Driving into cyclists the Emma way

[Stingray34]

Sad to see this rubbish is still happening: now it's spread to the NSW South Coast, about 80km south of Sydney, Australia.

http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/3725229/wire-strung-at-neck-height-on-mt-keira-bike-track/?cs=55

It's not just bored teenagers; it's obsessed people of all ages who think difference=enemy.

 

[Stingray34]

Re: Re:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclist-knocked-down-in-alleged-hit-and-run-on-bridge-road-in-glebe-20160227-gn5ht8.html

No eye contact here. The speed of the motorist is excessive, but typical.

I ride that stretch of road on my morning commute - you have to claim that lane down the s-bend that it is, but even that doesn't stop some idiots trying to pass you at 50kmh+. Its a 50 zone too.
Doesn't take much from Glebe Point rd and you're cruising at nearly 50kmh by the time you reach the 90 degree bend just before where that collision takes place.
I've had a dark green jag try to squeeze past me actually on the bend itself - I went from a good 2m from the curb to about 2 inches from it, with his car less than 6 inches from me at 47kmh... The ar$e-clown didn't turn his head while I was yelling at him, then he blew through the red light (about 50m past that bridge in the footage) to avoid me catching him at that intersection, no doubt...

I'm a Sydney-ite, born in Kogarah. Now, I disdain violence, yet I can't help but think a good economic catastrophe should wipe-out some of the entitled knob-headed-luxury-car-driving lot; I also think along the lines of Morrissey - for Sydney, come come nuclear war. The place is irredeemable. It's a right pooh-hole that needs a final cleansing.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re: Re:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclist-knocked-down-in-alleged-hit-and-run-on-bridge-road-in-glebe-20160227-gn5ht8.html

No eye contact here. The speed of the motorist is excessive, but typical.

I ride that stretch of road on my morning commute - you have to claim that lane down the s-bend that it is, but even that doesn't stop some idiots trying to pass you at 50kmh+. Its a 50 zone too.
Doesn't take much from Glebe Point rd and you're cruising at nearly 50kmh by the time you reach the 90 degree bend just before where that collision takes place.
I've had a dark green jag try to squeeze past me actually on the bend itself - I went from a good 2m from the curb to about 2 inches from it, with his car less than 6 inches from me at 47kmh... The ar$e-clown didn't turn his head while I was yelling at him, then he blew through the red light (about 50m past that bridge in the footage) to avoid me catching him at that intersection, no doubt...

I'm a Sydney-ite, born in Kogarah. Now, I disdain violence, yet I can't help but think a good economic catastrophe should wipe-out some of the entitled knob-headed-luxury-car-driving lot; I also think along the lines of Morrissey - for Sydney, come come nuclear war. The place is irredeemable. It's a right pooh-hole that needs a final cleansing.

I'm leaving. In a couple of weeks. Cycling is well and truly dead as an enjoyable pursuit here.

I liken cyclists in Sydney to frogs in the water pot on the stove. Slowly heating up and not realising until it's too late they need to jump out.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Sad to see this rubbish is still happening: now it's spread to the NSW South Coast, about 80km south of Sydney, Australia.

http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/3725229/wire-strung-at-neck-height-on-mt-keira-bike-track/?cs=55

It's not just bored teenagers; it's obsessed people of all ages who think difference=enemy.

Ugh. Sadly it's not a new experience here. Had a racing mate get felled on a bike path once due to a wire string. Full jaw and face reconstruction.

 

[Archibald]

Re: Re:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclist-knocked-down-in-alleged-hit-and-run-on-bridge-road-in-glebe-20160227-gn5ht8.html

No eye contact here. The speed of the motorist is excessive, but typical.

I ride that stretch of road on my morning commute - you have to claim that lane down the s-bend that it is, but even that doesn't stop some idiots trying to pass you at 50kmh+. Its a 50 zone too.
Doesn't take much from Glebe Point rd and you're cruising at nearly 50kmh by the time you reach the 90 degree bend just before where that collision takes place.
I've had a dark green jag try to squeeze past me actually on the bend itself - I went from a good 2m from the curb to about 2 inches from it, with his car less than 6 inches from me at 47kmh... The ar$e-clown didn't turn his head while I was yelling at him, then he blew through the red light (about 50m past that bridge in the footage) to avoid me catching him at that intersection, no doubt...

