Request for information (Dickson bike trap)

As I was coming home last night around 8:30 pm, I was using the bike path
between Challis St and Cowper St in Dickson (Canberra). From the side of the
path, I was hit with hi-beams from a parked car, looked towards it
instinctively, and was obviously temporarily unable to see too well. About a
second later, I hit a metal frame (a ~1.5 m cube made out of 1 cm steel
tubing) that had been placed on the bike path. It would have been difficult
to see anyhow (even though I have a front light) and after being hit with
the headlights I had no chance. I'm not sure exactly of the physics that
followed, but I ended up on my back on the path, with my bike and the metal
frame on top of me. Apart from a bit of road rash on my back, the main
injury was my right elbow, which was cut open pretty nicely (cut down to the
ligament and pulled back). Took about 4 hours to get it sorted at the
hospital (xrays, determining if surgury/skin graft was necesary, etc) and
now I've got three stitches in my elbow and a box of antibiotics in the hope
that the joint doesn't get infected, and my right arm is out of use for a
week or so. I'm not sure if the car was just bad luck, but it seemed like a
bit of a coincidence.

Anyhow, I'd be interested to know if anyone saw anything around that area.
I'm going to file a police report, but I doubt it'll do anything apart from
notch one up in some statistical table. And also, keep an eye out when
you're going along there. I went back to the area this morning, and the
frame had obviously been put back into the path - I'd thrown it off to one
side in the process of getting out from under it, and this morning it was
standing up off to the other side of the path.

--
Michael Brown
Add michael@ to emboss.co.nz - My inbox is always open

On 2007-05-01, Michael Brown (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
I went back to the area this morning, and the
frame had obviously been put back into the path - I'd thrown it off to one
side in the process of getting out from under it, and this morning it was
standing up off to the other side of the path.

Please report that as soon as possible, preferably while the trap is
still there.


That's pretty sick.

--
TimC
"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the
world." - Grant Peterson

Michael Brown Wrote:

Anyhow, I'd be interested to know if anyone saw anything around that
area.
I'm going to file a police report, but I doubt it'll do anything apart
from
notch one up in some statistical table. And also, keep an eye out when
you're going along there. I went back to the area this morning, and
the
frame had obviously been put back into the path - I'd thrown it off to
one
side in the process of getting out from under it, and this morning it
was
standing up off to the other side of the path.

Please follow this up - and also contact Pedal Power ACT as their
members may also know something (or should be warned) about it.

Contact details:
http://www.pedalpower.org.au/general...?IntContId=123

Report a Hazard:
http://www.pedalpower.org.au/service...?IntContId=157


--
cfsmtb

"Michael Brown" wrote in message
...
Anyhow, I'd be interested to know if anyone saw anything around that area.
I'm going to file a police report, but I doubt it'll do anything apart
from notch one up in some statistical table. And also, keep an eye out
when you're going along there. I went back to the area this morning, and
the frame had obviously been put back into the path - I'd thrown it off to
one side in the process of getting out from under it, and this morning it
was standing up off to the other side of the path.



If it wasn't a deliberate trap (in which case it's evidence) it sounds like
the kind of thing that the council or Telstra might use as a guard around a
hazard so if it's there without a reason you'd probably have good grounds to
sue.

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

The cycle underpass beneath Athllon Drive at Wanniassa seems to be
breeding shopping trolleys. I'm pretty cautious coming around the
blind corner into it now.


BTH

Michael Brown wrote:
As I was coming home last night around 8:30 pm, I was using the bike path
between Challis St and Cowper St in Dickson (Canberra). From the side of the

Isn't there a High School nearby? Might it be worth mentioning this to
the principal??

--
Bean
Remove "yourfinger" before replying

BT Humble wrote:
The cycle underpass beneath Athllon Drive at Wanniassa seems to be
breeding shopping trolleys. I'm pretty cautious coming around the
blind corner into it now.


BTH


Which underpass is that? The one near the playing fields or the one
closer to Sulwood Drive?? I come through the one near Sulwood and it
occasionally has broken glass or stuff that seems to have jumped off
trailers heading to the tip. Most recently though it's been cut grass
on the path that I've found very slippery as I come downhill heading
home to Wanniassa. It's very dangerous so watch it. Also a word of
warning on the sharp right turn into the underpass heading to toward
Woden on the bike path between the High schools. The leaves on the path
are extremely slippery, especially in the wet.

--
Bean
Remove "yourfinger" before replying

Bean Long wrote:
BT Humble wrote:
The cycle underpass beneath Athllon Drive at Wanniassa seems to be
breeding shopping trolleys. I'm pretty cautious coming around the
blind corner into it now.

BTH

Which underpass is that? The one near the playing fields or the one
closer to Sulwood Drive?? I come through the one near Sulwood and it
occasionally has broken glass or stuff that seems to have jumped off
trailers heading to the tip. Most recently though it's been cut grass
on the path that I've found very slippery as I come downhill heading
home to Wanniassa. It's very dangerous so watch it. Also a word of
warning on the sharp right turn into the underpass heading to toward
Woden on the bike path between the High schools. The leaves on the path
are extremely slippery, especially in the wet.

The one near the playing fields - my commute is from Woden to Gordon.

That wasn't you I was trailing up the hill the other night was it?
Some bloke on a roadie giving me hand signals of his intentions, it
was quite a novelty for me!

(Usually roadie riders see me coming and bolt!)


BTH

BT Humble wrote:

That wasn't you I was trailing up the hill the other night was it?
Some bloke on a roadie giving me hand signals of his intentions, it
was quite a novelty for me!

(Usually roadie riders see me coming and bolt!)


BTH

Sounds like me. ANU Green jersey or Vikings jersey??

My commute is Wanniassa to ANU.

--
Bean

"I've got a bike
You can ride it if you like
It's got a basket
A bell that rings
And things to make it look good
I'd give it to you if I could
But I borrowed it" Pink Floyd

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

Bean Long wrote:
BTHumble wrote:
That wasn't you I was trailing up the hill the other night was it?
Some bloke on a roadie giving me hand signals of his intentions, it
was quite a novelty for me!

(Usually roadie riders see me coming and bolt!)

BTH

Sounds like me. ANU Green jersey or Vikings jersey??

My commute is Wanniassa to ANU.

Damned if I know, my vision gets a bit fuzzy when my eyeballs are
hanging out on stalks! ;-)

I was riding a cream-coloured 1970's 10-speed, with a blue backpack
occy-strapped to the rack.
(Aeek has been kind enough to loan me some panniers now, though).


BTH