How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

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il padrone
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby il padrone » Fri Aug 09, 2013 5:05 pm

ColinOldnCranky wrote:Lies, damned lies and statistics. I heard a bloke this morning on Background Briefing from the Australian Taxi Industry Council telling us that taxi customers are more satisfied with the service than they used to be and that they are generally satisfied.

I know that if I stand at a set of lights for a time the number of riders jumping lights will be many while there will be very few or no cars doing the same.
Try counting motorists:
- Squeezing across after the lights have changed to red -much less obvious but very numerous,
- Talking/texting on mobile phones while driving - 90%+ in many areas,
- Crossing the double white line when overtaking, turning or doing U-turns,
- Failing to stop on stop signs and failing to give way correctly at roundabouts,

And the ever increasing disease:

- Failing to indicate lane changes or turns - almost everyone seems to have this nasty little habit.
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby Mulger bill » Fri Aug 09, 2013 6:09 pm

You mean all the motoring sins that can't be detected electronically for later invoicing?
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
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schroeds
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby schroeds » Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:26 pm

Here's how NOT to correct common cycling 'misconceptions'

Not so much a cyclist...more of a sit down comedian

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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby rheicel » Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:47 pm

il padrone wrote: Try counting motorists:
- Squeezing across after the lights have changed to red -much less obvious but very numerous,
- Talking/texting on mobile phones while driving - 90%+ in many areas,
- Crossing the double white line when overtaking, turning or doing U-turns,
- Failing to stop on stop signs and failing to give way correctly at roundabouts,

And the ever increasing disease:

- Failing to indicate lane changes or turns - almost everyone seems to have this nasty little habit.
There is a bit of exaggeration here.
Image

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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby VRE » Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:45 pm

schroeds wrote:Here's how NOT to correct common cycling 'misconceptions'

Pete Dowe is an idiot. He's a self-proclaimed "road safety advocate", but has demonstrated numerous times his clear bias against cyclists.

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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby VRE » Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:47 pm

rheicel wrote:
il padrone wrote: Try counting motorists:
- Squeezing across after the lights have changed to red -much less obvious but very numerous,
- Talking/texting on mobile phones while driving - 90%+ in many areas,
- Crossing the double white line when overtaking, turning or doing U-turns,
- Failing to stop on stop signs and failing to give way correctly at roundabouts,

And the ever increasing disease:

- Failing to indicate lane changes or turns - almost everyone seems to have this nasty little habit.
There is a bit of exaggeration here.
I don't see any exaggeration. il padrone's description describes Australian motorists pretty accurately, I think.

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Ross
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby Ross » Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:46 am

Discussing these misconceptions with motorists/non-cyclists usually doesn't get the point across I find as people have their firmly entrenched views and won't let little things like facts get in the way of a good misinformed rant.

My very amateur observations of human pyschology leads me to believe that most people want to be similar to each other to a certain degree and subconciously imitate each other. An example of this is at pedestrian traffic lights that are red. There might be say 10 people standing there waqiting for it to turn green and one person will ignore the light and walk across and next minute pretty much everyone is doing this. So if we as cyclists can ride around and uphold the law and ride safely wherever possible hopefully this behaviour will be followed by other cyclists. And if the peds and motorists see that cyclists are law abiding and safe then hopefully it will change their perception of us and also in turn cause them to display the same behaviour when they walk/drive.

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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby VRE » Sun Sep 22, 2013 7:31 am

Ross wrote:Discussing these misconceptions with motorists/non-cyclists usually doesn't get the point across I find as people have their firmly entrenched views and won't let little things like facts get in the way of a good misinformed rant.
So I'm misinformed because I agree with il padrone? :roll: I've been cycling my whole life, and have observed exactly what he describes, and so I agree with him.

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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby il padrone » Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:10 am

rheicel wrote:
il padrone wrote: Try counting motorists:
- Squeezing across after the lights have changed to red -much less obvious but very numerous,
- Talking/texting on mobile phones while driving - 90%+ in many areas,
- Crossing the double white line when overtaking, turning or doing U-turns,
- Failing to stop on stop signs and failing to give way correctly at roundabouts,

And the ever increasing disease:

- Failing to indicate lane changes or turns - almost everyone seems to have this nasty little habit.
There is a bit of exaggeration here.
Which rule-breaking behaviour do you think I'm exaggerating ??

Because I observe all of these, frequently, while riding and while driving. Squeezing the red and overtaking across double-lines are probably the worst.

Ross wrote:Discussing these misconceptions with motorists/non-cyclists usually doesn't get the point across I find as people have their firmly entrenched views and won't let little things like facts get in the way of a good misinformed rant.
I hope you are not accusing me of being "misinformed" :|
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby warthog1 » Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:35 am

I think he's talking about misinformed people ranting about cyclists. That's the way I read it anyway.
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby warthog1 » Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:38 am

VRE wrote: Pete Dowe is an idiot. He's a self-proclaimed "road safety advocate", but has demonstrated numerous times his clear bias against cyclists.
You have described him succinctly I believe
http://petedoweroadsafetyadvocate.blogs ... n-day.html
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How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby RonK » Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:57 am

So, the Australian Motor Enthusiasts Party can win a Senate seat. Where is the pro-cycling party? Attitudes are not going to be changed unless there is a political influence.

Maybe we could give Dave Sharp a scrub and a new suit. :) Only three years to the next election.
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby rebilda » Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:52 pm

Answes to all the questions, here.

http://albertmcwilliams.com/post/540159 ... ll-someone" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby il padrone » Thu Sep 26, 2013 2:19 pm

RonK wrote:Maybe we could give Dave Sharp a scrub and a new suit. :) Only three years to the next election.
Who needs a suit? He just needs to be able to toss kangaroo poo :P :roll:
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby The 2nd Womble » Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:24 pm

il padrone wrote:
RonK wrote:Maybe we could give Dave Sharp a scrub and a new suit. :) Only three years to the next election.
Who needs a suit? He just needs to be able to toss kangaroo poo :P :roll:
My fellow constituents, you know that isn't an issue.
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby The 2nd Womble » Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:32 pm

I actually just took a screen shot of that :mrgreen: :mrgreen: 8)
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby The 2nd Womble » Sun Sep 29, 2013 2:40 pm

And again, another Woe Is Me thread that peters out once cyclists realise that to be heard one must first speak. We don't even mumble for fear of a response.
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby find_bruce » Sun Sep 29, 2013 6:58 pm

The 2nd Womble wrote:And again, another Woe Is Me thread that peters out once cyclists realise that to be heard one must first speak. We don't even mumble for fear of a response.
Its the same over on the Volvo Owners forum - how do we make people understand we are not just old people wearing bowling hats & the bowls clubs wanting to portray themselves as young and hip & not just full of Volvo drivers :wink:
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Re: How do we correct common cycling-related misconceptions?

Postby The 2nd Womble » Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:00 pm

find_bruce wrote:
The 2nd Womble wrote:And again, another Woe Is Me thread that peters out once cyclists realise that to be heard one must first speak. We don't even mumble for fear of a response.
Its the same over on the Volvo Owners forum - how do we make people understand we are not just old people wearing bowling hats & the bowls clubs wanting to portray themselves as young and hip & not just full of Volvo drivers :wink:
Start yelling at more cyclists.
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