To think that people that drive diesel cars know that they're killing children

[dieselKiller]

Diesel cars are destroying our towns and villages. The health effects on kids are particularly bad. People must know this by now. So AIBU to think that people who drive diesel cars know that they're killing kids (and everyone really)?

It's like smoking: it's not possible to smoke in public without affecting others' health. This seems to have been accepted by most people. What makes diesel different?

Curry ' 100% agree with that. But that's not what rebecca said. She said she hates all cyclists regardless. That's pretty offensive stuff

But realistically, who can carry the can, other than the consumer? In the absence of malfeasance, there's no liability - no liability, no recourse.

Which is why you need better, more complete and thoughtful regulatory or tax signals from the outset to avoid those issues from the outset. Because consumers won’t respond well to picking up the bill for poorly thought out, narrowly focused regulation.

The counterpoint is energy using products where regulation has had a big impact on energy demand, carbon emissions and energy bills without the end users really being aware of the fact.

Have you seen what the cycle lane has done to traffic on the embankment? Turned it from a free flowing 4 lane road to a nightmare. And the cyclists all blithely ignore it because it's "fucking optional", as I quoted upthread.

Have you ever seen how many cars squeeze through a traffic light when 20 cyclists have all jostled for position at the front? 1 or 2, tops. Cyclists who think they are reducing congestion are plain deluded.

Walk, if you want to help the environment without pissing off everyone else!

No, lethal. I didn't.

I said, I hate city cyclists. They are a certain breed. And not a nice one. I see far far too many of them.

Country cyclists, fine. I even do it myself sometimes when I'm up north or down in Cornwall, although I don't go on main roads because I feel self conscious about holding up a string of cars.

I'm a city cyclist from time to time. I use cycle lanes because they are safer. I am a nice person but apparently you hate me. In my time I've been mugged, sexually assaulted, run over, you name it - but I never ever blame the group as a whole for perpetrating those acts or crimes - be it men (sexual assault ) - car drivers (being run over ) - because that would just be illogical. And for someone who wrote on another thread (about racism) - 'don't mistake the fanatic for the whole ' - are you not doing the same to city cyclists as a group? !

Nope. Because the minute you get off that terrible machine I don't hate you any more.

I'm not prepared to take the risk of stepping onto a crossing to see whether you're going to be a decent cyclist or a shit one as I've witnessed too many near misses from Lycra clad sweat balls. A couple of months ago I saw 2 women have to jump back and fall over when a cyclist shot straight at them on a zebra crossing; one clocked her head on the kerb.

You only have to google "bad cycling" to see a million people posting similar tales.

However a friend of mine did have a good one - crossing the road at a zebra crossing after a game of squash, he enthusiastically reenacted a winning backhand shot with his racquet - and unknowingly smacked a cyclist who thought he was too good to wait for an ordinary person to exercise his legal right of way. THAT I would have enjoyed!

And yet most road deaths are caused by the motor vehicle!

Right but this thread is about cyclists.

Saying "wah but some drivers are shitter than cyclists" isn't an answer to crap cycling!

"Have you seen what the cycle lane has done to traffic on the embankment? Turned it from a free flowing 4 lane road to a nightmare."

I believe this is the actual intent of much traffic planning right now. You're supposed to feel miserable to drive you out of the car and onto public transport.

If we are going to be all hyperbolic about it, then in order to truly save the planet and ensure children in the future won’t die horribly through famine etc, we need to start kiling more of them now.

The way the population is spiralling out of control is truly terrifying when you look at the figures. It’s completely unsustainable.

So get those Diesel engines revving and take a few more of them out. Or we could stop having so many of them I suppose.

It is quite amusing that the one Mum at the school gates who can often be heard lecturing loudly about fumes, the environment and pollution is the one with five dc.

(Disclaimer: I have two children myself so have happily contributed to the demise of the planet. I know they say that we should cancel them out when dh and I die but...

If they have two children each, and then those two children have two each, and then those two children have two each....)

I'd rather be hit by a cyclist than a car. (And the cyclist hasn't made me choke, or buggered up anyone's lungs, before they hit me.)

Do i like aggressively-riding cyclists? No, of course not. Extra hard glares especially for the ones that think a red light is optional at a pedestrian crossing, causing to make a leap back that I am physically ill-equipped for. But I'd rather have 100 arsey cyclists than one arsey car driver.

(I do not currently drive, as I have already said on this thread, and I cannot ride a bicycle at all.)

Whisky - and yet the public transport is also shocking. I feel sorry for my friends who use south eastern trains at least once a week!

Rebecca - but surely you are saying 'wah all cyclists are mean'! - it's simply not true - it lacks reason

I believe this is the actual intent of much traffic planning right now. You're supposed to feel miserable to drive you out of the car and onto public transport.

That's a really bad strategy, surely idling traffic is far worse for air quality than free-flowing traffic. Far better to increase the congestion charge.

I absolutely love the congestion charge.

Ah but lethal - it IS true.

Years and years and years of avoiding and putting up with the bastards tells me that!

Also, I feel pretty certain it's been proven, or could be proven, that irritated people drive far more erratically. This is a twofold problem (air quality, safety).

Ebikes will have a roll to play.

Any conversation I've ever had with "diesel" car owners about VW, corruption, health, dirty fuel, whatever .... they start banging on about the £1.75 they've saved this year by having this shit fuel.

My £30 a year road tax little diesel car emits less emissions than most of my petrol owning family and friends and its not pre 2006, if you read most articles on the dangers of diesels it also mentions older petrol vehicles. You really need to do your homework before making such bold statements.

Well, it looks as though the OP has got enough material for her article now as she hadn't been back.

Get a reality check. The newest diesels are very "clean" and economical. Mine practically runs on air. Older diesels and Volkswagen lying about some stats does not make all diesels bad.

Surely if I am killing people by driving a diesel then that is stopping those people from doing all sorts of things that would have mucked up the environment. It must balance out.

Mine practically runs on air

Have they improved a great deal recently?

Yes diesels have improveed. Many newer diesels are better than older petrol cars. My parents have a new diesel that is Euro 6. They do long journeys and can drive wherever they like in France.Are all petrol cars in Euro 6? I think not. It is second only to an electric car but when you take into account the lithium mined from deepest Congo and China which is then shipped across the world and also the generators running to make the power for electric cars one wonders how much is in the difference between a Euro 6 and 7.

I was interested to read that brands vary too. Some brands are far more environmentally unfriendly than others.

It's not a case of all diesels are worse than all petrol cars. This has been mentioned several times but many are choosing to ignore it.