25 September 2012

Proof! Of a cyclist being a knob! One cyclist!

| johnboy
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cyclist

Tim has sent this one in.

Which side is it again?!

Here I was on my evening commute home on Friday when this unlit cyclist came around a corner heading right for me! The poor jogger really couldn’t do any mor to “share the path”. The other cyclist somehow managed to pass me and overtake the jogger without colliding with either of us, but then the strangest thing happened – he yelled over his shoulder at me to “stay on the right side of the road!” Up until that moment, I’d thought we were all supposed to travel on the left-hand side, now I’m confused – can someone please clarify this for me?!

Note: the image has NOT been reversed/flipped.

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OpenYourMind7:33 am 30 Sep 12

It’s funny to see an article with people bitching about cyclists and including a shoddy photo of what appears to be normal cycleway usage. Often the people who bitch loudest are car drivers. The other trending article right next to this one is about just how crap Canberra car drivers are and that Labor is proposing an additional $6.8million to police ACT drivers and stop drink driving and whatnot.

Obviously there is a much, much bigger problem with crappy drivers killing people than the odd random cyclist overtaking a jogger or not ringing a bell.

Ah yeah…Not quite believing this post. Just seems a bit dumb.

JimCharles said :

[…] or a pushbike scoots right across your bows thinking he’s wearing an indestructible armoured suit rather than pair of nylon shorts.

I was particularly impressed by the fellow this morning who swung his bike across the width of the road, passing uncomfortably close to me, with his youngster perched precariously on his handlebars!

At least they were wearing helmets. No nylon shorts, though – hard to tell from my vantage point, but I think they may have been hemp.

M0les said :

I used to live in Cambridge, UK (Where they also drive on the left). Problem is a lot of the bike-traffic was foreign students who probably hadn’t had any experience driving a car in the UK.
.

Then you have Canberra where both cyclists and drivers seem to be “unique” in their mixed abilities to judge speed, follow rules, and show any awareness or skill in what they’re doing.

I often think driving round here is like playing on a computer driving game on the simplest level…it should be very easy and ambling…. but then some truck driven by a redneck will come up behind you like a bullet, or a pushbike scoots right across your bows thinking he’s wearing an indestructible armoured suit rather than pair of nylon shorts. Fascinating experience.

wildturkeycanoe said :

Clearly the jogger is holding up traffic and as there is a dotted centre-line, the cyclist has every right to take out his frustration and overtake the slower vehicle, though he should give way to oncoming traffic and obey the designated speed limit.
As soon as his front tyre touches the wooden planks though, the rule applies “no overtaking on bridge”.
The cyclist may not know the rules though, as it is not a legal requirement to have a valid driver’s license to ride a bicycle, nor are they required to pass a knowledge test of ANY kind!!
HERE, people, is the craziness of the cycling world exhibited by none less than a cyclist.
I’d like to know if this oncoming cyclist would be willing to come to almost a complete stop for what may seem an eternity, before he can overtake safely [a dilemma I have to put up with on a daily basis due to “slower vehicles”].
If there had been an accident on the bridge, who would be at fault and if serious, how would medical costs be paid? Third party insurance anyone, public liability or civil lawsuit? Makes one wonder what it’s all heading toward.
Bring on more footage, I want to see just how friendly these shared paths actually are.

Call a royal inquisition, this injustice cannot be allowed to stand!!

wildturkeycanoe said :

If there had been an accident on the bridge, who would be at fault and if serious, how would medical costs be paid? Third party insurance anyone, public liability or civil lawsuit? Makes one wonder what it’s all heading toward.

Simple solution, Turkey. You encourage all cyclists to join Pedal Power. Then they have Third Party.

Did you notice an accent?

I used to live in Cambridge, UK (Where they also drive on the left). Problem is a lot of the bike-traffic was foreign students who probably hadn’t had any experience driving a car in the UK. Ended-up with a few interesting head-ons as both directions pulled to the same side of the track.

The up-side was that the stoppages were always low-speed without damage or injury and the other parties were invariably hot Spanish lasses staying at the YMCA I was at.

grunge_hippy10:15 pm 25 Sep 12

*squints*

is that johnboy jogging?

wildturkeycanoe said :

Clearly the jogger is holding up traffic and as there is a dotted centre-line, the cyclist has every right to take out his frustration and overtake the slower vehicle, though he should give way to oncoming traffic and obey the designated speed limit.
As soon as his front tyre touches the wooden planks though, the rule applies “no overtaking on bridge”.
The cyclist may not know the rules though, as it is not a legal requirement to have a valid driver’s license to ride a bicycle, nor are they required to pass a knowledge test of ANY kind!!
HERE, people, is the craziness of the cycling world exhibited by none less than a cyclist.
I’d like to know if this oncoming cyclist would be willing to come to almost a complete stop for what may seem an eternity, before he can overtake safely [a dilemma I have to put up with on a daily basis due to “slower vehicles”].
If there had been an accident on the bridge, who would be at fault and if serious, how would medical costs be paid? Third party insurance anyone, public liability or civil lawsuit? Makes one wonder what it’s all heading toward.
Bring on more footage, I want to see just how friendly these shared paths actually are.

You really think that most of the riders over 17 dont have a licence?

