The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[rheicel]

Sorry, it was and shouldn't have been. Fixed now.

Well, this guy on your video just slaughtered the image of the whole cycling community.

[Boognoss]

Sorry, it was and shouldn't have been. Fixed now.

Well, this guy on your video just slaughtered the image of the whole cycling community.

That's what made me grumpy. I've seen this douchebag before, but previously not being such a douche. Really stood out today .

[Cyclophiliac]

Sorry, it was and shouldn't have been. Fixed now.

Well, this guy on your video just slaughtered the image of the whole cycling community.

No, he didn't. I'm part of the cycling community, and that idiot has never, and will never, represent me in any way.

[Lukeyboy]

3D?

Sorry, it was and shouldn't have been. Fixed now.

Awww. I just found those damn 3D glasses too

[Val Val]

I almost feel I ought to apologize for daring to post an opinion on your Internet. It was never my intention to cause offence or evoke such negative or even bitter responses as some of you have felt compelled to make. I do not know who you are, nor do I care, but I do not make any assumptions about you. Likewise, you do not know me so any assumptions you make about me are without foundation and reflect therefore only upon yourself.

Top boy and Biker Jk please feel free to call me names, if it makes you feel smugger and superior good for you.
il Padrone, yes I know that there are many well behaved cyclists and I have no doubt you are one of us. As for 'guns blazing' ? well it was hardly that.
Red Rider, I have a 12km commute that include paths and roads so I get plenty experience of sharing the road with motorists too and certainly I am wary of them.
Yes AKO I agree there are dumb motorists aplenty, no one can argue against you there.

The opinion I was trying to express is that collectively we as cyclists have a bad reputation and we do actually deserve that bad reputation. Yes Red Rider, we are all individuals it is true, however we are still all tarred with the same brush that paints us as louts.

So I ask, who are these 'thugs on bikes' who don't bell on approach or on blind corners, who overtake too close, cut in, fail to indicate their turns, overtake on the left, challenge motorists by riding in dark clothing at night and without lights, and so on and so on? Who are they? Not me or you or you or you or you it seems. But there they are. Hordes of them. I see them every day, suddenly out of nowhere. Like it or not they are us. Maybe nothing can be done to improve cyclist behaviour. Too bad.

[warthog1]

The opinion I was trying to express is that collectively we as cyclists have a bad reputation and we do actually deserve that bad reputation.

You mentioned in your first post on the forum that car drivers have improved and it is cyclists who are unruly on the roads.
I disagree. You will find in motor vehicle/bicycle accidents 79% of the time the driver is at fault. That's not consistent with your argument.
http://www.bikeradar.com/au/news/articl ... nts-28489/
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6581475412
Don't be surprised when your first post on a cycling forum, that criticises cyclist behaviour and is factually incorrect, gets an unfavourable response.
I cycled 17k km last year, all of that on the road and much of it commuting on a well lit bike in obeisance of road rules. I had numerous instances of poor driver behaviour and was lucky not to be hit a couple of times. My experience does not correlate with yours.
I believe driver behaviour has a long way to go in this selfish, impatient and entitled country. It is imperative it does improve, given the lethal results when drivers hit cyclists


Blame tapatalk

[Dragster1]

(AT) VAL VAL most of the people on here are devout cyclists, they live, eat and sleep cycling. Its not a hobby to them its a Great Passion you can easily insult them without meaning it. You need to realise that a lot of them have copped years of abuse from motorists, I try not focussing on the negative side of cycling but on some days I really see their point. Most of them are trying to help the cause for better cycling in their own way

Welcome to the site anyways--- sit back read and get a feel for the site before posting, they give much support and info to cyclists that need it eg. laws, insurance, repairs and ETC. We may not always agree on the same thing but we all share the same Passion just some more than others.

[il padrone]

In a police operation that was targeting errant cyclists and pedestrians, 560 infringement notices were issued but only 27 bicycle infringements were issued. How does that sit with the lycra-lout image?

[Mulger bill]

Badly Pete, badly.
You have to realise that the only way a rider can be seen is to do something technically naughty.
You can be 100% sure that the only cyclists seen by the majority of other road users in that area, at that time were the 27 looking sheepish before Plod.

[maestro]

The opinion I was trying to express is that collectively we as cyclists have a bad reputation and we do actually deserve that bad reputation. Yes Red Rider, we are all individuals it is true, however we are still all tarred with the same brush that paints us as louts.

