The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[adam0bmx0]

I was coming down the front of Mt Coot-tha* last night.

Complete idiot! Who would do that, I probably would've stopped (eventually) and given him a stern word or two!

[uart]

Nearly taken out by another rider running wide around a corner. Lucky I was quite far over to the left and saw him coming, half expecting it.

I saw one of the worst cases of this riding home on Thursday afternoon. On a section of shared path at peak hour 5.30pm, perfect day with good visibility, but kind of a slow section of the ride with loads of peds and other cyclists all sharing.

I'm come up behind a woman on a mountain bike doing about 22 km/hr. She's actually doing pretty well considering that she's bolt upright on an old mountain bike and straight in a fair old headwind, so I decide to stay behind for the last 800m or so of the path.

At that point two cyclists, riding side by side, come around a bend towards us. It wasn't a blind corner or anything, there was loads of visibility and they must have been about 50m away when I saw them. Neither party going particularly fast, so I didn't even think about there being any problem.

Suddenly the poor woman ahead is yelling as she bails out onto the rough beside the path, and I realize that the oncoming guy is still right over on the wrong side and heading straight for her. The guy mustn't have been paying any attention, because it was perfect visibility, nice day and she was bolt upright in a bright blue and white jersey, and the guy had loads of time to react.

I know that I'm occasionally guilty of "zoning out" when I'm on a long straight stretch of road, but seriously when you're on the wrong side of a narrow shared path at peak hour then you'd expect a bloke to at least be paying some kind of attention to what's going on around him.

[NASHIE]

Hope he stopped and apologised ?........if not thats worse then the riding indiscretion IMO

[uart]

Hope he stopped and apologised ?........if not thats worse then the riding indiscretion IMO

Sorry if I was unclear and a bit long winded. There were no other indiscretions apart from the guy on the wrong side of the path who ran the poor woman in front of my clean off the path.

I wasn't complaining about her riding at all. She was doing just fine. When I said she was riding "bolt upright" that wasn't a complaint, just an observation that her riding style and bright jersey should have made her very visible to the oncoming twit.

I was about 5 meters straight behind her, so after the oncoming riders had rounded the corner ahead I no longer had a clear sight of them (as they're now partially obscured by the rider in front of me). However given the clear vision and ample time to react I just assumed they would move over. That assumption turned out to be unjustified however, and a few seconds later she's been run off the track and into the rough and the twit rider is now heading straight for me. Fortunately by that time he has finally woken up and manages to swerve back to his side to avoid me.

[NASHIE]

All good fully understood orig post . The dick on the wrong side of the path, should of turned around and made sure the woman was ok. If he didnt then he's a total ass@#$%

[Lukeyboy]

Standing at the bottom of gully: Check.
Standing in the middle of a kink: Check
Taking up the entire shared pathway: Check
Refusing to move when right infront of them: Check

[silentC]

You wonder what the thought process is. Around holiday season here we get them by the dozen. My favourite is when two of them decide to stop side by side, get off their bikes, put them on the stands and rummage around in their backpacks for a camera or something whilst standing between the bikes. The look you get is priceless: complete surprise that anyone else should be wanting to ride along the path at that precise moment.

[warthog1]

Standing at the bottom of gully: Check.
Standing in the middle of a kink: Check
Taking up the entire shared pathway: Check
Refusing to move when right infront of them: Check

[fat and old]

Standing at the bottom of gully: Check.
Standing in the middle of a kink: Check
Taking up the entire shared pathway: Check
Refusing to move when right infront of them: Check

You forgot

Taking up the clean part and giving me the leaf strewn crappy part: Check

[Lukeyboy]

Also forgot.

Balancing on tippy toes while getting drink bottle out of camelbak bag: Check

[ChrisR24]

I wasn't aware of how many blind people were walking around until I started riding. These poor pedestrians miss the (large) "bikes only" / "no pedestrian" signs and bumble away along the path. I informed one today of their situation, but it didn't seem to help.

[jasonc]

Chris. They are deaf too
Has a good one last night
Oh the way home from being turned into a pin cushion, about to turn right in to the driveway spidey send told me there was something coming. High beam confirmed a teenager on a bike in black without lights riding towards me. No helmet either (I'm pro choice, but lights aren't an option at night) Lesson learned? Probably not sadly

[bychosis]

Slowly raises hand.
This morning, travelling down a side street towards the main road ready to turn onto the path on the right, not crossing the main rd. A car attempts to turn left off the main road to see me in his path not concentrating properly and lining up to become a hood ornament. He stops... I should head over to the MM thread... as he stops, toots the horn, then fumbles for the window switch while stationary and waits for it to roll all the way down before giving me a character assessment with the back of the car hanging out onto the main road. I'd already swerved well out of his way and apologised and was clipping out waiting for him to continue forward and clear my route to the path.

[Jash Rider]

Ok, the Dominos Pizza guys on the Ted Smout bridge, you're a pack of idiots. This is the third time I've encountered you and every time you're just a bunch of tossers. For whatever reason that I cannot think of, you believe you own any and all sections of wherever you are riding and think that the common courtesies that go along with using a public space don't apply to you.

It was absolutely clear that as I was waiting for a group of oncoming cyclists to pass, and that I was going around the slower rider in front of me with pedestrians on the other side of the path. I had pulled out and was in front of you, yet you believe the 1m distance between me and the pedestrians was enough for you to slip by at 40kph+. YOU ARE MORONS!!!

