Tuesday 14 April 2009

Loathly




















Love your borough. Another 'environmental' message from the loathly council. Apart from the stupidity of installing advertising panels in the middle of pavements, take note of that zig-zag cycle lane in the background. Instead of cycling in a straight line, cyclists are supposed to follow a pink cycle lane designed on the letter S. The cycle lane on both sides of Wood Street E17 pursues this principle, and naturally cyclists ignore the lane each time it does this. If you got rid of those on-street parking bays for lazy car drivers, Wood Street would become a safer and more attractive road to cycle on, but obviously parking in a side road and walking 20 metres is beyond the physical capabilities of the casual car-dependent shopper.

Back to that advertising panel. The council installed them all over the borough in order to rent out advertising space and make money. Public space means nothing to New Labour unless it can be made into a saleable commodity. The last thing pavements are for is for walking. Pavements are for car parking, advertising, signs for drivers, etc.

Advertising has been hit by the recession, so the council is reduced to using these ugly and obstructive panels for its own propaganda. This new poster urges residents to take pride in their local environment and report people who spoil it. And just across the road, by the cycle stand, is this...