I couldn't disagree more. I have no control over any other cyclist,I am not the cycle police and have no authority to enforce correct behaviour (nor is it appropriate that I should try and enforce correct behaviour). Therefore I refuse to take any responsibility for something so totally out of my control. You would think it's ridiculous to have a go at some random innocent driver just because they are driving the same class of vehicle as a moron driver, I don't see how that should be any different for bicycle riders.

So I ask, who are these 'thugs on bikes' who don't bell on approach or on blind corners, who overtake too close, cut in, fail to indicate their turns, overtake on the left, challenge motorists by riding in dark clothing at night and without lights, and so on and so on? Who are they? Not me or you or you or you or you it seems. But there they are. Hordes of them. I see them every day, suddenly out of nowhere. Like it or not they are us. Maybe nothing can be done to improve cyclist behaviour. Too bad.

So my answer to your first question would be... Not me! And I don't think that it's appropriate for me to give any further answer than that.
So, what can be done to improve cyclist behaviour? Well, IMHO you need to engage the people who are doing the wrong thing. I think you need a combination of education and enforcement. You need clear expectations of behaviour and visible policing (which requires cost and police resources). There's nothing really that I, personally, can do except to keep doing the right thing myself.

[Cyclophiliac]

The opinion I was trying to express is that collectively we as cyclists have a bad reputation and we do actually deserve that bad reputation. Yes Red Rider, we are all individuals it is true, however we are still all tarred with the same brush that paints us as louts.

I couldn't disagree more. I have no control over any other cyclist,I am not the cycle police and have no authority to enforce correct behaviour (nor is it appropriate that I should try and enforce correct behaviour). Therefore I refuse to take any responsibility for something so totally out of my control. You would think it's ridiculous to have a go at some random innocent driver just because they are driving the same class of vehicle as a moron driver, I don't see how that should be any different for bicycle riders.

So I ask, who are these 'thugs on bikes' who don't bell on approach or on blind corners, who overtake too close, cut in, fail to indicate their turns, overtake on the left, challenge motorists by riding in dark clothing at night and without lights, and so on and so on? Who are they? Not me or you or you or you or you it seems. But there they are. Hordes of them. I see them every day, suddenly out of nowhere. Like it or not they are us. Maybe nothing can be done to improve cyclist behaviour. Too bad.

So my answer to your first question would be... Not me! And I don't think that it's appropriate for me to give any further answer than that.
So, what can be done to improve cyclist behaviour? Well, IMHO you need to engage the people who are doing the wrong thing. I think you need a combination of education and enforcement. You need clear expectations of behaviour and visible policing (which requires cost and police resources). There's nothing really that I, personally, can do except to keep doing the right thing myself.

Val Val is clearly affected by the minority group syndrome, in which you subscribe to the view that all members of a minority group are responsible for what any member does.

[bychosis]

Val Val is clearly affected by the minority group syndrome, in which you subscribe to the view that all members of a minority group are responsible for what any member does.

This. Lots in our society are affected the same was. It's how we get stereotypes, especially the bad ones. Anyone got a good word to say about p-platers?

[jasonc]

Anyone got a good word to say about p-platers?

When they have their P-plates displayed, you know which cars to stay away from?

[kenwstr]

Personally, I find tradie uts the worst but if it's also got Ps you are pretty much in for a very close pass or a cutoff in the last few metres to a roundabout.
But shouldn't this be in the Moron Motorist thread?

Ken

[Val Val]

Thanks Dragster I take your point.
Warthog I did not make inaccurate statements, nor present facts pertaining to accident rates. I related my own observations regarding behaviour.
Cyclophiliac I suspect you may be mistaken about me only because you have so little evidence upon which to base such an assertion, but of course you may well be right. I am not familiar with that term.
Bychosis is on the money.

I should provide some context for my statements which are not based on ABS statistics but my own observations. I've been riding and commuting Sydney for decades. When I began I observed very very few cycling commuters. Amenities for commuting cyclists seemed to me to be extremely limited to say the least. I found most motorists were inconsiderate at best and very often hostile to cyclists. Naturally I developed a set of expectations for motorist behaviour that would enable me to survive my journey alive and intact. As I said, I did not encounter fellow cyclists frequently.

I encounter many many more commuting or apparently commuting cyclists in the past few years. There a more and better cycling facilities. There appears to me to be a much greater awareness that the bicycle is a legitimate use of the public roads. My own personal observations are that motorists on the routes I use are in general less hostile and inconsiderate towards cyclists than the motorists of ten or twenty years ago.

Where previously I perceived that motorists represented the predominant threat to my welfare and equilibrium, these days I observe this threat coming from cyclists.

