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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 11:34 am
by twizzle
GeoffInBrisbane wrote:Clearly at 31 I don't bounce like I did at 17, or even 25...
The older you get, the harder the ground is.

I had my first "off" 11 months ago, my shoulder still hurts some days.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 11:51 am
by Dez
On my commute this morning there was a lady riding along the road, mobile phone to ear, oblivious to the world going on around her.

This wasn't as bad as mr. mid-life crisis cruising on his bike along the winding, shadowy river path, arms folded across his chest, no helmet and gazing out at the birdlife on the water. He actually looked pretty cool. I hope his face lasted the journey in one piece.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:39 am
by bychosis
Riding to work in the dark this morn. Thought I was catching another rider, could see the red blinky...but when I got close I noticed it was on the front of the cap of a pedestrian. I always thought red lights were for the back, oh well...

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:24 am
by VRE
bychosis wrote:Riding to work in the dark this morn. Thought I was catching another rider, could see the red blinky...but when I got close I noticed it was on the front of the cap of a pedestrian. I always thought red lights were for the back, oh well...
That pedestrian doesn't belong in this thread, then. The smarter pedestrians are those who bother to use lights when using shared paths in the dark. The colour of them just isn't worth being fussed about. The vast majority of them don't bother with lights, or even with reflective patches on their clothes. I was happy to note that as I rode along the Dandenong Creek Trail in the pre-dawn last weekend on my way to Mt Dandenong, there were several joggers using headband-mounted lights.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:58 am
by il padrone
You've got to realise that there is no legal requirement, nor recommendation from authorities, nor need - for a person to walk about on streets or footpaths with a headlight cap or reflective clothing. Most people choose not to walk about with such garb.

If you recommend that pedestrians on shared trails must use 'headlights' for your convenience and peace of mind' (they can after all see you quite well and will avoid you), then pedestrians might quite reasonably reply there is no need for you to be on the trail - bikes are after all road vehicles.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:12 am
by VRE
If your above post was directed at me, Pete, then yes I do know the road safety laws and realise there is no legal requirement for pedestrians to use lights at night.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:21 am
by il padrone
Yes, I know. Not suggesting that you didn't, just a reminder. Ultimately the obligation lies on us all as cyclists and road vehicles rather than expecting pedestrians to take what most would regard as exceptional steps. Personally if I was going to walk a bush trail at night I would take a torch, but many people walking urban paths and trails would not do this. Caps with lights or even head-torches are even more unusual to most people.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:24 am
by jasonc
VRE wrote:
bychosis wrote:Riding to work in the dark this morn. Thought I was catching another rider, could see the red blinky...but when I got close I noticed it was on the front of the cap of a pedestrian. I always thought red lights were for the back, oh well...
That pedestrian doesn't belong in this thread, then. The smarter pedestrians are those who bother to use lights when using shared paths in the dark. The colour of them just isn't worth being fussed about. The vast majority of them don't bother with lights, or even with reflective patches on their clothes. I was happy to note that as I rode along the Dandenong Creek Trail in the pre-dawn last weekend on my way to Mt Dandenong, there were several joggers using headband-mounted lights.
pedestrian with lights are great. considering they predominantly wear black. anything helps to distinguish the shadows...

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:49 am
by bychosis
jasonc wrote:
VRE wrote:
bychosis wrote:Riding to work in the dark this morn. Thought I was catching another rider, could see the red blinky...but when I got close I noticed it was on the front of the cap of a pedestrian. I always thought red lights were for the back, oh well...
That pedestrian doesn't belong in this thread, then. The smarter pedestrians are those who bother to use lights when using shared paths in the dark. The colour of them just isn't worth being fussed about. The vast majority of them don't bother with lights, or even with reflective patches on their clothes. I was happy to note that as I rode along the Dandenong Creek Trail in the pre-dawn last weekend on my way to Mt Dandenong, there were several joggers using headband-mounted lights.
pedestrian with lights are great. considering they predominantly wear black. anything helps to distinguish the shadows...
Quite a few with reflective bits on their shoes, a couple with a little white light, the red lamp on the front just threw me a little because I was expecting a bike riding away from me and it suddenly turned into a ped walking towards me. I have no expectations for pedestrians to have any sort of light and ride accordingly, either very slow or using lots of light.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:53 am
by il padrone
bychosis wrote: the red lamp on the front just threw me a little because I was expecting a bike riding away from me and it suddenly turned into a ped walking towards me.
Some cyclists do this, from what others have told me :shock:

Death wish!!

