20 February 2009

No exemption for the private school rowers - and still they went on - NO WAIT - NCA cocks it up again!

| johnboy
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[First filed: February 19, 2009 @ 08:51]

Earlier in the week we had widespread complaints about the independent schools rowing regatta and its appalling organisation which created widespread conflict between the well heeled rowers parents and every other user of the lake shore.

A lot of you found this curious at the time as the lake was supposed to be closed to public use due to health concerns around blue green algae.

There was some mumbling about exemptions, which is curious as a permit rarely mitigates health risks.

On 666 this morning the NCA Chief Executive, Gary Rake, has put the lie to this, he even went so far as to go down to the lake on Sunday morning to beg them to not put the kids in the water.

Independent schools and rowing officials are bunkering down and refusing to comment.

UPDATE: The ABC news report on this is now online:

    “We’ve never in the history of events of water events on Lake Burley Griffin had an event organiser that’s refused, and ignored safety advice.”

If you’re a participant who got sick (or one of their parents) we’d love to hear from you.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Well I’ve heard now of at least one girl reportedly developing a nasty rash on the arm since the weekend.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Canberra Times now brings word that the schools did in fact have permission from the NCA to go ahead, permission the CEO Gary Rake was apparently ignorant of when he went down to the lakeside to wave his arms and then splash himself across the media.

    The NCA verified yesterday that an email had been sent by a junior staff member to the Canberra Grammar School, which had been nominated as the convener of this year’s regatta, reiterating that it had issued primary- and secondary-level warnings in relation to algae in the lake and advising against any swimming or boating activities. But the email also said that the regatta could proceed based on the precautions that would be in place, including providing fresh water to douse any students who became immersed, and having medical staff on hand. This was forwarded to the rowing association, and referred to in advice given to other schools.

So on that basis I’d like to apologise to the rowers and schools involved.

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Wallies wallys I’m perplexed about apostrophes. Does that mean I’m suffering from apoplexy

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

*waits for somebody to say the exemption made it right for people to block the pathways*

This post is a beat up. Personally I don’t care how many private school wally’s end up cyano-bacterialed in the lake. The more the merrier as far as i’m concerned. And if a few cyclists have to push past a load of toffee-nosed mums, unimpressed about the evidence revealed in their bike shorts, why should we care?

Woody Mann-Caruso2:42 pm 20 Feb 09

*waits for somebody to say the exemption made it right for people to block the pathways*

***possibly the quickest way into moderation is to bark impersonal orders at me***

Steady on old chap – I certainly read it as a joke and I’m positive that’s the way it was intended

Holden Caulfield11:14 am 20 Feb 09

Given the recent incidents in Sydney, we can’t even say this thread has jumped the shark…

Clown Killer said :

I have no problem with people heaping sh!t on those cyclists who what to carry on like knob-ends by insisting that they have some god-given right to ride wherever they please, irrespective of the conditions.

A bit like the knob-ends who insist on holding a regatta irrespective of the condidtions.

Sorry johnboy. Only meant as a joke…

trilobite said :

G-Fresh said :

lucym said :

somewhat related to racism, sexism, homophobia, nazism…

Whow steady on.

Bing bing bing. Nazis mentioned.

Moderator, Please close this thread. I cite Godwin’s Law.
http://catb.org/jargon/html/G/Godwins-Law.html

Possibly the quickest way into moderation is to bark impersonal orders at me.

Let’s all get back on topic shall we?

Ari said :

On the face of it … it seems a bloke who is “acting” chief executive of the NCA wanted to big-note himself on this issue to prove himself worthy of the job.

But he didn’t bother to take into account the actions of those pesky “junior staff”.

Didn’t work out so well for him.

Scapegoat located.

Pommy bastard10:39 am 20 Feb 09

Ingesting blue green algae can have nasty effects.

On the face of it … it seems a bloke who is “acting” chief executive of the NCA wanted to big-note himself on this issue to prove himself worthy of the job.

But he didn’t bother to take into account the actions of those pesky “junior staff”.

Didn’t work out so well for him.

G-Fresh said :

lucym said :

somewhat related to racism, sexism, homophobia, nazism…

Whow steady on.

Bing bing bing. Nazis mentioned.

Moderator, Please close this thread. I cite Godwin’s Law.
http://catb.org/jargon/html/G/Godwins-Law.html

johnboy said :

When the facts change I change my mind. What do you do?

(With apologies to Keynes)

Get angry and refuse to acknowledge the facts.

PreciousLilywhite said :

Me too.

PreciousLilywhite said :

This is kinda like kids taking drugs; it they’re gonna do it, you at least want them to be safe.

I still think they should not have been on the lake.

+1

even though they were advised that they could go ahead, there was bluegreen algae level 1 & 2 warnings in place.

I would rather my kids didn’t get sick by doing something that i could have prevented, and sluicing down a kid that has become immersed won’t help the poor little buggers that have swallowed the water…

PreciousLilywhite9:49 am 20 Feb 09

This is kinda like kids taking drugs; it they’re gonna do it, you at least want them to be safe.

I still think they should not have been on the lake.

Now I feel bad too …….. parents/coordinators not so irresponsible after all.

