The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[nezumi]

Had an interesting ride in this morning.

Traded places with another rider through Abbotsford which resulted in me following him down a street I normally use, but which was closed for roadworks. He ducked under the worker's tape while I dismounted and walked the footpath for the last bit.

Second incident was a nice enough seeming guy who would creep creep creep forward into intersections at red lights and blatantly ran the last red light in between pedestrians to get ahead - but he admonished the driver of a car who indicated left and merged onto the Collins St bike "lane" near Exhibition St with the intent of turning left, then did the same when another car indicated left and merged over to turn left at Russell. Both vehicles indicated first and moved well before he reached them, so I think they behaved appropriately for merging traffic in the CBD.

[alexander]

A stupid man last night on his little fold up. Decided to jump the long queue waiting at the lights near docklands, and then held everyone up as they had to pass him again. Why bother jumping past everyone and then hold everyone up, why not just keep your place in the queue?

But wait there's more!

Then he also decided to pass on a blind corner, and nearly had a head on, luckily the oncoming rider wasn't going too fast, and saw this idiot and was on the brakes to give him enough time to pass.

I had a word, and he didn't even know what he'd done wrong. typical self absorbed $%#&

[biker jk]

Another all too common DC rides through red light while I'm turning right at a T-intersection. I kindly suggested he not do that again. While in Centennial Park a DP jogging in the bicycle lane straight at me.

[Summernight]

To the 5 or so sheeple line of cyclists (they looked like part of a group) who all turned right in front of a car who was driving straight ahead - yes, he came from a street that was closed for roadworks and was slow to move off when the lights turned green for him, but that doesn't mean you blindly follow the cyclist in front of you and miss the fact that Mr Motorist is moving forwards and gesturing frustratedly at you as you and your fellow cyclists continue to fail to give way to him as you are required to do.

[InTheWoods]

Not sure if this is a dumb cyclist (me) or dumb pedestrian

Riding home on my usual commute along the Fernleigh track (a shared cycleway for those who are unfamialiar with the Newcastle area) last night around 6.00 pm. Its pouring rain and completely dark (the track is completely unlit, and with overhanging trees and a cloudy night it was black). I have a 300 lumens headlight, so all is normally good

Come around a bend doing about 25 k (normal speed on that section in the day/dry would be closer to 40). Think I see something up ahead (but the pouring rain reduces effectivness of headlight) so I slow even further. Out of the gloom I see two joggers, black shorts, dark coloured tops, not a scrap of reflective material anywhere, running side by side talking up 90% of the width of the track. I had to slow to walking pace to squeeze past

I had one a bit like that a month ago.

Wet, dark night, on a dark street (no lights, deep overhanging trees). Even with good lights (that are aimed at the road), I barely managed to see the oncoming guy on a bike wearing all black with no lights or reflectors. What I didn't see until too late because I was looking at the rider, was that he had 2 black dogs running in front of him and to his right (in my path)... Fortunately the dogs saw me!!

[wellington_street]

Not sure if dumb or not? Yesterday was driving down Palmerston Street, Northbridge, and a young female hipster was riding down the "cycle lane" while her dog was trotting next to her on a leash.

[rdp_au]

Depends on the dog. If its well trained and used to running alongside the bike, then it's probably an OK thing to do. If, however, it is at all skittish and prone to bolting off after rabbits, it could certainly end in tears.

[biker jk]

Depends on the dog. If its well trained and used to running alongside the bike, then it's probably an OK thing to do. If, however, it is at all skittish and prone to bolting off after rabbits, it could certainly end in tears.

It's illegal to walk your dog on a leash while riding a bike (apart from being the height of stupidity).

[human909]

It's illegal to walk your dog on a leash while riding a bike (apart from being the height of stupidity).

Hmmm.... I must have missed that road rule. Which one was it?

Its also illegal not to have a bell but none of my bikes have on!

[Scott_C]

It's illegal to walk your dog on a leash while riding a bike (apart from being the height of stupidity).

Hmmm.... I must have missed that road rule. Which one was it?

In WA it is 267(3):

267.Leading animals
(3) A person shall not drive a vehicle (that is not an animal) if an animal tethered to that vehicle is walking or running behind or alongside the vehicle when the vehicle is moving.

EDIT
In NSW it is 301(3)

301 Leading an animal while in or on a vehicle
(3) The rider of a bicycle must not lead an animal, including by tethering the animal to the bicycle, unless the rider is permitted to do so under another law of this jurisdiction.

[human909]

Wow.. I wasn't aware of that law.

I can't believe we create laws for this and not laws to protect cyclists.


(Not that I think leading an animal is a good idea. But we can't create specific laws to outlaw every silly behavior.)

[BianchiCam]

To the hipster 'unrider' tootling along carefree with his helmet straps flapping in the breeze, riding sans hands.
You Sir are a moron.

And where pray tell did this occur?
Along Ackland street, St Kilda with a female rider (hipster) and a line of cars behind him.

