The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

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g-boaf
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby g-boaf » Sun Jul 07, 2013 10:23 pm

TraceyG wrote:Riding on a shared path with my husband and our adult son this morning when we saw a group of adults and children pedestrians ahead. After calling to warn us, our son rang his bell to warn the peds who was standing all over the path to enjoy the view. Most of them stepped aside, one even called out "Bikes" to alert the rest of his family. 'Grandma' still didn't hear or move so we slowed right down to cop a barrage of abuse from one of the peds!

Really, what are we supposed to do?
I don't know. But I doubt you'll find much love here given all the discussions on pedestrians and right of way, etc.

You did all you could short of stopping and walking past them.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Xplora » Sun Jul 07, 2013 10:36 pm

You have two approaches with all of this... you are either part of the community, and shouldn't accept abuse from your neighbours, or you are not and shouldn't give a rat's toucas about the incident. You need some stock material for this stuff such as "don't buy any gum or you'll choke" or "you'll hear from my lawyer next time" etc. Lots of good options that say "guess what, I won't be bullied".

Unclipping and putting the foot down is an ENORMOUS challenge to their ego if they have brought this on themselves. Your call of course. It's identical to opening the car door in a road rage incident.

You'll get random numbskulls who fortunately will die from anxiety related disorders soon, but you have to assert a presence. Dinging your bell does NOT do it 100% of the time.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby K2 » Mon Jul 08, 2013 2:49 am

TraceyG wrote:......Really, what are we supposed to do?
Ride on. Enjoy your day. Try not to let it get to you.

That's more difficult than it should be sometimes but just like the oft suggested imagine people naked to help you get over a fear of public speaking, perhaps consider that these type of people really should be in care but there just aren't enough facilities for all of them. The wellington boot's on the other ear now, isn't it?

Doesn't matter if you do everything you can to accommodate other folk [and it sounds like you did], sometimes they will have something they really need to get off their chest and you're just the unlucky recipient. Is it ideal? Obviously not. You could get involved in all the fun of the fair if you're feeling up to it, but in my better moments I try to rise above it and just leave them to sort out their own problems. [Of course I'm not always at my best, and then there are those times when you just have to get all World Police on someone's bottom. :x ]

To paraphrase - Sticks and cars may break my bones but some loose screws are just about holding together more than is immediately apparent. It just rolls off the tongue, no? :)

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby nescius » Mon Jul 08, 2013 8:19 am

Yesterday I had a guy come up behind me at a set of lights, he sat on my wheel for a few minutes until we reached a set of lights that were red, then he passed me on the left and went straight through the red light. Now, I don't have any huge hangup about going through red lights in certain circumstances - like if it's 5am and there is not a soul to be seen and you've checked and double checked that the intersection is clear... but this was in the middle of the day, with plenty of traffic to witness his behaviour, and he was wearing Canberra Cycling Club kit, great way to represent the club there! He got caught at the next set of lights because there was traffic crossing in front of him, and I easily caught him soon after that. He did do something a bit strange as I was coming up behind him, he glanced back and saw that I was close, then just as I was about to pass he unleashed a couple of snot rockets. Strange. I didn't see him once I passed him, I either dropped him like a hot potato or he turned off. I didn't recognise him so I don't think he races regularly, I hope he was just having an off day and doesn't always behave like that.
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby eldavo » Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:32 am

Cyclist stopped in a small road underpass blocking the path on a blind bend of a crest.
My near miss nearly dropping the bike with tail sliding out under brakes, while also running wide around him into a car bollard in centre of path that he ingeniously stopped in front of to wimp out from the rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-GobNrr-3g
Last edited by eldavo on Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby VRE » Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:43 am

A cyclist caught up to me while I was riding home on a shared path yesterday, and said something to me, but I didn't catch what it was, because I was going downhill with the wind in my ears and a freeway right next to me. About 1km later, he finally decides to overtake... just as 4 cyclists are getting close travelling in the other direction :roll: . What a moron. 1km after that, I caught up to him, because he'd stopped to fix a puncture. Isn't karma wonderful?

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby g-boaf » Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:23 pm

I had a pedestrian running beside me, TdF style the other night. He was trying to impress his mates with how fast he could run. :roll:

Ended up telling him to slow down - it was silly doing that at night and on a shared path.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby casual_cyclist » Fri Jul 12, 2013 4:10 pm

rdp_au wrote:Back to what seems to be a hobby horse of mine – cyclists not stopping at red lights.
Is it ok if we stop, wait and then go through because the lights aren't changing and the road is clear? This is where the Roe St PSP crosses Beaufort St in Perth. For some reason the powers that be have borked the timing of the cyclist crossing (the little red bicycle takes ages to turn green). Not sure what happened but it used to be fine. Anyway, now it takes so long for the lights to change to green that people get impatient and cross when the road is clear. I am not a usual red light runner but when I am waiting after work to get home in the cold, dark and drizzle and a perfectly good road is sitting there empty... I have started crossing too. I used to wait but the number of cyclists and peds building up on the red before the green is so great that crossing on green is hazardous. I would rather run the red with a couple of other cyclists while the road is clear than run the gauntlet with a mass crossing of peds and cyclists going in both directions. Not sure if that makes me a dumb cyclist or not. :?
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Saturnstarzz » Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:07 am

Dumb cyclist was me this morning.
Half asleep on Footscray Road (Victoria) near costco the bike path has a bit of a dogleg, am behind a few peeps veer into the other lane and almost had a head one with a chap on his mountie.
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby lobstermash » Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:32 am

I used to sook out of riding in the rain, but I've been using my recently acquired SS as my wet commuter. Noticed something weird this week... just about every ped on the path (they are fairly few in number) has been walking on the right hand side. A strange phenomenon...
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Summernight » Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:43 am

Me last night, although more rude than dumb - I went somewhere new so was hesitant riding and changing lanes on the busy evening peak hour roads, I used the shared path and ped crossing to cross a busy intersection but I needed to turn left into the side street and get in the right lane so I could turn right about 100ms up the road.

