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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:14 pm
by gururug
Damn pedestrians that walk on (or especially across) shared paths without looking for bikes. Hey I know there shared but if your travelling at 40 and they are doing under 10 its easier for them to stop. Especially at night. Granted its harder for them to see you if your doing 40+ but damn there are some ignorant pedestrians out there. Until I became a cyclist I was one of them too.

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:42 pm
by europa
Pedestrians again, who walk along a path oblivious to anything else in the world - how the hell do you surprise someone when you're riding TOWARDS them, but I'll manage it every time I cover any distance on a shared path. Maybe it's the fact that I ride a black bike ... though I'm hardly a small, hard to see object.

Richard

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:43 pm
by mikesbytes
gururug wrote:Especially at night
45kg females wearing black to make themselves look thinner.

Burn plenty of Glycogen
training log
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:43 pm
by europa
But let's not just pick on pedestrians.

Cyclists who ignore road rules and the rest of the world and ride as though the whole place was put there for their amusement and benefit. Bugger off you lot, you're making cycling less safe for the rest of us.

Richard

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:05 pm
by Bnej
Law says: Bicycles give way to pedestrians on shared paths, on every path I've seen.

It is YOUR PROBLEM to maintain a speed that lets you do that. The pedestrian is not required to leap out of your way because you are doing 40 on a shared path. It might be a good idea, and polite, for them to look and give way to you, but you have to yield right of way if there is a conflict.

On the ROAD, pedestrians give way to bicycles same as other vehicles.

25 or so is the fastest I'll do on a shared path, and only if I can see a good distance ahead.

Now a Bicycle Only path, that's another matter.

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:19 pm
by mikesbytes
Problem is that there are pedrestrians on bicycle ownly paths and the one in particular I'm thinking of in particular has a pedrestrain path running beside it.

Burn plenty of Glycogen
training log
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:34 pm
by MJF
Bnej wrote: 25 or so is the fastest I'll do on a shared path, and only if I can see a good distance ahead.
Nice idea, but the entire Canberra bike path network is now classed as "shared", and the only bike specific paths are the on-road bike lanes...

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:57 pm
by sogood
mikesbytes wrote:Problem is that there are pedrestrians on bicycle ownly paths and the one in particular I'm thinking of in particular has a pedrestrain path running beside it.
I think the most peculiar is that of riding on the Heffron Park criterium track on non-racing days. You'll get walkers, joggers, dogs and skateboarders, while 40km/h cyclist streak past them. Someone is playing with fire there. :?

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:02 pm
by mikesbytes
sogood wrote:
mikesbytes wrote:Problem is that there are pedrestrians on bicycle ownly paths and the one in particular I'm thinking of in particular has a pedrestrain path running beside it.
I think the most peculiar is that of riding on the Heffron Park criterium track on non-racing days. You'll get walkers, joggers, dogs and skateboarders, while 40km/h cyclist streak past them. Someone is playing with fire there. :?
Just spotted my grammer error, but its too late, its been quoted.

How many bikes are on Heffron there when you are training there, I'm assuming thats your Saturday ride?

Burn plenty of Glycogen
training log
ImageImageImage

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:13 pm
by sogood
mikesbytes wrote:Just spotted my grammer error, but its too late, its been quoted.

How many bikes are on Heffron there when you are training there, I'm assuming thats your Saturday ride?
Out of the few times I've been there on Saturday mornings, there's always at least one or two other riders there, and often a small bunch of Randwick-Botany or Eastern Suburbs boys. But recently I've encountered organized early morning races, including one TT race. I ventured onto the circuit without knowing until going across the start line and asked the guys there. Clearly there weren't as many signs as they put out for Sat afternoons.

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:00 pm
by heavymetal
europa wrote:But let's not just pick on pedestrians.

Cyclists who ignore road rules and the rest of the world and ride as though the whole place was put there for their amusement and benefit. Bugger off you lot, you're making cycling less safe for the rest of us.
Especially those cyclists who ride side by side on a cycle way and won't allow a cyclist from behind to overtake.

