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Cycling in Australia
My wife and I have just returned to Australia after almost a year of
travelling around the world. We had our bicycles with us and used them to cycle in three continents, concluding our trip with over 3000 km of cycling around Southern Africa (Zimbabawe, Mozambique & South Africa). Nowhere did we experience any problems; to the contrary - travelling on bikes seems to arouse people's curiosity and we had many friendly chats with the locals. We arrived back in Australia and thought we would stop over in WA for a month or so, to catch up with friends in Perth and cycle down to Albany & Esperance and back, before continuing on home to the East Coast. It only took one little, slow ride on the beach bike path from Duncraig to Cottesloe for us to be pulled over by two gun-carrying police on mountainbikes. Reason? Australia's favourite: No helmets! Upon learning we were not WA residents, the police decided not to issue us with traffic infringement notices - probably too much hard work, having to chase payment from Qeensland! Instead, we were ordered to walk back - that is, 25 kilometers! Naturally, we refused to do this, and were subsequently formally placed under arrest for disobeying police. One of the cops attempted to call a paddy wagon on his two-way radio, so, he explained, we could be taken to the station, fingerprinted and locked up in the watchhouse for the time being. He was, however, usuccessful in getting through (comforting thought for victims of any possible real emergency), so they let our tires down and let us go, wishing us a "nice walk back to Duncraig" and warning us not to attempt to pump the tyres up and continue riding, or we really would be taken into custody. What a homecoming! I must say it's great to be back in Australia and only through travelling overseas one can fully appreciate the quality of life we Australians generally take for granted. However, this damned helmet law is one major blot on that lifestyle. Nowhere else have we been hassled for peacefully riding along a road, minding our own business. No other country we visited penalizes its citizens for exercising their bodies and using an environmentally friendly mode of transport at the same time - not even some of the semi-dictotorial regimes! Having had a read through aus.bicycle, I notice the "great debate" is still raging - and the authorities are still taking no notice of what failure this law, this infringement of civil liberties, has been. The helmet zealots are still bleating their naive message of "if it saves one child's life, blah, blah, blah..." In some ways, it is disappointing to see how easily some people are brainwashed into believing whatever the authorities want them to believe... Alas, I don't think we'll be doing that Albany bike trip after all. Who wants to be constantly hassled? Hiring a car, maybe? Now, there's an idea I'm sure would fix the helmet problem - as it has already fixed it, once and for all, for many ex-cycling commuters. Shame it's nowhere near as much fun... |
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Cycling in Australia
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Cycling in Australia
John Henderson Wrote: Shouldn't that read "My husband and I have just returned to Australia..."? At least that seems to be the original version posted here on 11 January 2001, with subject: "Cycling in Australia? - Not Much Fun!". So it wasn't just me.... I had this strange feeling of dejavu when I read that post. -- MikeyOz |
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Cycling in Australia
On Oct 2, 11:30 am, wrote:
... Alas, I don't think we'll be doing that Albany bike trip after all. Who wants to be constantly hassled? ... Seems to me that buying a $15 helmet is all that's required to avoid being "constantly hassled". If you're that keen on confrontation with the authorities, why not make it about a significant issue and travel to Burma to sit around with monks in the street? BTH |
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Cycling in Australia
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Cycling in Australia
On Oct 2, 12:37 pm, MikeyOz MikeyOz.2xt...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com wrote: John Henderson Wrote: Shouldn't that read "My husband and I have just returned to Australia..."? At least that seems to be the original version posted here on 11 January 2001, with subject: "Cycling in Australia? - Not Much Fun!". So it wasn't just me.... I had this strange feeling of dejavu when I read that post. -- MikeyOz I had a strange feeling of "get stuffed you whining prick". But it would be a bummer having to walk a perfectly good bike - evil cops were probably laughing their arses off. Donga |
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Cycling in Australia
"John Henderson" wrote in message ... wrote: My wife and I have just returned to Australia... Shouldn't that read "My husband and I have just returned to Australia..."? At least that seems to be the original version posted here on 11 January 2001, with subject: "Cycling in Australia? - Not Much Fun!". John http://groups.google.com.au/group/au...8c717244a9ba52 You can tell it was a poor copy pasta job by the way it shows in the news reader, a very amature troll at best. |
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Cycling in Australia
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Cycling in Australia
On 2007-10-02, Boostland (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea: "John Henderson" wrote in message ... wrote: My wife and I have just returned to Australia... Shouldn't that read "My husband and I have just returned to Australia..."? At least that seems to be the original version posted here on 11 January 2001, with subject: "Cycling in Australia? - Not Much Fun!". John http://groups.google.com.au/group/au...8c717244a9ba52 You can tell it was a poor copy pasta job by the way it shows in the news reader, a very amature troll at best. We call him Bratton. Probably a 12 year old little brat too. -- TimC "If American bicycle advocacy leaders had championed the civil rights movement, the "Dream" would have been reserved seating in the back of the bus." - Jack R. Taylor |
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Cycling in Australia
TimC Wrote: We call him Bratton. Probably a 12 year old little brat too. Nope, they call it the Boxtard. -- cfsmtb |
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