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How do you fix a country where a 6-year-old has his hand chopped off for good luck?

The president has described a spate of killings and maimings as an embarrassment.

ELECTIONS ARE AN unusual time for most countries – television schedules are messed with, pub chats switch from football to politics and there can be a certain excitement around urban and rural areas alike.

While there can be fraught conversations and hard-fought battles of rhetoric in politically stable countries, the side-effects in developing countries can be more dangerous.

As the buildup gets underway for an election in Tanzania, a shocking element has emerged, leading to headlines across the world.

There has been a spate of vicious attacks and murders on people with albinism because of an old belief that their body parts bring good luck.

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Last week, a six-year-old boy had his hand chopped off by gang members who attacked him in his own home.

What’s the connection to the election?

“The build-up to elections in Africa seems to be something that almost all people with albinism fear. Especially if you go into the rural regions. If their country is going to the polls or close to the border where they are, they fear for their lives,” says Don Sawatzky, Director of Operations at Under the Same Sun, an advocacy group for people with albinism working in Tanzania.

“There is the belief that their body parts will make a person instantly prosperous and wealthy,” he explains, adding that people interested in political positions can often still hold these superstitions.

A complete set of body parts from a person with albinism can sell for up to $150,000 (€140,000).

“The consumer of this product is wealthy,” continues Sawatzky. “The average cannot afford any of that. We have come to realise it is wealthy businessmen, they tend to be politicians. Because of the money that has gone into this trade, it has escalated.”

The practice is a very old one. People with albinism were sacrificed to volcanos in Cameroon; their heads buried with chiefs in Guinea; and up to eight buried alive in the grave of a chief to escort him to the afterlife in Tanzania.

That was to ensure success and power in heaven too.

During the tribal days, these ‘powers’ were only afforded to chiefs and elders. Consent was given rarely and only to a few.

Although the tribal way of life has broken down, the superstitions have remained, increasing the dangers for people with albinism.

“Some of the boundaries that contained the practice have been lost, but the belief is still there that these body parts can be valuable.”

***

It is estimated that there are about 34,000 people living with albinism in Tanzania, with many of the attacks reported in rural areas where people are particularly vulnerable.

“People can protect themselves easier if they get into school or university settings,” says Sawatzky. “It is less likely they will be singled out or attacked. In rural areas, the dilemma is that it is often family members, friends and neighbours who are complicit in the violence.”

In the last two attacks reported in the country, the boys’ mothers were also injured by the gangs and their machetes but their fathers were arrested for their part in the crime.

This week, 225 ‘unlicensed traditional healers’ or witchdoctors were detained by police across the continent as part of a special operation organised in response to the wave of attacks.

CTK Photobank Stock Josephat Torner Nkwabi is an albino from Tanzania. British director Harry Freeland follows in his documentary 3 albinos who fight for survival in Tanzania. Czech News Agency / Press Association Images Czech News Agency / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

President Jakaya Kikwete has said the ongoing killings and maimings of people with albinism is an embarrassment for the nation, as well as a disgusting practice.

Despite the right words from Kikwete, who met with activists last week, at least 154 albinos have been murdered or attacked and lost a limb since the turn of the century. (There have only been five convictions as a result).

There are very few ways that people can protect themselves, save from staying indoors, and that doesn’t always help.

“The number one barrier to justice and security and integration is the lack of political will and lack of social will,” says Sawatzky.

Under the Same Sun, the Canadian charity founded by Peter Ash who has albinism himself, believes that it is the consumer that must be tracked and prosecuted, not just the witchdoctors as they are the ones keeping the business thriving.

“In order to see the attacks and trafficking end, the consumers must be identified, arrested and tried to the full extent of the law,” says Sawatzky. “There will always be another witchdoctor, trafficker and machete wielder as long as there is a demand.

The consumers are the ones that keep the demand alive with the large sums of money they pour into this macabre trade.

And the charity is still convinced that the support is not there from government to help people with albinism.

“To date, the Tanzanian government has done little more than talk and promise,” continues Sawatzky.

“There is a profound lack of political will on this issue. Other than displacing children with albinism from their families and communities into profoundly under resourced government schools, little else has been done.

“Protecting the children in government schools may have been a good short term precaution but now some of them have been held there for up to 7 years. It has now become a long term problem with no proposed solution by the government – they are now ‘internally displaced persons’. ”

***

Not only does UTSS want to change the superstitions that lead to attacks, they also want to reduce the stigma for people with albinism.

They are working to change attitudes in the country, “hitting the youth whose hearts aren’t as hard and more educated”.

“We’re trying to get the next generation to have more social and political will,” Sawatzky told TheJournal.ie. ”Peter and I are not under any naive belief or assumption that things will change in our lifetime.

“Each attack and killing really grinds in Tanzania and internationally. But it does take generations to die off. And there has to be laws to protect everybody, and they have to be implemented and there must be consequences for the crime.”

