Moron Motorists #3

[ColinOldnCranky]

I just did a google distance on how far the crow files from my place to where I worked until recently. It's 6.91km. On those times that I drove, and I'm an early riser, it would take me forty minutes, longer if I went with the later crush. In the evening without any traffic around 25 minutes. I built my house where I am because it is minutes away from a selection of efficient trunk routes and more efficient transport wise than most places. My drives to Perth are in far better designed routes than from the aast of the CBD to the west.

If anyone here is travelling from Morley to West Perth during morning traffic in ten minutes they THEY are the ones that should hand in their driving privileges. Or get a job with Red Bull Racing.

Yeah, there are others who do it tough on our crappy roads. So what?

Ranted out and fed up with the pointless hate and moral superiority.

[cj7hawk]

Ranted out and fed up with the pointless hate and moral superiority.

We live in a community that feels people who lose their license for drink-driving and then get an e-bike are not being punished enough and should have to pedal.

I sometimes look into the actual reasons behind strange court decisions when I think the courts have gotten it wrong, but generally on looking into it, they actually seem pretty fair and balanced.

Sometimes I have to remind myself of that - It's not good to hate someone forever for a mistake they made. Especially when most people drink and most have driven over the limit at some time in their life.

I never heard back from the police about the guy who tried to run me down last weekend while I was riding. I guess it's my word against his and who knows if the police ever even followed it up. I thought about it a few days and then went back into the station to make statement, but they located my original statement so it wasn't lost as I had originally thought. Still, once I let go of the anger it did take me a bit of thinking as to whether I really wanted the police to go after the guy... I think I spotted the car a couple of days later heading towards the school, probably to pick someone up. Its going to cause his family all kinds of problems if he did lose his license.

Then again, it would cause my family all kinds of problems if I had have been hit... And it might cause the next family just as many problems if he hit someone else, so I still went ahead and visited the station.

It was an easy decision to call the police ten minutes after the incident. No so easy five days later when I had to follow it up.

David.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Ranted out and fed up with the pointless hate and moral superiority.

We live in a community that feels people who lose their license for drink-driving and then get an e-bike are not being punished enough and should have to pedal.

I sometimes look into the actual reasons behind strange court decisions when I think the courts have gotten it wrong, but generally on looking into it, they actually seem pretty fair and balanced.

Sometimes I have to remind myself of that - It's not good to hate someone forever for a mistake they made. Especially when most people drink and most have driven over the limit at some time in their life.

I never heard back from the police about the guy who tried to run me down last weekend while I was riding. I guess it's my word against his and who knows if the police ever even followed it up. I thought about it a few days and then went back into the station to make statement, but they located my original statement so it wasn't lost as I had originally thought. Still, once I let go of the anger it did take me a bit of thinking as to whether I really wanted the police to go after the guy... I think I spotted the car a couple of days later heading towards the school, probably to pick someone up. Its going to cause his family all kinds of problems if he did lose his license.

Then again, it would cause my family all kinds of problems if I had have been hit... And it might cause the next family just as many problems if he hit someone else, so I still went ahead and visited the station.

It was an easy decision to call the police ten minutes after the incident. No so easy five days later when I had to follow it up.

David.

Anger and the whole gamut of emotions is probably healthy, maybe even necessary for our mental well being. Holding onto it beyond it's use by date isn't. You sound healthy.

As an aside I think I can think of thrice ever making a police report. A mum with a kid in the back seat turned in front of me and clipped me thirty years ago, then screamed off in the hope that I did not get the number. She was wrong. Earlier this year a bloke did what appeared to be a punishment pass from someone believing he knew the law and that I was outside of it. The police followed it up and I got an apology. The bloke also had his errors in law pointed out so even he got something out of it. The incident is described somewhere on this forum.

And just a month ago. I had cause a month back to report a driver that was OBVIOUSLY pissed or stoned. And seriously a risk to others. Well, more accurately I insisted my wife make the call as I was driving. I figured that even if the cops were not around to get the guy on the road before he got home, at least if he DID have an accident and they had a report prior to it then there would be a better chance of some form of justice. Further if he is a regular then they may have a few other reports that show a pattern.

Reporting is good. Obviously over my forty plus years on the road I have seen many more incidents than three. But we have to be selective or it becomes a story of the boy crying wolf. And if we are not willing to front up in court as a witness if required then we need not bother and neither will the police.

