Car Pool and save petrol and $$$

No resources are being squandered. People make rational economic choices as to what vehicle they drive.

On the plus side, if you read your SMH today, the government has released a report talking about taxing 4WDs to buggery and committing fed money to bike paths. (It’s not April 1 right?)

You have an unusal attitude for a triathlete former or otherwise. This concept of an arms race on the road and biggest vehicle wins is flawed. Americans are discovering this with their love of SUVs. This squandering of resources is a contributing factor to why we are even talking about car pooling at all.

BIG BIG emphasis on former here

Well Absent, I’m a fat lazy prick who used to ride, but can’t be bothered anymore: it’s easier to catch the bus, and less life threatening! 🙂

Nah – I don’t drive and infact am a former triathlete and therefore a quite experienced rider (not mention a big fan of it)…so put that in your smoke and pipe it!! 😛

Absent, shit, I had to laugh when I read “there are a large majority of cyclists who a) cause traffic flow disruptions”? Have you never driven along the Tuggers Parkway and come to an almost standstill because a large majority of Canberra motor vehicle drivers have no fuckin’ idea how to merge properly! Try it one morning at peakhour – it’s a great experience! These pricks should be sent to Iraq with Comrade Stanhope!

Absent Diane, I take it your superior vehicle is a Mac Truck or a Sherman Tank then?

Catapults.

High fives Andy. Ban old people. Aztecs had it right. Stick the older ones in front to protect the fit.

oh. that was mostly sarcasm by the way – but i do include in this, those stupid loser kids in west belconnen area who hoon around on motor bikes of some description, at night, with no lights, no helmets, and dinking each other around.
I sincerely hope they have a rather large collision with a massive big woolworths truck, and that the truck driver doesn’t even realise.
Its FUCKING annoying when they come belting off a path onto the road at 40K an hour, right into my path.

‘Small minded bile’ – wtf are you talking about dickhead – the fact of the matter is there are a large majority of cyclists who a) cause traffic flow disruptions b) cause dangerous situations for themselves and others…. but I guess if your incompetent and want to risk going on the road in a less superior vehicle then bring it on

Yes, but I wouldn’t like to be the driver who cleans up a cyclist who decides to ride through a red light because they don’t think it’s such a big crime (and I’m talking about actually traffic lights, not a ‘red man’ at a crossing).

the road does belong to drivers in cars.
note – i say cars. this does not include big-fuck-off-4wds, small wanna-be-4wds, trucks, buses, or old people.

Pedestrian crossings. Get off your bike and walk across. I won’t stop for you.

Not at all. My point is that people often talk about bikes crossing against the red. Yes, they do that sometimes, and it is illegal and they can (and sometimes do) get booked. The difference is that cars crossing against the red are a much bigger issue – usually they are doing it at high speed as a result of pushing past the amber and an error usually results in a big accident. Cyclists sometimes illegally look both ways and then cross. It annoys motorists, but is a similar crime to a pedestrian who crosses against the red pedestrian signal rather than waiting for the green-man.

The thing is that the cyclist crossing against the red has a psychological impact because they are getting away with something the driver dare not do. Bit like people getting angry when someone drives in the buslane on Adelaide Ave – I’ve seen people get really angry about this while they are speeding in a car lane. Which crime is worse?

Sorry, one more thing – as for cyclists riding across zebra crossings – we’re allowed on the roads, we’re allowed on bike paths and we’re allowed on the footpath – why the hell not on crossings? It’s like saying that drivers should get out and push their cars across the footpath when they pull into a driveway.

Openyourmind, are you saying it’s okay for a cyclist to run a red light?

Getting back on-topic – for those interested in carpooling, 2XXfm has a free lifts offered and wanted service that is broadcast M-F at 8.15, 12.30 and 4.45 (if memory serves). All you need to do is call the station on 62 300 100 and they’ll take care of the rest. (Good for carpooling and one off rides both)

As for the “I hate cyclists” ranters – get over it. The only reason I can think of for your small minded bile is that you think they regard you as morally inferior – when the fact is that most cyclists are drivers as well at some stage and the only time we think about drivers when we are on the road is when one cuts in sharply in front of us.

