A traffic rant from Stephen

Aeek said :

Mysteryman said :

All this money spent on cycle lanes

Since we’re talking Adelaide Avenue, stuff all. Mostly rebranding the existing shoulder as bike lane. A few signs and a little paint. The work between Kent St and Hopetoun Crt was to stop the rat runners, it was getting dangerous if a driver actually wanted to exit there.

Mysteryman said :

Just continue driving in your lane and pass them close enough to make them think twice about where they are positioned.

WTF? Do you also feel that your crotch will shrivel should you exit across a green lane behind a cyclist?

Mysteryman stop trying to be a tough guy on the interwebs.

Aeek said :

WTF? Do you also feel that your crotch will shrivel should you exit across a green lane behind a cyclist?

Who said anything about green lanes and exiting the road? Nobody. Try reading it again.

magiccar9 said :

Felix the Cat said :

Why would vehicles be driving above the 80km/h speed limit? That’s illegal. I thought it was only cyclists that do illegal things on our roads…

Outside the bubble of the perfect little world people believe in, you’ll notice that traffic flows nicely along Adelaide Av at ~90km/h. Save for the odd ass hat who thinks 70 in the right hand lane (I’m looking at you Volkswagen drivers) people are more than happy to cruise along at that speed – and safely might I add.

So because some people think it’s safe to do 10km/h over the speed limit then it’s ok…I’ll have to remember to tell that to Plod next time I get pulled over for speeding.”Why are you booking me officer, they said on RiotACT that it was safe to speed”.

qbngeek said :

Seems to me that you need make sure you have insurance and then just drive into the slip lane. You have the right of way since you are not breaking the law. I have been in this situation once and he didn’t want to take it any further after I pointed out that I had no damage (thanks towbar) and he had a hole in his bumper, however he was driving up the bike lane illegally.

Depends. If you chose to have the collision, that puts you in the wrong too. 2 wrongs make 2 wrongs.

Mysteryman said :

All this money spent on cycle lanes

Since we’re talking Adelaide Avenue, stuff all. Mostly rebranding the existing shoulder as bike lane. A few signs and a little paint. The work between Kent St and Hopetoun Crt was to stop the rat runners, it was getting dangerous if a driver actually wanted to exit there.

Mysteryman said :

Just continue driving in your lane and pass them close enough to make them think twice about where they are positioned.

WTF? Do you also feel that your crotch will shrivel should you exit across a green lane behind a cyclist?

7hrs & 21mins of work a day, you have nothing in the world to complain about my friend!

magiccar9 said :

Felix the Cat said :

Why would vehicles be driving above the 80km/h speed limit? That’s illegal. I thought it was only cyclists that do illegal things on our roads…

Outside the bubble of the perfect little world people believe in, you’ll notice that traffic flows nicely along Adelaide Av at ~90km/h. Save for the odd ass hat who thinks 70 in the right hand lane (I’m looking at you Volkswagen drivers) people are more than happy to cruise along at that speed – and safely might I add.

+1.

CrocodileGandhi said :

Mysteryman said :

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

Riding two abreast on any road (cycle lane or not) is legal in the ACT.

It might be legal, but riding so that they take up the cycle lane AND part of a car lane is stupid and likely to end with a cyclist in hospital.

magiccar9 said :

fromthecapital said :

How much real estate do 3 cyclists take up? 🙂

Clearly more width than the cycle lane on Adelaide Av. So many times I’ve had to slow down and swerve around them because they need to cycle along and have a lovely old chat next to each other. Never mind the fact that they are in the left-hand car lane with vehicles moving at/or above 80km/h.

Exactly. All this money spent on cycle lanes and many cyclists still insist on taking up more space. Just continue driving in your lane and pass them close enough to make them think twice about where they are positioned.

tommy said :

caf said :

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

I believe they are actually breaking a road rule – when entering a roundabout from a multilane road, “If the driver is to leave the roundabout less than halfway around it, the driver must enter the roundabout from the left marked lane”.

If you read the full road rules it actually says if you leave the roundabout more than halfway around you have to be in the right lane. Which is what the loop the loop drivers are doing.

However, if those guys annoy you – I’ve got some great dash cam footage of a driver just giving up queuing altogether to get onto Limestone Avenue and leaving the road to drive through the trees into Reid… I’ll upload it tonight.

Here’s the video: http://youtu.be/gos5hR4gHIg

At 0:03 a car in the distance on the left hand side of the screen can be seen leaving the road to avoid the Limestone Avenue queue to drive thru the trees to Reid…

Felix the Cat said :

Why would vehicles be driving above the 80km/h speed limit? That’s illegal. I thought it was only cyclists that do illegal things on our roads…

Outside the bubble of the perfect little world people believe in, you’ll notice that traffic flows nicely along Adelaide Av at ~90km/h. Save for the odd ass hat who thinks 70 in the right hand lane (I’m looking at you Volkswagen drivers) people are more than happy to cruise along at that speed – and safely might I add.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

tuco said :

Mysteryman said :

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

Well that didn’t take long. 45 minutes – not quite your PB, but good enough to get you through to the playoff rounds.