[bychosis]

Reporting is good. Obviously over my forty plus years on the road I have seen many more incidents than three. But we have to be selective or it becomes a story of the boy crying wolf. And if we are not willing to front up in court as a witness if required then we need not bother and neither will the police.

Reporting is good, for the serious events. But, now with technology we also have a secondary reporting system - YouTube and social media. Drive like a prat (or do anything else like a prat) and there is good chance of some public shaming.

[myforwik]

I think the punishment should be harsher if it would actually be a deterrent.

I think there is generally lack of any public attention brought to road deaths. The campaigns are generalised. Media report when it happens and maybe a few years later when someone is locked up. In most cases the actual circumstances are never communicated to anyone. It's like it's taboo to even show who is at fault and why.

Every death or serious near miss should have a video published about it, including an animation of what happened, what rules were broken and what the penalties are.

The honest truth is its nearly impossible, even after thousands of court transcripts, to even understand what happened in most of the crashes. Nothing is learned from most of them. The majority are rolled up into stats that misrepresent reality and therefore used to introduce weird regulatory policy that solves nothing. Example: Cycling death stats are constantly skewed by children on bikes who ride out into traffic.

[r2160]

Due to recent events, I have now equipped myself with a front and rear camera.

Last night:



I might add, I have a Fly6 on the rear, I also had a fluoro backpack cover with a big reflective circle in the centre, so there is no way they could miss me . . .

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Due to recent events, I have now equipped myself with a front and rear camera.

Last night:



I might add, I have a Fly6 on the rear, I also had a fluoro backpack cover with a big reflective circle in the centre, so there is no way they could miss me . . .

Geez Glenn, why were you blocking their parking spot with your fast moving bike? How rude of you!

I wish I had a dollar for every time that's happened to me this year. I'd have about $5, but that would get me a soy latte.

I too ride with stupidly bright lights and flouro yellow stuff, plus I'm a bit bigger than you. It makes you wonder how they pass their eye tests.

(I can't photoshop, but you get the idea)

[r2160]

After a couple of events in the last couple of weeks, I now intend to pursue every event where people feel they are a more important road user than I am . . .

[InTheWoods]

Every death or serious near miss should have a video published about it, including an animation of what happened, what rules were broken and what the penalties are.

The honest truth is its nearly impossible, even after thousands of court transcripts, to even understand what happened in most of the crashes. Nothing is learned from most of them. The majority are rolled up into stats that misrepresent reality and therefore used to introduce weird regulatory policy that solves nothing. Example: Cycling death stats are constantly skewed by children on bikes who ride out into traffic.

I second this. We never find out what went wrong so we can avoid the same mistakes ourselves. I've learnt a fair bit from watching Russian dash cam crash compilations... It helps fine tune your spidey senses, and also see where you could make a mistake yourself. (off topic but it seems in general if an oncoming vehicle is crossing onto your side and is about to head on into you, don't swerve towards your side of the road (normally guaranteeing a big hit), swerve towards the wrong side of the road if you can.)

[redsonic]

I watched Crash Investigation Unit for a while and found it covered most of your wish list for information, including the final penalties imposed. One I remember clearly was a motorcyclist undertaking a tanker which then turned left, ran him over and continued on its way. Turns out the tanker driver had no idea he had hit anything; the police drove the truck and believed his report that once the fluid in the tank started swaying, he couldn't feel something under his wheels. The left indicator on his trailer wasn't working but they couldn't prove it was like that at the time of the accident because it took them a while to chase the truck down, given that he had left the scene. I think the owner of the truck got a penalty for something else on the truck that was unroadworthy, but nothing for the fatal hit.
Another one was the learner driver that mounted the kerb and hit and killed multiple people. They found hair at the scene that the driver had pulled out of her own scalp in distress. Driver was never convicted due to mental instability.
The show also gave me an insight into why police might be unwilling to take something to court; it seemed very hard to get any charge to stick. You can understand they get a bit jaded. Society needs an attitude adjustment about driving being a hard-won, fragile privilege, rather than a right.

[BianchiCam]

Got the flashing rear light, Bright yellow SCA vest on, its broad daylight with plenty of room to pass safely.

You'd thunk!

