Has Red Ken gone bonkers?

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 29 Jul 2006 18:03:10 +1000

cfsmtb said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis
imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't
care? Should it happen here too?

Theo! Paging Theo and his memory....

because bikes used to be registered a very long time ago.

Zebee

cfsmtb said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis
imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't
care? Should it happen here too?

*ducks*

Motoring: London mayor proposes number plates for bicycles
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=14973
28 Jul 06 13:14

Turning his attention from increased regulation and taxation of car
drivers, London mayor Ken Livingstone has proposed compulsory
registration and number plates for bicycles.

He told London radio station LBC yesterday: 'I'm now persuaded we
should actually say that bikes and their owners should be registered.
There should be a number plate on the back so that the ones breaking
the law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do
it.'

This comes after growing tensions between cyclists, drivers and
pedestrians in the capital, with many complaints of cyclists jumping
red lights or riding on the pavements. Livingstone said that he is
considering a private Bill to push the legislation through; he did not
say if cyclists would have to pay to register their bikes. It is
estimated that there are around 450,000 journeys by bike each day in
London, with the number of cyclists up 50% in the last five years.

Livingstone also said that he was looking to introduce 'jaywalking' as
an offence, as in the US. This would make crossing a road anywhere
other than a specified crossing, without a green light, illegal.

Are you suggesting he was ever sane?

Karen, who lived in London 10 years :0

--
"Sometimes I think I have a Guardian Idiot - a little invisible spirit just
behind my shoulder, looking out for me ... only he's an imbecile" - Jake Stonebender

"cfsmtb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis
imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't
care? Should it happen here too?

*ducks*

Motoring: London mayor proposes number plates for bicycles
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=14973
28 Jul 06 13:14

Turning his attention from increased regulation and taxation of car
drivers, London mayor Ken Livingstone has proposed compulsory
registration and number plates for bicycles.

He told London radio station LBC yesterday: 'I'm now persuaded we
should actually say that bikes and their owners should be registered.
There should be a number plate on the back so that the ones breaking
the law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do
it.'

This comes after growing tensions between cyclists, drivers and
pedestrians in the capital, with many complaints of cyclists jumping
red lights or riding on the pavements. Livingstone said that he is
considering a private Bill to push the legislation through; he did not
say if cyclists would have to pay to register their bikes. It is
estimated that there are around 450,000 journeys by bike each day in
London, with the number of cyclists up 50% in the last five years.

Livingstone also said that he was looking to introduce 'jaywalking' as
an offence, as in the US. This would make crossing a road anywhere
other than a specified crossing, without a green light, illegal.

--
cfsmtb

Sounds to me like the old....."less cars, more bikes...how can we make money
on this?" adage.

Theres been squeeling from all sides here in OZ as well in just about every
city about bikes being registered, making them more accountable but has been
pushed aside so far due to the administration hassle it would cause.
It'd be cheaper to get more cops out on bikes in the CBD's and infringe
those who flaunt the rules rather than stuff around with regos....then
brings another problem...would a 12 year old riding a BMX around the streets
have to be registered too or would they be exempt just like they are with
fishing licences and the poor average worker is the only ones to get
zapped....as there'll definately be exceptions made for
pensioners,Aboriginals and anyone else that doesn't fit in the average white
male or female worker/tax payers catagory.....I don't mean for this to sound
racist or anything else as that's not my aim, but that's the way it works
here in NSW.
Same with this compulsory helmet law,the cops won't touch a 12 yr old riding
his BMX with just a baseball cap on his head but will hassle anyone over 18
and fine them for not wearing a helmet
Oh yes, the insurance companies would find a way to convince the Government
to include 3rd party greenslips to cover the costs of injured pedestrians
being run over while they are Jaywalking.
If the current Jaywalking laws ever get policed in Sydney,the cops would be
filling one book every half hour.....aaahh paper work..don't ya just luv
it!!

DJ

cfsmtb said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis
imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't
care? Should it happen here too?

It would seem plenty think so, including one of the UK car bodies, the RAC:

Edmund King, of the RAC Foundation, said: "We need to encourage
cycling rather than put people off."

He suggested police community support officers should be used to
target a "small minority of lycra louts".
--
Cheers
Euan

cfsmtb said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't care? Should it happen here too?

*ducks*

[whoosh]

Gone bonkers? Seems as though there is no shortage of people willing to take away _other_ people's liberties. Registration of vehicles provides an incentive to comply with some road rules, but it doesn't stop people from being distracted, using their mobiles, opening doors without looking, failing right of way etc etc etc. This policy would do nothing to improve safety, whilst imposing an effective tax on a most suitable way of getting around a large city and costing the public in administering the thing.

As a public policy, it just isn't worth it.

R

On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 18:03:10 +1000, cfsmtb
<[email hidden]> wrote in aus.bicycle:

Quoted message said:

fer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis
imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't
care? Should it happen here too?

Red Ken, genius that he is, has floated some ideas which are the wrong
side of loopy but then that is why people love him. Wait and see if he
follows through with it.

Regards
Prickles

Timendi causa est nescire
This message only uses recycled electrons

ritcho remarked -

Quoted message said:

... whilst imposing an effective tax on a most suitable
way of getting around a large city....

Give the man the prize for identifying the real reason for this lunacy - not
hard to tax/regulate a group without political clout which might raise some
revenue and win some votes.

regards , Andrew

Andrew Price said:

Give the man the prize for identifying the real reason for this lunacy - not
hard to tax/regulate a group without political clout which might raise some
revenue and win some votes.

