• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Driving into cyclists the Emma way

Page 30 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Re: Re:

42x16ss said:
It just keeps coming back to that "we pay for the roads, you don't, so f$#k off" mentality and no effort whatsoever has been made in the media to dispel it.
I've seen this guy's articles reprinted in some Melbourne papers
http://www.executivestyle.com.au/fitness/on-your-bike
but, yes, mostly it's the trashy papers who are happily inflaming the issue with the "war on the roads" nonsense.
Too many editors were Mad Max fans as teenagers, methinks
 
Re:

RedheadDane said:
Yeah, what the hell kind of "punishment" is Write a letter of apology? (or even community service as well) This isn't kindergarten!
Then again; the "apology" for sure was something someone in kindergarten could have written...
If you want to see the state of attitudes in this country, check out the Facebook link I posted above on this page and be grateful you live in Denmark :mad: :(
 
Feb 16, 2011
1,456
4
0
Visit site
...and the Tool of the Month Award goes to...


https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cop-that-d-head-cyclists-in-viral-video-were-off-duty-policemen-20190131-p50upn.html


Oh boy, this is a good one. A feel-good story for put-upon cyclists.


EDIT: Actually, I take that back. This isn't a feel-good story at all. I apologise for my facetiousness. You see, when I posted this yesterday there were no comments on the article. Reading them this morning was sobering, as the majority of them were sympathetic to the driver. They were sympathetic to a man that drove a one-and-a-half metric ton steel machine - at speed - on a path for pedestrians and cyclists. Is it just me or is that as reckless as carrying a live grenade into a food court? One we call terrorism, the other making a point to entitled, noisy minorities that receive special treatment. Bear in mind that this newspaper isn't a trashy, ***-stirring tabloid read by angry, pick up-driving men in wifebeaters. It's regarded as the masthead of choice for the educated middle class of Sydney, Australia.

I don't understand this widespread animosity for our particular out-group in English speaking countries. Just what is it about Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, the USA et al that festers this indignation? That we're frequent, flagrant rule breakers? Yeah, no. Not many people chase down motorists that run red lights. In fact, not many motorists chase down cyclists that do that, even if they'd like to, because most people's rage is impotent in the real world. But it's there alright, even if it's absent for those people who do things that can and often do kill innocent strangers.

What depresses me, though, is not the scale and tenacity of this strange sentiment against people who choose and enjoy a form of innocuous, self-propelled transport. It's the realisation that this will never change. Not in our lifetimes.

What strange creatures we are.
 
Stingray34 said:
...and the Tool of the Month Award goes to...


https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cop-that-d-head-cyclists-in-viral-video-were-off-duty-policemen-20190131-p50upn.html


Oh boy, this is a good one. A feel-good story for put-upon cyclists.


EDIT: Actually, I take that back. This isn't a feel-good story at all. I apologise for my facetiousness. You see, when I posted this yesterday there were no comments on the article. Reading them this morning was sobering, as the majority of them were sympathetic to the driver. They were sympathetic to a man that drove a one-and-a-half metric ton steel machine - at speed - on a path for pedestrians and cyclists. Is it just me or is that as reckless as carrying a live grenade into a food court? One we call terrorism, the other making a point to entitled, noisy minorities that receive special treatment. Bear in mind that this newspaper isn't a trashy, ***-stirring tabloid read by angry, pick up-driving men in wifebeaters. It's regarded as the masthead of choice for the educated middle class of Sydney, Australia.

I don't understand this widespread animosity for our particular out-group in English speaking countries. Just what is it about Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, the USA et al that festers this indignation? That we're frequent, flagrant rule breakers? Yeah, no. Not many people chase down motorists that run red lights. In fact, not many motorists chase down cyclists that do that, even if they'd like to, because most people's rage is impotent in the real world. But it's there alright, even if it's absent for those people who do things that can and often do kill innocent strangers.

What depresses me, though, is not the scale and tenacity of this strange sentiment against people who choose and enjoy a form of innocuous, self-propelled transport. It's the realisation that this will never change. Not in our lifetimes.

What strange creatures we are.

Sad but true...........
 
Stingray34 said:
...and the Tool of the Month Award goes to...


https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cop-that-d-head-cyclists-in-viral-video-were-off-duty-policemen-20190131-p50upn.html


Oh boy, this is a good one. A feel-good story for put-upon cyclists.