But Tuko didn’t pipe up first? How can he be the nazi?
Are bicycle riders the nazis of riotact?

*as a riotact discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving bicycles or bike riders approaches.*

Gross.

caf said :

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

I believe they are actually breaking a road rule – when entering a roundabout from a multilane road, “If the driver is to leave the roundabout less than halfway around it, the driver must enter the roundabout from the left marked lane”.

If you read the full road rules it actually says if you leave the roundabout more than halfway around you have to be in the right lane. Which is what the loop the loop drivers are doing.

However, if those guys annoy you – I’ve got some great dash cam footage of a driver just giving up queuing altogether to get onto Limestone Avenue and leaving the road to drive through the trees into Reid… I’ll upload it tonight.

caf said :

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

I believe they are actually breaking a road rule – when entering a roundabout from a multilane road, “If the driver is to leave the roundabout less than halfway around it, the driver must enter the roundabout from the left marked lane”.

That would just be common sense* but as has been pointed out this is not the case in this instance being discussed at the AWM roundabout. So, I ask again, what’s the problem?

*The roundabout at Monaro Hwy and Morshead drive does allow turning left from the right hand lane: http://goo.gl/maps/2GKPK

caf said :

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

I believe they are actually breaking a road rule – when entering a roundabout from a multilane road, “If the driver is to leave the roundabout less than halfway around it, the driver must enter the roundabout from the left marked lane”.

These drivers complete a full loop of the roundabout before exiting, which negates that rule.

simplechick said :

Or you sit there holding up traffic because 20 idots doing the same thing wont let you into the lane because you are doing the right thing. Go figure!

End Rant!

Seems to me that you need make sure you have insurance and then just drive into the slip lane. You have the right of way since you are not breaking the law. I have been in this situation once and he didn’t want to take it any further after I pointed out that I had no damage (thanks towbar) and he had a hole in his bumper, however he was driving up the bike lane illegally.

caf said :

I believe they are actually breaking a road rule – when entering a roundabout from a multilane road, “If the driver is to leave the roundabout less than halfway around it, the driver must enter the roundabout from the left marked lane”.

While I think it’s dodgy too, technically they wouldn’t be breaking the rule as they are not *leaving* the roundabout less than half way around it – they’re doing a full lap of the roundabout before leaving it! 🙂

magiccar9 said :

fromthecapital said :

How much real estate do 3 cyclists take up? 🙂

Clearly more width than the cycle lane on Adelaide Av. So many times I’ve had to slow down and swerve around them because they need to cycle along and have a lovely old chat next to each other. Never mind the fact that they are in the left-hand car lane with vehicles moving at/or above 80km/h.

Why would vehicles be driving above the 80km/h speed limit? That’s illegal. I thought it was only cyclists that do illegal things on our roads…

magiccar9 said :

fromthecapital said :

How much real estate do 3 cyclists take up? 🙂

Clearly more width than the cycle lane on Adelaide Av. So many times I’ve had to slow down and swerve around them because they need to cycle along and have a lovely old chat next to each other. Never mind the fact that they are in the left-hand car lane with vehicles moving at/or above 80km/h.

So many times?

Being extremely familiar with Adelaide ave I would like to suggest that you may be being less than honest.

caf said :

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

I believe they are actually breaking a road rule – when entering a roundabout from a multilane road, “If the driver is to leave the roundabout less than halfway around it, the driver must enter the roundabout from the left marked lane”.

But I am not leaving the roundabout less than halfway around it.. I am going around the whole darned thing, looking (feeling) like an idiot the whole time.

tuco said :

Mysteryman said :

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

Well that didn’t take long. 45 minutes – not quite your PB, but good enough to get you through to the playoff rounds.

Are bicycle riders the nazis of riotact?

*as a riotact discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving bicycles or bike riders approaches.*

Gross.

Mysteryman said :

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

Riding two abreast on any road (cycle lane or not) is legal in the ACT.

Mysteryman said :

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

There should be a law against that, unless they are holding hands and singing The Happy Wanderer, or some other suitably jolly, outdoorsy kind of song.

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

Good, because I do that every afternoon on the way home. In fact my movements actually help those in the queue because cars coming from Fyshwick have to give way to me thus giving the queue a chance!

Those lanes should both be left turns anyway, zero reason why they are not.

