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Your views: on “Old Mate”, bike lanes and North Tce trees

Today, readers comment on the controversial “Old Mate” tourism ad, the fate of 100-year-old trees on North Terrace, and the futility of painted bike lanes.

Sep 04, 2019, updated Sep 04, 2019
Renewal SA wants to chop down 11 street trees along North Terrace as part of the Lot Fourteen development. Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily

Renewal SA wants to chop down 11 street trees along North Terrace as part of the Lot Fourteen development. Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily

Commenting on the story: Older people no fans of SA Tourism ad

If SA Tourism is incapable of vetting its own work, it should submit proposed ads to a focus group of ordinary sensible SA residents before embarrassing itself like this again. Joan Seymour

I am a 67-year-old American and find nothing offensively ageist about the SA Tourism ad, and really rather like it. The ad is aimed at younger people no doubt and, among thousands of other ads for localities touting their tourist attractions, tries to stand out – which it certainly does. Hurrah for the ad’s creators for being so clever!

I regret many things in my life and if I had missed coming to South Australia, knowing it as I do now, I would have regretted it, too. I just wish I had discovered it sooner. – Kelly Wright

COTA are spot on. This ad paints a picture of old age that is sad and disengaged. It paints a stereotype of Adelaide and SA, viewed by some commentators interstate, that we are a state for retirees. This ad has just fed right into that viewpoint. We have so much to celebrate about who we are as a state of firsts, especially our social reforms. We need to reflect what our state is great for – to ourselves and to the rest of the world. We have a big story to tell. – Jan Chorley

Commenting on the opinion piece: The unsafe laziness of painted bike lanes

Daniel is so right. I, too, have often wondered why we need the painted lanes after the introduction of the road laws requiring drivers to give a minimum of one metre when passing a cyclists in 60km/h zones and 1.5 metres on roads with posted speed limits above 60 km/h. It is rare to see a cyclist using this large chunk of streetscape and, when cyclists do venture out on to the streets, they don’t use the bike lanes, for reasons outlined by Daniel.

They are even less likely to use the lanes these days as the lanes are rarely swept and become the collection zone for every nail, tack, screw, bolt and sharp piece of metal that falls off passing vehicles. Also, the lanes all too often simply disappear at intersections and reappear further down the road, causing all sorts of confusion and danger riding through an intersection (in addition to the current statewide confusion as to whether cyclists using the lanes have right of way riding up the inside of moving vehicles turning left). Throw in a few scooter riders and the many parked cars from drivers grabbing a coffee from their morning and evening baristas and the lanes have become more of a danger, rather than a safety zone. – Steve Harrison

Commenting the story: Century-old North Tce trees in limbo until the end of the month

It’s totally ridiculous for the council to allow the perfectly healthy century-old North Tce trees outside the old RAH to be replaced by some tacky and modern “high-quality natural stone paver” and an “uninterrupted green walk”. Leave the trees and start the pavers and green walk (that will date quickly) some metres back as an entrance to Lot 14. – Tom Thwaites

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