The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[ldrcycles]

this guy deserves a special award...

Holy mackerel that was close, i feel sorry for the van driver, that must have been a horrible feeling thinking he was about to smear some idiot all over the road.

[bychosis]

.. Just don't understand why you'd be so plain, stinking dumb to ride ...

Teenager...

[burger]

To the MTB rider who went throught the Red light near Milsons Point this morning . . . awesome effort . . . NOT
To the 4 roadies, 2 commutes and the MTB waiting for the Green, that he had to weave through and past . . . awesome effort . . . ABSOLUTELY

[Addictr3]

To the MTB rider who went throught the Red light near Milsons Point this morning . . . awesome effort . . . NOT
To the 4 roadies, 2 commutes and the MTB waiting for the Green, that he had to weave through and past . . . awesome effort . . . ABSOLUTELY

How was you ride

[burger]

me in smokebox today . . . and cranky pants on to boot.
pm sent

[paulmac118]

To the MTB rider who went throught the Red light near Milsons Point this morning . . . awesome effort . . . NOT
To the 4 roadies, 2 commutes and the MTB waiting for the Green, that he had to weave through and past . . . awesome effort . . . ABSOLUTELY

Glad I am not the only one who notices some of these (minority) idiots around North Sydney. New to cycling and it has helped my awareness and anticipation on the road 10 fold.... Two recent incidents I saw recently:
Idiot # 1. Running a red on West and Falcon Streets, didn't see the tradies ute. While walking to work I heard a loud screech and looked over to see the ute end up on the wrong side of the road, a metre from the traffic light pole. Lucky it was early and no traffic coming the other way. Moron yelled something at the ute to slow down and hightailed it.

Idiot # 2. Runs red onto Pacific Hwy from Alexander St Crows Nest. Rides in the bus lane until it ends. Next red light splits up the middle and sits between the two north bound lanes. Green light and everyone drives off... Moron now in right lane. Then without warning cuts into the left lane (where I am driving) and I nearly collect him. Gave a little toot of the horn to let him know it wasnt cool - I get the finger!

Nice.

As a newbie and being more alert I can now see why some peoples perception of cyclists arent terrific. I think I will stick to riding the M7 for now!

[Lukeyboy]

Riding along the bikeway/shared pathway behind Shaw Park today and I notice a bunch of people up ahead walking towards me so I slow right down. A guy came past me and slowed right down aswell. He's ringing his bell and some don't even move. Eventually most of them get out of the way but they went left and right onto the grass forcing us to ride through the group of about 15 people and by this time we're both at a crawl. Still the people at the back aren't paying attention/looking at the ground. She looks up and freezes directly infront of the cyclist who then decides to step to the side just as the cyclist starts to fall over sideways. Literally there was a big giant sign a few metres away and along the path saying keep to the left

[g-boaf]

Riding along the bikeway/shared pathway behind Shaw Park today and I notice a bunch of people up ahead walking towards me so I slow right down. A guy came past me and slowed right down aswell. He's ringing his bell and some don't even move. Eventually most of them get out of the way but they went left and right onto the grass forcing us to ride through the group of about 15 people and by this time we're both at a crawl. Still the people at the back aren't paying attention/looking at the ground. She looks up and freezes directly infront of the cyclist who then decides to step to the side just as the cyclist starts to fall over sideways. Literally there was a big giant sign a few metres away and along the path saying keep to the left

Peds don't seem to be required to pay attention or stay left, and they do seem to have the right to curse at cyclists who made them abandon their side-by-side walk. Even going 8km/h is too fast according to them.

I've had those types too, you have to yell for them to take note.

I love the M7 because there aren't many of them on there.

Yesterday, was following someone on a very old road bike, and I tell you what, disgusting. He was spitting every 400-500 metres - which is absolutely filthy. I was keeping to the right so avoided it. Screaming out every few hundred metres. If that wasn't bad enough, the visuals were worse. Tiny running shorts leaving nothing to the imagination (flapping in the breeze), running singlet, old 80s style helmet... The only thing that saved the day was that he was going reasonably fast.