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:58 am
by jasonc
il padrone wrote:
bychosis wrote: the red lamp on the front just threw me a little because I was expecting a bike riding away from me and it suddenly turned into a ped walking towards me.
Some cyclists do this, from what others have told me :shock:

Death wish!!
have seen a few in brissy - normally fixie riders

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:15 am
by burger
experience from yesterday . . . dude on a bike leaving Macquarie Street into Martin Place. If you keep using the small 'ramp' designed for wheelchairs at the pedestrian crossing lights at the speed you did, it's pretty much inevitable you WILL collect someone. I was watching you come and stepped back, reckon if I hadn't there would have been an 'interesting' interaction.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:21 am
by high_tea
il padrone wrote:
bychosis wrote: the red lamp on the front just threw me a little because I was expecting a bike riding away from me and it suddenly turned into a ped walking towards me.
Some cyclists do this, from what others have told me :shock:

Death wish!!
I've seen them too. Confuses me no end. Dunno if it's actually dangerous, but I wish they wouldn't do it.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:36 am
by Summernight
My partner commented on a cyclist along St Kilda Road near the Arts Centre not being easy to see yesterday night (we were pedestrians at the time). She had no lights and was wearing dark gray clothing. He couldn't see her easily. I could see her coming but he was right - please put some lights on lady!!! No need to be a ninja!

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:58 am
by il padrone
high_tea wrote:
il padrone wrote:
bychosis wrote: the red lamp on the front just threw me a little because I was expecting a bike riding away from me and it suddenly turned into a ped walking towards me.
Some cyclists do this, from what others have told me :shock:

Death wish!!
I've seen them too. Confuses me no end. Dunno if it's actually dangerous, but I wish they wouldn't do it.
I'm pretty sure the danger of a mistaken ID and being clipped in a head-on is pretty high. But I'm even more sure that it is illegal.

To anyone who has the misguided idea that a white light is brighter for following vehicles and a red is a warning to others.... :roll: ...... do not do this!

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:03 pm
by twizzle
Just jumped on a section of PSP to avoid playing in the traffic this morning when a woman leaves a car park, crosses the grass onto the PSP and starts walking straight towards me on the wrong side of the path. I'm just watching her, waiting for some reaction... luckily I held my line because she went to her right instead of left.

She must have come from one of those dodgy countries where they drive on the wrong side of the road.


Sent from my iThingy...

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:27 pm
by ColinOldnCranky
high_tea wrote:
ColinOldnCranky wrote:
high_tea wrote:Perhaps I could have put it better: if you need to bell-ping for safety, you're doing it wrong.
No. Not wrong.

Even if doing things right, to be truly safe any system needs to assume that something can go wrong and so have second and third and more extra safeties built in.

There are plenty of times that a rider is wise to indicate their impending presence. And a bell is a fairly low-key and easy way of doing it. I trust that you are not using that argument to justify not fitting one.
Sigh. I can buy bells as a convenience. I can buy bells as a courtesy. Bells as a safety device are hopelessly inadequate. The bell had better not be the only safety device, because it's bound to fail sooner or later.

What I do or don't do with my bikes is none of your concern, as well as being beside the point.
Hmmm. Why the touchy response. Because I do not agree?

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:34 pm
by MisuVir
I had some fun today on my commute. Three different cyclists at different times came at me on my side of the shared path (overtaking pedestrians) and almost collided head-on with me. I thought the idea was to give way to oncoming traffic? If I'm pulling right to overtake a pedestrian and I notice another bike coming towards me, I'll put on the brakes and pull back left to give way. Seems like the reasonable thing to do.