***So on that basis I’d like to apologise to the rowers and schools involved.***

Nicely done JB

Backflips are great achievements when executed with grace and aplomb.

lucym said :

somewhat related to racism, sexism, homophobia, nazism…

Whow steady on.

When the facts change I change my mind. What do you do?

(With apologies to Keynes)

Apologising to rowers, Johnboy!?

This must be a particularly hard moment for you.

let us make more generalisations about people!
rant about rowers! they are all the same
rant about cyclists! they are all the same
rant about drivers! they are all the same

actually it sounds a bit like bigotry to me.
in my opinion this sort of generalisation is evil.
somewhat related to racism, sexism, homophobia, nazism…

G-Fresh said :

First in best dressed. Do you propose that their should be a ballet system for the picnic areas, roads and bike paths?

They have just as much right to use the facilities as anyone else

I think a ballet system would be excellent. The best interpretive ballet dancers get first dibs on using all ACT Gov facilities.

Woody Mann-Caruso9:29 pm 19 Feb 09

A self-absorbed, gaggling mob standing around in the middle of the path isn’t the same thing at all as ‘pedestrians’.

Clown Killer9:03 pm 19 Feb 09

There seems to be a fair bit of confusion around what constitutes a cycle path, which probably isn’t helping much – although I doubt it would help those on both sides of the debate who have with a self inflated sense of entitlement.

As far as I can figure out from the available ACT government resources – the only dedicated cycle paths are the on road ones (that seem to get drivers knickers in a not). All other paths (the ones drivers insist that road using cyclists should be using) are in fact shared paths. On these the cyclist is obliged to yield to pedestrians.

Personally, if I’m enjoying a ride around the lake I’d defer to caution and yield to a pedestrian seemingly blocking my path rather than run the risk that they had my tolerance for arrogant fools.

Now that Rudd has seen fit to give these schools around $4m each; to ‘upgrade’ their infrastructure, I guess they’ll just buy whatever lakeshore they ‘need’

Should have just pushed the morons in.

But now young Tarquin has his boat in the conglomeration of enormous sheds that have been allowed to proliferate on Black Mountain Peninsula, think of the disadvantage if he must be moved!

As I explained to someone who decided to stand in my way on the bike path and obstinately not move, despite clearly being a f*cking BIKE path.

Force = mass x acceleration

Next time my 100kg mass goes past someone like you it will have more acceleration. See how you cope with the force.

The area is ill equipped to cope with a regatta of any scale, and it would be simple and safer to accommodate them just around the corner at Yarramundi reach (where there is an actual car park)

Rowers are the most obnoxious bunch of pratts that use the lake, they act as if they own it and no-one else should be allowed anywhere near it.

It’s not uncommon to overhear these lycra clad line-jerkers making comments like “they shouldn’t be allowed on here” and “they should be banned” basicaly meaning “everyone else should be denied access” They seem to forget, or have their collective heads so far up their lycra clad flaccid sphincters how far sound travels over water.

Water skiiers, yachties, cruise boats, party boats, dragon boats, kayakers, never caused me any problems.

Rowers tend to interpret right of way as “whichever way they are heading everyone should move” Everyone who takes a craft on the lake should have a NSW Maritime license, or failing that, some common courtesy. And a clue.

I’m actually quite surprised at the lack of fisticuffs between rowers and every other lake user. It’s basically a matter of time.

Rowers as a group come across as a selfish bunch of tossers with no regard for anyone else. Roads, waterways, paths, they’ll block anything and screw it up for anyone else.
They deserve all the blue-green algae they can swallow.

In case you are wondering I am not a great fan of rowers.

Traffic lights, no standing or parking zones and pedestrian crossings for bike paths. Gotta be the answer.

I use the shared paths a fair bit, in both capacities. I honestly don’t think I’ve had many problems with cyclists at all whilst pedestrianing (this probably because I’m aware of them), although there’s always the odd bad apple. But as a cyclist some of the pedestrians really can be a major frustration – refusing to get out of the way after bell-ringing, numerous politely enunciated ‘excuse me’s, and more. I’m virulently anti-lycra, and I completely agree with people who think that many cyclists are prissy peacocks. That said, I really do wonder why some people have such an bad attitude towards people on bikes. It’s very simple, stick to the left and act politely and everyone is happy.

I thought the first two paragraphs of JDs #55 were eminently reasonable … and that the third paragraph was a tad rambunctious.

Further on the ‘stick to the left’ thing. Is it just me, or has greater society just completely forgotten this handy piece of urban politeness? When I was a kid, I was firmly yanked by the arm onto the left hand side of escalators, sidewalks, etc., in order to learn that sticking to the left is a good thing. But nowadays people seem to sprawl everywhere and not give a toss about others. Escalators at the mall are bad, for a start. But it gets ridiculous when walking on a footpath and some dregnaught can’t figure out what to do when there are two people attempting to occupy a space meant for two people.

Bah.

Clown Killer3:16 pm 19 Feb 09

Again. Has anybody got an example of cyclists exhibiting this behaviour in this case? All I’ve heard is exactly contrary, it was the Rower Parents acting like dildos.

