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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 15m

Or, to paraphrase the urbanist slogan, we ask pedestrians to be vigilant and safe precisely so that people in cars can be careless and unsafe. Even when these might be the same person - all drivers are pedestrians at some point - the addition of the motorised metal box makes all the difference.

Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 19m

So a pedestrian can enter a situation committed to the idea that responsibility is shared and act accordingly. But there are 1000s of people driving around in cars who believe the same thing yet act recklessly because of it, in spite of the fact that the outcome will ALWAYS be unequal.

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 20m

In my local area, for instance, when someone driving far too fast nearly clipped my son with his mirror and I called them out on it, his response was simply that we "shouldn't be walking here". That response has absolutely no basis in law.

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 20m

What I think the OP is getting at, is the way that this idea of shared responsibility has gone too far the other way, in that it actively allows people who have higher capacity to harm to behave more recklessly, because they feel they have a defense that responsibility is shared.

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 23m

very little impact on them, but has a catastrophic impact for me as the pedestrian. Why would you think responsibility is somehow shared or even equal when there are so many contexts where it is obvious that the person in the large metal vehicle should bear more responsibility given risk of harm?

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 23m

I'm interested to know whether you think the approach that we have actually works, though, given that the capacity to harm is so unequal between different road users. A case in point: near my house there are lanes with no pavement. If an SUV passes me too close and too fast this will have...

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 6h

So the bus driver has no obligation here?

I mean I think it's worth noting that your "everyone must take responsibility for themselves" position is precisely the opposite of how most countries treat this issue with their laws and guidance (eg UK highway code).

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 14h

"Regardless of who is walking and who's driving what".

Presumably this means I can no longer have a few beers and then walk home, because my responsibility for the safety of myself and those around me is - by your logic - equal to that of anyone else on the road?

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 15h

It's mind-bogglingly bad isn't it. I also can't understand how a temporary bridge would be so difficult? None of them need to be particularly big/long, neither do they need to carry heavy vehicles or equipment.

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Reposted by Lawrence Davies

Momentum Magazine @momentummag.bsky.social · 15h

The Paris study’s findings show that targeted cycling policies, such as building dedicated lanes and improving bike parking, were major contributors to the rise in ridership. But equally important were measures that discouraged car use.
momentummag.com/new-study-pa...

New Study Shows How Paris Pedaled Its Way to a Cycling Revolution

Cycling through central Paris meant weaving between buses and scooters—a bold choice reserved for the fearless few.

momentummag.com

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 23h

Interesting use of omafiets on the front cover!

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

Only 10?

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

I often write all sorts of bits and then spend some time "reconstructing" a plan or structure when I get stuck. In fact I'm procrastinating from this very activity right now...

Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

A little heavier and a little faster, yes. Let's say 35-40kg bike plus a legal maximum of 25km/hr.

Still nothing compared to 2500+kg vehicle at speeds of 40, 50, or even 60km/hr in urban areas.

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

That 2500 words will, of course, generate far more words in future, and probably at a faster rate. But the unevenness between effort and outcome is always challenging.

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

On topics that have percolated through my brain for a long time I have happily churned out 9000 words in barely a week. But for rather newer topcs/ideas/areas of interest it can take weeks to develop enough understanding to write barely 2500 words.

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

One of the hardest things about academic writing is the way that the amount of preparation and thinking needed does not strictly correlate to the word count of what you might need to write.

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Reposted by Lawrence Davies

elia ayoub 🌱 @ayoub.bsky.social · 1d

As a lifelong hate-watcher of #BBCQT it's been incredible to see the tone shift in last night's prog with @zackpolanski.bsky.social on. It should have never been that hard to call for common sense - and actually popular - policies. Someone is actually doing it.

Quick 🧵

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

which tax cuts?

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Reposted by Lawrence Davies

Green Elects @greenelects.world · 1d

⭐️ @greenparty.org.uk polling on 15%, @zackpolanski.bsky.social appearing on Question Time, membership figures skyrocketing towards 100,000 and beyond...

It's been a great day for greens and the wider left. The future is bright. Goodnight everyone! 💚

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

Calling them fascist is increasingly looking like a statement of fact though, no?

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Reposted by Lawrence Davies

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 1d

The Nobel Peace Prize committee's decision to honour someone who has tirelessly campaigned against dictatorship is both worthwhile and welcome, and objectively very funny.

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Reposted by Lawrence Davies

Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 1d

EXTREMELY COOL BAT STUFF: A study out in Science today found that the greater noctule bat, Europe's largest, hunts and catches *migrating birds* while in flight. In at least one case, a bat climbed to more than 1200 feet, then chased a robin downward FAST until it caught it near the ground.

Greater noctule bats prey on and consume passerines in flight

Despite billions of passerines seasonally migrating during the night at high altitudes, only three bat species have been found to consistently tap into this rich prey resource. However, it remains unk...

www.science.org

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

Do they even have email addresses?

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Lawrence Davies @andrenascotica.bsky.social · 1d

Trying to push a pushchair through a 1920s suburban housing estate. Cars all over the pavements, nobody observing the 20mph limits, and those wide junctions that mean cars barely slow down when turning in - and certainly not to let you cross.

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