3 ms·

I don't think it is a question of identity - I think it is plain selfishness and thoughtlessness. The way such behaviour was eradicated in car driving was deca

I don't think it is a question of identity - I think it is plain selfishness and thoughtlessness. The way such behaviour was eradicated in car driving was decades long campaigns to make such behaviour socially unacceptable plus the stick of fines and traffic enforcement. Yes it would be great if cycling becomes normalised and better infrastructure is laid down - but in my view if we waved a magic wand and we had 10x more cyclists tomorrow, then we would have 10x more people behaving as recklessly - there may be some social pressure applied but it's hard to see how whizzing past at 12 mph. Ps I did see someone take this into their own hands and I wish I had got his name - he was cycling along with a megaphone in his hand - and when a pair of idiots whizzed through the lights he was stationary at he raised the megaphone and in the middle of London's rush hour bellowed out "Yes, I'm colour blind too, let's all run red lights!" Now if everyone did that we would have no need for license plates.

jacquesm 7y ago
License plates will make exactly zero difference.
- lifeisstillgood 7y ago
  I am not so convinced. It's a Good Thing that this is becoming a problem - more cyclists, more dedicated lanes. This is all positive. The fact that we are now seeing cycle traffic jams and cyclists who are a danger to other road users is also a positive - it means we are becoming a significant presence on roads. This also means we need to be treated like all other road users as well. And so fines are likely to modify behaviour. I would say that plates and fines would be part of a wider campaign to reduce the worst behaviour but I still argue it would be a huge positive to treat cycles like other dangerous fast moving transports.
  - jacquesm 7y ago
    I drive regularly through Amsterdam, also during the rush hour, have never seen a 'cyclist traffic jam' nor cyclists being a danger to other road users to the extent that a hit-and-run would require a license plate. I've also biked in lots of other places besides here locally. License plates for vehicles serve the dual purpose of identification of the owner and taxation. And it makes some sense because the damage a vehicle can do is substantially higher than the damage that a cyclist can do. I draw the line at scooters, they are twice as fast as cyclists; weigh three to five times as much and are typically driven by people who really don't care who lives or dies on the road and are a major cause of injury and death for other unprotected users of the road, such as cyclists and pedestrians. Accidents between pedestrians and cyclists, especially in the city are very rare and usually do not result in grave injury, on top of that the need to ID the rider is absent because likely the cyclist will fall to the ground in any accident where there is risk of injury to others. Finally, cyclists do not carry mandatory insurance, as is the case with scooters, e-bikes, mopeds, motorcycles and cars. The speeds and masses are higher that the legislator has recognized the potential for damage to property and other participants to an extent that normal liability insurance no longer is sufficient. License plates for cyclists is a solution in search of a problem.

jacquesm 7y ago

License plates will make exactly zero difference.

lifeisstillgood 7y ago
I am not so convinced. It's a Good Thing that this is becoming a problem - more cyclists, more dedicated lanes. This is all positive. The fact that we are now seeing cycle traffic jams and cyclists who are a danger to other road users is also a positive - it means we are becoming a significant presence on roads. This also means we need to be treated like all other road users as well. And so fines are likely to modify behaviour. I would say that plates and fines would be part of a wider campaign to reduce the worst behaviour but I still argue it would be a huge positive to treat cycles like other dangerous fast moving transports.
- jacquesm 7y ago
  I drive regularly through Amsterdam, also during the rush hour, have never seen a 'cyclist traffic jam' nor cyclists being a danger to other road users to the extent that a hit-and-run would require a license plate. I've also biked in lots of other places besides here locally. License plates for vehicles serve the dual purpose of identification of the owner and taxation. And it makes some sense because the damage a vehicle can do is substantially higher than the damage that a cyclist can do. I draw the line at scooters, they are twice as fast as cyclists; weigh three to five times as much and are typically driven by people who really don't care who lives or dies on the road and are a major cause of injury and death for other unprotected users of the road, such as cyclists and pedestrians. Accidents between pedestrians and cyclists, especially in the city are very rare and usually do not result in grave injury, on top of that the need to ID the rider is absent because likely the cyclist will fall to the ground in any accident where there is risk of injury to others. Finally, cyclists do not carry mandatory insurance, as is the case with scooters, e-bikes, mopeds, motorcycles and cars. The speeds and masses are higher that the legislator has recognized the potential for damage to property and other participants to an extent that normal liability insurance no longer is sufficient. License plates for cyclists is a solution in search of a problem.