Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:04 pm**

BillWatson wrote: I still have not seen a valid reason (aside from cost, which would be significant) for not registering bikes.

They have been mentioned, BUT you have to be willing to see them.
I think you fail in that aspect.

BillWatson wrote: We need to encourage cycling

Oh yes, we do.
And I wil follow this up with a valid reason for not registering bikes.
Registration for bikes wil not encourage cycling.

Cycling is a cheap and easy alternative to driving.
Add registratition, and all off the benefits are gone, straight away.
Not easy, cos you have to register first , not cheap , cos you gotta pay..
It wil not encourage cycling !!

Secondly,

BillWatson wrote:If I may I would like to pose a couple of hypothetical for general discussion

1. On a nice sunny day on a a shared bike path a mother and young child are walking along the left hand side of the path. 2 cyclists riding two abreast, and at speed , fly past and without sounding their bell. One of the riders hits the small child with his peddle causing very bad injuries. Then races on without stopping. Question, how is the mother to hold the cyclist to account for this?
.

Lets hypothetically assume we have rego for cyclist.
And we replay the same scenario...

The cyclist could been riding without rego, its not uncommon for riders to break the law, so why not this one...
the rego could not have been visible...
And if it was perfectly visible, you got realisticly 1 split second to look at the rego, remember it...
if not he is gone and you got nothing...

And then, even if you got the rego, you wil have to go to the police, and it wil be he said she said...
if the cyclist claims, I did not do it..

then what ??
Being able to provide a rego number proves nothing..

Having a rego does not always result in the bad person being 'punished'

I can give you an example of a cyclist pov, ...
Often there are situations, where cars are doing something wrong , AND putting the cyclist in a dangerous situation.
Often the cyclist has video, and the rego of the car.
They go to the police.
Result, NOTHING HAPPENS !!!

If you want to change things, dont ask for rego for cyclist.
ask the police to do what they are payed to do,
THEIR JOB !!

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:11 pm**

If cost Is taken out of the equation then I would agree with bike rego's. In fact taking cost out of the equation I believe pedestrians should have rego's. Something simple like a clip on number front and back for both cyclists and pedestrians should suffice.

Of coarse if cost was really no option why not just install a GPS smart chip under everyone's skin so everyone can be held accountable for their actions all the time? That is where this argument logically takes itself... In favour of that?

In all seriousness though it wouldn't bother me if i had to ware a clip on cloth number plate. Come to think of if having a chip wouldn't bother me either.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:20 pm**

Ive only read the first two pages of the thread so i apologise if this has already been stated.

The fact is that vehicle registration was not introduced for Identifying wrong doers or vehicle ownership or to pay for roads. It was and is quite simply a Tax for owning a car.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:22 pm**

Alien27 wrote:If cost Is taken out of the equation then I would agree with bike rego's. In fact taking cost out of the equation I believe pedestrians should have rego's. Something simple like a clip on number front and back for both cyclists and pedestrians should suffice.

Of coarse if cost was really no option why not just install a GPS smart chip under everyone's skin so everyone can be held accountable for their actions all the time? That is where this argument logically takes itself... In favour of that?

In all seriousness though it wouldn't bother me if i had to ware a clip on cloth number plate. Come to think of if having a chip wouldn't bother me either.

Some people already have a chip installed on their scapula

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:28 pm**

Pax wrote:
Now will I offend people if I am the first one who calls a "TROLL ALERT" out loud?? (even though many have probably thought it from the beginning of the thread, but briefly gave it the benefit of the doubt).

Colour me skeptical but this wall of text

BillWatson wrote:Hi All,
Thank You for your comments, However as yet no one has formulated an effective argument against registration. No one has discussed the hypotheticals I proposed in any meaningful manner, the question connected was how were the people supposed to hold the offender to account, and no one has attempted to discuss that, so I can assume that these are situations, should they occur, that would have befitted from registration.
As for the size of the plate, if an old bloke like me can read the brand on a moving bike, and the names on a riders jersey from my window, (I can even read the rego on a fast moving motorbike) then one may assume that a plate could be seen.