[ColinOldnCranky]

Reporting is good. Obviously over my forty plus years on the road I have seen many more incidents than three. But we have to be selective or it becomes a story of the boy crying wolf. And if we are not willing to front up in court as a witness if required then we need not bother and neither will the police.

Reporting is good, for the serious events. But, now with technology we also have a secondary reporting system - YouTube and social media. Drive like a prat (or do anything else like a prat) and there is good chance of some public shaming.

Public shaming. It's a form of justice. In a way shaming was the way of keeping communities honest when we lived in a village, not necessarily as correct in it's assessment in larger communities of today.

But I have to admit to a good deal of satisfaction sometimes. A bit like how may feel of one of those 6:30 things on the commercial TV channels where they expose some bloke (usually) who is scamming someone or repeatedly offending, trashes rental houses or whatever and there is no practical or actual legal redress.

[r2160]

This mornings genius . . .

[ldrcycles]

This mornings genius . . .

[shareyoutube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW7Fzt6sIuQ[/shareyoutube]

That could have got very nasty very quickly if you hadn't been on the ball. Terrible driving.

[FuzzyDropbear]

Had a cracker last night going through the carpark at my local coles. Just cruising behind a car along the front of the store and someone comes the other way and wants to turn left into one of the carpark rows. So the lady who was stopped at the end of the row, doesn't even look left and just hits the gas, nearly hits the rear end of the car I was following and nearly drives straight into me. After which she went up the next row and reverse parked into the nearest carpark. I locked my bike just next to her car and asked her to take care next time, to which she blankly looked at me and said "what???", after a quick discussion about how she didn't see me (to which I replied that the first action in seeing someone is to look in their direction) which attracted the attention of a few people (who were walking to the front of the store with us), who found it quite amusing after another customer walked up to the lady and told her that was the "biggest ar**hole move I've seen all day" and how she needed to look out around supermarkets because of kids etc. to which the other customers had a chuckle with and she went beet red.

One of the problems I identified with her was that she was only ducking in for a few items, so people seem to allocate non-proportional amount of time for shopping simply because they're only grabbing one or two items, despite it being the busiest part of the day. So they take less care, don't look and must hurry because they're not doing a full shop.

Anyway, rant over, I had a good chuckle at it, especially how it ended. It's not all the time that someone comes out of nowhere to back you up

[jimbo33]

Yeah car parks seem to attract Moron Motorists. Was in the carpark at Woolies Neutral Bay and one driving a large SUV decided to do a quick reverse to get a recently vacated spot. Problem was they reversed straight over the pedestrian crossing and brushed against an old lady who was crossing. I bailed the driver up and they were completely oblivious. Only blind luck saved the day.

[kenwstr]

Yeah car parks seem to attract Moron Motorists. Was in the carpark at Woolies Neutral Bay and one driving a large SUV decided to do a quick reverse to get a recently vacated spot. Problem was they reversed straight over the pedestrian crossing and brushed against an old lady who was crossing. I bailed the driver up and they were completely oblivious. Only blind luck saved the day.

Moron Peds as well. OK so I know that drivers have to give way to everyone else when reversing but what is wrong with people that they put themselves and their children in danger, even going out of their way to train their children to walk behind reversing cars where they can't be seen by the driver. Not doing this was probably my 1st lesson around traffic as a kid but I hardly ever see any peds taking any care whatsoever including parents with toddlers in tow. They can take comfort in being dead right about their right of way I guess.

Ken

[Ross]

This mornings genius . . .

[shareyoutube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW7Fzt6sIuQ[/shareyoutube]

That could have got very nasty very quickly if you hadn't been on the ball. Terrible driving.

Yes the driver shouldn't have passed there but by the same token the cyclist should of braked after the motorist did to avoid getting themselves in that potentially dangerous situation. Not much good saying I'm in the right" when you trapped under a car. Self-preservation>law

[Ross]

Yeah car parks seem to attract Moron Motorists. Was in the carpark at Woolies Neutral Bay and one driving a large SUV decided to do a quick reverse to get a recently vacated spot. Problem was they reversed straight over the pedestrian crossing and brushed against an old lady who was crossing. I bailed the driver up and they were completely oblivious. Only blind luck saved the day.

