The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[Ross]

Luckily for the ped it wasn't a motorbike lanesplitting that hit him

[HenryCharlie]

The ped crossed a road when it wasn't clear, hopefully he has insurance that will cover the damaged bike.

[twowheels]

Blythe Ave, Yokine about 3.45pm, dude riding bike in full lycra kit while holding mobile in left hand and texting &/or reading screen while being passed by two lanes of traffic.

[Tequestra]

Last year I was a dumb cyclist. Good golly I was dumb. I should have remembered what it felt like when I was walking diagonally across a wide but short, low traffic lane on my way back from the 711 to my hotel - a pedestrian in Asia - when I 'felt' the approach of some silent menace behind me, and turned around to see a fairly new model black, lowered Honda Accord with tinted windows, slowly following right behind me as I completed that laneway jaywalk,. and I did not hear a thing from its engine. It was a quiet car which I had never known before, that somehow snuck up right behind me, and I got out the way quick and turned and bowed to the occupant I assumed to be driving behind that tinted windscreen for dawdling across that lane which I automatically sensed belonged to the cars, and not to pedestrians like me.

I should have remembered that, but it didn't cross my mind at all when I finally got my first fast electric bike finished.

One morning last December, I was on the way down to the local shop and it is only 400m from my place, and there's an alley from my street down to the shop carpark, and my road has the kind of kerbs that no tyres like to hit at anything more than crawling pace, so it is normal to veer across to the neares driveway to gain a smooth ride up onto the footpath on the RHS and then cruise down that footpath around 40m to the alleyway to the shops.

However, on this Saturday, there was a middle-aged couple walking along that footpath to the shops, just about to cross the last driveway that I had been using to get off the road onto the footpath to save my tyres from pain up the 45% odd kerb, so what did this dumb cyclist do? I sped up and made the far edge of the driveway as the couple were just about to step onto it and passed the male part of that couple at somewhere near to 40km/h within stretched arms-length, in electric silence, to make that footpath before they did, or else I would have to make all kinds of noises to ask them to use single-flie so as I could pass, and in the quick heat of the moment, that seemed like the best option of the two out of many which I could have picked.

I scared the hell out of that poor fellow and his wife, by passing so close, so fast, and with no warning of my approach. When I came out of the shop and was unlocking the bike to return home, he by chance happened to come up and threaten the bejesus out of me for it, and there I was Mr Righteous thinking of all the damage I could have done to my tyres and tubes if I had not taken that course, which was indeed the best option in the physical sense. No on was hurt, so what did he care?

He cared because I scared him. I was just the same when that Honda Accord snuck up behind me that day overseas, although I felt in the wrong that time, and I know now that I was in the wrong on my bike that Saturday too.

You see, it is uncouth to ride closely past a pedestrian at high speed, even if you know well that nobody will be hurt, because of the shock it will most likely cause them. It is uncouth and it is stupid, and in 2017 I was too excited about my wonderful new electric bicycle to even have room in my small head to think of that.

Now, in 2018, when I take to bike paths or the occasional footpath, and whenever I approach a pedestrian of a group walking in the same direction as I am, with their backs to me, I have learned to slow down, and rather than beep my twin 12v two-tone horns at them which is rude and a bad advertisement for cyclists, I just call out from around 20m away, "Hello" or "Good Morning!" to let them know that there is bicycle about to pass them, and they turn their heads and see what I am, and sometimes we have a quick chat about it - why have learned to greet pedestrians now in 2018 before speeding past them.

I don't want to scare anyone because I know that I can freely pass without anyone getting hurt physically, and forget about it, (considering what I have to con4end with in the traffic when I am the little one amongst the cars), but that bunch of power-walking women on the so-called 'bike path' will remember. Oh they'll surely remember the fright I gave them speeding past with the same lack of courtesy that they feel quite at ease to give me when they are driving on the road and they go past me with 6" to spare. They will remember what I did to them, (the same as they all do to me on the roads), and do you know what? Whenever the anti-cyclist discussions start at their cocktail parties on a Friday night, they'll remember how I scared them and the mob discussion will turn to hatred of cyclists.