I'm a Sydney-ite, born in Kogarah. Now, I disdain violence, yet I can't help but think a good economic catastrophe should wipe-out some of the entitled knob-headed-luxury-car-driving lot; I also think along the lines of Morrissey - for Sydney, come come nuclear war. The place is irredeemable. It's a right pooh-hole that needs a final cleansing.

quite prophetic then?

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclist-knocked-down-in-alleged-hit-and-run-on-bridge-road-in-glebe-20160227-gn5ht8.html

No eye contact here. The speed of the motorist is excessive, but typical.

I ride that stretch of road on my morning commute - you have to claim that lane down the s-bend that it is, but even that doesn't stop some idiots trying to pass you at 50kmh+. Its a 50 zone too.
Doesn't take much from Glebe Point rd and you're cruising at nearly 50kmh by the time you reach the 90 degree bend just before where that collision takes place.
I've had a dark green jag try to squeeze past me actually on the bend itself - I went from a good 2m from the curb to about 2 inches from it, with his car less than 6 inches from me at 47kmh... The ar$e-clown didn't turn his head while I was yelling at him, then he blew through the red light (about 50m past that bridge in the footage) to avoid me catching him at that intersection, no doubt...

I'm a Sydney-ite, born in Kogarah. Now, I disdain violence, yet I can't help but think a good economic catastrophe should wipe-out some of the entitled knob-headed-luxury-car-driving lot; I also think along the lines of Morrissey - for Sydney, come come nuclear war. The place is irredeemable. It's a right pooh-hole that needs a final cleansing.

I'm leaving. In a couple of weeks. Cycling is well and truly dead as an enjoyable pursuit here.

I liken cyclists in Sydney to frogs in the water pot on the stove. Slowly heating up and not realising until it's too late they need to jump out.

It's funny comparing Sydney to Brisbane. I've lived in both and have to say that in a lot of ways I actually prefer Sydney. However when it comes to attitudes toward cycling and infrastructure there's no comparison - Brisbane is a haven compared to Sydney.

Maybe it's because there's more riders and clubs, or it's easier to escape the urban sprawl but attitudes are far better up here (still not always good but far better). The strangest part is that Brisbane drivers are generally far less patient in traffic, switching lanes constantly for no reason at all and get around A LOT faster than in Sydney.

Speed limits, traffic lights and correct indicator use are pie-in-the-sky ideals up here.

 

[winkybiker]

Re: Re:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclist-knocked-down-in-alleged-hit-and-run-on-bridge-road-in-glebe-20160227-gn5ht8.html

No eye contact here. The speed of the motorist is excessive, but typical.

I ride that stretch of road on my morning commute - you have to claim that lane down the s-bend that it is, but even that doesn't stop some idiots trying to pass you at 50kmh+. Its a 50 zone too.
Doesn't take much from Glebe Point rd and you're cruising at nearly 50kmh by the time you reach the 90 degree bend just before where that collision takes place.
I've had a dark green jag try to squeeze past me actually on the bend itself - I went from a good 2m from the curb to about 2 inches from it, with his car less than 6 inches from me at 47kmh... The ar$e-clown didn't turn his head while I was yelling at him, then he blew through the red light (about 50m past that bridge in the footage) to avoid me catching him at that intersection, no doubt...

I'm a Sydney-ite, born in Kogarah. Now, I disdain violence, yet I can't help but think a good economic catastrophe should wipe-out some of the entitled knob-headed-luxury-car-driving lot; I also think along the lines of Morrissey - for Sydney, come come nuclear war. The place is irredeemable. It's a right pooh-hole that needs a final cleansing.

I'm leaving. In a couple of weeks. Cycling is well and truly dead as an enjoyable pursuit here.

I liken cyclists in Sydney to frogs in the water pot on the stove. Slowly heating up and not realising until it's too late they need to jump out.

It's funny comparing Sydney to Brisbane. I've lived in both and have to say that in a lot of ways I actually prefer Sydney. However when it comes to attitudes toward cycling and infrastructure there's no comparison - Brisbane is a haven compared to Sydney.

Maybe it's because there's more riders and clubs, or it's easier to escape the urban sprawl but attitudes are far better up here (still not always good but far better). The strangest part is that Brisbane drivers are generally far less patient in traffic, switching lanes constantly for no reason at all and get around A LOT faster than in Sydney.

Speed limits, traffic lights and correct indicator use are pie-in-the-sky ideals up here.