When you never speed, drink drive, change lanes without signalling and so on and so forth, then start whinging about cyclists sharing the road.

And here’s a previous comment I made on cyclists breaking the law:

Firstly, this concept of ‘dangerous lawbreakers’ is quite odd. I’m not denying that plenty of cyclists do break laws – just as almost all motorists break at least one law on any one trip. Don’t believe me, well just sit as a passenger with just about anyone. But, I can’t remember the last time a bicycle plowed through a childcare centre, ran up the back of another car killing all occupants etc. That’s the difference, cars are very good at killing lots of other people. I’m not saying that what some cyclists do isn’t lawbreaking, just that the end result is usually very different and that’s why attention needs to be paid to cars and even more so to trucks.

Your comments about cyclists sometimes being pedestrians and sometimes vehicles is equally uninformed. Firstly, when cyclists do this, they are breaking no laws. Secondly, the nature of cycling and of our cycling system is such that on any one trip, you can be on a footpath, cycleway and cycle lane. This is the case with my daily commute from Duffy to Belconnen. Sometimes, cyclists will switch to the footpath to cross at a set of lights – for a motorist this is a little annoying, but hardly a ‘dangerous’ crime on the same scale as a trucky popping no-doze all night.

Absent Diane, I agree with your comments about some cyclists on the road being inconsiderate and a danger to themselves on the road, but by and large most (not all!) cyclists are generally considerate while on the road.
Nothing makes my blood boil more than seeing fellow cyclists running red lights, riding across pedestrian crossings and riding without lights at night as it makes all cyclists look bad.

car pooling is perfect for the less mobile and lazy.

If three people in your office all drive from palmerston to the one place of work, why not share.

cycling is an intrinsically selfish activity. its a solo activity, unless you dink someone, and they break numerous road laws.

Prob is mr evil…..a lot of these pricks who ride on the road take up half the road, ride a very pedestrian speeds and make things dangerour for themselves and everybody else…. I can understand pro/quality riders using the roads…but for every other mufftard use the bikepaths that god made just for us

Maelinar, The Canberra Times recently compiled a report based on Dept of Transport stats and an independent report which showed that the cost to the ACT of motor vehicle accidents (particularly those involving a fatality) far exceeded the revenue gained in excise, registration etc. That’s before a single metre of asphalt is taken into account. Think about that.

So, overall your average tax paying cyclist is probably contributing a greater proportion to that bit of road you are driving on than you are.

FOR FUCKS SAKE! I pay a shitload of tax every year, which entitles me to ride on “your” road as much as I like. Next thing we know, you’ll all be telling pedestrians to get off the fuckin’ footpaths because you own that too? Grow up!

My taxes are also spent on the health system, which incidentally (among other things) goes towards repairing the damage motor vehicle accidents can cause too.

Hear hear.

Beep beep – get out of my way.

Mr Evil, they do own the road.

When cyclists start paying road user charges, and exise on their spandex, then they can share it.

START RANT – I really hate these hippies and pseudolefties who preach about trees, the environment and whales shitting in oceans and then have the guts to drive some shitty old bomb that is doing the environment more damage than fucking anything… mufftards!!! – END RANT

No, really, cycling is a good idea; so long as you can be bothered putting up with some of the fuckheads who drive their cars like the road is theirs and nobody elses!

I say Zepplins. Canberra has nothing sharp for it t9o get stuck on other than telstryama

And we can all have big group hugzzz.

Cycling can be a viable alternative for many of us. Provided that your work has sufficient shower facilities and secure bike facilities it’s worth considering. Not only do you save on petrol, get fitter, but you get a fantastic opportunity to really enjoy the Canberra environment – my morning ride around Lake Burley Griffin is a real pleasure.