I am not alone...

Just reading a blog and some replies from
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral...-s-easy-riders

This reply caught my attention..

quote

As a long term motor cyclist in Sydney (30 years and still walking - a
notable achievement); I use precisely the same techniques on my bicycle
(300km/week) as I do on my motorbikes – aggressive self-preservation.
Suspect everybody of trying to kill you until proved otherwise – and
that includes the pinball wizards (deaf, dumb and blind? Get it?) in
“charge” of a bicycle as much a taxi. I will ride to the front of the
queue at traffic lights because that is one of the trade-offs against
getting wet and abused. I will react if somebody does the right thing (a
wave of the hand) as, I believe, that is the right thing to do. I will
react if somebody does the wrong thing (a wave of the finger or more, as
necessary) because I take a dim view of cretins trying (consciously or
not) to cripple or kill me. I will get out of the cycle lane and go to
the middle of the car lane to stop dingbats from overtaking and then
immediately doing a left hand turn in front of me. I will look at the
wheels of cars because sometimes they can even tell you where the driver
may intend to go next. I will look for heads in parked cars because
sometimes there is nothing inside those heads and they will open their
frigging door on you. Red lights? Cars running red lights are fairly
normal my part of Sydney (Inner West - North West) .In the last month I
have witnessed two red light “entertainments”, both involving cars
nominally under the command of a licensed driver. Btw: If you slow on an
amber in Sydney, get ready to be hit up the a*se. As to the hardcase
gamblers (no lights down Victoria Road on a rainy Friday night), good
luck; just don’t expect me to stop and assemble your bloodied parts when
(not if) you get wacked. Helmets? How do the hundreds of millions of
non-antipodeans cyclists survive without them? I wear one because I put
my lights on the thing. I do not kid myself that an expensive, flash
piece of Esky with stop blood coming out of my ears if ever I do a real
head plant. I would not choose to use those silly green lanes – too
narrow, too slow, too close to the kerbs (imbeciles plugged into their
iPods walking out in front of you?) and, on the week-ends, too crowded
with the coffee set who I would rank as the most chook-like assembly of
cyclists one may be unfortunate enough to meet. Btw: I ride a bit in
some Euro cities every 2 or so years and the difference with Sydney is
quite staggering – even in a mad-house like Paris. My point is this;
users of two-wheeled transport systems (Sydney or wherever) are
generally far more alert and competent than other road users (and that
is much more important in the preservation stakes than traffic by-laws);
or else they get dead or crippled – fast. Finally, I would like to draw
people’s attention to the NSW Road Transport Act 199, Number 20, Part 3,
Division 1, Section 43 entitled: Menacing driving. Read it and, ideally,
mount a helmet cam, and if it happens to you; make sure you report it
and that the police act on it. And pressure your bicycle group
(Bicycling Australia or NSW or…) to lobby for more police action on this
really dangerous behaviour.

/quote

On 12/13/2010 8:50 PM, James Steward wrote:
Just reading a blog and some replies from
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral...-s-easy-riders


This reply caught my attention..

