Poll: Are cyclists a menace on the road?

cfsmtb wrote:

Peter Wrote:

Latest results:
Yes 67% (2133 votes)
No 32% (1021 votes)

I think everyone is going to have to do a few extra clicks today.

Think I need to update the screenshot on the blog. Think they've
forgotten about it? Set and forget?

turn cookies off in browser, do 1000k, suddenly neck-and-neck again.
most manipulable poll ever.

i'll send you a screen shot.

On Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:07:09 GMT, Patrick Turner
wrote:

Here in the ACT we have what many cysclists must feel are "terror zones"
where
there are 1M wide green strips of cycle lanes allowing the cyclist to
proceed
across a road with a vehicle lane exit towards the left.

I love them! Mostly they are where I would have been signalling right
(hint, I'm NOT turning left) and moving further right. Now I can do
that by keeping right as I approach and cross.

A byproduct is drivers seem to be better at signalling left.

I am scared for the timid cyclists who hug the left away from the
nasty cars and snap right into the green lane at the last instant.
They are setting themselves up to be hit and it really won't be the
drivers fault.

On Aug 16, 6:32 pm, (Peter) wrote:
cfsmtb wrote:
Peter Wrote:

Latest results:
Yes 67% (2133 votes)
No 32% (1021 votes)

I think everyone is going to have to do a few extra clicks today.

Think I need to update the screenshot on the blog. Think they've
forgotten about it? Set and forget?

turn cookies off in browser, do 1000k, suddenly neck-and-neck again.
most manipulable poll ever.

i'll send you a screen shot.

ROTFLMAO
+10
Someone's got RSI.

On Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:32:01 +1000,
(Peter) wrote:

cfsmtb wrote:

turn cookies off in browser, do 1000k, suddenly neck-and-neck again.
most manipulable poll ever.

it's nice how the vote button remains from before, one less step!

Aeek wrote:

On Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:07:09 GMT, Patrick Turner
wrote:

Here in the ACT we have what many cysclists must feel are "terror zones"
where
there are 1M wide green strips of cycle lanes allowing the cyclist to
proceed
across a road with a vehicle lane exit towards the left.

I love them! Mostly they are where I would have been signalling right
(hint, I'm NOT turning left) and moving further right. Now I can do
that by keeping right as I approach and cross.

A byproduct is drivers seem to be better at signalling left.

I am scared for the timid cyclists who hug the left away from the
nasty cars and snap right into the green lane at the last instant.
They are setting themselves up to be hit and it really won't be the
drivers fault.

Yes, I'd agree they would be setting themselves up.
But not if they stopped, and proceded after taking a good look at what's
coming.
99% of cyclists don't have rear vision mirrors, and looking around while
pedaling,
and keeping balance, is quite beyond some ppl.
There old neck bones don't allow it anyway sometimes...

So without a rear vision mirror, you never know quite when you are about
to leave the planet.

Cyclists should pray all the time while on the bike, and beg God's
forgiveness each hour.
It'd have to be far more effective than being a Catholic,
which means one can drive over several cyclists by wednesday, go to
confession
on friday, say 2,000 hail marys for penance on saturday, and drop dead
after mass on sunday,
then arrive forgiven into heaven on monday.

Unfortunately, the God Of Cycling lost a battle near Limbo
with the Devil Of Motoring in about 1895 while riding a penny farthing
in the presence of some rather quirky early cars.

He's been in wheelchair cloud ever since, and the Main God
doesn't listen to him any more, one reason being that the
very big sub-god, the God Of Oil, intervened.


Patrick Turner.

Patrick Turner wrote:
Aeek wrote:

I am scared for the timid cyclists who hug the left away from the
nasty cars and snap right into the green lane at the last instant.
They are setting themselves up to be hit and it really won't be the
drivers fault.

Hehe. You're quite good Aeek

Yes, I'd agree they would be setting themselves up.
But not if they stopped, and proceded after taking a good look at
what's coming.
99% of cyclists don't have rear vision mirrors, and looking around
while pedaling,
and keeping balance, is quite beyond some ppl.
There old neck bones don't allow it anyway sometimes...