The first two I let go in silence. The third I frowned at. Next time this happens, I think I'll just scream in their ear as they cut past me. :evil:

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:30 am
by mikesbytes
[mod]Fellow cyclists, please reread your posts before posting, so to ensure they are debating the topic and not the posters. Some of the posts could be misinterpreted[/mod]

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:44 am
by Summernight
Salmon cyclist yesterday rides on the wrong side of the road just to get to the side street he turned into 10 seconds faster than if he'd gone with the traffic. Obviously didn't want to wait to turn right.

This morning I was in my car, waiting at the traffic lights to turn left (with indicator on). 3 or 4 cars are behind me waiting at the lights. There is a cycling lane, but it stops at the intersection. It is dark. The traffic lights turn green and I enter the intersection and start to turn left, but before I do I do a full side mirror check to make sure a cyclist isn't coming on my left. I see a flashing light from 10 metres away reflecting off the side of the bridge so I stop just in case it is a cyclist going on the left of me at speed who may fail to stop and might undertake me on the left as I'm turning. Yes, he doesn't stop although he did thank me for stopping and being cautious. Maybe if I'd completed my turn he would have seen me and stopped anyway, but please don't undertake a left turning vehicle next time, Mr Cyclist... You might not have such a cautious driver turning left on you.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:49 am
by il padrone
Summernight wrote:This morning I was in my car, waiting at the traffic lights to turn left (with indicator on). 3 or 4 cars are behind me waiting at the lights. There is a cycling lane, but it stops at the intersection......

.....Maybe if I'd completed my turn he would have seen me and stopped anyway, but please don't undertake a left turning vehicle next time, Mr Cyclist... You might not have such a cautious driver turning left on you.
Hmm.... about time this rule inconsistency was cleared up legally once and for all, and publicised widely to drivers.

Give way when turning across the bike lane.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:53 am
by Summernight
il padrone wrote:
Summernight wrote:This morning I was in my car, waiting at the traffic lights to turn left (with indicator on). 3 or 4 cars are behind me waiting at the lights. There is a cycling lane, but it stops at the intersection......

.....Maybe if I'd completed my turn he would have seen me and stopped anyway, but please don't undertake a left turning vehicle next time, Mr Cyclist... You might not have such a cautious driver turning left on you.
Hmm.... about time this rule inconsistency was cleared up legally once and for all, and publicised widely to drivers.

Give way when turning across the bike lane.
There was no bike lane... It was a traffic lighted intersection. The bike lane stopped prior to the intersection.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:56 am
by MisuVir
il padrone wrote:Give way when turning across the bike lane.
Does this still apply in an intersection when the bike lane has ended, as per the post above? Or does the cyclist rule of "do not pass vehicles that are indicating a left turn" rule come into play?

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:05 am
by Summernight
If you want to enlighten me and correct my driving knowledge, this is the intersection in question and this is the side of the road I'm talking about:

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=C ... 9,,0,19.69" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As can be seen, the bicycle 'lane' stops prior to the green bicycle box. The cyclist in question was not in the bicycle box when the light turned green. He wasn't even up to the car behind me. I drove over the bicycle box and then checked just prior to making the left turn. In my opinion that puts me in the intersection, I haven't crossed a bike lane and the 'no undertaking a left turning vehicle' rule would apply.

Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:12 am
by il padrone
Summernight wrote:This morning I was in my car, waiting at the traffic lights to turn left (with indicator on). 3 or 4 cars are behind me waiting at the lights. There is a cycling lane, but it stops at the intersection......
Summernight wrote:There was no bike lane... It was a traffic lighted intersection. The bike lane stopped prior to the intersection.
OK. I read it word for word. I do think that if you're going to bother putting in bike lanes they should carry through intersections, and turning cars give way.

If we're serious about encouraging people to ride bikes more for transport.