Especially one doing 66.6 km/h :twisted: :twisted:

Then there is the pedestrians on the "Cycles Only" path who abuse you and attempt to push you off of your bike.

Then there is the kind drivers in Perth who slowly follow you along and at the opportune moment they will pull you over and tell you that you shouldn't be riding a bicycle on the road.

And my favourite. The car going slowly behind me. I looked in my mirror to see what he was playing at. Idiot hanging out of the window attempting to steal the flag off of the BOB trailer.

Slam on brakes, raise right hand to indicate stopping. Whoops, forgot to take steel flask out of right hand before signalling :lol: :twisted:

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:13 pm
by Bnej
MJF wrote:Nice idea, but the entire Canberra bike path network is now classed as "shared", and the only bike specific paths are the on-road bike lanes...
Not great is it?

This is the problem with shunting bikes off the roads onto bike paths, then giving them 2nd class status on the supposed bike paths too.

My view is that in 50km/h zones, bicycles should be accommodated on the road, and decent width bike lanes should be provided on high speed/high traffic roads.

Unfortunately what you actually get is half-assed poorly signed lanes that terminate without warning sending you out into 80km/h traffic lane.

Shared use paths do however do a great job in getting inexperienced riders started.

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:17 pm
by mikesbytes
bicyclewa wrote:Especially one doing 66.6 km/h :twisted: :twisted:
You devil
bicyclewa wrote:Then there is the kind drivers in Perth who slowly follow you along and at the opportune moment they will pull you over and tell you that you shouldn't be riding a bicycle on the road.
Seems that when you have good bike paths, that some have the belief that you no longer have a right to the road.

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:13 am
by Mulger bill
Never knew Perths non riders were so feral. :o

Perhaps for your next project bicyclewa?

Image

Stay upright

Shaun

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:33 am
by heavymetal
Mulger bill wrote:Perhaps for your next project bicyclewa?
Have been working on it :twisted: Belt fed with the ammo case on the front rack :D

Latest project does look better though. A nuke in a BOB trailer :lol:

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:29 am
by MJF
bicyclewa wrote: Latest project does look better though. A nuke in a BOB trailer :lol:
Well... I guess we won't be hearing from you in the future. Link.

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:34 pm
by LuckyPierre
europa wrote: ... Cyclists who ignore road rules and the rest of the world and ride as though the whole place was put there for their amusement and benefit ...
I saw a good one this morning. Coming into the centre of Canberra on the main thoroughfare from Bleconnen there is a short section where the on-road bike lane gets shunted onto a side road and is replaced by a bus lane. It's all pretty well sign-posted and no real inconvenience. A rather feral rider decided that they were above all that and continued on in the bus lane - with three buses queued up behind them. I've seen a few brave souls move out into the car lanes through that section, but it's more than I'm prepared to take on - it's an 80 km/hr zone dual carriage way after all. :wink:

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:12 pm
by McPete
Pedestrians that go out of their way to make things difficult for both cyclists and motorists. Indeed, I heard one guy crossing the school drivway the other day say
"No, you idiot, don't give way to cars or bikes, they give way to you!"
This, shortly after some utter moron had purposely stepped in front of me with an intent to intimidate me...
And then we get to the junkies that sit just after a blind corner on my route, which is clearly marked a a cycleway, smoking and being general obstacles >_<.
Then, yes, the people who jog at night, wearing dark colours, listening to their iPods or whatever. Deathwish much?

As both a keen cyclist and a keen motorist(ducks for flying shoe), I'm developing a real dislike of pedestrians :/

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:03 pm
by Bnej
McPete wrote:Indeed, I heard one guy crossing the school drivway the other day say ...
Vehicles crossing footpaths give way to pedestrians, that's right.