That is why I now try to make sure to slow down and call out just loud enough to get some attention whenever I am about to pass any pedestrian on a bike path or anywhere which cars are not allowed. It is a mortal danger to ALL cyclists if I act like a dumb teenager and ride past a pedestrian in silence, just because I can.

PS: Not to confuse the reader, the middle-aged couple were the ones I scared in 2017 and the power-walking women were the group I used my newfound wisdom and caled out "Hello!" to last Saturday on the way to the beach. I am sorry I did not introduce them properly in the interests of succinctness.

[Cyclophiliac]

Two this morning: I was riding along a completely-unlit part of the Koonung Creek Trail in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, in full darkness because it was early, and some reckless idiot overtakes me at a high speed, in complete disregard for his safety, or anyone else's. I pity any pedestrians he rode past.
Then, later on, and for the 2nd or 3rd time this week, another idiot on a motorbike on the same trail, a very smelly and loud one, too.

[biker jk]

[jasonc]

[g-boaf]

Was that the runner guy? Looked pretty close - and he had to stop anyway. But given it is on a pathway, who has right of way in that very situation?

I did a very short and slow ride yesterday to test a bike and had what seemed to be a husband and wife pair on their two-wheeled jalopies near run me off the cycleway completely. Riding two abreast, taking up the whole width and leaving me nowhere to go but on the very uneven grass off to the side. Only at last minute did the lady move over. So much for sharing.

[jasonc]

Was that the runner guy? Looked pretty close - and he had to stop anyway. But given it is on a pathway, who has right of way in that very situation?

considering the bicycle was in front of the runner (bicycle was slowing to a stop), i'd say the person overtaking had to do so safely.

[g-boaf]

Was that the runner guy? Looked pretty close - and he had to stop anyway. But given it is on a pathway, who has right of way in that very situation?

considering the bicycle was in front of the runner (bicycle was slowing to a stop), i'd say the person overtaking had to do so safely.

That's what I'd have thought too, but whenever a rider is concerned it is usually always up for discussion.

[uart]

considering the bicycle was in front of the runner (bicycle was slowing to a stop), i'd say the person overtaking had to do so safely.

There's not really anything in it worth getting too upset by though. The jogger goes up beside the cyclist (and goes to pass him) as they both slow for the traffic light. At the same time the cyclist veers to right to align with the gutter ramp and so the jogger slows and goes behind him.

Just wondering, did either party get upset, because it looked pretty innocuous.

[jasonc]

I just uploaded it as it just shows the stupidity we have to deal with. Squeezing in between a cyclists and a tree rather than waiting 5 seconds

[jasonc]

the brisbane 1500w man riding in his usual manner

[Howzat]

Wow - after watching that, I hate cyclists! Rego! Licenses! Bans!

(Though the camera-cyclist seems to take almost as many dumb risks as the annoying cyclists.)

[Lizzy]

Today I nominate all the freshers on the campus! The digital natives have arrived at university, yo. All of them - yes, all - are walking along with an unbroken stare straight into their phones, and most have earphones in as well. They get stuck in corners like cheap knock-off robotic vacuum cleaners from eBay. At least once a day when I'm coasting down to my building, I have to come to a complete stop, stand across my frame and wait for one to walk straight into my tire. Then without even looking up they just kind of go "doonk", bounce off and go in another direction.

[/old]

[jasonc]

Today I nominate all the freshers on the campus!

airzound time.

[Scott_C]

The German touring cyclist who yesterday somehow managed to mistake the rail service road down the middle of Mandjoogoordap Drive just outside Mandurah with a bike path, resulting in minor train delays and the dispatch of security services to escort him away from the Parklands Rail Tunnel.

Mandjoogoordap Drive has wide shoulders marked with bike symbols which are the actual bike route from Mandurah to Perth.

[human909]

The German touring cyclist who yesterday somehow managed to mistake the rail service road down the middle of Mandjoogoordap Drive just outside Mandurah with a bike path, resulting in minor train delays and the dispatch of security services to escort him away from the Parklands Rail Tunnel.