Now to KenGS, I have fronted the Magistrates court twice in relation to reporting dangerous drivers to the Police (both time I had video evidence).

From what I can see in this thread, and others in this forum is that cyclist, at least in this community, want to be able to hold motorists and pedestrians to account for their offences, but do not want others to have the same right regarding the cyclist.
There appears to be a distinct double standard regarding obeying the road rules, cyclists (and I will use this term as a very general label and in no way infer that all, or even most are like this) want to be able to pick and choose what rules they follow, (i.e, the comments of Human909 on the “Ninja Day” thread, or by the signature of Mulger bill, who quotes ..”whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011”. The comments of il padrone in this thread and others (and I take some dramatic licence here) believe that drivers and pedestrians should be taken to task for offences against cyclist, but when it is the cyclist at fault, then it is case of sh*t happens. Does this mean that motorcyclist can follow the same guidelines? How about small cars? Can a young person on a small scooter uses the cycle way as it is in their best interest, this is illegal but in the interest of self preservation why not according to some? Ridiculous but I hope you see my point (however if someone was to do this, you could record their plate and report them to police).

As I said earlier, no one has yet to form an effective augment against registration (cost is significant, but not the sole reason to dismiss it). It is just my belief, but if the cycling community wants to be regarded as an equal on the roads (as they should be) then they need to have the same responsibilities as all other road users. This includes following the road rules as any other vehicle should, and being able to be held accountable if they cause offence.
Perception is a powerful thing, and the way the wider community sees you can make all the difference. Lets face it, road cyclist are looked upon very negatively by many other road users, but why do you think this is?
The actions of a the few unfortunately reflect back on the many, (this is taken to the extreme when you look at community attitudes toward the Islamic Faith, and before you jump on me I only say this to high light how the actions of a few can harm the many and has nothing tho do with any form of registration). So if having a bike registration system changes that negative attitude, or re-enforcers the idea in the wider community that cyclists have the same rights as motorists, them why is this a bad thing?

Doesn't gel with the earlier

BillWatson wrote:
Please forgive the grammatical errors from an old bloke on a tablet pc.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:34 pm**

greyhoundtom wrote:If I thought for one second, that bikes having a registration plate on them would fix that, and that it would make motorists consider a bicycle their equal on the road I would be extremely happy to pay registration for my bike.

Yes!!!
You and me both brother.

Of course, we both know we've got more chance of wheeling a barrowload of smoke across the Westgate bridge.
Shaun

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:36 pm**

Sounds like Motorist again really doesn't it.

Just to add to the points already made about how registration doesn't work for holding motorists to account, in the last year or so i have been through the ridiculously long process of ringing the police (and on one occasion going into a station) to report dangerous behaviour i have seen whilst driving (i am a professional driver btw). This is what has happened.

1) Motorist tailgated me for 500mtrs. I was sitting exactly on the posted limit. The other driver then overtook me in spite of oncoming traffic, sounding his horn from the moment he moved over the unbroken centre line, then swerved back in within a metre of the front of my car. I provided the police with his rego number.

They contacted him, he denied it, nothing happened.

2) Virtually identical to above, only difference, i happened to be doing 90 in a 100 zone to save fuel. The police officer had a go at me, saying that there was 'no excuse for me not to be doing the limit'. Nothing was done.

3) On a winding country road, a motorbike overtook myself and the car in front of me, doing at least 40 over the limit, just before a blind corner, over unbroken lines.
I had been able to tell from seeing him in my rear view mirror what he was about to do, and managed to get his rego number as he went past. I provided the police with the motorbike rego number AND the rego of the car in front of me. Nothing was done.

Any of these incidents could have easily resulted in serious injury or death, but nothing was done.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:50 pm**

BillWatson wrote:Hi All,
Thank You for your comments, However as yet no one has formulated an effective argument against registration. No one has discussed the hypotheticals I proposed in any meaningful manner, the question connected was how were the people supposed to hold the offender to account, and no one has attempted to discuss that, so I can assume that these are situations, should they occur, that would have befitted from registration.