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

I believe they are actually breaking a road rule – when entering a roundabout from a multilane road, “If the driver is to leave the roundabout less than halfway around it, the driver must enter the roundabout from the left marked lane”.

fromthecapital said :

How much real estate do 3 cyclists take up? 🙂

Clearly more width than the cycle lane on Adelaide Av. So many times I’ve had to slow down and swerve around them because they need to cycle along and have a lovely old chat next to each other. Never mind the fact that they are in the left-hand car lane with vehicles moving at/or above 80km/h.

Holden Caulfield said :

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

I do this, but when I do I drive extra slow past Fairbairn Ave so more cars can get onto Limestone Ave from Anzac Pde.

beardedclam said :

Nice photos. How do you get such a steady picture while driving?

Thanks! They were taken by “my car-pooling buddy” of course. However the only traffic moving at the time were those in the cycle lane.

🙂

Mysteryman said :

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

Well that didn’t take long. 45 minutes – not quite your PB, but good enough to get you through to the playoff rounds.

fromthecapital said :

How much real estate do 3 cyclists take up? 🙂

More than one piddly bike lane I’m guessing. 😛

Mysteryman said :

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

How much real estate do 3 cyclists take up? 🙂

caf said :

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

That seems like effective lateral thinking to me. No road rules are being broken and there’s nothing from stopping any other road users from following suit. What’s the problem?

This drives me crazy! I’m often the person driving in the left lane in this exact spot waiting just as impatiently as anyone else until the turning lane comes up, when about to turn into the lane (legally), BOOM some idiot is up my rear end because they ave zoomed out from nowhere into the bicycle lane and then try to cut you off. Or you sit there holding up traffic because 20 idots doing the same thing wont let you into the lane because you are doing the right thing. Go figure!

End Rant!

Nice photos. How do you get such a steady picture while driving?

Ah, Federal Highway just after the Barton Highway, citybound. Used to sit in that traffic waiting to head in to Downer cursing cars that did the slip-in.

The week that the police blitzed it was Golden.

Meanwhile, my new bugbear is the Bus Stop out front of Burgmann where an unbroken line can clearly be seen, all the way from the curb to the traffic lights. Yet every day, as you wait in line as parents cross the road, with traffic inevitably backed up from the Gungahlin Drive lights mere meters in front of that, obviously more important assholes drive across the line and the bike path through the bus stop and zoom their way to the turn onto Gungahlin Drive.

Golf clap, assholes, golf clap.

As a side note: Pandey – twice in the last week you have either tailgated me, or changed lanes in front of me without head checking first. You are an asshat. That is all.

So much rage

Relax, it only adds an extra few seconds to your day, no different to being stuck behind a cyclist…

There’s also those who would rather not queue up on Anzac Pde to turn left onto Limestone Avenue, so they use the right lane and do an extra circuit around the roundabout.

Good rant,

some would say it was even Terrafic

My favorites are the folks who turn left from the right lane as you turn off the Parkway on to Cotter road, so they don’t have to queue.

Saw the police doing something about this on Drakeford Dr during peak, just the once, a long time ago.

magiccar9 said :

People who think they can push in boil my blood. They are the most selfish, self-centered, stuck up, moronic, egotistic wankers!
I can usually spot what these morons are about to do and I deliberately close any possible gap they could squeeze into. They try to push in front of me and they usually get a nice horn blasting. Problem is that we have these cushy drivers in Canberra who think they will be fast tracked to heaven if they let them into the line of traffic, so everybody has to wait while they stop, give them a wave in, then start again.

Are they “pushing in” or turning left (down Swinden Street?)?

Still, not acceptable behaviour either way, but it’s a minor distinction to make.

I regularly see cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast, spilling into car lanes where there is a cycle lane right next to them. Clearly they are ok with sharing.

People who think they can push in boil my blood. They are the most selfish, self-centered, stuck up, moronic, egotistic wankers!
I can usually spot what these morons are about to do and I deliberately close any possible gap they could squeeze into. They try to push in front of me and they usually get a nice horn blasting. Problem is that we have these cushy drivers in Canberra who think they will be fast tracked to heaven if they let them into the line of traffic, so everybody has to wait while they stop, give them a wave in, then start again.

There is a bike path in Tuggeraonong at the roundabout where Athllon and Scollay meet that looks quite like a slip lane for cars (if they are too blind to see the signs). I have seen several small cars use it to turn left into Scollay and recently spotted a landcruiser who managed to squeeze down it. I think in these cases it is just an honest mistake as even on google maps it does like quite like a road.

Superb rant. I hate push-ins at all times, but using the bike lane, wow, that’s a new low.

In Quangers, Yass Rd gets backed up in morning rush hour, back to those lights outside Magnet Mart. The local drivers seem to have educated the push-ins that zooming up the left lane that ends at Kennards is a low act, and they don’t let them in. So now very few people do it. Wait your bloody turn!