New Qld Bike Laws

[rustynail]

Notwithstanding your protestations you come across IMO as persistently haranguing and lecturing against cyclists using the roads in accordance with the road laws. If cyclists ride slower then a car or ride two abreast on a single lane road that's their right and any person that cannot accept that fact is the motorist with the wrong mindset to be on the road.

It's the motorists mindset that has to change not the cyclist. To me it seems your mindset has to change and thus I feel that you hate cyclist, like your son.

But convincing you seems impossible so I will now withdraw from this thread as I believe it has run its course and should be closed.


Peter.

You do not have the right to tell me who I hate or who I dont. I have had many arguments with my son regarding his attitude towards cyclists. One day it is going to get him into trouble.
I have not complained about the speed they travel at. My objection is the unnecessary risk placed on all concerned. The road is a dangerous place. The main road in my locality even more so. Statistics prove it.
Having been cleaned up big time myself, I feel I have every right to take the view I do. And if my persistence causes others to have a think about it, my time has been well spent.
And what were you trying to convince me of? That cycling is perfectly safe because the rules say so?

[silentC]

I feel I have every right to take the view I do

Of course you do. In a free society everyone has the right to an opinion. You only cross a line when you ram it down people's throats and suggest they are mentally deficient for believing otherwise. I prefer to believe that people are generally capable of making up their own minds about a subject and if they choose to have a different view to mine, that's their problem. I'll only try and convince you otherwise for the sport of it. At the end of the day, unless their opinion directly affects me in some way or it is someone I have great respect for, it doesn't matter to me what someone else thinks.

[AlexS]

About 30 years ago the Indonesian government was facing a problem with an ever-increasing number of slow pedal-powered vehicles causing traffic congestion in the major cities. They directed the police to round them all up. They were loaded onto their Navy's Tank Landing Ships and taken out to sea and dumped. After a week there was a dramatic improvement in the traffic flow. I am not saying that our government should or would do that but it was what they did and it worked.

Great. Go live there if you're so bothered by bikes.

[doug3030]

Great. Go live there if you're so bothered by bikes.

Here we go again! Putting words into other people's mouths.

I used to ride a bike. I have not said I am bothered by bikes. In fact I like bikes.

Its inconsiderate, selfish, arrogant people that I do not like, whether they are on a bike, in a car or truck or walking down the street.

And FYI I have lived there and it is a nice place to live. I felt safer on their roads, including the six-lane roundabouts with traffic lights, than I do on Melbourne roads.

If you enter a six-lane Indonesian road from the left lane in bumper to bumper traffic and you need to turn right, as soon as you put on your right indicator, the traffic in the lane to your right stops and lets you in, and so on until you are in the right hand lane. Its called consideration. In Melbourne, as soon as you put your indicator on, they close up the gap so you have no chance. That's why so many people don't indicate any more.

Cheers

Doug

[silentC]

Its inconsiderate, selfish, arrogant people that I do not like, whether they are on a bike, in a car or truck or walking down the street.

Well that's something we can agree on.

All I ask is that people accept that there are people like that who ride bikes, just as there are in every other human activity, and so when you are jumping to judgement of a group of people, try not to let specific incidents get in the way. If a person is being inconsiderate, selfish or arrogant, it's because they are inconsiderate, selfish or arrogant. Not because they are riding a bike. In other words, don't tar all, or even most, cyclists with the same brush. Surely that's not too much to ask?

[Poppa]

I was reading this thread immediately before going out for lunch, and walking to the place I was going to I was almost hit by two cyclists. On the footpath... Now this is in the middle of Sydney (Bathurst St) and I can certainly understand them not wanting to be on the road, but riding on the footpath at lunchtime in the CBD is not the solution... Idjuts. I haven't been much of a cyclist since high school when it was my only practical method of self-transport. I did ride a motorcycle for some years and always took the attitude that everyone in a car was trying to kill me. Regardless of the road laws and my "right" to be on the road (which is a privilege for all of us, not a "right"), I understood very well that in an altercation with a car I was the one likely to end up in hospital or on a slab. The same is true for cyclists. I have absolutely no problem as a motorist sharing the road with cyclists, and I'm (usually) a patient driver who doesn't mind being slowed down a bit by the odd bike. But any cyclist that is foolish enough to believe that they are invulnerable because the laws give them rights on the road is a fool indeed. Being hit by a car - whoever is at fault - will cause serious injury or death. So all cyclists should be doing their best to avoid that. Unfortunately I've seen many who are too stupid to be allowed on the road. And the same is true of many motorists I see doing stupid and dangerous things. I believe I know the Steve that has been spoken of previously in this thread. I don't know him well - I used to work at the company he worked at prior to his accident and had a small amount of contact with him. Years later he is still discussed regularly at that work place and any updates on his wellbeing are distributed widely. It is an extremely sad situation. I also have a very good friend who had a sister killed by an errant and unlawful driver while she was cycling. Another extremely sad situation for all concerned. These were both examples of accidents (even though in the second case the motorist was at fault, they did not mean to cause injury or death). Accidents will happen regardless of how much care is exercised or how "safe" we attempt to make activities. If you choose to ride a bicycle, you should be aware that in the event of an accident you may be injured or killed. The same is true if you choose to ride a motorbike, drive a car, or undertake any human activity!

