Irritations - dump here thread

[Woodwould]

The damage to roads, according to research done by the old NSW DMR, is proportional to the 5th power of the mass of the vehicle. So, if a cyclist and his bike weigh 100kg, and a car weighs 1000kg, the car is doing 100,000 times the damage that the bike is. If your rego is $250 per year, mine should be 1c every 4 years. Work out for yourself what a 40 tonne truck should pay. Or perhaps everyone should be charged for the amount of thoroughfare they use. In that case, pedestrians aren't going to be very happy. Think of all those footpaths that hardly ever get used.

Not quite what I had in mind. I propose the taxation should be determined by vehicle length and penalties be added for every km/h they travel under the prescribed speed limit.

BTW, I was a daily cyclist for many years.

[Big Shed]

The "prescribed speed limit" is a maximum limit not a minimum limit, isn't it?

[jimbur]

I wonder what would happen to the traffic flow if the old rule that P platers couldn't go faster than 50mph (80kph) were re-introduced? gridlock probably.
Jim

[Manuka Jock]

Forward to the Past

The Locomotive Act 1865 set a speed limit of 4 mph in the country and 2 mph in towns. The 1865 Act also provided for the then famous "man with a red flag". Walking 60 yards ahead of each vehicle, a man with a red flag or lantern enforced a walking pace, and warned horse riders and horse drawn traffic of the approach of a self propelled machine.

[jimbur]

All the complaints about incontinent dogs would fade into nothing if we had to live on the old streets in the old times - imagine streets ankle deep in a slurry of horse droppings and horse urine

[Manuka Jock]

Fights in the street over who gets the turds for the rose garden

[AUSSIE]

We could build a whole new Green City just for bike riders.Like a detension center for bike riders No roads,just bike tracks.
A lot of exclusive shops selling lycra gear only.No electricity.
Would be the cleanest city in the world.Would bore the backside off you but
Would keep most of us happy though-- no bike riders for the rest of us Woo Hoo

[Manuka Jock]

Built with pedal powered earth moving machinery , construction equipment , etc.
As if

Lycra, a cloth made from synthetic fiber that has a high carbon footprint , as well as a high ecological footprint

[Waldo]

I wonder what would happen to the traffic flow if the old rule that P platers couldn't go faster than 50mph (80kph) were re-introduced? gridlock probably.
Jim

That has me puzzled in NSW the speed that P plates are limited to. When learning to drive back at home in QLD you drove to the limit, and from the first point of learning to drive I was doing 80km p/hr.

I often drove between Brisbane and Newcastle, and the amount of time I spent crawling behind a P plate doing 80 on the Pacific H/way, and having to wait for ages for an overtaking lane to pass was intolerable.

[Big Shed]

I could be wrong, but I have somehow never equated the Lycra clad bicycle brigade with "green" and "environment"

More the yuppie coffee bar crowd (think $5000 coffee machines and barista courses)

Was listening to some guy from Monash Uni on ABC Radio a couple of weeks ago who was in to designing bicycles from high tech materials. He was talking about a crowd in Geelong that build custom bicycles to order, from thing like titanium etc. Prices were in the $20,000 range

[Grumpy John]

................................................
The irony in the first two photos is that the holdup, if there is one, is caused by cars - all those cars parked in the left hand lane. I thought roads are for travel, parking lots are for parking.
If all those cyclists were in their cars, one or two per car, as is normal, you'd have a much bigger traffic jam.
.................................................

Actually where the cars are parked it is a clearway during peak traffic times (as is most of Beach Road) and the cyclists still manage to cause chaos, particularly in the morning rush hour.

[Woodwould]

The "prescribed speed limit" is a maximum limit not a minimum limit, isn't it?

Precisely! If cyclists had to pay for every km/h they rode under the indicated (maximum) speed limit, it would keep many of them to the back streets and off the main thoroughfares, thus easing traffic flow in and out of major centres especially during the commuting periods.

Even though I occasionally get around in a flash metallic red electric cripple-cart, I also believe the same regulations I propose should apply to any type of wheeled vehicles like the cripple-carts and those two-wheeled kids' scooters with the little wheels. They're all a liability on the road and on the footpath. (I only ride my cripple-cart around Bunny's, M10 and the Woodworking Show. )

[jimbur]

Fights in the street over who gets the turds for the rose garden

Don't forget its use in fuming oak

[Manuka Jock]

Don't forget its use in fuming oak

That was the .
The turds for the roses.

Fine oak furniture covered in rose petals

[wheelinround]

Cycle couriers are a breed apart. They seem to think that because they spend more time on their bikes than most others, they are better riders and don't have to obey the road rules. Or perhaps it's because they have to make a living that they think that they don't have to obey the rules. Much like cabbies, bus & truck drivers, couriers.

In either case, there are parallel freeways where cyclists are prohibited. Why not use them if you're in a hurry?

Those parallel Freeways are not FREE thats why
Being in the position of a pensioner the amount of $$$$ it cost for a Tag it would mean the pension would have to made comparable to that of an average weekly wage of $1000.
They do ride along them many a cyclist is seen along the M5, M4, M2 the M7 having its own FREE cycleway. These same Expressways /Toll rd's do not go where motorists need to go.

The irony in the first two photos is that the holdup, if there is one, is caused by cars - all those cars parked in the left hand lane. I thought roads are for travel, parking lots are for parking.
If all those cyclists were in their cars, one or two per car, as is normal, you'd have a much bigger traffic jam.

Even bigger when they carry their bikes on the back, top, inside (ie trains) or front ( see photo below) of vehicles to get to where they want to go or ride.

Quite so. The damage to roads, according to research done by the old NSW DMR, is proportional to the 5th power of the mass of the vehicle. So, if a cyclist and his bike weigh 100kg, and a car weighs 1000kg, the car is doing 100,000 times the damage that the bike is. If your rego is $250 per year, mine should be 1c every 4 years. Work out for yourself what a 40 tonne truck should pay. Or perhaps everyone should be charged for the amount of thoroughfare they use. In that case, pedestrians aren't going to be very happy. Think of all those footpaths that hardly ever get used.

Incorrect as to paths not being used cyclists use them constantly and its against he law in this state of NSW for other than young riders. Then there is those many riders who flaunt the law as to not wearing helmets, safety vests or bright colours. Those who give no thought to the colour of bike making it stand out. No mirrors, reflectors, hand signals especially when in groups they are all supposed to do it.

The bus below is ACT, it was planned and fought for by the Cycle association, many state wide bodies have tried for the same thing. Stupid side is these same people are fighting to have bullbars removed from vehicles.