Cadel on Australian drivers
 

"THERE is nowhere on Earth that Cadel Evans feel less safe on his bike
than here at home."

www.theage.com.au today.

If you're a believer in Karma, then Australian drivers are headed for
a troublesome future.

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

AndrewJ wrote:

"THERE is nowhere on Earth that Cadel Evans feel less safe on his bike
than here at home."

www.theage.com.au today.

If you're a believer in Karma, then Australian drivers are headed for
a troublesome future.

Fat chance. Here, driving is a right, not a privilege. And until that
changes, we will continue to have people kill themselves and others while
thinking they have enough right to drive.

Changing laws to protect the innocent and penalise the guilty is really easy
to implement, but doesn't actually do anything useful other than make money
for GovCo and perhaps earn brownie points for politicians.

Changing driver attitude is arguably more effective, but impossible to
implement, so let's not do that.


Australian drivers are not headed for a troublesome future, because nothing
will change. They won't even realise they're killing themselves, because
GovCo has over umpteen years conditioned them to think that speeding alone is
the only one reason that anyone dies on the roads.
And since they don't speed, they will NEVER be responsible for any wrongdoing.
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
http://counter.li.org

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

AndrewJ Wrote:
"THERE is nowhere on Earth that Cadel Evans feel less safe on his bike
than here at home."

www.theage.com.au today.

If you're a believer in Karma, then Australian drivers are headed for
a troublesome future.

Gawd! Haven't you seen the Mad Max trilogy?

BTW, correct url linkie to article:
http://tinyurl.com/2tskmu


--
cfsmtb

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

AndrewJ wrote:
"THERE is nowhere on Earth that Cadel Evans feel less safe on his bike
than here at home."

www.theage.com.au today.

If you're a believer in Karma, then Australian drivers are headed for
a troublesome future.


I saw the article. Doors deliberately opened (including a bus door),
objects thrown, morons waving hammers, umpteen near misses, and being
shot at less than 50 km from where I sit writing this. Tell us about it.
This is why I ride with a rear vision mirror on my glasses, first line
of defence, see the stupid *******s coming.
By the way, I've also been a licenced driver for 27 years, and see as
many arseholes when on four wheels as on two. The only difference is
vulnerability.
Cheers,
Ray

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

ray writes:

AndrewJ wrote:
"THERE is nowhere on Earth that Cadel Evans feel less safe on his bike
than here at home."

www.theage.com.au today.

If you're a believer in Karma, then Australian drivers are headed for
a troublesome future.

I saw the article. Doors deliberately opened (including a bus door),
objects thrown, morons waving hammers, umpteen near misses, and being
shot at less than 50 km from where I sit writing this. Tell us about
it. This is why I ride with a rear vision mirror on my glasses, first
line of defence, see the stupid *******s coming. By the way, I've
also been a licenced driver for 27 years, and see as many arseholes
when on four wheels as on two. The only difference is vulnerability.
Cheers, Ray

Two incidents stick in my mind from yesterday and the Amy's ride. One
before, one after.

The second was on the ride back around the bay from the finish to where
I'd parked the car. A massive blast on the horn as an old Ford passed,
four yobs hanging out the window, waving arms and fists like mad and
screaming abuse.

It was the first one that takes the cake though

Heading in to Geelong in the morning; close to eight a.m., increasing
traffic, nearly every car seemed to contain one or two bikes and riders.
As the traffic slowed from an 80 to 70km/hr section and slowed further
for some traffic lights I saw an idiot approach from the rear. Swerving
through the three lanes of traffic he was obviously very important and
on a very urgent mission. As he passed I saw that not only was the
idiot on the phone, steering with one hand and zig-zagging through
traffic, but that the bike was on the rear seat, he was in his lycra and
he was on his way to the start of the ride.... Approaching the lights
he must have received last minute phone instructions as he served from
the right-most lane, across three lanes of traffic, over the start of
the traffic island and made it, tyres screeching, around the left turn
and towards Corio bay.

Adrian

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

On Jan 7, 7:34 pm, Adrian wrote:
ray writes:
AndrewJ wrote:
"THERE is nowhere on Earth that Cadel Evans feel less safe on his bike
than here at home."
www.theage.com.au today.
If you're a believer in Karma, then Australian drivers are headed for
a troublesome future.
I saw the article. Doors deliberately opened (including a bus door),
objects thrown, morons waving hammers, umpteen near misses, and being
shot at less than 50 km from where I sit writing this. Tell us about
it. This is why I ride with a rear vision mirror on my glasses, first
line of defence, see the stupid *******s coming. By the way, I've
also been a licenced driver for 27 years, and see as many arseholes
when on four wheels as on two. The only difference is vulnerability.
Cheers, Ray

Two incidents stick in my mind from yesterday and the Amy's ride. One
before, one after.

The second was on the ride back around the bay from the finish to where
I'd parked the car. A massive blast on the horn as an old Ford passed,
four yobs hanging out the window, waving arms and fists like mad and
screaming abuse.

It was the first one that takes the cake though

Heading in to Geelong in the morning; close to eight a.m., increasing
traffic, nearly every car seemed to contain one or two bikes and riders.
As the traffic slowed from an 80 to 70km/hr section and slowed further
for some traffic lights I saw an idiot approach from the rear. Swerving
through the three lanes of traffic he was obviously very important and
on a very urgent mission. As he passed I saw that not only was the
idiot on the phone, steering with one hand and zig-zagging through
traffic, but that the bike was on the rear seat, he was in his lycra and
he was on his way to the start of the ride.... Approaching the lights
he must have received last minute phone instructions as he served from
the right-most lane, across three lanes of traffic, over the start of
the traffic island and made it, tyres screeching, around the left turn
and towards Corio bay.

