General Chat

Pablo, you failed to mention that the cyclist was on the pavement, and the girl (and her parents) had crossed the road and the girl was stepping onto the pavement and heading for a shop, The last thing anyone expected was a cyclist on the pavement!!!

I used to cycle a lot around Portsmouth/Southsea and later on when we lived just outside a village, and had to cycle the children to school 2 miles away.
I NEVER cycled on the pavement - neither did my children. If the traffic got a bit 'hairy' we would dismount and walk - with the bike on the road!!
Now I am a pedestrian and get really peed off by cyclists riding their bikes on the pavement - especially if they're adult and going fast.

As for going the wrong way down one-way streets, I'm sure I heard some politician suggest this should be allowed. They can join the car drivers who think going backwards (facing the right way) down a one-way street is acceptable!!

Pity the poor pedestrian.

lol

thats what we need, more taxation!

I think thyey should tax people on how much light they get into their houses as well. Oh, and on how many fires they have (another green tax) and why not on the amount of air we breath?

Just think of all the lovely wars we could finance with that lot!

pleased those who think tax or insurance for cyclists are 'lol' so being killed by a a twit on a bike is okay then? oh yes I forgot the community service they might get tsk

since when have taxes been used to punish people who havent done anything for the sins of others?

What a good idea that is. why stop at cyclists?

I'm afraid no amout of taxation would cater for this particular idiot. In this court case, it seems the law itself was on trial.

Perhaps we should just lock up cyclists who decide to deliberately mow people down and cause their deaths...I think so!

Im missing your point - I thought this thread was about taxing cyclists.......not punishing those who transgress.......which is a different topic altogether.

I dont think taxation can be used as a punishment - it then would become a fine. And in this country, at least for now, everyone has a right to a trial before they are punished - unless you are being held by the immigration service that is.....

So I don't really see where taxation and punishment can be related to each other....especially to be punished before you have actually done anything...

I think its really quite simple Eldrick, like so many threads on GR this one has wondered off its original path - but I understand what you are saying.

I've read through this thread with much interest and could comment at great length about all your thoughts. One thing that I notice hasn't been mentioned is "children on bikes". How would we view this subject. Should they be taxed/insured, etc.? How would it be policed?

We have two kids, both are using their bikes now that we cannot afford to use the car to get them to school. They are both at primary school and have a 4-mile round trip - a 4-mile round trip twice a day for whoever is taking them to and from school that day. Would this mean that we, as a family, would have to pay 4 times? Would that then mean that in fact it would be cheaper to return to the car?

Gosh, I am getting a palpitations and hyperventilating just thinking about it.

Right I will start another thread