My overriding impression of Brisbane was the absolutely insane speed at which cars drove in the city. Flat out, nose to tail. Hard acceleration away from every light (that they bothered to stop at) and severe braking at the last minute. Last time I was there I saw the aftermath (cars written off, airbags deployed, ambulances taking away the injured occupants) of a severe collision at an intersection that in any another city would probably have been a fairly low-speed affair. I wasn't really surprised.

Luckily for cyclists (but not pedestrians), riding on the footpaths is legal and seemingly necessary in light of the traffic's behaviour. Odd to see serious cyclists, likely out for training runs, actually cycling on footpaths. I guess once a bit further out from the city they switch to the roads.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Truck drives into group of cyclists in Tuscon.

https://twitter.com/PimaSheriff/status/705500065196998656

ugh. Quote from another forum:

Driver arrested on DUI charge. 5 were hit in a group of 15. 1 died on scene, 1 died in hospital, 1 critically injured, 2 non-critically injured.

Very sad.

 

[Merckx index]

Re:

Truck drives into group of cyclists in Tuscon.

https://twitter.com/PimaSheriff/status/705500065196998656

ugh. Quote from another forum:

Driver arrested on DUI charge. 5 were hit in a group of 15. 1 died on scene, 1 died in hospital, 1 critically injured, 2 non-critically injured.

Very sad.

Thanks for posting this. My late parents lived in Tucson, and I did a fair amount of riding there when I visited them. I always felt quite safe on the roads there, it’s a very bike-friendly place with bike lanes on the major roads and off road paths shared by cyclists and people walking. Every year it hosts a major fun race, El Tour, that often attracts top pros, e.g., Landis rode in it at least once.

Anyway, in this gruesome incident, the fifteen cyclists, all part of a senior group, apparently, were stopped at a traffic light, all of them in the bike lane. So the driver must have been very incapacitated.

http://azbikelaw.org/tag/cyclist-fatality/

There was another recent DUI-related fatality in Tucson in which the driver of a pickup truck ran into a cyclist, who hit the windshield, then flipped over in the air and landed in the back of the truck. The driver continued on for several hundred yards before stopping.

Btw, here is an interesting way that Tucson has come up with to memorialize riders killed by motor vehicles: white “ghost bikes” erected at the scene of the accident. I like that idea.

http://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/ghost-bikes-both-art-memorial-to-cyclists-killed-on-tucson/article_093f6eeb-80ab-5fff-9f0c-eccb5f804ca9.html

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re: Re:

Btw, here is an interesting way that Tucson has come up with to memorialize riders killed by motor vehicles: white “ghost bikes” erected at the scene of the accident. I like that idea.

There are while painted memorial bikes at scenes of cyclist deaths here in Australia. Not sure where the idea started. Most recent example I can recall is the white memorial bike on the Snow road just near Milawa (VIC) placed there in November after the driver of a 4x4 hit the rider from behind. My understanding in that case was the car in front of the 4x4 pulled out to overtake the cyclist but the tailgating 4x4 driver didn't.

And like you say, that region (Wangaratta to Bright and surrounding valleys) is about as good as it gets for cycling in Australia.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cylist-dies-after-being-struck-by-car-in-milawa-20151107-gktdmb.html

According to Police interviewed at the time it was the cyclist's fault for being on the road! One can only hope the Coroner views otherwise.

 

[Stingray34]

Re: Re:

Btw, here is an interesting way that Tucson has come up with to memorialize riders killed by motor vehicles: white “ghost bikes” erected at the scene of the accident. I like that idea.

There are while painted memorial bikes at scenes of cyclist deaths here in Australia. Not sure where the idea started. Most recent example I can recall is the white memorial bike on the Snow road just near Milawa (VIC) placed there in November after the driver of a 4x4 hit the rider from behind. My understanding in that case was the car in front of the 4x4 pulled out to overtake the cyclist but the tailgating 4x4 driver didn't.

And like you say, that region (Wangaratta to Bright and surrounding valleys) is about as good as it gets for cycling in Australia.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cylist-dies-after-being-struck-by-car-in-milawa-20151107-gktdmb.html

According to Police interviewed at the time it was the cyclist's fault for being on the road! One can only hope the Coroner views otherwise.

