h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Is It Safe to Cycle? - A46559226
Author: minorvogonpoet - U3099090

Although I've hung around on the AWW for a while, this is the first piece I've submitted for Peer Review. I hope I've got the approach right.

It's also my entry for the Stretcher competion's second challenge.

Well written and interesting. According to your statistics, it's much safer to cycle than to walk - but that's going by the mere number of accidents. If you take into account that lots more people walk than cycle, this may give a completely different picture. Any chance to add something to that effect in a footnote? (It's no 'must', btw, just a suggestion. Others may not see the need.)

Yes, very well written and interesting.

A couple of points vis-a-vis the Edited Guide:

Pictures shouldn't be used - although that one is particularly attractive.

It is a good idea to put your 'for more information' or backup information in the form of hyperlinks, preferably 'sticky' ones that are stable websites.

For instance, a link to UK rules of the road for cyclists?

As a non-rider with the broken teeth to prove I cannot stay on a bicycle, I approve of people riding, as long as they don't endanger their neighbours.

Riders over the age of twelve on sidewalks are a known menace in the city of Philadelphia.

Thanks, Merry Anne

To be honest, I found the statistics a bit of a minefield. More journeys are made on foot than by bike, but bicycle trips tend to be longer. So it depends on whether you count accidents per 100 kilometres travelled, accidents per hour travelled, accidents per trip etc.

Thanks Dmitri.

If I can work out how to do the hyperlinks in Guide ML I will do. I'm a bit dim about these technical things.

I agree about statistics being a minefield. Maybe you could just say that the figures may give a different picture if you take more aspects (like nthe ones you mentioned) into account? Or maybe don't add anything at all. Seems to be easiest.

Very interesting - and neatly done

I have cycled once in the past 20 years and, had it not been 5 o'clock in the morning, I would almost certainly have been squished by a passing vehicle of some sort

Don't worry about GuideML too much, sub-editors can fix those things up

I think this is a nice Entry, covers the main points briefly and succinctly, and works well as an informative piece on a topic that makes cyclists and motorists growl with rage.

My only suggestion is to specify when cycling became popular again - perhaps just add 'in the 21st Century'. And what is the reason it's become popular? Perhaps not vital to the argument, but motorists have argued that 'there wouldn't be so many bloody cyclists if it wasn't for the Greenhouse Effect...'

Jeremy Clarkson might be a good reference - his views on bike riders are amusing. Google away to find something to back up that side of the argument if you like

Nice one, good stuff for the Stretcher, especially when this side of hootoo isn't your forte (yet). Nice to see you dipping your toes in though, don't forget about PR when this little 'competition' is over

I agree. GuideML not so important - they have 'people' to do these things...

By the way, the history of cycling is fascinating. Back when people got speeding tickets on them...

Boneshakers, Amelia Bloomer...there are books in this topic.

I could mention 'The Third Policeman', but won't...

This Entry makes for an interesting read. However, it could be spruced up by using guide ml and feel free to take a look at English Usage in Guide Entries A266131. This will highlight things like numbers eg. <> should be 16 according to that Entry and other useful stuff.

Books should be italicised not put in double quotation marks

<> should be written 19th Century

Please do keep writing you are doing great and too much about the guide ml as has been said earlier others are available to help on this. I just thought it may help to give you the links.

Ms GB

Thanks, everyone!

I've added a quote to the para complaining about cyclists, although, surprisingly enough, I couldn't find one from Jeremy Clarkson. I've also added a piece on the relative safety of cycling and walking to the section on risks.

I've tidied up the numbers and book titles, and added the hyperlinks. My son would be amazed to find that I'm such a ! Although I changed the colour of the headings, mine are still smaller than everyone else's.

Looks good to me

It's funny the way some people make great sweeping generalisations about whole groups of people, like your man, Blagden, saying " We should all obey the rules of the road but unfortunately cyclists have got to the stage now where they don't observe them at all." Does he mean *all* of them? If I took up cycling (I wish!) would I instantly become one of these inconsiderate oafs that he describes

Good choice mVpoet. A subject that gets people steamed up.

Great stuff

To do Headers you only have to do this:

What you Want Your Header To Be

Simple as that. Then they'll be the right colour

Jeremy Clarkson probably doesn't talk about cyclists, he'd just use them for hood ornaments.

To make the lesson in GuideML complete - you should pop tags around your paragraphs instead of using tags.

Thanks, Matt. I've sorted it now.

Thanks, Tibley. I still cycle but I'm untypical. The number of women who regularly cycle is very small. Perhaps if there were more of us to teach the men some sense

Thanks Ms GB a squashed cyclist would be just the thing for his latest car!

"Statistically, you have one in a million chance of being killed if you travel for two hours and 40 minutes by bike."

Thing is though, we all know that million to one chances crop up nine times out of ten...

As a cyclist and a motorbike rider, I've never quite understood the problem that cyclists have with motorbikes being allowed to join them in bus lanes.

Good topic!

Thanks for the comments.

I've tried using and tags before and got lots of error messages. Maybe when I've got the time, I'll try again.