The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[rdp_au]

+1

Amazes me the number of people riding in the morning or evening gloom without lights and wearing dark clothing. Came across a MTB rider last night travelling just this way on a dark and winding shared path.

[skull]

I live about 5 KM from work in the city, I ride in 2-3 time per week and catch the bus other days. I only recently started riding to work as my new work place has lockers, very nice showers, and a bike storage room under security watch .

With only a 5km ride you can ride in wearing your work clothes and save on needing a locker or shower.

[Summernight]

I live about 5 KM from work in the city, I ride in 2-3 time per week and catch the bus other days. I only recently started riding to work as my new work place has lockers, very nice showers, and a bike storage room under security watch .

With only a 5km ride you can ride in wearing your work clothes and save on needing a locker or shower.

Unless you're like me and sweat like crazy and/or have hills to contend with.

* * * * *

Last night's dumb peds were the two who stepped out (in opposite directions) about 20 metres apart over the separated bike lane in Albert Street (that is on the left of parked cars) that both didn't even look up the hill for any oncoming bikes. The man had just stepped onto the footpath before I came alongside and said he had to look next time he did that. I think the lady who also did it saw the man crossing further up the hill so did the whole sheeple thing and crossed without looking, trusting that the male random ped knew what he was doing.

[human909]

Unless you're like me and sweat like crazy and/or have hills to contend with.

Just ride slower. It really does work. Unless the hills are crazy steep then riding need not be anymore energetic than walking.

(Though when you have a nice road bike and/or are running late to work forcing yourself to ride slowly can be an effort. Even for me who lives 5km from the CBD. But for distances longer than 10km screw riding slowly! )

[CXCommuter]

Smart person this morning cycling on the shared path on the wrong side with a red flashing light on the handlebars

[duncan16v]

Unless you're like me and sweat like crazy and/or have hills to contend with.

Just ride slower. It really does work. Unless the hills are crazy steep then riding need not be anymore energetic than walking.

(Though when you have a nice road bike and/or are running late to work forcing yourself to ride slowly can be an effort. Even for me who lives 5km from the CBD. But for distances longer than 10km screw riding slowly! )

Nahhhh. No such thing. I'm both fat and old but I can't convince myself I'm not 25 any more and therefore unjustly overlooked by the Tour de France selectors. I also sweat like a merchant banker in church.

And now to be reminded of my manifest inadequacy by the depressing graphic below...

[Mulger bill]

Smart person this morning cycling on the shared path on the wrong side with a red flashing light on the handlebars

Saw similar while going home last night except this one had an anaemic white blinky up front and a powerful green at the rear...

[Biffidus]

Bogan Salmon for April Fools...

I shouldn't complain too much, it's not like they actually got in my way.

[jasonc]

caught up to a bloke who had 2 red rear light and 1 white one. I asked him why. response: "something different"
I told him it was illegal. He was surprised.

[RedlandSteve]

I thought the roads rules specify a rear red light and a front white light must be used but there is no strict condition for their exclusive use? So long as the rear red light can be seen for 200m and likewise for the front white light. If the white light drowns out the red lights within 200 metres you have a problem, but on face value so long as the rear white has a clear secondary and complementary effect it seems OK to me?

[tubby74]

rider in sydney cbd (George and king st) with a downtube break - maybe 2 inches between pieces that really should be one tube as the bike flexed. and really on a bike in that shape wearing a helmet may be prudent.

[apsilon]

I thought the roads rules specify a rear red light and a front white light must be used but there is no strict condition for their exclusive use? So long as the rear red light can be seen for 200m and likewise for the front white light. If the white light drowns out the red lights within 200 metres you have a problem, but on face value so long as the rear white has a clear secondary and complementary effect it seems OK to me?

I couldn't quote the exact rule and can't be bothered looking for it but I'm pretty sure it is illegal to have a white light on the rear or a red one on the front. In fact I believe it's illegal to have any colour other than white on the front or red on the rear in fact I've heard of drivers being booked for having blue LED parkers etc and that was the reason given.