[silentC]

riding on the footpath at lunchtime in the CBD is not the solution... Idjuts

If I had to guess, I would say they were couriers. They are maniacs generally.

However if they were on the footpath, they were breaking the law unless they were 12 years old or less, or were accompanying a cyclist who was 12 years old or less.

http://www.bicycleinfo.nsw.gov.au/ge...oad_rules.html

Having spent a lot of time in Sydney, the biggest menace on the footpath by far are smartphones.

any cyclist that is foolish enough to believe that they are invulnerable because the laws give them rights on the road is a fool indeed

Do you have any reason to believe there are people who think that way? I've certainly not met any, and I have probably met more cyclists than the average person. I assure you that no cyclist I have ever ridden with wants to take on a car just because he can. The car will always win.

[Poppa]

I would say one was a courier, although he wasn't dressed in a uniform nor could I see any branding, but he had a big box full of stuff that looked like courier type deliveries. The other didn't appear to me to be a courier. It was just funny, having been reading this thread immediately before going outside and then having to dodge 2 in 10 seconds. And no, I haven't met any cyclists who would say they think like that. But I've seen a lot who act like they think like that...

[silentC]

I've seen a lot who act like they think like that

Yup

Bike couriers rarely have any kind of uniform. They usually dress in the kind of clothes you see kids on skateboards wearing. They have a habit of riding the wrong way up a one way street, which is why it pays to look both ways when crossing Pitt Street for example. I have been almost cleaned up a couple of times there.

Bike couriers are to normal bike riders what taxi drivers are to normal motorists...

[rustynail]

Yes if you live down Glebe point road and you're riding a bike, it's a pretty standard way of getting where you are going. Entirely my fault, I was tailgating and he stopped suddenly. Never mind. Like I've said countless times, I don't care what you think about it.

Actually I'm not an urbanite. I live on the outskirts of a town of about 800 and I cycle on the open road mostly, or on the bike track such as it is. WHen I lived in SYdney, I did ride quite a bit though. It's not as scary as you think but I understand that not everyone's nerves are up to it, so it's OK.

Why do you think you are in a 'Mexican stand off'? That's an unusual way of looking at it.

But every comment you make about the danger on the road reinforces the real solution in my mind: ban motor vehicles. Like you say they are very dangerous. Shouldn't be allowed. Imagine how low the road toll would be if they didn't exist? "Two cyclists had a collision today. They shook hands and went their separate ways." That would make a great change from "Family of 5 die in collision with semi trailer" don't you think?

A little idealistic, but you are dead right. It wasnt a push bike that put me in hospital for six months.

[rustynail]

I have just returned from the post office after collecting our mail. This is usually a social trip and an opportunity to catch up with locals and get the latest news. Today was no exception. My neighbour lost their son in law last night
in Blacktown. He was riding home in the rain with what he thought were his lights on. Unfortunately the rear one had stopped working. He had no idea. He rides a dark blue bike and, as a boilermaker, his clothes would have been of an equally dark colour. His funeral is on Tuesday. Apparently,the driver stopped and rendered what assistance he could (male nurse, also a keen cyclist) but Michael was no more.

[dabbler]

Sorry to hear of your neighbour's loss

[silentC]

Sad news.

That's one reason I don't ride at night or pre-dawn.

The two blokes I know who were taken out by kangaroos were riding before sunrise. Even in a car with headlights it's difficult to see them coming until it's too late.

[rustynail]

Sad news.

That's one reason I don't ride at night or pre-dawn.

The two blokes I know who were taken out by kangaroos were riding before sunrise. Even in a car with headlights it's difficult to see them coming until it's too late.

Yes it is sad news. A real nice young bloke, married with three kids under six.
If it's all the same to you guys, I would like to step away from this thread as I dont think my objectivity is going to be enhanced at the moment.
My apologies to those who feel I have been a bit over the top. I meant no harm. When you have been through what I went through you tend to get a bit fed up with the "she'll be righters."

[Vernonv]

Sad news Rustrynail.

... with what he thought were his lights on.

Just the other day (after this discussion had started) I went passed an oncoming cyclist on my way home. It was just on dusk and in a 100km/hr zone (fairly busy non-main country road) and he had a bright flashing front light ... I could see him a mile away. As I passed him, I looked in the rear vision mirror and noticed that he had no rear light (or a non-functioning one).

People coming from behind him would be lucky to see him before they were on top of him. Scary.