Jim, I’m guessing by the tone of your comment that you don’t use the shared path around the lake much – if you did I doubt you’d need to ask. Failing that, JDs effort in post #55 is pretty good example of the sort of attitude you can cop if you want to use this communal resource.

johnboy said :

Back on topic please.

Which topic? I’m too confused!

But I also hate the upper classes, NIMBYs and bogans, for the record.

How terribly Canberra! Two packs of whiners clash! Find your inner bogan and have a decent stoush.

Back on topic please.

johnboy said :

We update them all the time, but some of you guys aren’t actually quite as funny as you think you are.

Humour is subjective.

54-11 said :

But Kramer, you missed out those bastard NIMBYs who stop any form of progress, whether by governments in the pockets of developers, or developers in the pockets of government. Bastards! ( the NIMBY’s I mean, not the ever-so-nice developers whose only aim in life is to make us all happy).

Leave we NIMBYs out of this!

And lazy good for nothing Gen-Yers.

Kramer said :

So a new force to be hated by all has emerged… Now we have:
Road raging, speeding, right lane hogging, get-off-my-road, defective tailight, car drivers;
Furious, red-light running, lycra clad, inconsiderate, share-everything-with-me, cyclists; and now
Hoity-toity, thoroughfare blocking, SUV driving, peal & twinset wearing, dont-disturb-my-little-darling, rowing mums.

You forgot the bogans … and the cubbies.

Oh. And emos too, don’t forget emos.

Anyone complaining about first in best dressed should NEVER holiday in a resort with Europeans. If you want a chair near the pool, you have to get up before sunrise and place a towel over it. It’s the unspoken law of the urban jungle.

Igglepiggle said :

it’s the overblown sense of entitlement exhibited by some cyclists that I have trouble understanding – it’s the “how dare these people mill around on my path” attitude I find weird.

Again. Has anybody got an example of cyclists exhibiting this behaviour in this case? All I’ve heard is exactly contrary, it was the Rower Parents acting like dildos.

We update them all the time, but some of you guys aren’t actually quite as funny as you think you are.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:23 pm 19 Feb 09

When are we actually going to update the taglines?

But Kramer, you missed out those bastard NIMBYs who stop any form of progress, whether by governments in the pockets of developers, or developers in the pockets of government. Bastards! ( the NIMBY’s I mean, not the ever-so-nice developers whose only aim in life is to make us all happy).

So a new force to be hated by all has emerged… Now we have:
Road raging, speeding, right lane hogging, get-off-my-road, defective tailight, car drivers;
Furious, red-light running, lycra clad, inconsiderate, share-everything-with-me, cyclists; and now
Hoity-toity, thoroughfare blocking, SUV driving, peal & twinset wearing, dont-disturb-my-little-darling, rowing mums.

Perhaps if they used the proper name “Cyanobacteria” instead of the harmless-sounding “blue-green algae” the warnings might be taken more seriously?

Clown Killer said :

For me, it’s primarily an issue of recognition of the existence of other people and a mutual respect.

Agreed Jim. Sure people are milling about on the shared path that goes around the lake – that could happen just about anywhere along its length so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise. As far as I can see any, cyclist that wasn’t full of their own self importance would simply avoid contributing further to the melee and dismount – it’s the overblown sense of entitlement exhibited by some cyclists that I have trouble understanding – it’s the “how dare these people mill around on my path” attitude I find weird.

Drug addled rave organisers do a better job. – Johnboy, Editor In Chief

Tagline.

Later that day:

“Good show Hetherington! That bump earlier on didn’t slow you down a bit!”
“We gave them a good shake up!”
“That will teach them!”
“The old leg’s a bit stiff though.”
“To be expected me old chap – that bicycle brute gave you a good old whack!”
“Oh my goodness!”
“What the devil’s the matter with you Hetherington? You’ve gone all pale.”
“Well i’ve just noticed the old leg looks infected…”
“Oh my! It does indeed!”
“Looks like gas gangrene! It’s stinging like billy-o!”
“Better get you to the quack ol’ boy! Must be the algae.”
“I wonder if they’ll settle?”

lol

Poor old Heatherington, what?

“Oh I say Hetherington-Symthe, look at the size of this crowd. Let’s put on a good show in the eights!”
“I couldn’t agree more old chap – I’d love to give those fellows from Latherton St Johns Private a good leathering!”
“Ha ha! Give me a hand to carry this over to the start will you?”
“Up she goes!”
“My she’s heavy!”
“Put your back into it!”
“Nearly there!”
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrh SMACK.
Thud
“Heatherington?! Heatherington!? My goodness, some beast of a man had knocked you over with his bicycle machine!”

Clown Killer said :

On the other hand if the NCA had any regulatory mussel …

Is that anything like a legislative oyster?

poptop said :

johnboy said :

Fortunately the dog is fine, although still of few accomplishments.

You were, perhaps, expecting some Marvel Comic-like transformation of the dog? The Hulkdog or Spiderdog?