[queequeg]

I thought the roads rules specify a rear red light and a front white light must be used but there is no strict condition for their exclusive use? So long as the rear red light can be seen for 200m and likewise for the front white light. If the white light drowns out the red lights within 200 metres you have a problem, but on face value so long as the rear white has a clear secondary and complementary effect it seems OK to me?

I couldn't quote the exact rule and can't be bothered looking for it but I'm pretty sure it is illegal to have a white light on the rear or a red one on the front. In fact I believe it's illegal to have any colour other than white on the front or red on the rear in fact I've heard of drivers being booked for having blue LED parkers etc and that was the reason given.

You can have other colours in addition to red and white, as long as the red one is on the back and the White one is on the front.

The rules around things like blue lights etc is for motor vehicles, not bicycles. I ride to work a flashing combination of red/blue led belt (Halo X)



If drivers think might be a police officer when viewed from a distance, then I'll happily accept the extra caution I get as a result.
I ride right past the Highway Patrol every morning on my commute and have never been stopped.

[kenwstr]

I got run into a by a cyclist!

I was in sydney at macquarie uni on the weekend and on sunday afternoon i was walking back to the accommodation to get my car and drive home.

I was on the path through macquarie park that goes between Epping road and to another main drag near the shopping centre - there's a big aldi sign outside. (sorry - not sure of the street).

So I was trundling along with a backpack (food/jumper/purse etc), a laptop computer in a bag slung over 1 shoulder and a sports bag carrying a folder full of books etc.

I always keep left on shared paths as i don't want to be one of *those* stupid pedestrians and am always conscious that there are other path users. No earphones and well aware of my surroundings. There were a few families and kids in the vicinity. At 1 point i heard a ding and a cyclist then passed me. My spidey senses and alert ears then told me more were following. then VOOMPAH Say What??? arrrrrgh SPPLLAAT, scrape scrape...

Oh sorry. Say What???? I was just run into from behind. my bags went in all directions and my first thought was don't drop my computer As i went sprawling i just tried to keep my feet. I turned around there was a pobso girl on the ground and another one behind her going ooooh oooh sorry. I can't remember what my first reaction was but it probably wasn't nice.

The girl was saying sorry sorry. I said - how on earth did you hit me? I was keeping well left and walking on my side and predictably. The cyclist behind (they all looked like international students) asked her if she was okay. She looked like she had hurt her knee. (What about me mate??? I'm the one ploughed into - mind you they were probably going only about 20 kmph). Sorry sorry. Then the girl king of untangled herself and her bike and stood up. she'd obviously hurt herself as she was kind of hopping from one foot to the other and i could see a graze on the outside of her knee.

I said something like - this is a share path. It is up to you to NOT HIT ME!!! I really wanted to let fly but i think it wasn't deliberate but more a just can't ride factor. I said You must learn to keep aware of your surroundings and make sure you don't run into people. Meanwhile number 3 was now saying sorry sorry sorry. Finally he asked are you okay (to me). Yes. Lucky I wasn't an old lady as you could've really hurt someone.

Meanwhile number 1 possibly looked back and saw he was on his own and he came back to find out what had happened. I said ' your friend just ploughed into me mate - and could've sent me flying'. She was obviously embarrased and awkward. I really wanted to say i'm a cyclist too but didn't. I said - I was walking in a straight line, not distracted and keeping well left and you passed me correctly and safely, but your mate just ploughed straight into me. I said something like if she can't pass people safely she has to give pedestrians plenty of room. There is easily room on this path for both of us and you yourself know i was on the left as you passed me only a few moments ago.

He said we'll look after her now and then he said sorry and the girl was still dithering around. I stood there for another minute as if to say 'is that it? you could've really hurt a little old lady but i didn't. I think they all felt awkward and din't know what to do and number 1 said 'oh it's okay - you can go now!? what???? errr - your friend just ploughed into me but you're more worried about her. ???

I said - this is a shared path and you will see other people here. It is HER responsibility to not run into other pedestrians. I got to the next tunnell (epping road) and they still hadn't come past yet. I'm not sure wehther they were all embarrassed or the girl didn't want to, or was unable to, continue.

I couldn't frigging believe it. i hope those people aren't posters on here....