And it’s not just the attacks. Daily life can bring other problems because of health concerns and isolation.

“Pigmented Tanzanians treat them as inferior because of the colour of their skin,” explains Sawatzky. “Within a people group this is called colourism. Eventually the stigmatised group buys into the message around them and start to feel and act inferior.

“This is called a ‘survival skill’ (agreeing with a perpetrator can bring short term gains) but it certainly is not a good ‘living skill’ (where long term gains are more important for a prosperous life.”

There is also the daily battle against the sun, and the problems associated with low vision.

Sawatzky’s determination to limit these daily struggles is seen through his charity’s education, advocacy and medical work.

“People with albinism are beautiful, normal people like everyone else,” he concludes. “The only difference they have is low vision and the lack of pigmentation (colour & protection from the sun). Many are good natured and happy as long as they feel safe and loved. When that is missing, how could they not despair about their fate?”

READ: Albino people ‘killed for their body parts’ in spate of Malawi murders

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59 Comments
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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Nov 20th 2015, 7:54 PM

    That’s a cycle lane alright…..no cyclists on it

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Nov 20th 2015, 7:57 PM

    Th headline doesn’t make any sense though

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Nov 20th 2015, 7:58 PM

    Okay, correction, now I got it, I’m a bit slow tonight

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:04 PM

    I was standing there waiting for a Bus, and the lads just went around me.

    51
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    Mute Ray Farrelly
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:06 PM

    Why not move the bin?

    35
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    Mute Apogee
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:06 PM

    Just as well the line is painted white. In my experience cyclists in Ireland can;t seem to differentiate between red and green for some reason.

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    Mute Shane Cormican
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:12 PM

    And they are morning about it too

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:14 PM

    @Apogee, unfortunately car drivers seem to be colourblind too, and repeatedly can’t differentiate between a distance of 6 feet and less than 6 inches, when overtaking me on a road where there’s no cycle lane

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    Mute stopit
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:26 PM

    Apogee, I take it by your attempt at being a smartarse and aggressively pushing yourself into (i.e. trolling) a thread about cycle lanes that you are one of those idiot drivers we see everyday.

    When you are not trolling threads about cycle lanes I expect you are driving in them, parking your car on double yellow lines, breaking red lights at junctions, polluting the air we have to breathe and generally making the city and unpleasant place to be in.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:29 PM

    I seem to remember gardai had to put cameras on a junction to try and stop cars from repeatedly breaking the red lights and crashing into the tram. It’s not just cyclists.

    81
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    Mute Apogee
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:30 PM

    I avoid the cities by using the bypass, you know, the humour bypass.

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    Mute Apogee
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:34 PM

    @Stopit.

    Cyclist can get tickets as of the last few months too, can’t they? They should bring in a compulsory licence for them too. They use the roads after all and so should be fully qualified to use them like the rest of us. If they don’t have a licence they should have to have stabilisers fitted. . They should also need insurance, an NCT for their push bikes, breakdown triangles, mirrors on the side like motorbikes, a ban on headphone use while rising a bike, a mandatory off the road ban for cycling on footpaths, shopping bag holder on the back, a bell fitted and in good order, winter tyres, and a speedometer fitted at they could easily break at 50km speed limit going downhill.

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    Mute stopit
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:36 PM

    @dermot

    yea, unfortunately the drivers that we see breaking red lights at junctions every single cause real harm to pedestrians

    http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-who-broke-red-light-at-pedestrian-crossing-and-flung-girl-6-into-the-air-is-jailed-for-one-year-34219575.html

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    Mute stopit
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:47 PM

    Apogee, my post was a joke based on yours. stop calling people c@nts

    there are idiotic cyclists on the road and there are idiot drivers thankfully the majority are ok.

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    Mute Kevin Denny
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:50 PM

    It would be easier to move the path.

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    Mute Apogee
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:59 PM

    On yer bike Stopit.

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    Mute Bobby Phelan
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:04 PM

    It should spell . worst

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:07 PM
    1
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    Mute stu pid
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    Nov 20th 2015, 11:44 PM

    All you left out was an engine- oh wait!

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    Mute phillius fogg
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    Nov 20th 2015, 11:55 PM

    Tosspot troll

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    Mute Patrick O'Brien
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    Nov 21st 2015, 9:38 AM

    In my experience as a cyclist and driver in this city for the last 25 years 95% of drivers are oblivious to to cyclist and their rights on the road, I take my life in hands in this city every time I get on my bike 5 times knocked off bike by motorist their excuse “Sorry didn’t see you”

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    Mute Shane Hogan
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    Nov 21st 2015, 12:54 PM

    Yes, Apogee, it’s a good job that we never see motorists who can’t differentiate between red and green, isn’t it? Given that motorists are the ones who kill people on the road, while cyclists don’t. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc5VGuJvOVk

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    Mute Shane Hogan
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    Nov 21st 2015, 12:56 PM