Being blue-green algae, I imagine Carpdog is as good as it gets.

what about slimedog?

if this event had gone pear shaped, and many children had become ill, it would have been all the NCA’s fault. It is only through sheer bl##dy luck that this didn’t occur. what will happen next time? will the organisers do a better job of preventing the kids being exposed to hazardous circumstances? will the parents ensure the safety of their kids?

johnboy said :

No simple thing to take responsibility for your own actions in team events.

You’ve heard the lake is closed but everyone is going and people in authority over you say it’s OK. Hardly a good learning experience there.

As far as I can tell (and we’re all waiting to hear their side of the story) this is down to really poor event organising and some sweeping arrogance.

Drug addled rave organisers do a better job.

My point exactly JB – what were the parents/organisers thinking?

No simple thing to take responsibility for your own actions in team events.

You’ve heard the lake is closed but everyone is going and people in authority over you say it’s OK. Hardly a good learning experience there.

As far as I can tell (and we’re all waiting to hear their side of the story) this is down to really poor event organising and some sweeping arrogance.

Drug addled rave organisers do a better job.

Sezzle, by definition a pedestrian is someone who travels by foot. Standing about isn’t travelling.

I hear on the grapevine that a fair number of participants have actually become ill, can anyone confirm this? (Karma’s a bitch, eh?)

Clown Killer said :

I’d rather raise kids with the ability to make decisions for themselves and to take responsibility for their own actions than I would raise them to wait like morons for the Government to tell them what was the right and the wrong thing to do.

I think encouraging your kids to participate in water-based activities in/on water that is infested with blue-green algae (which is pretty nasty stuff) is just stupid. I like to think that I am raising my kids to be independant thinkers, but also have the good sense to heed warnings that are put in place for their own protection – presumably on the advice of experts. I would hope that I am NOT raising kids who blatantly disregard well-intentioned warnings in pursuit of a good time.

Woody Mann-Caruso12:50 pm 19 Feb 09

“I’m responsible for my actions!”
“Dude, you’re turning green.”
“I DEMAND FREE PRIORITY HEALTH CARE!”

johnboy said :

Fortunately the dog is fine, although still of few accomplishments.

You were, perhaps, expecting some Marvel Comic-like transformation of the dog? The Hulkdog or Spiderdog?

Being blue-green algae, I imagine Carpdog is as good as it gets.

My inner misanthrope is somewhat conflicted. Which group shits me more – the bicycle menace (aka new age golfers) or the heroically annoying rower mamas and their damp, perhaps blotchy, offspring…

Line ball.

I’ve got no particular views either way, but as a regular pedestrian on shared paths who suffers at the hands of ignorant lycra-clad cyclists who act as if they own the paths, I see a lot of irony in all this.

Cyclists, if the rowers upset you so much, think about what the bahaviour of some of you do to ordinary, non-rowing pedestrians.

Hehe, I’m sure they could come up with something 🙂 Okay, so maybe I was drawing a long-ish bow there.

I do agree that it would be nice if we didn’t have to live in a nanny-state, but the sad facts are:

a) There are a lot of morons out there who don’t think and won’t accept responsibility for their actions
b) Our society is becoming more litigious (even when the grounds are flimsy)
c) Governments feel they have to cover their backsides

Put those together and there’s not a lot of freedom left for those of us who are able to excercise common sense :-/

I’d also add that hearing “The rowing regatta had an exemption” I figured the danger couldn’t be that bad and took the dog for a swim in the lake on Tuesday.

Now learning there was no such exemption, It doesn’t bring much sunshine to my view of these plonkers.

Fortunately the dog is fine, although still of few accomplishments.

Clown Killer12:33 pm 19 Feb 09

On what grounds?

Trouble is CK, very few people these days are willing to take responsibility for their actions. I could almost guarantee, based on the attitudes demonstrated (and I’m not talking about the cycle path bit here), that if any of the rowers became seriously ill from this event, the parents would be lining up to litigate.

Clown Killer12:33 pm 19 Feb 09

JD, Post #51 should help you with what’s expected whn you’re out and about on a shared path like the one around the lake. Otherwise, not a bad troll.

Clown Killer12:27 pm 19 Feb 09

What exactly does high risk mean? I’d argue that there’s very little risk in this world that can’t be managed to mitigate it’s outcomes.

I’d rather raise kids with the ability to make decisions for themselves and to take responsibility for their own actions than I would raise them to wait like morons for the Government to tell them what was the right and the wrong thing to do.

OK I can see the point that the rowers should not be using the lake and it is a bit arrogant of them to snub their noses at the closure of the lake.
However I find the attitude that the bike riders have about the snobby rowers using “their” bike path and forcing them to slow down or even walk the bike a little hypocritical. As a car driver I commonly have to slow down and be patient because one of these lycra nutjobs are riding on the road and I can’t overtake for one reason or another. Yet if a car driver was to complain about this the reply from cyclists is “it’s a public place we have the right to be here so just be patient and get over it” (Thats not a direct quote it’s a paraphrase of replies I’ve seen here posted on riotact). Perhaps the cyclists should heed their own arguements and just be patient with the snobby twats and just get over it, just like drivers have had to do with them.

The reason I have linked to the behaviours is because they form a very ugly pattern.