Moron Peds as well. OK so I know that drivers have to give way to everyone else when reversing but what is wrong with people that they put themselves and their children in danger, even going out of their way to train their children to walk behind reversing cars where they can't be seen by the driver. Not doing this was probably my 1st lesson around traffic as a kid but I hardly ever see any peds taking any care whatsoever including parents with toddlers in tow. They can take comfort in being dead right about their right of way I guess.

Ken

Yes I reckon there are equal amount of Moron Motorists and Moron Peds in shopping centre carparks. Peds just walk around like browns cows often talking or texting/updating Faceache on their mobile phone while trying to push a shopping trolley and son and daughter 4yo Johnny and Mary run around like the area is just one big playground. The motorists don't look where they are going and are equally as fixed as to what they are doing and DGAF and/or oblivious to anyone else except for themselves. And then there is the <stereotype> young female P platers who drive around the carpark like they are practicing for the Bathurst 1000.

[rogan]

Yeah car parks seem to attract Moron Motorists. Was in the carpark at Woolies Neutral Bay and one driving a large SUV decided to do a quick reverse to get a recently vacated spot. Problem was they reversed straight over the pedestrian crossing and brushed against an old lady who was crossing. I bailed the driver up and they were completely oblivious. Only blind luck saved the day.

Moron Peds as well. OK so I know that drivers have to give way to everyone else when reversing but what is wrong with people that they put themselves and their children in danger, even going out of their way to train their children to walk behind reversing cars where they can't be seen by the driver. Not doing this was probably my 1st lesson around traffic as a kid but I hardly ever see any peds taking any care whatsoever including parents with toddlers in tow. They can take comfort in being dead right about their right of way I guess.

Ken

Not sure I agree with you there Ken. Yes people should take care, and you can teach your kids for goodness sake cross at the crossing, at the green pedestrian light, always look, etc. But the reality is, even then, they aren't fully safe... and we all know why, jimbo's case being an example. Yes there are some pedestrians who wander around aimlessly, and they sure are annoying... but unlikely to hurt anyone. The person who is likely to hurt someone is driving a steel box with the power of 100 horses at their feet. *That* person needs to take extra special care, more care than the pedestrians. Who really drives like that? Not enough people.

I guess shopping centre car parks are another instance where self driving cars will prove to be better at driving than actual people. Bring those in. The sooner the better.

[Red Rider]

This one from last week, the driver is taking care to not turn into me, but it would have been better if they hadn't created the situation in the first place. Not so much moron, just a little silly:


This one is of Beaufort St in Mt Lawley & Northbridge of a morning last week. It is designated as a bus/bicycle/motorcycle/taxi only lane 6:30-9am. This video is between ~7:30-7:45am. This is typical of cars, I don't think they realise the rules; they are not allowed in this lane unless turning left within 100m. Either that or they just don't care. And the last driver in the Fleetcare car needs to be a bit more careful.

[bychosis]

+1. Need to let the fleetcar company know what their 'special' drivers are doing as advertising.

[human909]

This one from last week, the driver is taking care to not turn into me, but it would have been better if they hadn't created the situation in the first place. Not so much moron, just a little silly

That happens to me every now and again. At least the drivers are aware and considerate, if not completely understanding of the law.

This one is of Beaufort St in Mt Lawley & Northbridge of a morning last week. It is designated as a bus/bicycle/motorcycle/taxi only lane 6:30-9am. This video is between ~7:30-7:45am. This is typical of cars, I don't think they realise the rules; they are not allowed in this lane unless turning left within 100m. Either that or they just don't care. And the last driver in the Fleetcare car needs to be a bit more careful.

Wow! Those cars are giving the QLD driver a run for their money on Australia's worst drivers.
(shameless stereotyping based on the videos seen in this thread)

[dmwill]

This one is of Beaufort St in Mt Lawley & Northbridge of a morning last week. It is designated as a bus/bicycle/motorcycle/taxi only lane 6:30-9am. This video is between ~7:30-7:45am. This is typical of cars, I don't think they realise the rules; they are not allowed in this lane unless turning left within 100m. Either that or they just don't care.

My office is at the top end of Beaufort Street, so I spend a fair amount of time driving up and down each day (company car...required for my line of work).

Makes me rage when I see people drive along the bus lane in the morning (toward city), or in the afternoon (out of city). Always interesting observing other drivers pass cyclists too.

[ldrcycles]

I would definitely fire off an email to Fleetcare with a link to the video.