20 March 2012

When will those cyclists learn to share?

| ThatUniStudent
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I was reading this story on the news this morning about cyclists and their injuries, all caused by a lack of sharing apparently.

That’s right folks, cyclists should not have to share their bike paths with slow moving unregistered pedestrians. It causes accidents! This reminds me of another argument that goes along the lines of car drivers should not have to share their roads with slow moving unregistered cyclists, it causes accidents. It seems cyclists can’t share the road with cars, and can’t share bike tracks with pedestrians.

Now we’ve had dozens of threads about cyclists, pedestrians and cyclists, cars and cyclists, so you would think by now that the cyclists have learned that it is time to share. For some reason I still see silly buggers riding down parts of Canberra Avenue where there is no road bike lane, and totally ignore the bike path that runs along the north side of that busy road. I’ve seen them take on buses in the bus interchange. Yes, riding down the middle of the road, changing lanes at will, randomly and often enough to make you think they need riding lessons. Then there’s that idiot who rides down Commonwealth Avenue every morning who has road raged several buses and cars for “not leaving a gap wide enough for me to pass you” on the left. when it is illegal to pass because that’s creating another lane of traffic. Besides, he can pass on the footpath, that being perfectly legal here in the ACT.

I’m happy to share the road with these slow moving chicanes, yet they seem unhappy to share the road with cars, and unhappy to share the footpaths with pedestrians.

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thatsnotme said :

How exactly has it succeeded? You posted a bike thread, and got the response you were expecting – so what? How exactly do you believe that you’ve shown the futility of this type of thread? I’d put money on this not being the last car vs bike vs pedestrian thread that gets a response here. Nothing will change based on your little experiment, so you’ll have proven exactly what?

I had just assumed that ThatUniStudent was making a bid for this month’s Mully.

thatsnotme said :

How exactly has it succeeded? You posted a bike thread, and got the response you were expecting – so what? How exactly do you believe that you’ve shown the futility of this type of thread? I’d put money on this not being the last car vs bike vs pedestrian thread that gets a response here. Nothing will change based on your little experiment, so you’ll have proven exactly what?

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the bike vs car threads here are nothing compared to other, non-community based, forums. I’ve seen threads on Amazon.com, of all places, descend to death threats disturbingly quickly at the mere mention of cyclists.

jase! said :

poetix said :

To the person who wants to throw things at people in his way (Jase #34), it’s nice to see how all that exercise has made you so relaxed and gentle.

Third post on a cycling thread! That’s a sad first for me.

That isn’t what I said and wasn’t the point I was making but I think you know that, I was making a statement about the lack of situational awareness by path users and how it is compounded by iPods to the point where the traditional bike warning device has been rendered useless.

nice troll though

I never troll! And if you want to know where I got the idea that you might want to throw things at people:

jase! said :

given the prevalence if talkers and ipod wearers the only way to be sure a bell will get someones attention these days is to throw the bloody thing at them. If I could find a way to fit a stebel horn (google it) to my bike it would be awesome

Just wanted to clear that up. I do realise that you were being sarcastic though, now that I know what that means. Now I think we have oiled the chain more than enough, don’t you?

poetix said :

Actually, I think the word you were looking for here was satiric, rather than sarcastic, but I’ll leave you to look the difference up. I think there may be lots of different form of trolling, some of them quite subtle. It really just means trying to shape the conversation in a particular way, doesn’t it? (And it’s spelt ‘succeeded spectacularly’, by the way.)

Thanks for summing up what I was thinking, but couldn’t figure out how to express.

So ThatUniStudent, you came onto Riot Act, started a negative bike thread, then sat back to watch what happened. How novel…it’s not like the result wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Trolling is all about posting something with the intention of producing an emotional response – you managed to do that, but it’s hardly difficult given your choice of topic.

Considering that my sarcastic post was intended to show the futility of arguments between cyclists and car drivers, or cyclists and pedestrians for that matter, and to start such a futile thread, it has suceeded spectacually.

How exactly has it succeeded? You posted a bike thread, and got the response you were expecting – so what? How exactly do you believe that you’ve shown the futility of this type of thread? I’d put money on this not being the last car vs bike vs pedestrian thread that gets a response here. Nothing will change based on your little experiment, so you’ll have proven exactly what?

poetix said :

To the person who wants to throw things at people in his way (Jase #34), it’s nice to see how all that exercise has made you so relaxed and gentle.

Third post on a cycling thread! That’s a sad first for me.

That isn’t what I said and wasn’t the point I was making but I think you know that, I was making a statement about the lack of situational awareness by path users and how it is compounded by iPods to the point where the traditional bike warning device has been rendered useless.

nice troll though

poetix said :

To the person who wants to throw things at people in his way (Jase #34), it’s nice to see how all that exercise has made you so relaxed and gentle.

Third post on a cycling thread! That’s a sad first for me.

That isn’t what I said, and wasn’t the point I was making but I think you know that. I was making a point about the lack of situational awareness by path users and how it is compounded by iPods to the point where the traditional bike warning device has been rendered useless.