After doing some browsing of other ng's, this ploy by Livingstone seems to be just that. A stunt to possibly deflect criticism away from the third aniversairy of the London congestion tax, pull the rug out from under his political rivals who may have a anti-cyclist stance, and gain a few more votes in the process. The discussion will be brief, shrill and promptly forgotten. Sounds familar doesn't it? :p

cfsmtb said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis
imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't
care? Should it happen here too?

*ducks*

Motoring: London mayor proposes number plates for bicycles
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=14973
28 Jul 06 13:14

<snip>

Quoted message said:

He told London radio station LBC yesterday: 'I'm now persuaded we
should actually say that bikes and their owners should be registered.
There should be a number plate on the back so that the ones breaking
the law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do
it.'

<snip>

This is beautiful... when I reported a road rage incident, the cops gave
the guy a call, but he lied, denied it, and they took it no further.
Drivers take precedence, they are obviously more law abiding and likely
to tell the truth.

Registering cyclists is a wonderful way for car drivers to accuse us of
doing illegal things (even if they don't know what's legal and what's
not) and they will be believed over us. Hurrah. Oh well, if they do pass
that in London, and I head over there to visit people, I'll just have to
buy a shottie. "Don't like my cycling? I don't like your face."

Tam

Would these rego plates come in carbon fibre?

Tamyka Bell said:

cfsmtb said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the Landis
imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes? No? Don't
care? Should it happen here too?

*ducks*

Motoring: London mayor proposes number plates for bicycles
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=14973
28 Jul 06 13:14

<snip>

Quoted message said:

He told London radio station LBC yesterday: 'I'm now persuaded we
should actually say that bikes and their owners should be registered.
There should be a number plate on the back so that the ones breaking
the law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do
it.'

<snip>

This is beautiful... when I reported a road rage incident, the cops gave
the guy a call, but he lied, denied it, and they took it no further.
Drivers take precedence, they are obviously more law abiding and likely
to tell the truth.

Nothing to do with believing one party over the other. He said she said
is not going to stand up in court, with nothing better to go on why
should the Police waste their time?
--
Cheers
Euan

Zebee Johnstone said:

cfsmtb said:

Refer to article below, to momentarily taking your mind off the
Landis imbroglio. Bike rego, has Red Ken finally gone bonkers? Yes?
No? Don't care? Should it happen here too?

Theo! Paging Theo and his memory....

because bikes used to be registered a very long time ago.

Yup, I was cautioned once (in 1959) by the local Rozzers in Northam for
riding a unlicenced bicycle. Had to front to the local cop-shop and pay my
2/6. For that I got a new plate with "this year's colour". You could attach
the plate either to the top rail or to the back of the seat. If you kept the
plate for seven years the colour would be the same again, unfortunately they
were made of good steel and rusted away in less than two years. WA gave it
up circa 1962 due to the cost far exceeding the revenue.

Theo

Would it be worth stealing someones plates for a ram raid of the local bakery??

Of course the beauty of registering cyclists (apart from all the money
that the government would loose in doing so) is that all of a sudden
there would be a massive number of cycle registrations and more reason
for them have to spend more time and effort planning facilities.
Remember that there are more bikes than cars sold every year.

I'd have to register 4 bikes.

PiledHigher

In aus.bicycle on 31 Jul 2006 21:53:23 -0700

PiledHigher said:

I'd have to register 4 bikes.

But will they decide on different rego classes?

"That MTB has an environment levy on it, that roadbike has to have
special plates so we can be sure the speed cameras get you, and that
shopping trolley is over the weight limit, so there's another 10% road
tax".

You know they'll want to....

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

But will they decide on different rego classes?

"That MTB has an environment levy on it, that roadbike has to have
special plates so we can be sure the speed cameras get you, and that
shopping trolley is over the weight limit, so there's another 10% road
tax".

Bollox. Don't even waste time thinking about it.

--
Frank
[email hidden]
Drop DACKS to reply
"Zebee Johnstone" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In aus.bicycle on 31 Jul 2006 21:53:23 -0700

PiledHigher said:

I'd have to register 4 bikes.

But will they decide on different rego classes?

"That MTB has an environment levy on it, that roadbike has to have
special plates so we can be sure the speed cameras get you, and that
shopping trolley is over the weight limit, so there's another 10% road
tax".

You know they'll want to....

Zebee

Shhhh! You're giving them ideas!

me

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on 31 Jul 2006 21:53:23 -0700

PiledHigher said:

I'd have to register 4 bikes.

But will they decide on different rego classes?

And what about the pensioner discounts?
They will each get free rego.

Quoted message said:

"That MTB has an environment levy on it, that roadbike has to have
special plates so we can be sure the speed cameras get you, and that
shopping trolley is over the weight limit, so there's another 10% road
tax".

I want to see the coding that excludes exercise bikes.

Quoted message said:

You know they'll want to....

Not when people keep pointing out that this will affect EVERY voter.

In aus.bicycle on Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:50:24 +1000

Terryc said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

"That MTB has an environment levy on it, that roadbike has to have
special plates so we can be sure the speed cameras get you, and that
shopping trolley is over the weight limit, so there's another 10% road
tax".

I want to see the coding that excludes exercise bikes.

"don't have to have the special speed camera plates, but I'm afraid
you *definitely* exceed the weight limit."

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You know they'll want to....

Not when people keep pointing out that this will affect EVERY voter.

NOt every voter. Considering the number of bods here with more than
one bicycle... Someone has to have the bogan driver share after all.

Zebee