City where cyclists are up a cul de sac
While a few gardaí carry out their business on bikes, one of the main reasons they never seem to dismount is the likelihood that the bike would disappear.
There is half a bike lane thrown down on the road at the top of Donnybrook Hill and another on the pedestrian bridge spanning the Wilton bridge.
There are a few others here and there, but mostly they don’t exist.
At the few bike-locking stalls on Patrick Street you will usually find one or two kicked in.
Despite all the verbal waste that pours out of City Hall, encouraging cycling is a complete non-issue.
One of the first priorities of any new mayor of the city is to acquire the first registered car of the year.
And other than being a big orange banner-fest, Cork 2005 took the form of a people carrier with 05 registration plates.
The general attitude seems to be ‘two wheels good, four wheels faster.’
It ain’t necessarily so, especially if you think of any particular cityscape and the upheaval transport causes.
In spite of this we have in Ireland a massive collective resistance to cycling.
For a long mile yet, in Cork and other Irish cities, bicycles will be a far distant second to the combustion engine.
Finally, I hope that the person or persons who ‘procured’ an old, grey mountain bike belonging to me is bleedin’ usin’ it.
JJ O’Donoghue
12 Calderwood Heights
Donnybrook
Douglas
Cork