Adrian

Ayee. Truly truth is stranger than fiction, especially given the
purpose
of Amy's ride.

I'm afraid this is in support of my position: that cars and bicycles
can't really co-exist and that what we need are high quality roadways
dedicated specifically
to bicycles. I'm in the education business, and I frankly don't think
that
your average yobbo is educable.

Of course then you would find our friend of this posting hassling your
poor low speed average cyclist on said road. But it's amazing the
impact
a stick has in the spokes....

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

AndrewJ wrote:
Adrian wrote:

It was the first one that takes the cake though

Heading in to Geelong in the morning; close to eight a.m., increasing
traffic, nearly every car seemed to contain one or two bikes and
riders. As the traffic slowed from an 80 to 70km/hr section and
slowed further for some traffic lights I saw an idiot approach from
the rear. Swerving through the three lanes of traffic he was
obviously very important and on a very urgent mission. As he passed
I saw that not only was the idiot on the phone, steering with one
hand and zig-zagging through traffic, but that the bike was on the
rear seat, he was in his lycra and he was on his way to the start of
the ride.... Approaching the lights he must have received last
minute phone instructions as he served from the right-most lane,
across three lanes of traffic, over the start of the traffic island
and made it, tyres screeching, around the left turn and towards
Corio bay.

Ayee. Truly truth is stranger than fiction, especially given the
purpose
of Amy's ride.

I'm afraid this is in support of my position: that cars and bicycles
can't really co-exist and that what we need are high quality roadways
dedicated specifically
to bicycles. I'm in the education business, and I frankly don't think
that
your average yobbo is educable.

I would take a different position from this experience. It seems to me that
this 'cyclist' is too dangerous and stupid to be allowed on the road in a
motor vehicle, and the police should arrest anyone in a car wearing lycra.

Of course then you would find our friend of this posting hassling your
poor low speed average cyclist on said road. But it's amazing the
impact
a stick has in the spokes....

I believe that would be assault.

Theo

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

AndrewJ Wrote:

I'm afraid this is in support of my position: that cars and bicycles
can't really co-exist and that what we need are high quality roadways
dedicated specifically
to bicycles. I'm in the education business, and I frankly don't think
that
your average yobbo is educable.

The balance of the available evidence suggests your position is wrong.
For example France has narrower roads, very little in the way of cycling
infrastructure and over there ridinig a bicycle is safer than driving a
car.

My experience with seperated facilities in and around Melbourne have
been overwhelmingly negative compared to the road.


--
EuanB

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

On Jan 8, 8:42 am, EuanB
wrote:
AndrewJ Wrote:



I'm afraid this is in support of my position: that cars and bicycles
can't really co-exist and that what we need are high quality roadways
dedicated specifically
to bicycles. I'm in the education business, and I frankly don't think
that
your average yobbo is educable.

The balance of the available evidence suggests your position is wrong.
For example France has narrower roads, very little in the way of cycling
infrastructure and over there ridinig a bicycle is safer than driving a
car.

My experience with seperated facilities in and around Melbourne have
been overwhelmingly negative compared to the road.

--
EuanB

My vote is with Euan on this one. I just don't buy the "can't share"
guff. Take it to it's conclusion and it means:
1) the road rules don't and can't apply (crapola)
2) cyclists can't share paths with peds (crapola).

Assert your right, join the many, the bogans are getting the idea and
at least in Brisbane, becoming more understanding of bikes. If any
road changes are needed, it's not to take bikes off the road, it's to
give us more of it.

Donga

Cadel on Australian drivers
 

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 8 Jan 2008 09:42:23 +1100
EuanB wrote:

The balance of the available evidence suggests your position is wrong.
For example France has narrower roads, very little in the way of cycling
infrastructure and over there ridinig a bicycle is safer than driving a
car.


It does seem to be possible to change attitudes. By education and
personal knowledge.

A survey in Scotland showed that those who rode a motorcyle were very
significantly less likely to be involved in a car/motorcycle crash
while driving a car, but their close family was also.

The more bicycles on the roads, mixing with the traffic, the more
drivers who will have a friend or relative who rides. The more
bicycles on the road, the more people who get used to bicycles being
on the road.

I always get the "it is too dangerous" from non-cyclists (and
non-motorcyclists) when I say I use a two wheeler to get to work.
Funny how it is always "other people" who are the problem, never
themselves :) But when I ask a few questions, it turns out that these
co-workers are all quite capable of seeing bad drivers a long way off,
and they don't really have many incidents with them. THey parrot the
"roads are dangerous" line because that's what they have been told.
Doesn't really jell with their own experience day to day, but they
know it is so, so don't really examine their own experience.

Mainly because they have no reason to. They accept the common wisdom
because they have no reason not to. THey save their mental energy for
something more important to them.

Every time someone comes up with the "too dangerous" line, then talk
to them about how many cars they saw today doing the *right* thing.
And if they saw one doing the wrong thing, how far away did they spot
that vehicle and how dangerous was it to them.

Once people look at their own daily experience (rather than
remembering the one incident that really impressed them *because* it
was rare) they change their understanding about how dangerous it is.

The more who realise it isn't dangerous, the more who will ride.

Zebee