I thought you were youngandfit@sixty Pat. I'm older than you and have no
problem turning my neck. You should do something useful in your spare time
like me. I'm a lieutenant in the local volunteer fire brigade and get to
drive 12 tonne 4WDs. :-)

So without a rear vision mirror, you never know quite when you are
about to leave the planet.

They cost all of $5, go get one.

Cyclists should pray all the time while on the bike, and beg God's
forgiveness each hour.
It'd have to be far more effective than being a Catholic,
which means one can drive over several cyclists by wednesday, go to
confession
on friday, say 2,000 hail marys for penance on saturday, and drop dead
after mass on sunday,
then arrive forgiven into heaven on monday.

2000 Hail Marys? Thats a bit steep for a couple of cyclists. One Rosary per
cyclists ought to be enough. Better being a Protestant Patrick. When you run
over a cyclist next you can say it was God's will.

Theo

On Aug 17, 8:27 am, "Theo Bekkers" wrote:

2000 Hail Marys? Thats a bit steep for a couple of cyclists. One Rosary per
cyclists ought to be enough. Better being a Protestant Patrick. When you run
over a cyclist next you can say it was God's will.

Theo

Neither is required - the magistrate will give you absolution, with a
little help from your legal team.

Donga

Theo Bekkers wrote:

Patrick Turner wrote:
Aeek wrote:

I am scared for the timid cyclists who hug the left away from the
nasty cars and snap right into the green lane at the last instant.
They are setting themselves up to be hit and it really won't be the
drivers fault.

Hehe. You're quite good Aeek

Yes, I'd agree they would be setting themselves up.
But not if they stopped, and proceded after taking a good look at
what's coming.
99% of cyclists don't have rear vision mirrors, and looking around
while pedaling,
and keeping balance, is quite beyond some ppl.
There old neck bones don't allow it anyway sometimes...

I thought you were youngandfit@sixty Pat. I'm older than you and have no
problem turning my neck. You should do something useful in your spare time
like me. I'm a lieutenant in the local volunteer fire brigade and get to
drive 12 tonne 4WDs. :-)

Hehe. You're quite bad Theo

You have assumed I was talking abouy my neck. But I wasn't. And I have
a friend of
66 who can't turn his neck much due to the effects of having had a
horific car accident 40 years ago.
I don't have any spare time as you so erroneously assume.
I am still in the workforce, and not retired, and you're implying.
OK, I do a couple of rides. Driving a 12 tonne big red toy fire engine
wouldn't keep me fit; I NEED the rides to stay fit, and prevent what's
happend to most
of my friends, fatness, unfitness, diabetes, etc.
Nature gave me an attrocious pair of knee joints.
3 years ago the surgeons said I would definately have to have both
joints replaced.
I was forced off cycling because of knee pain in 1993, and the building
work I had been doing
for 30 years with a broken cruciate lig didn't help.
I did have a cartlidge trimming op 3 years ago, and have managed to get
back on the bike
last year with the attitude that it would stuff my knees completely, or
improve them
and get rid of 20kG of excess fat, improve heart lung function, and stop
the rot.
My knees have got better, i have lost the weight, and have resting HR of
52.
But I still can't run, and loathe standing around for long, and long
walks.
That of course makes me pretty antisocial but I
don't miss coctail parties and BS.

Its good to see someone does volunteer work.

I work in my own business repairing electronics and building new
sound systems, and unfortunately, while many people treasure the service
I offer, they don't want to pay me like they did when I was a builder,
and when I switched from building to electronics as a second career,
I was forced to accept wages that are at least 7 times lower per hour
than building work gave me.
So effectively, I am volunteering my services to everyone
for next to nothing.
So I may spend several weeks building a really good quality amplifier
and pair of
speakers, and the labour I put in is equal to doing a minor house
extension.
People might pay 40 grand for the several weeks of building work,
but only maybe 6 grand for a top class stereo.
Some woll just fo to BingLee for their stereo, and
I never get to work for those folks, and they always
want stuff repaired for almost nothing, because although they want
their own wages to be AWE of $800, ie, $20 per hour for 40 hours,
they only want to pay me $5 max. The chinese imports made with labour
costing 20c per hour has spoiled our values.
So effectively, the chinese are also volunteering to maintain
the standard of living of those on AWE in western nations.

