There is a strange parallel between the nearmiss-o-meter project and the UK's EU 'referendum'. Bear with me.
The nearmiss-o-meter project has been a great education for me. I've (re)learnt about electronic circuits, sound, Arduino, designing PCBs, 3D printing, how bad I am at soldering small things... The list is huge.
But would you like to know what the biggest education has been?
People's reaction to it. In a strange foretelling of the EU referendum, after describing its function, the first response of far too many people has been to spew vitriol that has absolutely no basis in fact.
Shocked? A little. Disappointed? Absolutely. Some of these people I've known a long time (and used to respect their opinions).
So why do people on bikes or the question of whether or not the EU is a good thing engender such a responses?
Our transport infrastructure systematically prioritises motor vehicles. Successive governments have chosen to make us dependent upon the most inefficient form of transport. This is a deliberate political choice. The question has to be asked, why is our government not working for the greater good?
Similarly, successive government policies have ensured our economy will benefit a few in the short term, but with little regard for the damage it causes to the fabric of our society. Middle incomes are barely affected, but while wealth at the top is still growing during a time of alleged 'austerity', the numbers of children living in poverty grows alarmingly.
These are political choices. As history shows us, the economy will be the economy, the only difference politics makes is the distribution of wealth.
So when a 'cyclists' holds up a 'driver' for a few seconds, they become the scapegoat for a politically chosen transport infrastructure that will never deliver on its promises.
The answer to any question regarding urban mobility is never:
"Add more cars"Yet that is the default response from politicians desperate to remain in power.
We have become a society where the death of a person on our roads results in a few points on your licence.
This is normal. The police, CPS, judges and juries feel empathy with the driver, not with the victim: "It could have been me who killed that mother/father/son/daughter. That would be awful [for me]."
When jobs are in short supply, or too poorly paid to feed and home a family without support, when public services are underfunded, you can't get an GP appointment etc, etc, it is easy to blame free movement of EU citizens. Yet the vast majority of immigration is from outside of the EU - under complete and utter control of the UK government.
It is a political choice to allow immigration. Why? Because it is good for the economy.
It is a political choice to underfund essential services whilst supporting vanity projects. We each make a political choice to 'save' a few hundred pounds a year in council tax whilst grumbling about potholes. We elect politicians who enable multi-nationals to eschew their tax liability altogether, yet we buy from Amazon, Boots, Cafe Nero while they take from, but never give back to our economy.
Our membership of the EU affects so little of the above. They are all political choices made solely by our elected government and its sponsors.
We have a media that demonises minority groups, based on religion, place of birth or mode of transport, yet we continue to fund the hateful policies of those proprietors by buying their newspapers. Even supposed 'unbiased' media outlets give voice to unfounded hateful rhetoric in the name of 'balance'.
The assassination of Jo Cox was a predictable outcome from the never ending vitriol that spews from our media and so many politicians. Hateful rhetoric has real consequences. As a 'civilised' society we have a duty to educate not indoctrinate, yet the ease with which so many are persuaded with lies suggests our education system has failed to teach critical thinking.
Do I have answers? No. Will I try harder to make a difference? Yes.
I am a grown man and I have no qualms in admitting I shed tears when listening to those who paid tribute to Jo Cox, a mother, daughter, sister and politician, so will leave you with her words:
"We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us."
Do not let the hate win.