What exactly did you expect them to do?
The event happened and nothing is going to undo that.
You said you were OK and they prioritized to the most severely injured person first.

Ken

[simlin]

259—Riding at night
The rider of a bicycle must not ride at night, or in hazardous weather conditions
causing reduced visibility, unless the bicycle, or the rider, displays—
(a) a flashing or steady white light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres
from the front of the bicycle; and
(b) a flashing or steady red light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from
the rear of the bicycle; and
(c) a red reflector that is clearly visible for at least 50 metres from the rear of the
bicycle when light is projected onto it by a vehicle's headlight on low-beam.

[BianchiCam]

Must be numpty season again. I seem to be posting more random twats.

[InTheWoods]

I can't be bothered editing the video at the moment, but driving home on Monday, I saw some crazy cycling by a helmetless guy on a BSO.

Location was waterworks road heading outbound at Red Hill, for those who don't know it its 2 lanes each way, mostly no shoulder, reasonably busy.

First time I saw him, he was also heading outbound, but on the wrong side of the divider strip riding in a turning lane (in the opposite direction), which he then jumped and swerved out in front of me, before riding up the left side of stationary cars at a red light. He was going to run the light but it went green as he was crossing the line, and he then immediately swerved across 2 lanes right in front of the car in the right hand lane. He stayed there for a bit until there was a break in the oncoming traffic, and then crossed to the opposite side of the road and then proceeded at speed several hundred metres down the road (in the lane as there was no shoulder) on the wrong side, forcing oncoming cars to swerve around him. It was nuts.

[CXCommuter]

I can't be bothered editing the video at the moment, but driving home on Monday, I saw some crazy cycling by a helmetless guy on a BSO.

Location was waterworks road heading outbound at Red Hill, for those who don't know it its 2 lanes each way, mostly no shoulder, reasonably busy.

First time I saw him, he was also heading outbound, but on the wrong side of the divider strip riding in a turning lane (in the opposite direction), which he then jumped and swerved out in front of me, before riding up the left side of stationary cars at a red light. He was going to run the light but it went green as he was crossing the line, and he then immediately swerved across 2 lanes right in front of the car in the right hand lane. He stayed there for a bit until there was a break in the oncoming traffic, and then crossed to the opposite side of the road and then proceeded at speed several hundred metres down the road (in the lane as there was no shoulder) on the wrong side, forcing oncoming cars to swerve around him. It was nuts.

Isn't that how we all ride? I know I do

[WhingingPom]

Firstly - Just about every cyclist riding from St Georges Rd to Docklands this evening. Is it really that hard to buy/use a f$cking light?!

Secondly - Me. Apologies to anybody riding from Docklands towards and up St Georges Rd that I (short, large belly, wearing a short-sleeved flouro top and black backpack on a white Reid Osprey) overtook too closely because I saw the lightless morons at the last minute. If you're on here, let me know and I'll buy you a coffee by way of apology.

[jasonc]

don't worry whingingpom - i was on bicentennial bikeway about 20 minutes earlier than normal yesterday. I gave up counting all the dumb cyclists without lights (that couldn't be seen til they were in my beam) and don't get me started on pedestrians. how hard is it to SHARE a shared path. keep left PLEASE

[CXCommuter]

Actually can we start a thread Dumb and Moronic Humans- The number of Bicycles and Cars I see morning and evening (and during this weeks rainy weather) without lights is astonishing

[MisuVir]

Actually can we start a thread Dumb and Moronic Humans- The number of Bicycles and Cars I see morning and evening (and during this weeks rainy weather) without lights is astonishing

Yeah, and having nothing but a faint green (!) headlight is not really good enough when you're riding around in complete darkness.

Some people are nuts.

[Mulger bill]

Me.

Thought I'd be clever and timed the change perfectly at a set of lights.

Fail, opposite direction got a right turn arrow, I ended up pushing hard for the median strip after slow rolling the red.

[InTheWoods]

Mixed batch of moron motorists and at least one dumb cyclist and a slightly silly one here:

[Percrime]

Smart person this morning cycling on the shared path on the wrong side with a red flashing light on the handlebars

You can kill him.

Its OK... trust me