You are supposed to slow down, look for pedestrians, then move forward and look for traffic.
Giving way when entering a road from a road-related
area or adjacent land
(...)
(b) any pedestrian on the road; and
(c) any vehicle or pedestrian on any road-related area that the
driver crosses to enter the road; and
(d) for a driver entering the road from a road-related area —
any pedestrian on the road-related area.
Also, give way signs and stop signs actually require you to give way to pedestrians in some cases too:
(3) The driver must give way to any vehicle or pedestrian at or near the stop sign.
(3) If the driver is turning left or right or making a U–turn, the
driver must also give way to any pedestrian at or near the
intersection on the road, or part of the road, the driver is
entering.
Generally speaking, people get away with giving way to pedestrians far less than they are legally expected to.

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:16 pm
by stryker84
McPete wrote:Pedestrians that go out of their way to make things difficult for both cyclists and motorists. Indeed, I heard one guy crossing the school drivway the other day say
"No, you idiot, don't give way to cars or bikes, they give way to you!"
This, shortly after some utter moron had purposely stepped in front of me with an intent to intimidate me...
And then we get to the junkies that sit just after a blind corner on my route, which is clearly marked a a cycleway, smoking and being general obstacles >_<.
Then, yes, the people who jog at night, wearing dark colours, listening to their iPods or whatever. Deathwish much?

As both a keen cyclist and a keen motorist(ducks for flying shoe), I'm developing a real dislike of pedestrians :/
Actually, pedestrians do have the right of way crossing driveways and turnings. Since you're a turning vehicle, you give way to anything crossing the road you're turning into. Same principle as if there's a car turning left, while you're in the bikelane on its left, going straight. The car gives way to you. So too do you give way to the pedestrians.

Basically there's 3 types of pedestrian:
A) The average pedestrian (and most of them fall into this category) who doesn't actually watch for turning vehicles and just crosses, is slightly annoying, but just breathe deeply, slow down, and let them cross. They ARE in the right after all, and probably have no clue about turning traffic.
B) It's the fools you described who know that there's traffic, know they're "in the right", and just assume that since that is so, they can cross without bothering to watch for traffic, they really irk me.
C) And for them doing it on purpose to slow you down/freak you out, well, I say return the favour and buzz past them with an inch or two of clearance! Bell (or really loud airhorn) as you go past as well. That'll give them something to think about next time!

As for the night dark-clothes joggers, well, that's general lack of sense on the shared path, but it's your responsibility to watch for them on shared facilities, a few bells or a loud yell usually works... It's when they're on the road, or on a dedicated bike path, that's when they've got the death wish. Recommend treatment as per category C) pedestrian above.

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:32 pm
by heavymetal
Then there are the pedestrians who cross the road without looking. Because they can't hear any traffic, they don't bother to look and wonder why they get cleaned up by a cyclist. :shock:







_________________
They should allow blind people and epileptics to drive cars! Why? They allow stupid people to drive.

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:06 pm
by pospete
I've just got in from a little ride, no not a dwarf, I mean the bike. Anyhow on a bike path, 2 bikes coming towards me at the last minute girl behind overtakes the woman in front, knocking her into a fence and pushing me into the road, thankfully no oncoming traffic. I screamed at the bitch but she was oblivious to the world with her Ipod on. Next time I see her I'll wobble right in front of her, or chuck some dog poo!. I wonder if it's anyone off the other site I used to use??? :wink:

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:52 pm
by mikesbytes
In NSW, there is a pedestrain killed for every 2 motorists

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:27 pm
by Mulger bill
IPODS, AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH :evil:

Yeah yeah, I got one, it's for on the train or nightshift at work. I like to know what's happening.

Road laws? I ride to survive, and if that means stopping for some cretin in a smokebox or IPlugged dill who refuses to accept the existence of anything not directly under his nose I bloody well will, right of way or not.

I get hurt = no ride
Bike gets hurt = no ride + feel horrible

Forget about right, I want to ride tomorrow.

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:13 am
by MJF
mikesbytes wrote:In NSW, there is a pedestrain killed for every 2 motorists
Natural selection...