EDIT: Actually, I take that back. This isn't a feel-good story at all. I apologise for my facetiousness. You see, when I posted this yesterday there were no comments on the article. Reading them this morning was sobering, as the majority of them were sympathetic to the driver. They were sympathetic to a man that drove a one-and-a-half metric ton steel machine - at speed - on a path for pedestrians and cyclists. Is it just me or is that as reckless as carrying a live grenade into a food court? One we call terrorism, the other making a point to entitled, noisy minorities that receive special treatment. Bear in mind that this newspaper isn't a trashy, ***-stirring tabloid read by angry, pick up-driving men in wifebeaters. It's regarded as the masthead of choice for the educated middle class of Sydney, Australia.

I don't understand this widespread animosity for our particular out-group in English speaking countries. Just what is it about Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, the USA et al that festers this indignation? That we're frequent, flagrant rule breakers? Yeah, no. Not many people chase down motorists that run red lights. In fact, not many motorists chase down cyclists that do that, even if they'd like to, because most people's rage is impotent in the real world. But it's there alright, even if it's absent for those people who do things that can and often do kill innocent strangers.

What depresses me, though, is not the scale and tenacity of this strange sentiment against people who choose and enjoy a form of innocuous, self-propelled transport. It's the realisation that this will never change. Not in our lifetimes.

What strange creatures we are.
Australia takes it to far greater heights. I truly believe that it's a matter of time before some populist POS runs a state/local government election campaign based on legislating the bogan wishes - single file, registration, group size limits, mandatory use of bike lanes/paths etc.

I've ridden in NZ, USA, Canada and the UK and can say without hesitation that Australia is easily the most hostile towards people riding bikes. This fascination that someone else is somehow "getting away" with doing things they cannot is unhealthy, as is this all important attitude that whatever we are doing takes priority over everybody else. Road rage statistics here are climbing at an alarming rate in every state.
 
Stingray34 said:
...and the Tool of the Month Award goes to...


https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cop-that-d-head-cyclists-in-viral-video-were-off-duty-policemen-20190131-p50upn.html


Oh boy, this is a good one. A feel-good story for put-upon cyclists.


EDIT: Actually, I take that back. This isn't a feel-good story at all. I apologise for my facetiousness. You see, when I posted this yesterday there were no comments on the article. Reading them this morning was sobering, as the majority of them were sympathetic to the driver. They were sympathetic to a man that drove a one-and-a-half metric ton steel machine - at speed - on a path for pedestrians and cyclists. Is it just me or is that as reckless as carrying a live grenade into a food court? One we call terrorism, the other making a point to entitled, noisy minorities that receive special treatment. Bear in mind that this newspaper isn't a trashy, ***-stirring tabloid read by angry, pick up-driving men in wifebeaters. It's regarded as the masthead of choice for the educated middle class of Sydney, Australia.

I don't understand this widespread animosity for our particular out-group in English speaking countries. Just what is it about Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, the USA et al that festers this indignation? That we're frequent, flagrant rule breakers? Yeah, no. Not many people chase down motorists that run red lights. In fact, not many motorists chase down cyclists that do that, even if they'd like to, because most people's rage is impotent in the real world. But it's there alright, even if it's absent for those people who do things that can and often do kill innocent strangers.

What depresses me, though, is not the scale and tenacity of this strange sentiment against people who choose and enjoy a form of innocuous, self-propelled transport. It's the realisation that this will never change. Not in our lifetimes.

What strange creatures we are.
why the animosity?
that's easy - we're an easy target, a very easy target
you can't pick on gender, race, religion, 'preference', short, fat, ugly, etc, etc, which leaves effectively just us left as one of the few groups you can legally discriminate against...
Want to vent at some group? well, go for this one. Hell, you can even run one over and only cop a small fine instead of going to jail...
 
Good outcome

A truck driver has reportedly been sacked after almost coming to blows with a group of cyclists during a fiery exchange in Perth’s western suburbs.

Nick Algie and fellow members of the Indian Ocean Cycling Club were out for a Tuesday morning ride along Railway Street in Cottesloe when they were passed by a large truck.

Vision captured by one of the cyclists shows the truck surge ahead and pull over into the cycling lane, blocking their path and the several cars in the adjacent lane.

The driver emerges in a rage, appearing to threaten one of the cyclist’s, raising his fist as he screams: “You want a f***ing punch in the head?”

The enraged driver emerged pulled over and confronted the cyclists.

The riders can be seen attempting to diffuse the situation, encouraging the driver to leave who accuses them of riding three-abreast.

Mr Algie, however, disputes they did anything wrong.

“He came up behind us and blew his horn for 15 to 20 seconds as he approached the group,” he said

“We were riding in an orderly fashion, one and two abreast hard against the verge.”