You deserve nails and broken glass all along your ride.

[noisuf]

Phew, just came back from the usual 30km round trip ride, mostly on bike tracks. I prefer bike tracks due to an incident I had years ago on the road.

Just had my first incident of cyclist road rage on the bike track of all places.

Was only less than 5kms from finishing the ride when I was approaching a cyclist. As usual, I ring my bell well in advance to warn my approach.

This cyclist was swerving around and went to the right of the track past the separation line just when I was approaching.

So I yelled, "stay to your right", so I could go on the left.

Instead, he then swerved back to the left as I was passing.

So yes, I did shake my head as I rode by.

But it soon followed with, "F@#(AT)$ come back here, f@#$(AT)#$ come back here you f@#$#(AT)".

I rode as fast as I could because I didn't expect that reaction. I've ridden since 2008 and have never experienced this......fear.

I thought I got away but he caught up, rode really closely and started hurling expletives & insults in a really aggressive manner. Lasted for a few minutes. I'm not a big bloke so yes, I did think it would get physical.

I did try to explain that he was swerving around and I rang my bell and yelled to warn him of my approach. I said this is not what cycling was about.

I guess if there's road rage on the roads, there will be road rage on the bikes.

It definitely won't stop me from riding or saying hello to fellow riders. I will just think twice from reacting.

[outnabike]

You deserve nails and broken glass all along your ride.

Jash Rider (In sympathy) I can understand anger but Not the last bit about broken glass etc. I am one of those that carry a small plasic bag and gather broken glass.
It grieves me to think that a cyclist would consider such action.
I always assume it is a cycling hater that contemplates such action.

Look up the tack problems we have on a Melbourne road and it is a shocking thing to have happen. the innocent jet the problems intended for the hated.

[Bentnose]

Got yelled at by a rider, passing me at about 40kmh on the Koonong trail in Melbourne, "keep an eye on her!". Assuming he was talking about my 5 year old daughter behind me, I looked behind and she was were you would expect her to be and swore she didn't swerve as he shot past her, apart from slightly off the track to the left. I'd think maybe a bell or some sort of warning plus maybe? Slowing down around small children would be more appropriate.

Was also dismayed on the way back to see some cyclists I'd spotted earlier having a break had left 2 banana skins just sitting on a park bench, throw them in the bushes at least! Somebody no has to pick up your grotty banana skins so they can have a seat.

[Jash Rider]

You deserve nails and broken glass all along your ride.

Jash Rider (In sympathy) I can understand anger but Not the last bit about broken glass etc. I am one of those that carry a small plasic bag and gather broken glass.
It grieves me to think that a cyclist would consider such action.
I always assume it is a cycling hater that contemplates such action.

Look up the tack problems we have on a Melbourne road and it is a shocking thing to have happen. the innocent jet the problems intended for the hated.

It was a statement akin to Mercutio when he cried out "A curse on both your houses." Riders like the Dominos Pizza guys are a-holes of the highest order. They have proved this on three occasions to myself, and I'm sure there's many other riders out there that have been on the receiving end of their arrogance and reckless riding practices.

[jasonc]

Seen dominos riders. Using the word riders loosely. Agree with jash. Streer clear

[syu]

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted here:



Yes dog walker, you have the right of way on a pedestrian crossing but there's a race going on, you may have heard about it

[biker jk]

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted here:



Yes dog walker, you have the right of way on a pedestrian crossing but there's a race going on, you may have heard about it

Ped was texting/looking at phone as well.

[RobertL]

I'm surprised that Sagan didn't just bunny-hop over him and keep going.

[kenwstr]

Sunday, came across 2 ladies training their 2 dogs to run between them. Only problem, they (the ladies) were on opposite sides of the shared path. BTW, there is more than 100 metres of mown grass between the path and river in this area.

[Ross]

VIC Police Are On The Hunt For A Cyclist Mugging People With A Plastic Gun

https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and ... 3e1820.htm

Victoria Police are on the hunt for a cyclist who's been mugging people with a plastic gun.

On February 12 this year, around 5:30pm, the bloke cycled up to a St Albans Road servo, approached a staff member with the gun, demanded cash, and then cycled off.

Then on March 16, around 9:35pm, the same bloke approached a 51-year-old woman in an underground shopping centre car park in Deer Park and threatened her with the same plastic gun.

The woman complied and handed over her two handbags. The offender then pushed the victim over, hopped on his pushbike, and managed to speed away all of 10-metres before he "stacked his getaway vehicle" (official police words) and dropped the victim's phone.

He jumped back on his bike, and this time managed to get away about 50-metres before riding into a pole, falling off his bike, and dropping his 'gun', which was revealed to be made of plastic when it broke to pieces.

The woman wasn't hurt in the incident, and the mugger dumped her bags on the median strip outside.

Brimbank Embona detectives are now hunting for the man, believed to be of Southern European or Caucasian appearance, aged in his 20s or 30s, and – at the time of the shopping centre incident – was wearing a black baseball cap, black hooded top, black gloves, jeans and white runners.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

[Scott No Mates]

Not a great advert for cycling - a young guy riding up Burns Bay Road Lane Cove yesterday, dodging in and out of the suicide lane (bike stripe). +1 gave him plenty of room when the lane disappears. A car is parked across the bike stripe so he wipes out its mirror without flinching.

He then continues up the road dodging cars & into the crowded pedestrian plaza.

Next idiot - everyone's favourite Domino's cyclist wearing black & no lights at night.