I went in front of an older lady pedestrian with the intention of getting out of everyone's way quickly and not holding her or anyone else up. But more peds on my left on the other side of the crossing pole blocked my easy getaway path when the lights changed to green so I ended up holding up the old lady pedestrian as I was giving way to the other peds who stepped out. Said old lady then said loudly as she went around me "How rude!". I apologised to her.

I should have just crossed the busy road with the green walk signal, turned the bike 90 degrees and plonked myself in the bike box at the front of the bicycle queue on the road and done a left hand turn from there.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby newie » Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:26 pm

Lady pushing a pram smack-bang in the middle of the shared path, not leaving adequate safe passage on either side of her. I approach from behind, some distance back - ding ding, no response, so ding ding, no response, quite close now, DING DING, no response. Now walking pace behind her "Excuse me!". She moves over a little bit to the left and I slowly squeeze pass. As I do, she says " I didn't know which side you were going to go". Huh? Look around perhaps? Maybe move over one way or the other so there is in fact some space somewhere for me to go by. I maintained my cool and simply smiled and said, "I always pass on the right". You wonder sometimes.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby TheWoodenTree » Wed Jul 17, 2013 1:42 pm

Witnessed this last night along Princes Park Melbourne. Cyclist did not even see the traffic police who was waiting at the red lights.

View My Video

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Percrime » Wed Jul 17, 2013 1:54 pm

Cool. Good work that solo

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby g-boaf » Wed Jul 17, 2013 2:19 pm

newie wrote:Lady pushing a pram smack-bang in the middle of the shared path, not leaving adequate safe passage on either side of her. I approach from behind, some distance back - ding ding, no response, so ding ding, no response, quite close now, DING DING, no response. Now walking pace behind her "Excuse me!". She moves over a little bit to the left and I slowly squeeze pass. As I do, she says " I didn't know which side you were going to go". Huh? Look around perhaps? Maybe move over one way or the other so there is in fact some space somewhere for me to go by. I maintained my cool and simply smiled and said, "I always pass on the right". You wonder sometimes.
Didn't you know from the almighty hullabaloo on here that you are supposed to give way, and pedestrians are apparently now walking on the right because it is safer. :lol:

I've seen other people riding side by side on the shared paths, but squeezing over a bit, but still hardly any space on the right to go past. And they wonder why I will ride behind them at 8km/h and not attempt to pass. ;)

And Mr Harold Scruby can become all agitated and annoyed, since the Police are back fairly frequently on Bridge Street Sydney pinging the pedestrians walking across on the red pedestrian crossing signal. :D There are enough offenders so it seems that they are cracking down on it occasionally.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby rangersac » Wed Jul 17, 2013 5:30 pm

Me last night. No zippered pocket in my outfit for last night's MTB ride, so instead the car keys went into the saddle bag. You can guess what happened to that zip during the ride...
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Xenon » Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:10 pm

An honourable mention to the ninja I noticed around 9:30 last night, on the road, no lights, no reflectors (except for the ones on the pedals) no helmet and no hands.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Percrime » Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:45 pm

And the blonde I saw on the flatbar on Koornang creek at about 5:00pm, with the long hair and lack of helmet. You were gorgeous. :D Thank you for brightening up my ride.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Mulger bill » Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:05 pm

I'm out on the Cooper for a bit of dusky path blasting...

Yes, I'm lit :roll:

1/ Me. Bad timing, LOTS of those little midgy things in the air along the creekside paths. There goes my diet.

2/Young lad upon a scooter with Mum walking large puppy. Sees me in good time (did I mention I was lit?) and dived to the right. I was already going very slowly so I rolled to the middle of the path and froze. Left elbow shaved by a scootrist and right bumcheek simultaneously sniffed by a large friendly puppy :? Mum apologised ("No worries, they learn :) ") and was reminding the young feller about keeping left until out of earshot, methinks he'll be right 8)
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby chill1995 » Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:15 pm

Mulger bill wrote:? Mum apologised
was she hot?

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Mulger bill » Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:31 pm

Not compared to the GLW :D
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby jasonc » Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:36 am

Mulger bill wrote:Not compared to the GLW :D
she reads this forum too?

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Mulger bill » Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:32 am

jasonc wrote:
Mulger bill wrote:Not compared to the GLW :D
she reads this forum too?
Not that I'm aware of but I know what side me bread's buttered :wink:
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Aushiker » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:53 am

Dumb cyclist = me. Made the stupid mistake of not checking the disc pads on my mountian bike properly (nor bringing spares) on a 700 km ride of the Munda Biddi Trail. I also assumed that 1,000 odd kilometres was minimal mileage for brake pads. I was wrong. Completely lost front braking due to pads going and the rear are at 25%. Oh lost all brake fluid too. I did learn olive oil actually works quite well :)

Anyway ride abondon with two days to go. No fun trying to go down switchbacks on a loaded bike with no brakes :)

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby g-boaf » Sun Jul 21, 2013 1:03 pm

Actually me - zoned out temporarily fighting a big headwind, drifted to the wrong side of the path. Sorry. :(

Otherwise, following two riders for a while who rushed across the red light (I assume two of them actually) in their hurry. Karma struck when they were stopped with a puncture later on. I might have been slower, but I did at least cross when the lights were green.

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