bikes

Welcome to the launch of  'cycling to Bohemia'  In the days before 'social media,' authors pleaded with their publishers to host a book launch, usually at a local bookstore. The publishers stumped up a few bottles of wine and some finger food and organised a fellow author to say something encouraging about the newly-released book. It gave old friends a chance to catch up over a glass of wine and perhaps buy the author's book. Everyone was a winner - free grog and book sales! Now, books can be produced and published electronically, without the author ever having to leave his/her study. So many people are omitted in this process - editor, designer, proofreader, publisher, distributor, salesperson.  I'm well aware of the dangers of this new world. There is no wise voice suggesting to the author that perhaps he/she needs to rethink Chapter Ten. No-one to say, 'do you really believe people want to read about you washing your cycling knicks in the hotel sink?'...

When an entitled white middle-class person meets an uncouth lawbreaker, the outcome is frequently the same. Lawbreaker swears and walks away. WMCP writes a column in a newspaper calling for the restriction of liberty , so WMCP can go on feeling all smug and secure.       Hello Elizabeth Farrelly. I understand you were abused by a person riding a bicycle illegally on the footpath. I�m sorry to hear that. But I can�t understand why this abuse leads you to suggest that we should register bicycles. Yes, if registered, you could have reported his number to the police, but I doubt that would have achieved much. Police usually need more evidence than a finger-pointing pedestrian saying, �Officer, arrest that man!� And how often have you reported red-light running cars when you�re out on your morning walk? How often have you confronted pedestrians who cross illegally?         When a journalist such as yourself, interested in town planning and architecture, wri...