I would suggest that easily 90% would have, why a number dont obey the road rules I cant answer that. Maybe its the fact that the consequence is lower in the event of an incident caused by the rider and the fact these incidents are less common than incidents in motor vehicles; which grabs peoples attention.

wildturkeycanoe9:44 pm 25 Sep 12

Clearly the jogger is holding up traffic and as there is a dotted centre-line, the cyclist has every right to take out his frustration and overtake the slower vehicle, though he should give way to oncoming traffic and obey the designated speed limit.
As soon as his front tyre touches the wooden planks though, the rule applies “no overtaking on bridge”.
The cyclist may not know the rules though, as it is not a legal requirement to have a valid driver’s license to ride a bicycle, nor are they required to pass a knowledge test of ANY kind!!
HERE, people, is the craziness of the cycling world exhibited by none less than a cyclist.
I’d like to know if this oncoming cyclist would be willing to come to almost a complete stop for what may seem an eternity, before he can overtake safely [a dilemma I have to put up with on a daily basis due to “slower vehicles”].
If there had been an accident on the bridge, who would be at fault and if serious, how would medical costs be paid? Third party insurance anyone, public liability or civil lawsuit? Makes one wonder what it’s all heading toward.
Bring on more footage, I want to see just how friendly these shared paths actually are.

Woody Mann-Caruso7:05 pm 25 Sep 12

From the photo it appears that you are almost riding on the centre line of the bridge.

Except the centre of the photo – and so presumably the camera – is exactly in the centre of the left lane.

Leon said :

Aeek said :

Walking on the right of the path is like driving slowly on the right of the road..

But that’s what Road Rule 238 (2) requires: “A pedestrian travelling along a road:
(a) must keep as far to the left or right side of the road as is practicable; and
(ab) must, when moving forward, face approaching traffic that is moving in the direction opposite to which the pedestrian is travelling, unless it is impracticable to do so.”

As a bonus, no Road Rule requires those pedestrians to give way to oncoming cars, or vice versa.

And some people wonder why other people ingore the law!

True, but irrelevant. A path is not a road. A bikelane, however, is a marked lane of a road.

Aeek said :

fermion said :

… Walking on the right of the path is like driving slowly on the right of the road..

But that’s what Road Rule 238 (2) requires: “A pedestrian travelling along a road:
(a) must keep as far to the left or right side of the road as is practicable; and
(ab) must, when moving forward, face approaching traffic that is moving in the direction opposite to which the pedestrian is travelling, unless it is impracticable to do so.”

As a bonus, no Road Rule requires those pedestrians to give way to oncoming cars, or vice versa.

And some people wonder why other people ingore the law!

Clearly Tim is in the wrong.

Sammy said :

What I see is a cyclist avoiding a runner, no actual incident occurring, somebody with way too much time on their hands, and not enough actual problems to occupy their time with.

+1

OP – Companies have to put safety labels on everything because of people like you…

Looks like he is also overtaking another cyclist, who is behind the jogger. He’s a knob.

Ah, another cyclists are knobs article, guess its been too long since the last one. At least I was sure t was RiotACT when I saw this headline lol!

Mysteryman said :

Cyclists are knobs all the time. Just like pedestrians and motorists.

I disagree.

This knob is representing only himself.
The cycling, walking, and motoring community all disown him.

I had a go at a couple of blokes yesrday while out riding. Same scenario on the southern forshore of the lake, neither of them gave way to me while they were passing a pedestrian and I had to brake to avoid them (I had a clear run on my lane).

I told them to pass safely but it seems impossible for a city driver to grasp this concept as it is not restricted to bicyles, I see it time and time again on the Monaro & Kings highways.

fermion said :

FYI: If you are cycling or walking on a shared path or footpath, keep to the left, but if you are walking on the side of the road, keep to the right.

+1 Walking on the right of the path is like driving slowly on the right of the road.
I remember a grader trying that on Tuggernong Parkway. Did not end well.

From the photo it appears that you are almost riding on the centre line of the bridge.
I too would be yelling at you to stay on the correct side of the lane.

FYI: If you are cycling or walking on a shared path or footpath, keep to the left, but if you are walking on the side of the road, keep to the right.

What I see is a cyclist avoiding a runner, no actual incident occurring, somebody with way too much time on their hands, and not enough actual problems to occupy their time with.

Makes a change from complaints of Weapons of Massive Daylight.

lol. another day on RiotACT.

Cyclists are knobs all the time. Just like pedestrians and motorists.

We’re done here.

I’m taking no sides in this argument at all, but just observing that the phrase “stay on the right side of the road!” could have been meant as “stay on the correct side of the road!”. Would that have made any difference in this context?

It’s 10 to 6. That’s getting dark but not yet fully dark.

I’ll bet the camera is the HD 808 #18 from ebay. Would be interesting to see the whole footage

Here I was on my evening commute home on Friday when this unlit cyclist came around a corner heading right for me!

Well, in the photo it doesn’t look entirely dark, and he does appear to have a front reflector. Plus, from the image it is impossible to tell if he is just overtaking the jogger. Not saying I don’t believe you – there are plenty of confused idiots out there, and some of them cycle.

Is this a still from a bike mounted camera? If so, can we see the video?

colourful sydney racing identity12:03 pm 25 Sep 12

firstly, his light is on
secondly, there is clearly plent of room for the cyclist
thirdly, grow up.

I’d just like to know how you managed to take a picture.

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