1) Abuse of other foreshore users.
2) Disregard of a closure notice being observed by all other users (some of which also had major events), even in the face of extra-ordinary action by a commonwealth agency head.
3) Someone was telling pork pies to the media about the existence of an exemption to justify their activities.

Now I don’t know if it’s the rowing, or the independent schooling that lead to this ugly pattern, or a little of both.

As for moving the event, the courses are marked, and the boatsheds and jump-in points are extensive pieces of infrastructure on Black Mountain Peninsula. It’s no small matter to try and move them and anyway the whole lake was meant to be closed.

Even as a former Radford student I’m alarmed at the size of the boathouse they’ve been allowed to plonk down on what used to be parkland on the lake shore.

I don’t think too many cyclists have a big problem with the regatta event milling around the cycle path, and the need to slow down to a crawl if necessary to ensure everyone’s safety, and to stop to avoidpeople who are distracted and unaware of the cyclists using the path.

I think what you’ll find really gets up cyclists noses, and causes tempers to flare, and desevedly so, are the morons in the rowing clique who mill about on the path, and make no attempt to show courtesy to observed approaching cyclists by moving a foot or two off the path to allow easy passage for the cycle path user. These small-minded people seem to gain some sort of satisfaction in looking directly at an approaching cyclist, while making no attempt to allow a bit of room, until they have made the cyclist stop, at which point they feign surprised politeness and move a little off the path, aploogising in a superior smug sort of way.

These people aren’t restricted to the rowing fraternity though, some of the worst path-hogging bitches are members of senior walking groups, who seem to have somehow got the idea that because their event is using a cycle path, both lanes of the cycle path belong to them, and heaven help any cyclist who dares to ride towards them in the left lane. I have actually had bike to bitch contact with some of these grey-haired twaddlebrains due to their refusal to allow me sufficient room. And I can tell you my bike didn’t suffer any bruising, unlike these self-important moo-cows.

Yes, obviously engaging in high-risk behaviour, and encouraging your kids to do the same, is perfectly alright … as long as nobody gets hurt.

Clown Killer12:12 pm 19 Feb 09

The entirety of the Lake Closure Notice posted on the NCA website reads:

Elevated Blue-Green algae levels remain in Lake Burley Griffin and the blue-green algae alert remains in place. In accordance with ACT Health guidelines, it is unsafe for any activities that involve contact with the water such as swimming, bathing, canoeing, rowing and boating

You would have thought would have been pretty unambiguous as to the sorts of activities that were considered to be risky. On the other hand if the NCA had any regulatory mussel to enforce the closure the notice might have indicated that too, which suggests to me that they don’t have that power.

The NCA gets its advice from ACT Health, who knows where the Rowing Association got theirs from. In the end, unless we get a bunch of school kids falling ill with blue-green algae poisoning then it’s probably a lot of fuss about bugger all.

Do you think junior high school kids have the ‘capacity to be responsible for their own actions’ when the school, their parents and the rowing club is telling them that it is okay to row on a toxic lake? I still think that think that this is irresponsible parenting/schooling – irrespective of the demographic.

This from a cycling brochure on the TAMS website:

Shared paths/footpath/cycle paths

• It is permissible for cyclists to ride on footpaths in
the ACT
• Show courtesy to other users, especially
pedestrians. Remember that small children are
unpredictable and older people may not see or hear
you. Also remember that people may be walking
dogs on leads. Give them a wide berth. Cyclists
must give right of way to pedestrians, wheel chairs
and motorised scooters used by people with
disabilities. This might occasionally involve
dismounting and walking the bike
• Cyclists should keep left where possible

& back on topic, no one should have been using the lake, but the closure of it is not policed either, which is a pity. I think in these circumstances ACT health should have greater powers to stop people from using potentionally harmfull area’s.

Clown Killer11:53 am 19 Feb 09

My reading of the CT article suggested that the NCA can ask people to not use the lake – and probably stop Commonwealth or ACT activities, but that they can’t do much about other users who, after taking counsel from the NCA, exercise their own judgement and take responsibility for their own actions.

It’s a tad rich to paint that as being somehow subversive or arrogant on the part of the rowing community. Last time I looked Stanhope and Rudd and the other proponents of the molly-coddle and regulate everything brigade hadn’t quite got around to taking away peoples capacity to be responsible for their own actions.

Clown Killer said :

it’s the “how dare these people mill around on my path” attitude I find weird.

Fair enough.

It’s just that I haven’t seen any of this attitude from cyclists. Was that part of the radio interview?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy11:52 am 19 Feb 09

Like durian.

Clown Killer said :

love to see him get out of his Bently

I wish buddy! Besides I live in Kambah, where a fair slice of the demographic is made up of bogans, or as refer to them – CUBs (Cashed Up Bogans). Whether its rowing mums, Woodstock ‘n cola swilling bogans or the Yarralumla latte set walking their golden retrievers in Weston Park it dosn’t change the fact that if your a cyclist sharing a path with them you have choices – be an a-hole or get of your bike. Simple really.

oooh! kambah is full of CUBs. maybe i am one. maybe not. doesn’t matter.