quote

As a long term motor cyclist in Sydney (30 years and still walking - a
notable achievement); I use precisely the same techniques on my bicycle
(300km/week) as I do on my motorbikes – aggressive self-preservation.
Suspect everybody of trying to kill you until proved otherwise – and
that includes the pinball wizards (deaf, dumb and blind? Get it?) in
“charge” of a bicycle as much a taxi. I will ride to the front of the
queue at traffic lights because that is one of the trade-offs against
getting wet and abused. I will react if somebody does the right thing (a
wave of the hand) as, I believe, that is the right thing to do. I will
react if somebody does the wrong thing (a wave of the finger or more, as
necessary) because I take a dim view of cretins trying (consciously or
not) to cripple or kill me. I will get out of the cycle lane and go to
the middle of the car lane to stop dingbats from overtaking and then
immediately doing a left hand turn in front of me. I will look at the
wheels of cars because sometimes they can even tell you where the driver
may intend to go next. I will look for heads in parked cars because
sometimes there is nothing inside those heads and they will open their
frigging door on you. Red lights? Cars running red lights are fairly
normal my part of Sydney (Inner West - North West) .In the last month I
have witnessed two red light “entertainments”, both involving cars
nominally under the command of a licensed driver. Btw: If you slow on an
amber in Sydney, get ready to be hit up the a*se. As to the hardcase
gamblers (no lights down Victoria Road on a rainy Friday night), good
luck; just don’t expect me to stop and assemble your bloodied parts when
(not if) you get wacked. Helmets? How do the hundreds of millions of
non-antipodeans cyclists survive without them? I wear one because I put
my lights on the thing. I do not kid myself that an expensive, flash
piece of Esky with stop blood coming out of my ears if ever I do a real
head plant. I would not choose to use those silly green lanes – too
narrow, too slow, too close to the kerbs (imbeciles plugged into their
iPods walking out in front of you?) and, on the week-ends, too crowded
with the coffee set who I would rank as the most chook-like assembly of
cyclists one may be unfortunate enough to meet. Btw: I ride a bit in
some Euro cities every 2 or so years and the difference with Sydney is
quite staggering – even in a mad-house like Paris. My point is this;
users of two-wheeled transport systems (Sydney or wherever) are
generally far more alert and competent than other road users (and that
is much more important in the preservation stakes than traffic by-laws);
or else they get dead or crippled – fast. Finally, I would like to draw
people’s attention to the NSW Road Transport Act 199, Number 20, Part 3,
Division 1, Section 43 entitled: Menacing driving. Read it and, ideally,
mount a helmet cam, and if it happens to you; make sure you report it
and that the police act on it. And pressure your bicycle group
(Bicycling Australia or NSW or…) to lobby for more police action on this
really dangerous behaviour.

/quote


D A N G E R !


D A N G E R !


--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:

D A N G E R !


D A N G E R !



Yes, Frank?

JS.

"James" wrote in message
...
Just reading a blog and some replies from
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral...-s-easy-riders

This reply caught my attention..

quote

As a long term motor cyclist in Sydney (30 years and still walking - a
notable achievement); I use precisely the same techniques on my bicycle
(300km/week) as I do on my motorbikes – aggressive self-preservation.
Suspect everybody of trying to kill you until proved otherwise – and that
includes the pinball wizards (deaf, dumb and blind? Get it?) in “charge”
of a bicycle as much a taxi. I will ride to the front of the queue at
traffic lights because that is one of the trade-offs against getting wet
and abused. I will react if somebody does the right thing (a wave of the
hand) as, I believe, that is the right thing to do. I will react if
somebody does the wrong thing (a wave of the finger or more, as necessary)
because I take a dim view of cretins trying (consciously or not) to
cripple or kill me. I will get out of the cycle lane and go to the middle
of the car lane to stop dingbats from overtaking and then immediately
doing a left hand turn in front of me. I will look at the wheels of cars
because sometimes they can even tell you where the driver may intend to go
next. I will look for heads in parked cars because sometimes there is
nothing inside those heads and they will open their frigging door on you.
Red lights? Cars running red lights are fairly normal my part of Sydney
(Inner West - North West) .In the last month I have witnessed two red
light “entertainments”, both involving cars nominally under the command of
a licensed driver. Btw: If you slow on an amber in Sydney, get ready to be
hit up the a*se. As to the hardcase gamblers (no lights down Victoria Road
on a rainy Friday night), good luck; just don’t expect me to stop and
assemble your bloodied parts when (not if) you get wacked. Helmets? How do
the hundreds of millions of non-antipodeans cyclists survive without them?
I wear one because I put my lights on the thing. I do not kid myself that
an expensive, flash piece of Esky with stop blood coming out of my ears if
ever I do a real head plant. I would not choose to use those silly green
lanes – too narrow, too slow, too close to the kerbs (imbeciles plugged
into their iPods walking out in front of you?) and, on the week-ends, too
crowded with the coffee set who I would rank as the most chook-like
assembly of cyclists one may be unfortunate enough to meet. Btw: I ride a
bit in some Euro cities every 2 or so years and the difference with Sydney
is quite staggering – even in a mad-house like Paris. My point is this;
users of two-wheeled transport systems (Sydney or wherever) are generally
far more alert and competent than other road users (and that is much more
important in the preservation stakes than traffic by-laws); or else they
get dead or crippled – fast. Finally, I would like to draw people’s
attention to the NSW Road Transport Act 199, Number 20, Part 3, Division
1, Section 43 entitled: Menacing driving. Read it and, ideally, mount a
helmet cam, and if it happens to you; make sure you report it and that the
police act on it. And pressure your bicycle group (Bicycling Australia or
NSW or…) to lobby for more police action on this really dangerous
behaviour.