    How’s that compulsory licence system working out in terms of stopping drivers from breaking red lights, Apogee? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc5VGuJvOVk

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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:01 PM

    I really dislike this ongoing statement that Irish cyclists are somehow inferior or different to cyclists in other countries, what are people trying to say, that they’re mentality deficient or something, I think its really insulting. If cyclists can’t cycle in peace on properly designed roads like they have in Holland and Denmark etc what do people expect, if a car user was faced with a bin cemented into the middle of the road with two feet of clearance you’d expect a reply from the council but with cyclists it’s open season on them. It’s more to do with the mentality of certain sections of society than it is to do with cyclists,

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    Mute Matty Reese
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    Nov 20th 2015, 11:43 PM

    Council paints a white line down the footpath, hey prestoa cycle lane. The people rsponsible for this nonsense should be made cycle around Dublin until they come up with proper infrastructure.

    We have miniisters going on about taxing sugar, how about putting facilities in place for people to burn calories instead.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:09 PM

    There is a lot worse than that out there

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:19 PM
    12
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    Mute Liam Kennedy
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:55 PM

    Thats quite funny. lol

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:02 PM

    Yeah at first I thought it must be photoshopped, apparently it’s not.

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    Mute Camroc
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:10 PM

    Nice post Dermot. Are you related to that cycle lane?

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:29 PM

    Yeas camroc my second cousin twice removed had several little lanes. Apparently she was a bit of a ride

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    Mute James Mc Loughlin
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    Nov 21st 2015, 2:55 PM

    at least you can se the markings a lot of road markings are needing re doing

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    Mute Paddy Whack
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:10 PM

    Note to ignorant cyclists: a cycle lane on a footpath is a permitted section of the sidewalk for you to use (normally cyclists are not allowed on footpaths). Pedestrians are still entitled to use the entire footpath and you must give way.

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    Mute Apogee
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:15 PM

    Don;t be pedalling that nonsense on here. Are you a spokesman?

    22
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:22 PM

    Note to gobshìte paddy whacks: that’s the reason I, for one, don’t use them, they are too dangerous

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    Mute Rothar Man
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:35 PM

    Note to drivers- that’s cycle lane your parking and driving in is not for you. Same as a cyclist on the path except – let’s be honest – bikes don’t kill!

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    Mute Paddy Whack
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:15 PM

    Also ring your little bell please so I know you’re coming and can get ready to push you over

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:37 PM

    You proved my point about being ignorant anyway

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    Mute stu pid
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    Nov 20th 2015, 11:48 PM

    Cycling in a cycle lane is the equivalent of driving in a bog, it just doesn’t work as all the road debris gathers in it.

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:56 PM

    The council planners in Dublin councils must all be cyclists and on flexitime as none of them are salesmen or building workers with boots full of tools stuck in hours of traffic because some idiot minority cyclist hand behave like dictators. They pay no road tax yet use the road and in some cases motorists have given up 50% of the lanes to facilitate cyclists. Do motorists get a 50% reduction due to longer time spent in single lanes burning fuel? When will the government start taxing cyclists?

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    Mute Matty Reese
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    Nov 20th 2015, 11:58 PM

    I see pedestrians walking across roads, maybe they should pay road tax too, perhaps it could be linked to their shoe size. And prams should have to pay extra, depending on how many wheels they have.

    If you were smart enough to think about it properly you might understand every cyclist is one less car you have to que behind, or you could just ask a grown up to explain

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    Mute Maurice Slater
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    Nov 20th 2015, 8:31 PM

    guess some lines are difficult to learn,

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    Mute Davy Evans
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    Nov 21st 2015, 1:05 AM

    Millions spent on cycle lanes only for cyclists to use the road…

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 21st 2015, 5:34 AM

    I love the way the masters that be add these cycle lanes to roads making roads more narrower and therefore more dangerous to everyone?

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    Mute Patrick O'Brien
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    Nov 21st 2015, 9:42 AM

    Davy try cycle in one before making comments

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    Mute Davy Evans
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    Nov 21st 2015, 1:40 PM

    Surely they are safer then driving alongside trucks, artics, buses and cars..?

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    Mute Patrick O'Brien
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    Nov 21st 2015, 3:26 PM

    Millions where did you get that figure from ?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 21st 2015, 10:04 PM

    Davy if they make the roads narrower for to have a cycle lane then that would increase the danger and then they stick a, island in the middle of the road making it narrower as they did in Dundalk…

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:29 PM

    Are you allowed bunny-hop it?

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    Mute Ciarán Lee
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    Nov 21st 2015, 12:54 PM

    This cycle lane paint job is not brand new, it’s been like that for years.

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    Mute Mikeconnor
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    Nov 20th 2015, 9:37 PM

    Coincidence the road is called after Bertie ahern?

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Nov 21st 2015, 6:39 AM

    My god, they’ll have to put their hands on the handlebars for five seconds.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 21st 2015, 5:35 AM

    So there was a hiccup in the road…

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