I wouldn’t have let my kids enter a rowing regatta on a lake that was closed – there are signs around the lake stating this fact, saw a couple at weston park… don’t the organisers take the time prior to the event starting to check the status of the event site with the relevant authorities? organisers are accountable for their actions. if they ignored warnings, or just didn’t take the time to check, then the accountability is not on the NCA, rather it is their own silly fault for putting their participants at risk.

and it was public knowledge, the dragon boat race had been canceled on the radio, heard that first thing in the morning…

I think the kids (presumably impressionable teenagers) who participated in this event must have learned a very valuable lesson from Sunday … ‘it really is okay to actively disobey the rules – even those that are provided for your own safety – for the sake of a good time’. What a terrific message to send your soon-to-be-driving kids.

The event organisers and participants should be ashamed of themselves. I wonder who would have been held liable if somebody became very sick?

PreciousLilywhite11:44 am 19 Feb 09

Ha Ha WMC…
We should also take whoever responsible for all this to a colosseum and throw exotic rotten fruits at them while they fight a Minotaur!

I think with a bit of consideration and manners from all concerned there needn’t have been a situation. I think it is considerate to keep a cycle path clear or move out of the way when a cyclist approaches. Likewise, if a path is chockers it is more sensible for the cyclist to just go around and mumble under their breath a little.

Wasn’t there also a big fishing event on LBG on the weekend? I saw a large number of fishers all around the lake, and there was coverage of it in TCT. Were/are those people also at risk if they ate the fish?

Gotta say, I agree with mooo_cow that we’re straying into a bit of a non-issue from what, to me, is a more concerning issue.

How the hell did these people get an “exemption” to use the lake after it was deemed a health risk, and what sort of moron actually pushes that event ahead when they’re fully aware of the risk?

It’s like giving someone an exemption to live in an asbestos-laced house.

Clown Killer11:38 am 19 Feb 09

For me, it’s primarily an issue of recognition of the existence of other people and a mutual respect.

Agreed Jim. Sure people are milling about on the shared path that goes around the lake – that could happen just about anywhere along its length so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise. As far as I can see any, cyclist that wasn’t full of their own self importance would simply avoid contributing further to the melee and dismount – it’s the overblown sense of entitlement exhibited by some cyclists that I have trouble understanding – it’s the “how dare these people mill around on my path” attitude I find weird.

Woody Mann-Caruso11:34 am 19 Feb 09

Can you buy wheel scythes for your road bike, a la Ben Hur and the chariot race?

I think this discussion is getting a little off topic. It is not about the fact that people are hovering on a cycle path without a thought about blocking the way. Yes they have a care free attitude and don’t treat the cycle path like a road, as you can get hit by a bike on the cycle path and it is going to hurt.

As for disobeying the NCA, if it was being run by a group of schools is one thing, on the schools heads. But if it was being run by ACT Rowing and the ACT gives any sponsorship to ACT Rowing, the ACT government may want to review what has occurred.

Clown Killer11:28 am 19 Feb 09

I think you’re making certain assumptions there Yap. But everything else aside, I doubt I’d swap my views of the Brindabella ranges and beyond for anything the inner south has to offer any time soon.

Clown Killer said :

On another level it seems to have developed into an “us and them” thing with responsibility of the (overblown and exaggerated) problems somehow entrenched in perceived notions of privilege – which I believe I have rightly pointed out to be bollocks.

\

I dunno, I just don’t see the ‘privilege’ thing coming into play here. JB gave the example of “mouth breathing morons who stand talking at the tops of escalators”, which is almost socio-economically neutral. If anything, it could be said to swing in the other direction.

For me, it’s primarily an issue of recognition of the existence of other people and a mutual respect.

If it’s a thoroughfare, people should (within reason) stay off it unless thoroughfaring, or, at very least, be aware of said thouroughfarers and make an effort to accommodate them.

People getting pissy because people are riding bikes on a bikepath is ludicrous, regardless of gross income or educational level.

We Kambahites are preparing our children for Latham-like careers

PreciousLilywhite11:25 am 19 Feb 09

My in-laws regularly (every weekend) take disabled folk sailing.
They have been told: the lake is closed. Thus all activity is is to cease.
Therefore, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE LAKE.

I’m confused as to why this group was allowed on the lake. Should the police have been called to drive the point home?
You can’t tell me that a rowing regatta is more important than any other single or group event happening on the lake. It is inconvienent to reschedule but so what?
Seriously, this fine display of arrogance by a specific group tugs at the fragile fabric that binds society together.
An example must be made of these people and someone must be held to account.

I keep hearing about ‘all the sarifices’ elite private school parents make to buy their kids a leg-up in life, but living in Kambah!

perhaps the rowing could be shifted to the front of the lake, near the red gravel and vista of the parliament houses, over the war memorial side. they could spread out as much as they wanted to then…

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Do you propose that their should be a ballot system for the picnic areas, roads and bike paths?

There is one. You call the ACT Rangers office. They send you a map of the park you’re interested in marked with the areas that have already been booked for events. You circle the area you want, fill in a form that gives some details about your event and fax it back. It’s all very civilised, until d.ckheads with an overinflated sense of entitlement and that ‘first in’ mentality you seem so fond of just rock up and ruin it.

