Compromise and campaigning - some views from David Hembrow http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2013/04/the-nether...

Added by Martin Lucas-Smith

Compromise and campaigning - some views from David Hembrow

http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2013/04/the-netherlands-sets-best-example-but.html

Some views from David Hembrow on the question of compromise in campaigning:

"It makes no sense to campaign for something which isn't actually good enough. Campaigners should be inspired by the best of Dutch infrastructure and be wary of distraction by things which don't have a proven record of success."

"What's the harm in doing something else ? What's the harm with making a slow start ?
The problem with following the wrong path is that time is wasted while this happens. The suggestion that campaigners should work towards something other than what the Dutch have has been made since at least the 1970s. Surely forty years of trying things that don't actually work for furthering cycling is enough. It's time to stop falling behind and catch up as quickly as possible."

"Campaigners with low aspirations for their own countries often seem to cling to inferior infrastructure in the Netherlands because they view it as "more achievable". "

"The worst thing for campaigners to do is to hamper their own efforts by not setting a high enough standard for themselves and for the community that they live in. If you were planning a mission to the moon, would you go to NASA for advice, or would you prefer to take notice of what the Ugandan space programme had achieved on the grounds that it looks more affordable than NASA?"

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