Just whenever I think there can’t possibly be a God, I am brought up short by a report such as this one. Yea, there must be a God after all if there can be this kind of strict justice in the world.

”Mountain bikers think nothing of riding illegally -- until they are
the victim of it.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/s...es-toll/?cs=12

Bulli trail bike ride takes toll

By BREE FULLER

Feb. 26, 2014, 4:10 a.m.

A Wollongong council worker hit and seriously injured a mountain
biker while riding his trail bike illegally.

Bulli trail bike ride takes toll

A Wollongong City Council worker who hit and seriously injured a
mountain biker while riding his trail bike illegally in bushland has
been criticised by a magistrate for his irresponsible behaviour.

Wollongong Local Court heard Tim Crinnion was riding illegally in the
Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area on December 22, 2012,
when he hit a cyclist travelling south on the Lower Escarpment Trail at Bulli.

The collision, on a blind corner, threw both men from their bikes and
knocked them unconscious.

The impact was so severe it snapped the carbon fibre mountain bike
frame and witnesses reported hearing a "loud cracking noise".

Both men suffered significant injuries and were airlifted from Bulli
Showground to hospital.

The court heard that Crinnion was riding illegally on the trail,
despite clear signage banning trail bikes from the environmentally
sensitive area.

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie, who accepted Crinnion had no criminal
history and was otherwise of good character, said the signs were
there to prevent such accidents.

"That is the very thing we are trying to stop by keeping motorbikes
out of there.

"It is of concern that someone of good character and in a responsible
position thought it was OK to ride a [trail] bike in that area in
contravention of those signs," she said.

The cyclist, who spent five days in hospital as a result of the
accident, suffered fractures to his right leg, hand, elbow, ribs, and
a suspected skull fracture.

He was unable to return to work until late February 2013.

The court heard Crinnion suffered a badly broken jaw and multiple
fractures to the skull.

He has also suffered from depression and anxiety following the
accident and sold his bike.

The magistrate accepted Crinnion was remorseful for the crime and had
attempted to contact his victim personally.

The court heard he had already paid the victim $5000 as compensation
for damages to his mountain bike. She fined him $2250 and ordered him
to pay an additional $1000 for professional costs.”

These two bozos richly deserved one another. This is the world of risk that Blackblade would willing undertake, all in the name of fun and games. The “thrill” would have been worth it according to him. Well, if you want to have this kind of fun, then this is how you pay for it. I don’t think hikers would ever have suffered an accident like this one no matter how hard they tried. Of course, given cyclists on hiking trails, anything is possible.

Mountain bikes have wheels. Wheels are for roads.

Trails are for walking. What’s the matter? Can’t walk?

Ed Dolan the Great
aka
Saint Edward the Great