the suggestion. I have read the linked news report and the 'peoplesplan' site, and the hordes of pitchfork weilding anti-cyclists are nowhere in evidence.

Be careful how you report on things like this. I think you may be in danger of giving the oxygen of publicity to something that really needs to be starved of it.

Build the actually useful network of cycle lanes first, then we'll talk about licencing. Since the former will never happen, the latter becomes irrelevant.

Various continental countries used to apply taxes and registration plates to bicycles (1-3), but abandoned them as irrelevant, pointless bureaucracy. Their introduction in the UK could be a way of demonstrating how Breixt frees us from continental tyranny, allowing us to take back control and implement as many pointless laws as we like. If properly enforced it could create a myriad of petty bureacratic jobs for Brexit voters, as bicycle tax clerks, bicycle tax inspectors, bicycle plate manufacturers, etc.

(1) Switzerland: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velovignette

(2) Belgium: http://plaque.free.fr/eur/b/b_v.html

(3) France: http://plaque.free.fr/f_v.html

Birmingham is a hell hole for speeding drivers, uninsured drivers, anti-social drivers. They make pedestrians and cyclists' lives a misery. Start with the biggest problem, I say. 

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Actually, changed my mind about this. Reckon it's pretty cool. We can display our licences Pro style like so 

Nice - and we are to remove our rear facing lights to fit it?

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Ironically, I find that the type of  person who suggests things like licensing and refers to cyclists as a menace (presumably in reference to the third meaning of the word, listed below), are aptly described by the second meaning!

From dictionary.com;

— noun 

1.something that threatens to cause evil, harm, injury, etc.; a threat: Air pollution is a menace to health. 
2.a person whose actions, attitudes, or ideas are considered dangerous or harmful: When he gets behind the wheel of a car, he's a real menace. 
3.an extremely annoying person.

I have found in life that the real meaning of "Menace" is:

Someone doing something, and not being miserable while doing it.

And who the fook do they think is actually going to pay for, administer and enforce this madcap policy affecting millions of bicycles?

It would be like the old dog licencing system- totally impractical and unworkable so it was scrapped.

Do they seriously think the heroin addict hobbling home on his rusty MTB from the chemists with his methadone prescription is ever going to properly licence his bike? He hasn't even got any brakes on the damn thing. And no-one really cares about that or does anything about it ,least of all him. And quite rightly so, as there are bigger ills in our society.

Anyway it seems we ,as cyclists, continue to upset and irritate all the bigotted,lazy,bloated and arrogant Daily Mail readers out there , the like of whom will be demanding this sort of legislation.

So at least we are still serving one useful purpose in society.

So much stupid.

In the Trial by Franz Kafka K is asked for proof of his identity when he is arrested initially and all he can find is his bicycle licence. If you've read the book, you'll understand the irony with regard to the calls for bicycle licences in Birmingham.

Hahahaha... oh, they're serious? Surely my driving license would automatically qualify as a higher level of license? 

If it doesn't then that's a little worrying in terms of what drivers are actually licensed for. One day people might start to realise that cyclists are A) people too, and B) a large number of them are also drivers.

Actually, changed my mind about this. Reckon it's pretty cool. We can display our licences Pro style like so 

So on the one hand we have a mod of transport which the minute you turn the key in the ignition you contribute to 50,000 premature deaths. That's before they drive there 2 ton metal box in you and cause 24000 deaths and serious injuries a year.

On the other hand we have cyclists, who don't do any of that but there the menace. 

What does that make motorists on that sliding scale, the third reich, Isis? 

Never under estimate craziness of the great unwashed Brexit voting morons. 

Ironically, I find that the type of  person who suggests things like licensing and refers to cyclists as a menace (presumably in reference to the third meaning of the word, listed below), are aptly described by the second meaning!

From dictionary.com;

— noun 

1.something that threatens to cause evil, harm, injury, etc.; a threat: Air pollution is a menace to health. 
2.a person whose actions, attitudes, or ideas are considered dangerous or harmful: When he gets behind the wheel of a car, he's a real menace. 
3.an extremely annoying person. 

councils are broke, and cutting everything, so how are they even expected to fund this, and it's not like it can be enforced, as it's not like the DVLA, DofT, and even police, would want to go through the hassle, and as with everything you want more people on bikes, instead of scaring them off, back to their cars poluting everywhere, and causing traffic jams.

CORRECTION

A suggestion scheme ahead of May’s first-ever West Midlands mayoral election this May has found that a local resident would like the successful candidate to introduce a bicycle licence – “to stop cyclists being a menace on the roads.”

His name is James https://westmids.peoplesplan.co.uk/users/James

Slow news day?

So they say I need a licence to pay for the bike lane you want to force me to use so I am out of your way? No thanks, I'll ride on the road I paid for through direct taxation that connects to the other roads and doesn't end in a railing with a Cyclists Dismount sign on it.

lols......idiots

Hang on...

Motons are complaining about cyclists becoming a menace on the roads.

If the trade-off of licensing cyclists will be an entirely new network, purely for cyclists, to keep cyclists off the road...

WTF is the point of the licence?