“I booked this a month ago.”
“Oh yeah? Well, um, I was totally here first! So there!”

Ballot system trumps 10-4 for sure 🙂

Totally against over inflated senses of entitlement. Goes both ways though. Can’t hate on a bunch of rowers for simply using a space. Using it like they own it isn’t kosher.

Clown Killer11:06 am 19 Feb 09

love to see him get out of his Bently

I wish buddy! Besides I live in Kambah, where a fair slice of the demographic is made up of bogans, or as refer to them – CUBs (Cashed Up Bogans). Whether its rowing mums, Woodstock ‘n cola swilling bogans or the Yarralumla latte set walking their golden retrievers in Weston Park it dosn’t change the fact that if your a cyclist sharing a path with them you have choices – be an a-hole or get of your bike. Simple really.

Clown Killer10:58 am 19 Feb 09

A well run event would have had marshalls, designated and supervised crossing points, and would have called the whole thing off when the lake was officially closed for health reasons

Agreed JB, unfortunately it wasn’t a well run event, and because of that the responsibility falls to individuals, which is why I’m arguing that the sensible thing for cyclists to do would have been to dismount, negotiate the melee and get on with their lives. At that level it’s a complete non-issue.

On another level it seems to have developed into an “us and them” thing with responsibility of the (overblown and exaggerated) problems somehow entrenched in perceived notions of privilege – which I believe I have rightly pointed out to be bollocks.

“Rowers aside (in the sense that I don’t think it really matters who forms the crowd), if there
were 40 or 60 or a 100 people milling about, some of whom were on the bike path then I think
it’s pretty reasonable for all cyclists to get off their bikes and walk through that
section…”

How about 40 or 60 or 100 bogans milling about on Clown’s street: love to see him get out of his Bently and “walk through that section”.

Woody Mann-Caruso10:47 am 19 Feb 09

Do you propose that their should be a ballot system for the picnic areas, roads and bike paths?

There is one. You call the ACT Rangers office. They send you a map of the park you’re interested in marked with the areas that have already been booked for events. You circle the area you want, fill in a form that gives some details about your event and fax it back. It’s all very civilised, until d.ckheads with an overinflated sense of entitlement and that ‘first in’ mentality you seem so fond of just rock up and ruin it.

“I booked this a month ago.”
“Oh yeah? Well, um, I was totally here first! So there!”

CK, it might be for mixed use but it remains a thoroughfare.

Like the mouth breathing morons who stand talking at the tops of escalators anyone blocking one deserves to be punished.

A well run event would have had marshalls, designated and supervised crossing points, and would have called the whole thing off when the lake was officially closed for health reasons.

Clown Killer said :

…I think it’s pretty reasonable for all cyclists to get off their bikes and walk through that section…

Just as it’s equally reasonable for people to watch for other users of the path before they cross it. That’s what sharing is all about – give and take.

As usual the opinions of cyclists are being misrepresented and fabricated.

Clown Killer10:41 am 19 Feb 09

Last time I looked, Jim, the path around the lake was a shared path. No amount of lycra, expensive bike and moron attitude changes the equation that on a shared trail cyclists yield to pedestrians. Common sense says that if there’s a bunch of other people using the bike path – even if it’s just for standing around on – then the responsible thing to do is get of your bike and walk.

I do believe that it is about envy Jim. When the thread is laced with loser lines like “rowers and their mummies carrying on”, “Snotty nosed people” and “pack of self-entitled jerkwads”. This is the sort of language that reeks of inferiority complex.

Hells_Bells74 said :

Too funny Crabb!

Some amazing words spewed forth from G-fresh but ‘their’ ‘ballet’ amazes me further.

You do vote I take it? 😉

😉

Jb, can you make “Failing that, I say crank the bike up to full speed and charge into the mass of people, both groups will be taught a lesson.” – Troy Williams, former Liberal Candidate for Fraser a pool room nominee?

TroyWilliams10:25 am 19 Feb 09

…the NCA Chief Executive, Gary Rake, has put the lie to this, he even went so far as to go down to the lake on Sunday morning to beg them to not put the kids in the water.

Sounds like a decent bloke trying to do a good job.

On the use of the lake, a bit of common sense usually sorts these things out. Parents of rowers need to understand that the path has multiple uses and bike riders need to exercise a bit of logic, get off and walk through the mass of people – if only for the safety of others. Failing that, I say crank the bike up to full speed and charge into the mass of people, both groups will be taught a lesson :-p

When it comes to permits on the use of the lake, they make sense if there are competing demands – but be careful, if you can regulate it the taxes usually follow.

ClownKiller – no matter how many people are milling around, how hard is it to keep an eye on the bike path? It’s a simple matter of common courtesy. The paths are there for everyone, and it’s a major inconvenience for cyclists not to be able to use the paths because they’re full of people who are too self-involved to think of other people.

“This is about envy”? Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, you’re a top contender for the Agincourt Award (awarded for the longest bow drawn in an internet forum).

