Give the Dog a Bone Instead ???

[kunama]

Seems like I have been reading the same arguments, moans, groans and protestations from cyclists for decades!
(Myself included, having been cycling now every year since age 3 in 1960.

What to do about the dangerous driving of motorists. Every form of enforcement seems to be failing to reduce the incidence of road rage against cyclists.
Cyclists are seen by the average motorists as nothing but a nuisance.

I see some motorists as nothing but mongrel dogs! You can yell at them, abuse them, hose them but they will keep doing just what they are programmed to do.
BUT, give that same dog a bone and it will go away quietly for a while.

This idea ought to be applied to driver education by us cyclists, how many of you who are infuriated at driver behaviour have been along to a car club meeting to
give a positive spin to cycling by doing riding demos and talking about why we as cyclists need a bit more space on the road? Many years ago, when I was in the
Police Force, I would attend motorkhanas and car club meetings to put forward the cycling case. It is amazing how well these groups responded to it.

Sure we were 'given heaps' for daring to turn up in lycra on MTBs and racing around the cones against turbocharged cars but the end result justified the means.
Many a new recruit for the cycling cause was found in car clubs, but that was the '80s. Maybe things are different now?

And before someone jumps in to say it, No we should not have to do this in order to be safe on the roads, but if it helps change the behaviour of just one driver each time ?????

[ball bearing]

Excellent idea. The conversation must begin somewhere.

[AKO]

Most of the people I know that ride are also car enthusiasts (or bogans) like myself. Up here in Mackay, it's not the hoons or bogans that are the problem, it's the tradies, truckies, school mums etc. The rev heads don't want to damage their car by bumping a cyclist off into the weeds.

[AKO]

Sorry, didn't want to come off as negative. It may well work in some areas but would require a modified approach in some places.

[kunama]

Most of the people I know that ride are also car enthusiasts (or bogans) like myself. Up here in Mackay, it's not the hoons or bogans that are the problem, it's the tradies, truckies, school mums etc. The rev heads don't want to damage their car by bumping a cyclist off into the weeds.

I think that situation is the same everywhere, but you have to start somewhere, maybe the 'bogans' will pass on the attitude to their parents. Most people have no appreciation of the effect of passing close to a cyclist at speed.
They don't allow any margin for error by themselves or by the cyclist, nor do they understand the cyclist may have to swerve around a grate, nail etc. The problem I see with these forums is that motorists don't read them!

We as a cycling community need to stop whinging and start being proactive, going to schools more, have demo days in public places where people can come and see the high tech bikes, watch riding demos, have a chance to win something.
We have to get to the kids before the parents attitudes are ingrained into them. The politicians will only pay attention if there are camera opportunities for them, so lets give it to them.

It will not be easy, as an example, I was at Guthega a few weeks ago in the T-Bar queue when a couple of 12yr olds pushed into the queue ahead of others waiting, their younger sister, no more than 6 told them they weren't allowed to do that.
Then the kids' parents both snuck into the queue ignoring the little girls protests that it was not fair to do so. the parents did seem a bit embarrassed when I told the little girl quite loudly that she was right and rest of her family should follow her example.
Many people these days are only interested in themselves to a large degree.
That does not mean we have to accept it.

[Dragster1]

Yes agree with you guys in a lot of your views the whinging and so on. I take the positives out of some of the threads on here by imagining myself in some of the situations and what options I have to avoid the close misses and what not or making myself aware of some danger spots on the road to avoid. Whinging and thinking every motorist is your enemy before you even hop a bike for a ride is just bringing negative thoughts your way.

I own a classic race car and a wrx the last thing I want to do is hit anything anywhere as the cars have had hours of work and money spent on them. Its normally the hang on wannabes that cause a lot of problems with the hooning. The biggest thing I find is that people are in such a rush these days, they just can't wait for anything and I can't understand why they don't just get up an hour earlier to drive to work earlier instead of driving like a loony.

I try and avoid heavy traffic areas on my bike and look for the wider roads to ride on. Haven't had a lot of problems like some other blokes on here with drivers but get the occasional rotten one.

Educating people when they get their licence is a good start. I never was told anything about cyclist when I got my licence. I never even though of dooring issues until I started to ride in heavy traffic myself, it just never come to mind.