Make no mistake, I am ALL for cycling. I have three bicycles and I use them. For me there is no better way of moving. Because I love my bike and cycling so much I can honestly say that going to work is truly the best part of my day. Thank you Dragster for reminding me that users of this site are passionate cyclists too.
I won't post any more on this topic

[jasonc]

I won't post any more on this topic

I think that's wrong. There are many discussion topics on this forum discussing exactly what you have posted. It would be worth finding and "joining" them

[human909]

The opinion I was trying to express is that collectively we as cyclists have a bad reputation and we do actually deserve that bad
reputation.

Surely motorists and pedestrians deserve a worse reputation. Both groups are far more likely to be at fault in road collisions than cyclists. Pedestrians certainly are far more likely to ignore red signals. Motorists are far more likely to kill people.

Where previously I perceived that motorists represented the predominant threat to my welfare and equilibrium, these days I observe this threat coming from cyclists.

Wow. You must ride around some very dangerous cyclists or some very safe motorists. I honestly cannot ever remember a time when I have been endangered by another cyclist. (Maybe some of this due to the fact that I mostly ride on the road and bike lanes thus don't often encounter cyclists going the other direction close to me.)

[yugyug]

Badly Pete, badly.
You have to realise that the only way a rider can be seen is to do something technically naughty.
You can be 100% sure that the only cyclists seen by the majority of other road users in that area, at that time were the 27 looking sheepish before Plod.

As one of the 27, I take issue with your baseless assumption I appeared sheepish. I confidently gave my captors a serve of anti-MHL rhetoric and took my fine with pride.

And I told one copper to his face he was just plain wrong in asserting I was required to ride on a cyclepath rather than the road. That aint' sheepish

[warthog1]

Warthog I did not make inaccurate statements, nor present facts pertaining to accident rates.

Having read the following I would contest that statement;

I am disappointed that as a group we really do deserve the contempt of all other road users. Collectively our behaviour on the road is appalling

Frankly, in my extensive experience, motorists do not deserve the flak they receive from cyclists.

Certainly your experience is different from mine and many on here. I posted those links as evidence that your opinion of drivers and cyclists is statistically inaccurate.

[jasonc]

Badly Pete, badly.
You have to realise that the only way a rider can be seen is to do something technically naughty.
You can be 100% sure that the only cyclists seen by the majority of other road users in that area, at that time were the 27 looking sheepish before Plod.

As one of the 27, I take issue with your baseless assumption I appeared sheepish. I confidently gave my captors a serve of anti-MHL rhetoric and took my fine with pride.

And I told one copper to his face he was just plain wrong in asserting I was required to ride on a cyclepath rather than the road. That aint' sheepish

so did you get done for not having a helmet and not using the "bike lane" or just for the helmet?

[yugyug]

so did you get done for not having a helmet and not using the "bike lane" or just for the helmet?

Won't know for sure until I get the ticket in the mail, but just the helmet I was told. I would be really surprised if they booked me for not using a magical non-existent bicycle lane.

[Mulger bill]

Badly Pete, badly.
You have to realise that the only way a rider can be seen is to do something technically naughty.
You can be 100% sure that the only cyclists seen by the majority of other road users in that area, at that time were the 27 looking sheepish before Plod.

As one of the 27, I take issue with your baseless assumption I appeared sheepish. I confidently gave my captors a serve of anti-MHL rhetoric and took my fine with pride.

And I told one copper to his face he was just plain wrong in asserting I was required to ride on a cyclepath rather than the road. That aint' sheepish

My bad, infinity-1 apologies for making such a stupid, broad brush stereotyping comment

Well done on the path defence too

[el mundo gira]

I honestly cannot ever remember a time when I have been endangered by another cyclist.

Yeah ! In your face Val Val, right human 909 ? I mean, who has EVER observed a cyclist run a red light, ride at unsafe speeds, blow a stop sign, overtake at a blind corner in the near dark, ride without lights, refuse to use a bell, monopolise driving lanes while an offroad bike path is available, ignore the "cyclists dismount" signs on pedestrian footbridges, ride two abreast on paths barely 1m wide ? Fiction ! God knows what trolls we have in this forum. human 909, my friend, can you please post an avatar so I can use you as my hero ?

[Biffidus]

This thread is proof enough that cyclists do some stupid things... but they're a lot less dangerous to other road users than the stuff I see in the moron motorists thread.

Can we go back to bashing specific instances of pedestrian/cyclist behaviour now?

[Mulger bill]

What's wrong Biff?
Tired of trip trapping over that bridge?

Tapatalk did this... :-\