Clown Killer10:12 am 19 Feb 09

Rowers aside (in the sense that I don’t think it really matters who forms the crowd), if there were 40 or 60 or a 100 people milling about, some of whom were on the bike path then I think it’s pretty reasonable for all cyclists to get off their bikes and walk through that section and I have no problem with people heaping sh!t on those cyclists who what to carry on like knob-ends by insisting that they have some god-given right to ride wherever they please, irrespective of the conditions.

The insufferable cry-baby antics of those who have fabricated an issue of out this have done little more than draw attention to their own insecurities and reveal their self-obsession with their own failures and inadequacy. People who participate in rowing, elect to educate their children privately or choose to drive an imported car (based on the stereotypes portraying in this and the related thread), are in reality no more superior to anyone else – it’s just what those people chose to do.

This isn’t about permits, blue-green algae or shared space – this is about envy. Get over it.

Hells_Bells7410:08 am 19 Feb 09

Kudos to that Niftydog.

G-Fresh said :

Why would there have been other users on the lakes shore?

WTF? What arrogance! People walk and cycle through that part of the lake every day of the year regardless of algal blooms or rowing regattas.

G-Fresh said :

First in best dressed.

WTFx2? Special permission was granted to host a large event in a shared public space – the event organisers should have been appreciative and considerate of other users. Instead I’m hearing nothing but ignorance and contempt.

G-Fresh said :

They have just as much right to use the facilities as anyone else.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Wow. Just wow.

Hells_Bells749:56 am 19 Feb 09

Oh that’s very clever too when I went back and read the new comments.

Hells_Bells749:54 am 19 Feb 09

Too funny Crabb!

Some amazing words spewed forth from G-fresh but ‘their’ ‘ballet’ amazes me further.

You do vote I take it? 😉

So we’re all in furious agreement then?

The complaining mother wanted the ACT Government to support rowing. Quite frankly I do not want them to support rowing. I don’t want them to support any sport (even my beloved ACTAFL). If anyone in the Government even knows that rowing exists, then the Government has too many resources.

She could have just meant traffic control though…but that’s harder to make a rant out of.

crabb said :

Those wearing tutus get right of way?

Yup, it comes from the 1957 Ballet wars in New York City where two rival ballet gangs were competing for the use of the town hall. It is a little more complicated than just the person who wears the tutu gets the right of way though, for example if you are wearing a badly home-made tutu with a droopy, uneven hem then everyone, tutu or not, trumps you.

“First in best dressed” is hardly a compelling argument that explains why certain people think they can take over a ‘shared’ area – including heavily used bike paths – and treat it as if it exists for their benefit alone.

Sure, they have a right to use the facilities as much as everyone else, but they don’t have a right to exclude others from using the facilities.

One would have thought that parents would see an inherently value in demonstrating the value of sharing to their offspring. It sounds to me as if they were more interested in demonstrating the ineffable joy of acting like a pack of self-entitled jerkwads.

Aah, but apparently they think that by virtue of their Regatta, all otherwise public facilities in the area magically became “theirs”, and that they could do with them as they wished.

Happy for them and theirs to enjoy their regular activities, but unable to find any reasoning for why they should be so hostile towards anyone else who might like to also make use of the same facilities.

I mean, fancy wanting to use a cycle path for cycling. Or the roads for driving. What is the world coming to?

Those wearing tutus get right of way?

Snotty nosed people that won’t share spaces are easily scared off with a bit of tom-foolery and rambunctious misbehavior. 🙂

I doubt they’d have voiced their discontent as to others using the space. This is probably an over estimation of the goings on…

Lol what’s a ballet system I ask you? For I do not know.

Sure, maybe if they acted as if they were sharing with the same rights no-one would have complained.

What I’m hearing is “how dare you horrid people share our space”

If they couldn’t get the roads and bike paths closed then should not have carried on as if they had.

Ditto the entry to a closed lake.

First in best dressed. Do you propose that their should be a ballet system for the picnic areas, roads and bike paths?

They have just as much right to use the facilities as anyone else

The picnic areas, roads, and bike paths weren’t closed, but that didn’t stop the rowers and their mummies carrying on as if they had been by all accounts, and the admissions of the mummies on air this morning.

Why would there have been other users on the lakes shore? Firstly given that there were restrictions on the lakes use and secondly that the place being discussed is often throughout the year used for regattas?

Are the complainants feeling a little left out that they weren’t at the regatta, and haven’t been involved in rowing before? It’s not a sport only for ‘well heeled’ participants in fact it is quite cheap to join the Canberra Rowing Club for instance and be involved.

The complaining about this only shows how much people on this forum are a bunch of insolent cry babies that could much better spend there time.

Go for a row!

That parent sounded like someone who would post on RiotACT.

The NCA covered their butts so it sounds like if something went wrong it would fall on ACT Rowing for liability. This is as it should be.

A second parent that called in seemed to make it clear that ACT Rowing weren’t exactly being forthright regarding the dangers (and the attempts by NCA to have it cancelled). If I were a parent I’d be rather cranky.

So there was no permit and there are no consequences?

I heard that interview. Very interesting.

The organisers were using a shower to mitigate the effects of the algae, although a shower doesn’t do much for the algae ingested accidently when you fall in.

A parent called in too, instead of discussing the real issue she went on about cyclists getting in the way.

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