I could go on to make a few more points in this debate,
but I will be accused of having too long a post.....




So without a rear vision mirror, you never know quite when you are
about to leave the planet.

They cost all of $5, go get one.

I have ears. I've ridden 110,000 kms on bicycles without a mirror.
I recal I once tried one, and found it not worth the bother.
I look around instead.
One of those helmet mounyed types, small, might be the best, not sure.


Cyclists should pray all the time while on the bike, and beg God's
forgiveness each hour.
It'd have to be far more effective than being a Catholic,
which means one can drive over several cyclists by wednesday, go to
confession
on friday, say 2,000 hail marys for penance on saturday, and drop dead
after mass on sunday,
then arrive forgiven into heaven on monday.

2000 Hail Marys? Thats a bit steep for a couple of cyclists. One Rosary per
cyclists ought to be enough. Better being a Protestant Patrick. When you run
over a cyclist next you can say it was God's will.

Of course you could be a Muslim, and then its definately the Will of
Allah!

And a Budhist of course would say it was kharma. Of course it F&^%$#@
was.

THe Hindu of course might say that the rapid expiration of
a cyclist could be right in some circumstances, but not in others,
and depending on caste. Don't cycle in India.
Use a bullock cart instead.

And in China, where they have fogotten to be religious or moral,
you'd bribe a party official if who you ran over was another party
official.

There's around a billion bicycles in china and the man in the car has
some grandly breathtaking opportunities.

Patrick Turner.



Theo

Patrick Turner wrote:
Theo Bekkers wrote:

I thought you were youngandfit@sixty Pat. I'm older than you and
have no problem turning my neck. You should do something useful in
your spare time like me. I'm a lieutenant in the local volunteer
fire brigade and get to drive 12 tonne 4WDs. :-)

Hehe. You're quite bad Theo

You have assumed I was talking abouy my neck. But I wasn't. And I
have a friend of
66 who can't turn his neck much due to the effects of having had a
horific car accident 40 years ago.

It didn't read that way. Stopping in traffic to look around to see if it's
safe to cross over a turning lane sounds quite dangerous to me.

I don't have any spare time as you so erroneously assume.
I am still in the workforce, and not retired, and you're implying.
OK, I do a couple of rides. Driving a 12 tonne big red toy fire engine
wouldn't keep me fit;

You'd probably be surprised how fit you need to be to drive the big toy.
Just climbing in and out of them, something you do on a fireground every two
minutes, tests your fitness.

Its good to see someone does volunteer work.

You don't?

I work in my own business repairing electronics and building new
sound systems, and unfortunately, while many people treasure the
service I offer, they don't want to pay me like they did when I was a
builder, and when I switched from building to electronics as a second
career,
I was forced to accept wages that are at least 7 times lower per hour
than building work gave me.

People might pay 40 grand for the several weeks of building work,
but only maybe 6 grand for a top class stereo.

I had a mate who pioneered building transistor Class A amps many years ago.
Sounds to me like builders are overpaid. You expect $40K for a few weeks
work. Try explaining that to some of the Uni students on this list. You
think $6K for a few weeks is poor pay?

They cost all of $5, go get one.

I have ears. I've ridden 110,000 kms on bicycles without a mirror.
I recal I once tried one, and found it not worth the bother.
I look around instead.

Then don't whine about not everybody having one.

2000 Hail Marys? Thats a bit steep for a couple of cyclists. One
Rosary per cyclists ought to be enough. Better being a Protestant
Patrick. When you run over a cyclist next you can say it was God's
will.

Of course you could be a Muslim, and then its definately the Will of
Allah!

Last time I looked Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, all had the same
God. The God of Moses and Abraham.

There is only one God, It is a universal delusion.

Theo