You can't change Britain one fuckwit at a time

You can't change Britain one fuckwit at a time

Search Twitter and you can easily find lots of tweets "I fucking hate cyclists in the middle of the road! I will run them over!" It's equally easy to argue with them.

Is it worth bothering to do so -except in the special case that the fuckwit is some sort of politician?

Because while it is easy to argue with the twats, it takes time. Time that could be better spent trying to have greater effect than argue with one single idiot. And at the end of a twitter spat, what makes you think the fuckwits two or three braincells have been rewired? Do they still hate cyclists in the middle of the road and those who give him a hard time on Twitter.

What to do instead?

Write letters to the local press. Don't waste time with bottom feeders, work at the top of the food chain.

Join your local cycling organisation (including the People's Cycling front of S Gloucs, but not the Popular cycling front of S Gloucs), and collaborate with others on key local cycling issues, usually:
why isn't the council doing anything to make cycling safer and appear to a broader portion of society. Along with: what are the incompetents in the planning department proposing that will actually make things worse -and how to stop them? That said: praise the council when they do good, help turn out for opening events to get into that local press, and don't turn up dressed like a bollard when you do.

If your local cycling group has a "1980s" view of what will help cycling to succeed: red paint and a magical critical mass of cyclists (hello: Hackney), raise the issue in the group and show how true dutch-style/copenhagen-style infrastructure can effect change. If that fails: be the Splitters!

If you have children at school identify like-minded parents then work with the school to make walking and cycling safer. Walking is a key focus point: if kids can't even walk safely to school, then cycling doesn't stand a chance. It is also likely to appeal to a broader set of parents.

Get to know your local councillors. And your MP, MEP, MSP. Try to talk to them. At the very least, get some letters showing their support or disdain for safer cycling infrastructure -and if they promise support, look for cash not words.

Focus on the infrastructure, the press, the planners and the politicians. Leave the fuckwits to their five followers.