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#1
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Why do cars hate us so much
I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat
death every day. Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists. They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even though I am nearly in the gutter. Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed. ****ed off cyclist. |
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#2
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Why do cars hate us so much
"Neil Watson" wrote in message ... I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat death every day. Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists. They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even though I am nearly in the gutter. Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed. ****ed off cyclist. There are some disrepectful drivers out there. You need to be careful about where you place yourself on the road. Riding almost in the gutter creates too much space in the lane and encourages other road users to try to share your lane. I find riding a couple of feet out from the gutter forces them to consider the cyclist ahead and move partially into the next lane. Sure, some don't care but you may just find that taking a more assertive road position increases your safety and the respect given to you. Kevin Happy Cyclist |
#3
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Why do cars hate us so much
K&C Russell wrote:
There are some disrepectful drivers out there. You need to be careful about where you place yourself on the road. Riding almost in the gutter creates too much space in the lane and encourages other road users to try to share your lane. I find riding a couple of feet out from the gutter forces them to consider the cyclist ahead and move partially into the next lane. Sure, some don't care but you may just find that taking a more assertive road position increases your safety and the respect given to you. Kevin Happy Cyclist i agre the reason 'they' hate us (careful not to lump em all in. probabl realistically approx 10% that hate us) is cos we're the answer. Thei the problem! : If you put it all on paper common sense leans so heavily in our favour No emissions, better health, no noise pollution, minimal road/path-wea and hence far less expenditure required, far less need of public healt system, far-less-likely-to-take-sick-leave, less parking space require Election approaching. What are ours (and most governments') bigges areas of expenditure? Health and Roads. in that order. And the sad par is the latter has a huge influence on the prior! Does anyone identif this in public? Dont be daft. thats crazy-logical talk! The planet' biggest cycling population, China, are rapidly growing in th middleclasses. That means they can and do now afford cars. You thin ozone/environmental issues are a problem now? just wait until they belc out more than the rest of the world combined But enough of the rant. You ride, you win. They drive we all lose As K&C says, ride assertively. After all, you affectivel subsidise them!! and smile, cos youre the better ma Dutch getting-less-of-me-all-the-time cyclis - |
#4
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Why do cars hate us so much
On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 21:25:19 +1000, Neil Watson wrote:
... they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even though I am nearly in the gutter. That's your problem, if you're in the gutter, and the pass within 30cm then you aren't riding "as far left as is safe" you're riding far enough left to be UNsafe. I had this problem when I started riding in the Sydney CBD. If I kept right to the left of the bus lane, the busses would still squeeze through - I swear that one passed so close that it's left-side mirror passed just over the top of my head. Basically I ride now in the middle of the lane, but to the left a bit. I think your should try riding just under 1 metre from the left, say to the 2/3 right of the left half of the lane. If you need it, or if it's dangerous, take the middle of the lane. Can you find someone else to ride with at these times ? If you're in Sydney, have you considered riding with the bike bus ? -kt -- Kingsley Turner, (mailto: ) http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ - news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions |
#5
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Why do cars hate us so much
"Neil Watson" wrote in message ...
They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even though I am nearly in the gutter. Kevin has already replied, but I want to reinforce his message. Riding in the gutter sends the message that you belong in the gutter ("and off the damn road!" usually follows that thought). Riding in the middle of the lane says "I belong here, *you* can avoid me". You're also easier to see, so drivers have more time to react to you - they're not past before they realise you're there. Yes, that's bad driving. Yes, there are a lot of bad drivers out there. I still cling to the belief that most drivers are inept, not malicious. There are exceptions... I ride the Pacific highway between Turramurra and Sydney several days a week. I use the middle of the lane, and even the second lane if there are parked cars. Every now and then I get into a bit of verbal with a clueless car courier, but generally I'm fine. If I sit in the gutter, I get pushed past. You have the right to be on the road. The law says you must stay as far left as practical, which applies to all road users. If "practical" means you need to be in the second lane to avoid weaving between parked cars and moving traffic, so be it. Dave - who has been tempted to make up some cards with the relevant sections of the Roads Act for those odd verbals... -- Dave Hughes I want you to remember, I intend this breast satirically. ~Coupling, "Flushed," |
#6
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Why do cars hate us so much
Neil,
You didn't say how long you have been riding for. Many beginners ride in the wrong locations. eg. Riding in the gutter is a bad idea. Does your local bike group have experienced riders that can help? In the end only you can decide what to do. But if every one that had bad experiences complained to say, their local members and road authorities, then something would be done about it. As it is, everyone complains to each other, but (as a cycle activist, and local bike group member), getting even cycle riders to complain to the authorities about _anything_ is just so hard. Take the time and write some letters. Go visit and talk. Once work place 'accidents' where accepted, drunk driving deaths, fire arm deaths, but with people speaking out, these things and more changed. "Neil Watson" wrote in message ... I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat death every day. Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists. They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even though I am nearly in the gutter. Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed. ****ed off cyclist. |
#7
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Why do cars hate us so much
Random Data wrote:
Dave - who has been tempted to make up some cards with the relevant sections of the Roads Act for those odd verbals... apprently BV are working on something like this in manhattan bike couriers carry A4 adhesive-backed stickers with the relevant roadlaws printed onto the back (sticky side) ans wack on abusive or recalcitrant drivers' windscreens. gives the driver ages to read the message a tad overboard perhaps but you can see the angle Megan, can you give me a run down on what a bike-bus is exactly. Im guessing its something lkike what my wife does with the kids walking to school and picking up other kids along the way on a pre-arranged route but would love to hear more on the bike version thereof... -- |
#8
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Why do cars hate us so much
If you're in Sydney, have you considered riding with the bike bus ? -kt Whats a bike bus? |
#9
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Why do cars hate us so much
"K&C Russell" wrote in message . ..
"Neil Watson" wrote in message ... I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat death every day. Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists. They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even though I am nearly in the gutter. Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed. ****ed off cyclist. There are some disrepectful drivers out there. You need to be careful about where you place yourself on the road. Riding almost in the gutter creates too much space in the lane and encourages other road users to try to share your lane. I find riding a couple of feet out from the gutter forces them to consider the cyclist ahead and move partially into the next lane. Sure, some don't care but you may just find that taking a more assertive road position increases your safety and the respect given to you. Kevin Happy Cyclist I agree with Kevin and add that riding faster on the road enhances safety, especially in 50 and 60 zones. At least, in my experience with heavy traffic, riding faster makes you part of the flow and gives drivers more time to see you and time their overtaking a bit better. Otoh, it means they require more distance to overtake, so it is a bit of a trade-off. Ritch (Also mostly a) Happy Cyclist PS. I really have a problem with only about 0.1% of drivers, maybe less on my daily 16km each way commute in Sydney. About once a week I have to deal with a (more dangerous than usual) situation. |
#10
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Why do cars hate us so much
Greetings,
Well, Neil, it's simple, a small percentage of motorists, as are some cyclists and every other community grouping, are complete ****wits. A slightly larger percentage will do something totally unacceptable if they think they have a good chance of getting away with it, cf. last Monday's Four Corners on ABC. I have had all of that and I have been shot at as well simply because I was a cyclist, and therefore a suitable target for ****heads. I knew what road rage was before they invented the term. I agree it's depressing, but I don't know what to do about it in this car-mad, obese, inconsiderate society we live in. I guess we have to live with it or give up entirely and hibernate. Regards, Ray. Neil Watson wrote: I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat death every day. Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists. They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even though I am nearly in the gutter. Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed. ****ed off cyclist. |
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