This morning crossing the road in the CBD, lady on big step-over commuter bicycle had to swerve to avoid the totally oblivious young pedestrian ahead of me.

[jules21]

this annoys me.

[crazyjose]

[quote="jules21"]this annoys me.


I used to get this when i took the long way along the riverpath along the Shoalhaven river with selfish old women not wanting to share the path with you (shared path) and they know your coming because
you see them turning their heads to see if your still coming. The Air Zounds horn fixes that though, and wayward riding mates...

[zero]

Pedestrians are going to walk side by side to have conversations on share paths. Its a far greater imposition on pedestrians to not walk side by side for their entire journey than it is for a cyclist to slow down and ask 2 or 3 pairs to make space during their journey.

[zero]

this annoys me.


I used to get this when i took the long way along the riverpath along the Shoalhaven river with selfish old women not wanting to share the path with you (shared path) and they know your coming because
you see them turning their heads to see if your still coming. The Air Zounds horn fixes that though, and wayward riding mates...

Airzound totally inappropriate for share paths imo. Pedestrians have general priority, and you are required to stop to avoid a collision, which means your bike should in-hand speedwise on approach to any pedestrians. You should not be using a 100 decibel device to move people out of your way.

[jules21]

Pedestrians are going to walk side by side to have conversations on share paths. Its a far greater imposition on pedestrians to not walk side by side for their entire journey than it is for a cyclist to slow down and ask 2 or 3 pairs to make space during their journey.

i agree zero, but she's taking up more space than necessary to walk side-by-side. also she ignores my bell, which was rung with sufficient warning for her to comfortably make space. she had no intention of doing what you're suggesting.

i am happy to slow down for pedestrians and avoid squeezing them, whereas i regularly see cyclists fly between small gaps that would end in disaster if anyone moved slightly. i didn't extend her as much courtesy as i normally would in this instance, as she annoyed me, but that's an exception for me. i wouldn't an airzound on peds either, although it's tempting sometimes...

[jasonc]

this annoys me.

I used to get this when i took the long way along the riverpath along the Shoalhaven river with selfish old women not wanting to share the path with you (shared path) and they know your coming because
you see them turning their heads to see if your still coming. The Air Zounds horn fixes that though, and wayward riding mates...

Airzound totally inappropriate for share paths imo.

I use my AirZound on shared paths. It allows me to alert pedestrians from further away.

[Ross]

this annoys me.

I failed to see the bit where the peds were blocking the path?? I saw two peds walking on the left hand side of the path with the right hand side clear to overtake on. Is this a bike only path perhaps?

[jules21]

I failed to see the bit where the peds were blocking the path?? I saw two peds walking on the left hand side of the path with the right hand side clear to overtake on. Is this a bike only path perhaps?

watch it again.. the RH side is not clear. there was room to pass, but if i was the ped, i'd appreciate a safer gap. upto her, though.

[Lukeyboy]

Just me but I'd hardly call that blocking the path. It might not have been ideal but was still plenty of room to slow down and pass safely on the right. If it was a cycle only path then that's another story.

[bychosis]

You really have to wonder at some people. Went for a quick pedal before work today and saw a dumb jogger. Jogging on the road, on a roundabout, no shoulder lane, over the kerb from grassed park, 15 paces from a shared pathway along the foreshore. I didn't see where she ended up, but it looked like she was going to jog along the fogline past a row of parked cars. Also dressed in black, running with the traffic ie back to oncoming traffic.

So it wasn't a one off either, saw the same dumb, dressed in black jogger on the same route this morning. This morning watched her jogging along the fog line, between parked cars and traffic before the roundabout.