Sorry for the stereotyping but I couldn't think of a more apt description of the two.

[human909]

I ride along carefree.. I'm not sure how that makes me dumb. I can also ride without hands and without a helmet. None of these make me dumb.

In contrast I see plenty of Lycra Roadies who are riding in a non carefree manner. They have helmets, gloves, shoes done up securely and both hands firmly gripping the handle bars.

[WarbyD]

In WA it is 267(3):

267.Leading animals
(3) A person shall not drive a vehicle (that is not an animal) if an animal tethered to that vehicle is walking or running behind or alongside the vehicle when the vehicle is moving.

is holding a lead considered tethering to the vehicle? my reading of this would suggest that it is legal in WA, as long as you are holding the lead rather than having it tied to the bike..

[Scott_C]

In WA it is 267(3):

267.Leading animals
(3) A person shall not drive a vehicle (that is not an animal) if an animal tethered to that vehicle is walking or running behind or alongside the vehicle when the vehicle is moving.

is holding a lead considered tethering to the vehicle? my reading of this would suggest that it is legal in WA, as long as you are holding the lead rather than having it tied to the bike..

It does look like you are correct that in WA it is not illegal to ride a bike while holding an untethered lead (provided you can hold the lead and make any required turn/stopping hand signals and keep at least one hand on the handlebars all at the same time).

267(2) may restrict you to leading 2 or less animals at once though, depending upon if a restriction that applies to riding in a vehicle applies to riding a bicycle.

[Bah77]

Not sure if dumb or not? Yesterday was driving down Palmerston Street, Northbridge, and a young female hipster was riding down the "cycle lane" while her dog was trotting next to her on a leash.

I saw a woman riding up Mt coot-tha with her tiny dog running slightly ahead of her (no leash), then later on when i saw her descending the dog was in her backpack.
I wouldn't have posted about it in this thread though as it seemed under control.

[human909]

Speaking about dogs and bikes. You guys might enjoy this. I did and I'm not even a dog person!

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/227689/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Davidrnau]

I don't know if I should be shocked and amazed or shake my head and think what a silly thing to do

Their behaviour/attitude is disgusting.

David

[human909]

Their behaviour/attitude is disgusting.

Why is their behaviour disgusting? I'm curious how you can tell that their attitude from that video.

Are you suggesting people should not do risky activities? So what about mountainbiking?
Are you suggesting that people can do risky activities but not on a public road? So what about fast descending?

The willingness of people to condemn others for activities that they themselves would not do is far too high in this thread. I believe people stop being concerned with activities that don't affect them.

[rdp_au]

Wow.. I wasn't aware of that law.

I can't believe we create laws for this and not laws to protect cyclists.


(Not that I think leading an animal is a good idea. But we can't create specific laws to outlaw every silly behavior.)

+ many

[Davidrnau]

Their behaviour/attitude is disgusting.

Why is their behaviour disgusting? I'm curious how you can tell that their attitude from that video.

Are you suggesting people should not do risky activities? So what about mountainbiking?
Are you suggesting that people can do risky activities but not on a public road? So what about fast descending?

The willingness of people to condemn others for activities that they themselves would not do is far too high in this thread. I believe people stop being concerned with activities that don't affect them.

Okay then....as a registered nurse....next time I see, have to look after a cyclist who took risky behaviors and lost and has an aquired brain injury "I won't be upset about it'


David

[Percrime]

You lad need to change jobs. And its self evident you do in fact care what other people do. Way too much.

[nezumi]

Their behaviour/attitude is disgusting.

Why is their behaviour disgusting? I'm curious how you can tell that their attitude from that video.

Are you suggesting people should not do risky activities? So what about mountainbiking?
Are you suggesting that people can do risky activities but not on a public road? So what about fast descending?

The willingness of people to condemn others for activities that they themselves would not do is far too high in this thread. I believe people stop being concerned with activities that don't affect them.

Mountain biking would predominantly place only the person concerned at risk.

Rising like this not only puts the person concerned at risk, but also puts others at risk in the event that one of them comes off/the vehicle stops abruptly/one of them pulls out of the slipstream and goes backwards into the path of a car.

Encouraging risky behaivour is not good, but it is especially poor in Australia where we have a public health system that would end up funding the cost if something were to happen to these two.

[InTheWoods]

Encouraging risky behaivour is not good, but it is especially poor in Australia where we have a public health system that would end up funding the cost if something were to happen to these two.

These two? Note the video is not from Australia.

[find_bruce]

The cyclist showing off his mad skillz by bombing down the shared path on Victoria Road westbound, jumping the kerb at Wellington St so he can blast past the Woolworths petrol station at 30 or so. Pretty much every week I see a driver pull out of there without looking up the hill for bikes. When this DC sees one, he is not going to have time to avoid it & the results will not be pretty. Sure it will be the drivers fault as the driver has the obligation to give way, but it will be the DC you bears the injuries.