/quote
+1
Especially the bit about motorcyclists being more aware. I've had
one of them actually pace me through a nasty intersection.
Every year here we have the "silent ride" where a few hundred cyclists
ride to bring attention to cyclists who have been killed.
The last couple of years some motorcycle clubs have joined in to control
traffic.

On Dec 13, 8:50*pm, James wrote:
Just reading a blog and some replies fromhttp://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/blog-article/121501/Sydney-s-eas...

This reply caught my attention..

quote

As a long term motor cyclist in Sydney (30 years and still walking - a
notable achievement); I use precisely the same techniques on my bicycle
(300km/week) as I do on my motorbikes aggressive self-preservation.
Suspect everybody of trying to kill you until proved otherwise and
that includes the pinball wizards (deaf, dumb and blind? Get it?) in
charge of a bicycle as much a taxi. I will ride to the front of the
queue at traffic lights because that is one of the trade-offs against
getting wet and abused. I will react if somebody does the right thing (a
wave of the hand) as, I believe, that is the right thing to do. I will
react if somebody does the wrong thing (a wave of the finger or more, as
necessary) because I take a dim view of cretins trying (consciously or
not) to cripple or kill me. I will get out of the cycle lane and go to
the middle of the car lane to stop dingbats from overtaking and then
immediately doing a left hand turn in front of me. I will look at the
wheels of cars because sometimes they can even tell you where the driver
may intend to go next. I will look for heads in parked cars because
sometimes there is nothing inside those heads and they will open their
frigging door on you. Red lights? Cars running red lights are fairly
normal my part of Sydney (Inner West - North West) .In the last month I
have witnessed two red light entertainments , both involving cars
nominally under the command of a licensed driver. Btw: If you slow on an
amber in Sydney, get ready to be hit up the a*se. As to the hardcase
gamblers (no lights down Victoria Road on a rainy Friday night), good
luck; just don t expect me to stop and assemble your bloodied parts when
(not if) you get wacked. Helmets? How do the hundreds of millions of
non-antipodeans cyclists survive without them? I wear one because I put
my lights on the thing. I do not kid myself that an expensive, flash
piece of Esky with stop blood coming out of my ears if ever I do a real
head plant. I would not choose to use those silly green lanes too
narrow, too slow, too close to the kerbs (imbeciles plugged into their
iPods walking out in front of you?) and, on the week-ends, too crowded
with the coffee set who I would rank as the most chook-like assembly of
cyclists one may be unfortunate enough to meet. Btw: I ride a bit in
some Euro cities every 2 or so years and the difference with Sydney is
quite staggering even in a mad-house like Paris. My point is this;
users of two-wheeled transport systems (Sydney or wherever) are
generally far more alert and competent than other road users (and that
is much more important in the preservation stakes than traffic by-laws);
or else they get dead or crippled fast. Finally, I would like to draw
people s attention to the NSW Road Transport Act 199, Number 20, Part 3,
Division 1, Section 43 entitled: Menacing driving. Read it and, ideally,
mount a helmet cam, and if it happens to you; make sure you report it
and that the police act on it. And pressure your bicycle group
(Bicycling Australia or NSW or ) to lobby for more police action on this
really dangerous behaviour.

/quote

I agree with you.

Yesterday, a lady almost nailed me pulling into her subdivision.

I gave her one of those looks.

Shaking my head and thinking, "My seven year old grandson would be a
safer driver than you!"

Take care,
Andy

Someone from Sydney mentioned push bikes?

What are they?