[ytd]

riders with helmet lights!!! I ride home on a shared path used by a lot of MTB'ers coming back from stromlo forrest park. One night this rider fixes me with his helmet light and I cannot see a thing. Car high beams have nothing on those MTB lights. There is no streetlighting so path is very dark. I figure I will slow down but aim for his light and them pass to the left of it when he gets close. Next thing I am on the ground after riding into a hole. He had seen me coming at him and gone bush to avoid me. Apologised but didn't dip his light. Hopefully his next victim won't ride into a fence.

[jasonc]

You really have to wonder at some people. Went for a quick pedal before work today and saw a dumb jogger. Jogging on the road, on a roundabout, no shoulder lane, over the kerb from grassed park, 15 paces from a shared pathway along the foreshore. I didn't see where she ended up, but it looked like she was going to jog along the fogline past a row of parked cars. Also dressed in black, running with the traffic ie back to oncoming traffic.

So it wasn't a one off either, saw the same dumb, dressed in black jogger on the same route this morning. This morning watched her jogging along the fog line, between parked cars and traffic before the roundabout.

time to stop in front of her. make her realise it's dangerous

[maestro]

Pedestrians are going to walk side by side to have conversations on share paths. Its a far greater imposition on pedestrians to not walk side by side for their entire journey than it is for a cyclist to slow down and ask 2 or 3 pairs to make space during their journey.

i agree zero, but she's taking up more space than necessary to walk side-by-side. also she ignores my bell, which was rung with sufficient warning for her to comfortably make space. she had no intention of doing what you're suggesting.

i am happy to slow down for pedestrians and avoid squeezing them, whereas i regularly see cyclists fly between small gaps that would end in disaster if anyone moved slightly. i didn't extend her as much courtesy as i normally would in this instance, as she annoyed me, but that's an exception for me. i wouldn't an airzound on peds either, although it's tempting sometimes...

In addition to the well known "The rider of a bicycle riding on a footpath or shared path must give way to any pedestrian on the footpath or shared path."...

1 - A pedestrian must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver.
2 - A pedestrian must not unreasonably obstruct the path of any driver or another pedestrian.

(Note - in the legislation, driver includes rider)

My reading is that pedestrians are OK to stand side by side and talk (reasonable) but are obliged to provide a clear path for cyclists (unreasonable to stubbornly block the path). Cyclists need to approach carefully, politely announce their approach (bell, etc) and wait for the pedestrians to let them past. However, should the pedestrians refuse to allow the cyclist to pass then they are technically in the wrong, but the cyclist is still legally required to give way to them.

There's also nearly always a way to resolve these situations in a civil way (i.e. without abuse or using the AirZound in an aggressive way), even if it is a little slower getting past.

[ColinOldnCranky]

this annoys me.

Jules, if this is worth you noting and posting I reckon you must have the clearest run on the planet. Thin paths, peds side by side. Quite normal, perfectly acceptable. Never gonna change.

Yes, I suppose they could walk single file everywhere they go. But that imposition is far greater on them than the imposition that walking as they do is on you.

imo.

[DentedHead]

I have a similar regular occurrence while tootling around the lake. I regularly have to go bush to avoid a particular group of 3 mothers (walking 3 abreast, totally occupying a path that's probably over 2mt wide) pushing strollers who blatantly ignore me, regardless of bell, or verbal requests. There is no danger, as I rarely go faster than 10-15 kph on the path, but it is bloody rude. l often feel like be parking my trike across their path, and making them go bush. I bet they'd acknowledge me then. However, while it annoys me briefly, the aggro actually doing so would cause has not yet been worth killing the good mood the rest of the ride gives me.

Dent.

[ColinOldnCranky]

I swear that I had not read Zero's following post before mine. I think we must be siamese twins Zero joined at the brain stem in a parallel universe.

[wizardhat]

Silly cyclist today is me!

Stupid woman decided that she would overtake me despite the fact I was doing the posted speed limit (40kmph). So I got down into the drops and sped up as she tried to overtake, pretty stupid of me but it felt good when she had to slow down and pull back in behind me . I was hoping she'd follow me to the next set of lights so I could give her a earful if they were red.