I do not know how compelling you are seeking. Mulger Bill posed the question "how many times have you reported an errant red-light runner in a car to the police. The extreme rarity of people doing this is, for me, compelling enough.

On the off chance that you have, you would be a rare exception. No State treasurer is keen to go to the expense of a rego system if people then do not carry out their part of the bargain and actually dob.

BTW when someone does report, the police then ask the complainant if they are prepared to front the court as a witness if charges are laid. The common response is "No, I just think the guy needs to be made aware of it." That ends the matter as far as the cops are concerned.

Anyway, you might try a straw poll of your work mates on that question. I have done it a three times - Work, BBQ and sporting club. Fuzzy recollection - I think I found about none. I myself have seen hundreds of red-light runners. I have only ever reported one driver and that was someone who collided with me and failed to stop.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:51 pm**

ldrcycles wrote:Sounds like Motorist again really doesn't it.

Just to add to the points already made about how registration doesn't work for holding motorists to account, in the last year or so i have been through the ridiculously long process of ringing the police (and on one occasion going into a station) to report dangerous behaviour i have seen whilst driving (i am a professional driver btw). This is what has happened.

1) Motorist tailgated me for 500mtrs. I was sitting exactly on the posted limit. The other driver then overtook me in spite of oncoming traffic, sounding his horn from the moment he moved over the unbroken centre line, then swerved back in within a metre of the front of my car. I provided the police with his rego number.

They contacted him, he denied it, nothing happened.

2) Virtually identical to above, only difference, i happened to be doing 90 in a 100 zone to save fuel. The police officer had a go at me, saying that there was 'no excuse for me not to be doing the limit'. Nothing was done.

3) On a winding country road, a motorbike overtook myself and the car in front of me, doing at least 40 over the limit, just before a blind corner, over unbroken lines.
I had been able to tell from seeing him in my rear view mirror what he was about to do, and managed to get his rego number as he went past. I provided the police with the motorbike rego number AND the rego of the car in front of me. Nothing was done.

Any of these incidents could have easily resulted in serious injury or death, but nothing was done.

Contrast that with the response if a nosey neighbour looking through your window, see you handling a rifle then calling the Police.

One area is "boring" Police work which carries no respect from fellow officers (used to be the case that Traffic Branch were called Traffic Dogs by other Police

) or the public yet 3,500 Aussies are killed and tens of thousands hospitalised (anywhere from the ambo's saying "just to make sure you are OK" to the Doctor saying "Hey, you know what? Sitting down for the rest of your life isn't so bad. Just think how easy it will be to get a good car park") and the amount of work out there is phenomenal. I mean, today whilst eating smoko at the local corner shop If I were a cop I could have given half a dozen tickets for talking on the phone whilst driving (equivalent to a BAC of 0.08)

The other area is "exciting" you get to wear bullet proof vests / black shirts and ski-masks, carry automatic weapons and threaten people with them, you get to rough people up, you get to yell at them, you get to smash and to top it all off you're the envy of every other cop and the public respects you. Best of all you don't have to do this that often.

Bread and butter is boring

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:53 pm**

Western Star Original Butter and sourdough baguette is never boring.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:56 pm**

People sitting 10k under the limit to save fuel selfishly holding other back annoy the life out of me !
As for bike rego and this thread, waste of time.
Buy a bike, instant freedom.
Add in rego, I'd rather walk !

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:59 pm**

wurtulla wabbit wrote:People sitting 10k under the limit to save fuel selfishly holding other back annoy the life out of me !
As for bike rego and this thread, waste of time.
Buy a bike, instant freedom.
Add in rego, I'd rather walk !

Western Star Original Butter and sourdough baguette is never boring.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:01 pm**

Personally, as a road user, I have no problem with being identifiable and held to account for my actions. I don't see that there would be any great social benefit, but in principle, I don't object.