On Dec 14, 6:44*am, Andy wrote:
On Dec 13, 8:50*pm, James wrote:



Just reading a blog and some replies fromhttp://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/blog-article/121501/Sydney-s-eas...

This reply caught my attention..

quote

As a long term motor cyclist in Sydney (30 years and still walking - a
notable achievement); I use precisely the same techniques on my bicycle
(300km/week) as I do on my motorbikes aggressive self-preservation.
Suspect everybody of trying to kill you until proved otherwise and
that includes the pinball wizards (deaf, dumb and blind? Get it?) in
charge of a bicycle as much a taxi. I will ride to the front of the
queue at traffic lights because that is one of the trade-offs against
getting wet and abused. I will react if somebody does the right thing (a
wave of the hand) as, I believe, that is the right thing to do. I will
react if somebody does the wrong thing (a wave of the finger or more, as
necessary) because I take a dim view of cretins trying (consciously or
not) to cripple or kill me. I will get out of the cycle lane and go to
the middle of the car lane to stop dingbats from overtaking and then
immediately doing a left hand turn in front of me. I will look at the
wheels of cars because sometimes they can even tell you where the driver
may intend to go next. I will look for heads in parked cars because
sometimes there is nothing inside those heads and they will open their
frigging door on you. Red lights? Cars running red lights are fairly
normal my part of Sydney (Inner West - North West) .In the last month I
have witnessed two red light entertainments , both involving cars
nominally under the command of a licensed driver. Btw: If you slow on an
amber in Sydney, get ready to be hit up the a*se. As to the hardcase
gamblers (no lights down Victoria Road on a rainy Friday night), good
luck; just don t expect me to stop and assemble your bloodied parts when
(not if) you get wacked. Helmets? How do the hundreds of millions of
non-antipodeans cyclists survive without them? I wear one because I put
my lights on the thing. I do not kid myself that an expensive, flash
piece of Esky with stop blood coming out of my ears if ever I do a real
head plant. I would not choose to use those silly green lanes too
narrow, too slow, too close to the kerbs (imbeciles plugged into their
iPods walking out in front of you?) and, on the week-ends, too crowded
with the coffee set who I would rank as the most chook-like assembly of
cyclists one may be unfortunate enough to meet. Btw: I ride a bit in
some Euro cities every 2 or so years and the difference with Sydney is
quite staggering even in a mad-house like Paris. My point is this;
users of two-wheeled transport systems (Sydney or wherever) are
generally far more alert and competent than other road users (and that
is much more important in the preservation stakes than traffic by-laws);
or else they get dead or crippled fast. Finally, I would like to draw
people s attention to the NSW Road Transport Act 199, Number 20, Part 3,
Division 1, Section 43 entitled: Menacing driving. Read it and, ideally,
mount a helmet cam, and if it happens to you; make sure you report it
and that the police act on it. And pressure your bicycle group
(Bicycling Australia or NSW or ) to lobby for more police action on this
really dangerous behaviour.

/quote

I agree with you.

Yesterday, a lady almost nailed me pulling into her subdivision.

I gave her one of those looks.

Shaking my head and thinking, "My seven year old grandson would be a
safer driver than you!"

Take care,
* * * * * * * * * Andy

Someone from Sydney mentioned push bikes?

What are they?

'Push bike' is a term used to describe a bicycle, as opposed to a
'Motor bike'.

Lewis. (Who speaks 'English' English quite fluently) :-)

*****

On 12/14/2010 6:44 AM, Andy Chocolate Mint wrote:
[...]
Yesterday, a lady almost nailed me pulling into her subdivision.
[...] ^^^^^^ ^^

Did you have one of these on the bike?
http://www.carissajaded.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/condom2.jpg

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

Andy wrote:

Someone from Sydney mentioned push bikes?

What are they?

Maybe that's a localisation, or something we inherited from the poms, er
sorry "Mother Country"? A bicycle you have to push the pedals to make
it "go", as opposed to a bicycle that has a motor for propulsion ;-)
Hence push bike versus motor bike.

Cheers,
JS.