Hi Alex,

That's got to be one of the worst - a tail-gaiting driver not being able to react in time. I know a few tailgaiters - my brother's one of them - and they say they enjoy intimidating the drivers in front of them. My bro has had a few front-end prangs this way, mostly low-speed affairs (thankfully) at roundabouts. He always disputes responsibility, so I bought him a whiz-bang, top of the line car camera so 'you can prove you're right in future (ha ha - as if).' It seemed to work - no accidents since. If my brother didn't have a cyclist sibling, I'm sure he'd hate them.

Sorry to hear about your friend and the face-reconstruction: that's absolutely terrible. May I guess: Manly dam?

Where are you heading to? Best of luck when you get there!

Kyle aka Stingy - Northern NSW

 

[Stingray34]

Re: Re:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclist-knocked-down-in-alleged-hit-and-run-on-bridge-road-in-glebe-20160227-gn5ht8.html

No eye contact here. The speed of the motorist is excessive, but typical.

I ride that stretch of road on my morning commute - you have to claim that lane down the s-bend that it is, but even that doesn't stop some idiots trying to pass you at 50kmh+. Its a 50 zone too.
Doesn't take much from Glebe Point rd and you're cruising at nearly 50kmh by the time you reach the 90 degree bend just before where that collision takes place.
I've had a dark green jag try to squeeze past me actually on the bend itself - I went from a good 2m from the curb to about 2 inches from it, with his car less than 6 inches from me at 47kmh... The ar$e-clown didn't turn his head while I was yelling at him, then he blew through the red light (about 50m past that bridge in the footage) to avoid me catching him at that intersection, no doubt...

I'm a Sydney-ite, born in Kogarah. Now, I disdain violence, yet I can't help but think a good economic catastrophe should wipe-out some of the entitled knob-headed-luxury-car-driving lot; I also think along the lines of Morrissey - for Sydney, come come nuclear war. The place is irredeemable. It's a right pooh-hole that needs a final cleansing.

quite prophetic then?

I remember that one being released - lots of 'nuclear war' talk. Great cover, but Sydney Harbour is much, much deeper than that - the dry land on the cover goes right up to the harbour foreshore! Still, a classic album cover!

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re: Re:

Sorry to hear about your friend and the face-reconstruction: that's absolutely terrible. May I guess: Manly dam?

No, it was a paved bike path on a roadie out western suburbs somewhere, he used to work in Parramatta, live north west. I actually don't know the specific location of the bike path in question.

Where are you heading to? Best of luck when you get there!

Kyle aka Stingy - Northern NSW

Heading towards your way.
Bellingen. Already have the fatter tyres on the roadie, and will prob get an MTB of some sort since there's so many options. And perhaps I'll pop over for a few laps on the Toormina velodrome each week. I'm so unfit, it's not going to be pleasant for at least the first 4-6 weeks! The weight will take ~ 2 years though.

 

[42x16ss]

You'll have a great time up there, far more relaxed. The only thing you might have to worry about are local w@nky surfer types. Growing up in Ballina they were the only issue out on the roads, but if you timed things right even they weren't too bad.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re:

You'll have a great time up there, far more relaxed. The only thing you might have to worry about are local w@nky surfer types. Growing up in Ballina they were the only issue out on the roads, but if you timed things right even they weren't too bad.

That's the plan. I'm inland a bit from the coastal towns, and I can choose time of day to ride as well.

This is what I'll wake up to each day:

OK, sorry for going OT. Related in the sense that this is what I've chosen for life instead of the unpleasantness of dealing with Sydney roads.

 

[winkybiker]

Re: Re:

You'll have a great time up there, far more relaxed. The only thing you might have to worry about are local w@nky surfer types. Growing up in Ballina they were the only issue out on the roads, but if you timed things right even they weren't too bad.

That's the plan. I'm inland a bit from the coastal towns, and I can choose time of day to ride as well.

This is what I'll wake up to each day:

OK, sorry for going OT. Related in the sense that this is what I've chosen for life instead of the unpleasantness of dealing with Sydney roads.

Rural NSW can be great. I lived in the Hunter Valley. Just enough quiet roads to avoid most of the bogans leaning out the windows of their utes (that's a small pick-up for you North 'mericans) yelling as they drive past. It's still the only place I've ridded where I routinely had stuff thrown at me. But up early to beat the worst of it, and yes, fatter tyres for the coarse chip-seal.

 

[Archibald]

Re: Re:

Btw, here is an interesting way that Tucson has come up with to memorialize riders killed by motor vehicles: white “ghost bikes” erected at the scene of the accident. I like that idea.