If anybody can find a way to do this, that isn't such an imposition that it discourages cycling in the community, and that costs so little (to individuals and/or taxpayers) that the costs don't utterly overwhelm the meagre to negligible benefits... then I'll gladly get on board.

Until that happens, it's a pointless hypothetical, and doesn't warrant further discussion.

tim

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:02 pm**

of course his a TROLL but why was my post deleted on page 2???? like I said before, too long didnt read, his first post was a given, why would a motorist come on here? there too busy making it to the next red light!!

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:03 pm**

Always good value

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:11 pm**

wurtulla wabbit wrote:People sitting 10k under the limit to save fuel selfishly holding other back annoy the life out of me !

Yea isn't it terrible, if you had to sit behind them for 2 kilometres it would cost you all of 7.8 seconds

. 'Limit' is the clue, that's the MAXIMUM speed. You don't HAVE to go everywhere on the limit the whole time.

And btw isn't it strange to hear the above from a 25yr old male?

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:14 pm**

Why Addictr3?

Because at that stage the question (and thread) was still reasonable and your post was not.

For mine degeneration started when a sanctimonious, smart alec link was posted.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:28 pm**

It's usually me who says that

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:38 pm**

Isn't dobbing "unAustralian"

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:44 pm**

Mulger bill wrote:Why Addictr3?

Because at that stage the question (and thread) was still reasonable and your post was not.

For mine degeneration started when a sanctimonious, smart alec link was posted.

Personal attacks when the joke is on them. Signs of a bully.

Of course the obviously doomed thread from the start

going off the rails had nothing to do with your mate getting into a pissing contest with Mr Watson.

To answer Mr Watson's latest version of his question[the original did not get the response he wanted]

Yes, if bike rego was magic I would be happy to be registered.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:52 pm**

BillWatson wrote:
jules21 wrote:
BillWatson wrote:..if road cyclist want to reduce the animosity that other road uses feel towards them.. then they will have be responsible for the “1%” that create the problem. How the cycling community does this is up to you.
so what are you doing about the % of motorists who "create the problem"?
Correct me if Im wrong, but there are dedicted Police Divisions in every state to takcle this..

no. i asked what you were doing to "be responsible for the “1%” that create the problem". i'll assume the answer is "nothing" then. yet you seem to demand that cyclists be responsible for other cyclists. that seems like a double standard to me. but then, the whole thread is premised on a double standard isn't it?

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:06 pm**

KenGS wrote:Isn't dobbing "unAustralian"

No. Its unaustralian if YOU do it. If I do it its an act of rare courage. And thats true of everyone.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:26 pm**

BillWatson wrote:..if road cyclist want to reduce the animosity that other road uses feel towards them.. then they will have be responsible for the “1%” that create the problem. How the cycling community does this is up to you.

jules21 wrote:so what are you doing about the % of motorists who "create the problem"?

BillWatson wrote:Correct me if Im wrong, but there are dedicted Police Divisions in every state to takcle this..

jules21 wrote:no. i asked what you were doing to "be responsible for the “1%” that create the problem". i'll assume the answer is "nothing" then. yet you seem to demand that cyclists be responsible for other cyclists. that seems like a double standard to me. but then, the whole thread is premised on a double standard isn't it?

Double standard in spades.... in fact the very definition thereof.

As expected, there's been a singular unwillingness to move from his original position. What a surprise.

And here's another: Mr Watson doesn't like having the mirror held up in front of him.

We've had a wonderful game of bait the cyclists. Time to blow the final whistle and close the thread methinks. Score: Nil all.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:32 pm**

Funny thing is, Mr Watson seems happy to rely on police doing the enforcement of motorists, but somehow he thinks they don't do the same for cyclists - instead we cyclists have to 'enforce' our lot

Here's a clue - police enforce all laws on all people. As far as road law is concerned, most road rules apply equally to motorists and to cyclists ie. to all vehicle operators.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:39 pm**

Dang I hate being sucked in by Trolls.

As for being able to identify everyone/thing .........

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