In article ,
says...

cyclists one may be unfortunate enough to meet. Btw: I ride a bit in
some Euro cities every 2 or so years and the difference with Sydney is
quite staggering ? even in a mad-house like Paris.

Maybe something about the antipodes. I have also ridden ~20,000k in most
parts of Europe and the only place I consider more dangerous for bikes
than Wellington, NZ (now) was Belgrade in the early 90s.

Any illusion of safety here was wiped out last month when 5 cyclists
were run down and killed by cars in one week! (The normal annual cycling
death toll is 8)

-- Mike : alive and cycling in NZ. A cautious but agressive cyclist...or
just lucky?

?
"Duane Hebert" wrote in message
...

"James" wrote in message
...
Just reading a blog and some replies from
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral...-s-easy-riders

This reply caught my attention..

quote

As a long term motor cyclist in Sydney (30 years and still walking - a
notable achievement); I use precisely the same techniques on my bicycle
(300km/week) as I do on my motorbikes - aggressive self-preservation.
Suspect everybody of trying to kill you until proved otherwise - and that
includes the pinball wizards (deaf, dumb and blind? Get it?) in "charge"
of a bicycle as much a taxi. I will ride to the front of the queue at
traffic lights because that is one of the trade-offs against getting wet
and abused. I will react if somebody does the right thing (a wave of the
hand) as, I believe, that is the right thing to do. I will react if
somebody does the wrong thing (a wave of the finger or more, as
necessary) because I take a dim view of cretins trying (consciously or
not) to cripple or kill me. I will get out of the cycle lane and go to
the middle of the car lane to stop dingbats from overtaking and then
immediately doing a left hand turn in front of me. I will look at the
wheels of cars because sometimes they can even tell you where the driver
may intend to go next. I will look for heads in parked cars because
sometimes there is nothing inside those heads and they will open their
frigging door on you. Red lights? Cars running red lights are fairly
normal my part of Sydney (Inner West - North West) .In the last month I
have witnessed two red light "entertainments", both involving cars
nominally under the command of a licensed driver. Btw: If you slow on an
amber in Sydney, get ready to be hit up the a*se. As to the hardcase
gamblers (no lights down Victoria Road on a rainy Friday night), good
luck; just don't expect me to stop and assemble your bloodied parts when
(not if) you get wacked. Helmets? How do the hundreds of millions of
non-antipodeans cyclists survive without them? I wear one because I put
my lights on the thing. I do not kid myself that an expensive, flash
piece of Esky with stop blood coming out of my ears if ever I do a real
head plant. I would not choose to use those silly green lanes - too
narrow, too slow, too close to the kerbs (imbeciles plugged into their
iPods walking out in front of you?) and, on the week-ends, too crowded
with the coffee set who I would rank as the most chook-like assembly of
cyclists one may be unfortunate enough to meet. Btw: I ride a bit in some
Euro cities every 2 or so years and the difference with Sydney is quite
staggering - even in a mad-house like Paris. My point is this; users of
two-wheeled transport systems (Sydney or wherever) are generally far more
alert and competent than other road users (and that is much more
important in the preservation stakes than traffic by-laws); or else they
get dead or crippled - fast. Finally, I would like to draw people's
attention to the NSW Road Transport Act 199, Number 20, Part 3, Division
1, Section 43 entitled: Menacing driving. Read it and, ideally, mount a
helmet cam, and if it happens to you; make sure you report it and that
the police act on it. And pressure your bicycle group (Bicycling
Australia or NSW or.) to lobby for more police action on this really
dangerous behaviour.

/quote
+1
Especially the bit about motorcyclists being more aware. I've had
one of them actually pace me through a nasty intersection.
Every year here we have the "silent ride" where a few hundred cyclists
ride to bring attention to cyclists who have been killed.
The last couple of years some motorcycle clubs have joined in to control
traffic.

My local club has the "silent (bicycling is dangerous so don't dare try it)
ride". I quit the damned club in protest.
Bicycling clubs should be about riding and helping more people get started
as bicyclists. Frightening the public with these events does nothing to
help cycling safety and scares potential new riders away.
These rides betray us all and promote the agenda of those who think
bicyclists do not belong on the road.