Mandjoogoordap Drive has wide shoulders marked with bike symbols which are the actual bike route from Mandurah to Perth.

Sounds pretty intelligent to me. Riding on a empty path well protected from errant motorists. Wide shoulders are NOT cycling infrastructure not matter how many bike symbols they have.

Riding on a shoulder you have an obligation to give way to turning traffic coming from behind you and in front of you.

[Scott_C]

The German touring cyclist who yesterday somehow managed to mistake the rail service road down the middle of Mandjoogoordap Drive just outside Mandurah with a bike path, resulting in minor train delays and the dispatch of security services to escort him away from the Parklands Rail Tunnel.

Mandjoogoordap Drive has wide shoulders marked with bike symbols which are the actual bike route from Mandurah to Perth.

Sounds pretty intelligent to me. Riding on a empty path well protected from errant motorists. Wide shoulders are NOT cycling infrastructure not matter how many bike symbols they have.

Riding on a shoulder you have an obligation to give way to turning traffic coming from behind you and in front of you.

Whilst generally true there are no intersections on the stretch of Mandjoogoordap Drive that he should have been riding on and he would have had to cross 2 lanes of sealed road with 80kph traffic, climb over a fence or gate to get into the rail reserve and ride on a compacted limestone track with no barriers between him and the railway instead of going directly onto the sealed shoulder.

[human909]

I think you missed my point which was half tongue in cheek and half a good taste of reality.

with no barriers between him and the railway

The readiness of trains veering off their tracks is remarkably low compared to cars veering off roads.

I must say the middle of the train line looks far more preferable to me.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/(AT)-32.510 ... 312!8i6656


Given this is a populated urban area, has a road network focussed around a couple main thoroughfares surrounded by residential cul-de-sacs, where is a cyclists supposed to go? Particularly one who is not familiar with the area. A 90kph road does not seem sensible cycling infrastructure in urban areas.

Personally I find it slightly humorous that they stop the trains supposably for safety reasons when in reality the cyclist was likely safer exactly where he was. (Sure there was a tunnel coming up but I'm sure he could have worked that open out and coped with it.)

The real danger here is putting cyclist on a shoulder of a 90kph road and calling it a cycle route.

It gets better when the shoulder magically becomes a lane:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/(AT)-32.476 ... 312!8i6656 Like usual it plays fast and loose with the road rules with the game when is a cycle lane not a cycle lane....

[Kronos]

I think you missed my point which was half tongue in cheek and half a good taste of reality.

with no barriers between him and the railway

Personally I find it slightly humorous that they stop the trains supposably for safety reasons when in reality the cyclist was likely safer exactly where he was.

Supposedly.

[BJL]

I think there's a thread on this already somewhere around but I'm going to bring it up here instead.

To the half dozen or so cyclists on the 1 in 20 this morning, just before sunrise when it was STILL DARK, thanks for being idiots and using ONLY a strobe as your front light. If this is any of you, do you have ANY idea how blinding this is to oncoming traffic, especially when you have them pointed right at the eyes of oncoming traffic. If you don't need a solid light to see in the dark because you're a cat or an owl, at least point the damn thing down at your front wheel.

[Jmuzz]

And still the usual suspects cry about rego

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 7413943570

[fat and old]

So many choices this am's commute. Going into the city via St Georges Rd lets you see some grouse action...

Todays pick: The grown man riding across a ped crossing among kiddies (they had the light) who managed to be hit by the super commuter coming down the road who thought a red light didn't count for bikes

Honourable mention: The bloke who thought that riding on the footpath in Flinders Lane (app. 1.2m wide) at 8:30am was a good idea and then acted surprised when someone walked out of a shop door and he ran into them.

This was offset by at least 3 people I saw playing some vid game on their phones while driving.....

[jasonc]

Lights people! If it's foggy, i can't see you. If i can't see you, i can't avoid you. Honourable mention to the 2peds on the bike only path way before sunrise with no lights. One in dark grey clothing. Idiots