11.07.2020 Danish cycle lane? Don't be daft! It's serial landfill!

~~

Saturday 11th 53-65F, bright sunshine but cloud promised. A very large, brown, bird of prey has just landed on top of a building in the garden. I tried to snap it with my camera but it saw my movement at the window and flew off.

I enjoyed an afternoon walk around the block. With just enough wind to keep me cool. Then I shovelled gravel for an hour.

Mayors of Danish regions are doubtful about the the government's [empty] plans for extending the cycling network. I suppose it makes minor headlines in the absence of any other commitment to reducing Denmark's mass production of CO2 [slightly] by 2930.

A once in a lifetime chance to get people out of their cars? Yeah, right! Let's spend the money on Danish designer furniture, Danish modern daubs and refitting slaver's palaces to make them suitable for local government employees private offices.

Cycling deaths continue to rise  [in <cough> "cycling friendly" Denmark] as driver deaths drop. The problem is always the very low priority of public money for cycle paths. Many of which have been designed and approved for building but have lain completely dormant in the pipeline for years. This despite the intended routes [or, more often, mere painted lines] being on particularly dangerous stretches of busy main roads.

So, yet again, it's move along please! Nothing to see here. Just another empty grab at thin, hot air. Compared to the Dutch approach to cycling, Denmark looks very 3rd world!

Even legacy cycle paths are never swept. Certainly never repaired. I have ridden for tens of thousands of miles beside absolutely, pristine roads. As smooth as billiard tables after the latest addition of flawless asphalt. As I had to weave continuously to avoid the debris swept constantly onto the marked off [piss poor relation] cycle lane in the gutter.

Very often a road was resurfaced to perfection. While the ragged edge of overflowing asphalt was left completely untouched in the cycle lane. Now that is serious and deliberate ignorance on behalf of the workers, their own supervisors and the [registered blind] local council overseers.

Leaves, twigs and whole branches fall on the cycle network and remain until they rot. Or are eventually washed away by the rain. Gravel, stones, scrap metal and thick mud are just left to erode over time. Agricultural vehicles routinely and illegally use the cycle lane. It is all so commonplace as to pass completely unnoticed by illegally speeding, often-subsidized drivers.

Not so much a Danish cycling network as Danish, serial landfill! Never mind the lying, politicooze mouthpiece. Listen to the cyclists. You want proof? Just use Google Earth Street View to look at the painted-off cycle lanes on the Nyborg to Odense main road. Much of it unrideable without a suspension mountain bike.

Or the Fåborg road from Assens and Hårby. Often they couldn't even be arsed to spread the perfect asphalt another meter wider to cover the cycle lanes. 90% of the time the ancient, dashed white lines are crumbling and as lumpy as hell. What about the countless sunken drain covers in the middle of the cycle lanes? Even when they do resurface the cycle lanes they are too bloody lazy to do the drains as well.

What about all the cycle lanes which suddenly come to an end? Pushing cyclists straight out into the speeding traffic lane. Where the danger is coming from behind where the cyclists are completely blind! Just like most drivers.

Talking of which: Why aren't completely blind, rural corners given a painted off lane to protect pedestrians and cyclists alike? Instead of just providing yet more asphalt for the 100% of speeding drivers taking a "racing line?" It is no wonder you never see pedestrians walking out in the countryside! Except for me of course. Taking my life in my hands every single time I venture beyond the end of the drive. 

You want to hear the perfect irony? The Danish news has been recounting how an English speaking asphalt worker is offering to do people's drives on the chap with leftovers from the roads. What a shame he doesn't offer to resurface the cycle paths for the local councils on the cheap. Now that would be perfect irony!

As for the new government emphasis on cycling? The same old, same old, lying crap as last time.

~~