Kind of technical - travel advice from you southern folk please

[Spawnsy]

We're all the same. It's fine for me to squeeze through those lights too, go faster than the limit and put off replacing that bulb in the car, but when a cyclist does or doesn't do stuff they're just the worst, and criminals. Motorists need to calm themselves down on the subject.

[0verzeal0us]

You know what the worst thing about cyclists is? Spandex

[Spawnsy]

People in spandex are out for a long ride. Shorts aren't an option because they rub. If you're doing any decent time or distance you need skin tight clothing. Those people are more likely to know and obey the rules of the road, although drivers won't accept riding two abreast if they know it's allowed in the rules or not.

[ProvokedPrawn]

Lack of cycle lanes is the real problem

[0verzeal0us]

They're currently constructing this at the moment:

More info

[Spawnsy]

What a fucking terrible idea. All that's going to do is choke traffic.

[0verzeal0us]

Most of the things Cambridge City council do just causes congestion.
#
We have "floating" bus stops everywhere.

[Spawnsy]

This is the human species's major problem. Our economies and existence are based on growth. Without *more* all the time our societies go into decline. More people paying in to the systems to create more profit means we need more fuel, houses, cars, roads, facilities, land for food production and everything else. Obviously some of those are counter to one another. Until we move from growth to sustainability as an ethos we're doomed. Our major and most immediate failing in the UK imo is failure to invest in infrastructure. Our public transport systems are woeful and expensive, discouraging people from using them. We can't demolish and redesign entire cities to create better road systems so we're stuck with only one option, move as many people as possible onto public transport. What is our government doing about it? Privatisation was supposed to be the answer. Crap. It's not even particularly profitable. Redesigning roads to better accommodate buses and bikes makes sense, but without affordable, reliable buses with extensive coverage which people love to use it only makes the problem worse. It's half a solution, which is no solution at all.

[0verzeal0us]

I completely agree. I’d like to cut down on my fuel usage by using the train, however, I worked out how much fuel I use on average in any given year and a season ticket would cost more than that (and some).

[BillBailey]

Love the way this thread has gone from someone asking for advice on travelling south, too a discussion on public transport.