There are while painted memorial bikes at scenes of cyclist deaths here in Australia. Not sure where the idea started. Most recent example I can recall is the white memorial bike on the Snow road just near Milawa (VIC) placed there in November after the driver of a 4x4 hit the rider from behind. My understanding in that case was the car in front of the 4x4 pulled out to overtake the cyclist but the tailgating 4x4 driver didn't.

Ghost bikes have been around for some time.
First one I saw was in 2007 in London - the wheels kept getting pinched off it!!

The weirdest thing here in Sydney, though is the number of all-white fixies/singlespeeds I've seen... I asked a guy on one why he chose to ride a 'ghost bike' and he had no idea what one was...

 

[Stingray34]

Re: Re:

You'll have a great time up there, far more relaxed. The only thing you might have to worry about are local w@nky surfer types. Growing up in Ballina they were the only issue out on the roads, but if you timed things right even they weren't too bad.

That's the plan. I'm inland a bit from the coastal towns, and I can choose time of day to ride as well.

This is what I'll wake up to each day:

OK, sorry for going OT. Related in the sense that this is what I've chosen for life instead of the unpleasantness of dealing with Sydney roads.

That's a very nice place - I'm not too far north, between Lismore and Ballina. We have a lot of secondary roads to ride on here, not bad at all. You will have some hills around Bellingen, and yes, an MTB won't go astray. I'd imagine there's lots of tracks around those mountains! Have fun - it looks super-beautiful!

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

You'll have a great time up there, far more relaxed. The only thing you might have to worry about are local w@nky surfer types. Growing up in Ballina they were the only issue out on the roads, but if you timed things right even they weren't too bad.

That's the plan. I'm inland a bit from the coastal towns, and I can choose time of day to ride as well.

This is what I'll wake up to each day:

OK, sorry for going OT. Related in the sense that this is what I've chosen for life instead of the unpleasantness of dealing with Sydney roads.

That's a very nice place - I'm not too far north, between Lismore and Ballina. We have a lot of secondary roads to ride on here, not bad at all. You will have some hills around Bellingen, and yes, an MTB won't go astray. I'd imagine there's lots of tracks around those mountains! Have fun - it looks super-beautiful!

Cool, I grew up in Ballina and Lennox Head. Great part of the world

 

[Stingray34]

Re: Re:

You'll have a great time up there, far more relaxed. The only thing you might have to worry about are local w@nky surfer types. Growing up in Ballina they were the only issue out on the roads, but if you timed things right even they weren't too bad.

That's the plan. I'm inland a bit from the coastal towns, and I can choose time of day to ride as well.

This is what I'll wake up to each day:

OK, sorry for going OT. Related in the sense that this is what I've chosen for life instead of the unpleasantness of dealing with Sydney roads.

That's a very nice place - I'm not too far north, between Lismore and Ballina. We have a lot of secondary roads to ride on here, not bad at all. You will have some hills around Bellingen, and yes, an MTB won't go astray. I'd imagine there's lots of tracks around those mountains! Have fun - it looks super-beautiful!

Cool, I grew up in Ballina and Lennox Head. Great part of the world

It sure is - and quite a few ride options. I've found motorists to be pretty OK, too. Do you come back sometimes and ride? If so, do you have some preferred routes?

 

[Archibald]

gotta love 'straya motorists...
http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...d-rage/ar-BBqw0AI?li=AAgfLCP&ocid=mailsignout

 

[winkybiker]

Re:

gotta love 'straya motorists...
http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...d-rage/ar-BBqw0AI?li=AAgfLCP&ocid=mailsignout

Both drivers acted like complete and utter idiots. Wrestling their stupid, pointless squabble out in public with their 2-tonne death machines. Lock them both up. I'm not sure why the media seems to have decided guilt and innocence for us. On the other hand, I'Both guilty of dangerous driving. People just don't take the responsibility associated with driving seriously enough.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

There's always the Kiwis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izi1ongLI6g&feature=player_embedded

 

[Stingray34]

A pair of hit and runs today in Ballarat and Gippsland. The former appears deliberate.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/do-you-know-this-car-police-release-image-of-car-wanted-over-ballarat-hitrun-20160325-gnrane.html

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re:

There's always the Kiwis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izi1ongLI6g&feature=player_embedded

Appears to have been a hoax:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/fake-road-rage-against-cyclists-creates-real-anger-in-new-zealand-20160324-gnqu0m.html