The truck driver accused the cyclists of taking up too much space on the road.

Mr Algie said he was later contacted by Earthtech who informed him that the driver had been sacked.

Yahoo7 contacted Earthtech for comment and to confirm the driver had been dismissed but the company declined to comment

“They saw the footage and say they are disgusted at his behaviour,” Mr Algie wrote on Facebook.

“Good outcome. Could have ended a lot worse.” he wrote.
 
Re:

RedheadDane said:
The riders can be seen attempting to diffuse the situation, encouraging the driver to leave who accuses them of riding three-abreast.

Let me get this straight; they were in the cycling lane, right? So even if they had been three-abreast, it wouldn't matter coz… they were in the cycling lane.

Yep. What you need to realise is that in Australia we must have one of if not the worst attitudes by drivers towards cyclists in the world.

Every time there is some online news story that concerns cyclists, all these ignorant people climb in and write trash. For example I am quite sure the majority of Australian drivers think all cyclists should carry license plates for identification and be registered like a car.

There is also a lot of generalising. All cyclists get blamed for the few idiots who run red lights, don't wear helmets (according to our laws) or ride illegally on footpaths. There is also inadequate cycling infrastructure in Australia and even the cycle-ways are poorly designed for road cyclists who ride at speed with skinny tyres. There is also an irrational disconnect between the actual and perceived delays or inconvenience caused by cyclists using public roads.

Apparently these people would feel better if the occasional idiot who rides through a red light or illegally on a footpath can be identified so they can be rounded up and burned at the stake :mad:

The animosity is over the top but I think related directly to the matters discussed in this thread. In my opinion the causes are varied but relate to increasing congestion on roads making people more agitated and impatient behind the wheel. We are also accused of being "Lycra warriors". In other words they think we wear Lycra for looks rather than personal preservation on any ride over 30 minutes. Ignorance. Others I am sure are a bit jealous seeing people who are obviously fitter than them.

I am thankful I can ride on relatively quiet roads in early mornings (except for weekends) when little traffic and lower risk of idiots. But an idiot running you down is still always in the back of your mind.
 
Re: Re:

Cookster15 said:
RedheadDane said:
The riders can be seen attempting to diffuse the situation, encouraging the driver to leave who accuses them of riding three-abreast.

Let me get this straight; they were in the cycling lane, right? So even if they had been three-abreast, it wouldn't matter coz… they were in the cycling lane.

Yep. What you need to realise is that in Australia we must have one of if not the worst attitudes by drivers towards cyclists in the world.

Every time there is some online news story that concerns cyclists, all these ignorant people climb in and write trash. For example I am quite sure the majority of Australian drivers think all cyclists should carry license plates for identification and be registered like a car.

There is also a lot of generalising. All cyclists get blamed for the few idiots who run red lights, don't wear helmets (according to our laws) or ride illegally on footpaths. There is also inadequate cycling infrastructure in Australia and even the cycle-ways are poorly designed for road cyclists who ride at speed with skinny tyres. There is also an irrational disconnect between the actual and perceived delays or inconvenience caused by cyclists using public roads.

Apparently these people would feel better if the occasional idiot who rides through a red light or illegally on a footpath can be identified so they can be rounded up and burned at the stake :mad:

The animosity is over the top but I think related directly to the matters discussed in this thread. In my opinion the causes are varied but relate to increasing congestion on roads making people more agitated and impatient behind the wheel. We are also accused of being "Lycra warriors". In other words they think we wear Lycra for looks rather than personal preservation on any ride over 30 minutes. Ignorance. Others I am sure are a bit jealous seeing people who are obviously fitter than them.

I am thankful I can ride on relatively quiet roads in early mornings (except for weekends) when little traffic and lower risk of idiots. But an idiot running you down is still always in the back of your mind.

It is exactly the same in the UK unfortunately.
 
Defence counsel Rahmin de Kretser said Ms Rodda swore to police she wasn't looking at her phone at the time of crash, but instead had looked at her car's speedometer moments before. The court heard she was inattentive for between two and four seconds before impact.

"This is a short period of inattention," Mr de Kretser said.

A short period of inattention that cost someone his life!

movingtarget said:
Stingray34 said:
21-year-old texting driver kills Jason Lowndes and has the audacity to plead not guilty coz SMIDSY.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/woman-accused-of-sending-text-message-seconds-before-fatal-crash-20190501-p51ixp.html

Going to trial later this year. I wonder if she still has a license?

Not much between the ears, little road sense. The usual excuses.

Someone like that shouldn't be allowed to get a license!

Says the person without a license.
 

TRENDING THREADS