ThatUniStudent said :

LoL! Ha, excellent. Considering that my sarcastic post was intended to show the futility of arguments between cyclists and car drivers, or cyclists and pedestrians for that matter, and to start such a futile thread, it has suceeded spectacually. Hey, add yourself to number 10 on that list eh. Besides, trolling is done with the intention to harass, and I made no attempt to harass anyone, unlike yourself. Nice try, but you failed.

Actually, I think the word you were looking for here was satiric, rather than sarcastic, but I’ll leave you to look the difference up. I think there may be lots of different form of trolling, some of them quite subtle. It really just means trying to shape the conversation in a particular way, doesn’t it? (And it’s spelt ‘succeeded spectacularly’, by the way.)

To the person who wants to throw things at people in his way (Jase #34), it’s nice to see how all that exercise has made you so relaxed and gentle.

Third post on a cycling thread! That’s a sad first for me.

Felix the Cat said :

Possibly a lot of the ones you see in Civic area are Uni students and may of come from a different country where the helmets aren’t required and it’s considered “normal” there to ride all over the the road/footpath/wherever. They probably just haven’t been educated on the rules of riding bikes in Australia and may not have a car licence so aren’t familiar with rules.

No, like people who smoke pot, illegally download movies, jaywalk, drive through pedestrian crossings without stopping and do 90 in an 80 zone, I think they really just couldn’t give a sh*t…

Felix the Cat said :

Possibly a lot of the ones you see in Civic area are Uni students and may of come from a different country where the helmets aren’t required and it’s considered “normal” there to ride all over the the road/footpath/wherever. They probably just haven’t been educated on the rules of riding bikes in Australia and may not have a car licence so aren’t familiar with rules.

I’m not sure if you’re intending to imply that it’s not their responsibility to educate themselves on the laws and customs of their adopted land?

Felix the Cat9:41 am 21 Mar 12

wildturkeycanoe said :

I’ve had issue before with cyclists on the roads, but recently it has become a pedestrian vs cyclist issue.
The news.com.au article says that 1 in 4 cyclists presenting to hospital have head injuries. From what I’ve seen in Civic, only 1 in 4 actually wear helmets. Most of those do not ride to the left of the road, stop for pedestrians at pedestrian crossings or have any real consideration for anyone but themselves. They are worse than the lycra wearing variety of bipeds and probably have some problems in their head to start with.

Possibly a lot of the ones you see in Civic area are Uni students and may of come from a different country where the helmets aren’t required and it’s considered “normal” there to ride all over the the road/footpath/wherever. They probably just haven’t been educated on the rules of riding bikes in Australia and may not have a car licence so aren’t familiar with rules.

wildturkeycanoe5:20 am 21 Mar 12

I’ve had issue before with cyclists on the roads, but recently it has become a pedestrian vs cyclist issue.
The news.com.au article says that 1 in 4 cyclists presenting to hospital have head injuries. From what I’ve seen in Civic, only 1 in 4 actually wear helmets. Most of those do not ride to the left of the road, stop for pedestrians at pedestrian crossings or have any real consideration for anyone but themselves. They are worse than the lycra wearing variety of bipeds and probably have some problems in their head to start with.

Gungahlin Al11:04 pm 20 Mar 12

Jethro said :

astrojax said :

Henry82 said :

damien haas said :

Maybe we should have only ONE anti-cyclist story a month on RA ?

I think we should just have one consolidated thread entitled ‘cyclist vs cars’ and have it sticked to the sidebar.

no way! – it’d have to be ‘cars versus cyclists’… 😉

versus pedestrians

Why are people so unkind?

luv_this_city10:16 pm 20 Mar 12

did anywhere in the research mention the impact of the shared paths themselves on the injuries, like blind corners, loose surface, debris, vegetation, uneven surface, no lighting, etc ?

.. or the impact of the behaviour of shared path users like not keeping left, no control of dogs, poor bicycle control, distractions, not being single file (when it makes sense), not ringing bell when passing, not keeping a lookout ?

BTW I recall it is against the law to ride on the road where a shared path is provided.

And please remember not all cyclist are inconsiderate un-sharing idiots, a small minority methinks, just as not all motorists are speeding, drunk, red light running, illegal parking, non-indicating, mobile phone chatting, twats.

Had a great ride today, must go pay the $840 on my second car now..

ThatUniStudent said :

LoL! Ha, excellent. Considering that my sarcastic post was intended to show the futility of arguments between cyclists and car drivers, or cyclists and pedestrians for that matter, and to start such a futile thread, it has suceeded spectacually.

If that was your intent, you failed spectacularly.

However, if your intent was to look like a toss-pot, in that sir, you were successful.

astrojax said :

no way! – it’d have to be ‘cars versus cyclists’… 😉

“consolidated cyclist thread” 🙂

Pedestrians should be made to pay rego fees, third party insurance and wear license plates.

Felix the Cat9:19 pm 20 Mar 12

Solidarity said :

I hate cyclists.

No real reason why.

Just putting it out there

I hate people with nickname Solidarity

No real reason why.

Just putting it out there

Felix the Cat9:17 pm 20 Mar 12

Dilandach said :

A great big irritation of mine is walking with dil jr down near the library side of the lake where all the cafes are and having some armstrong wannabe riding full speed along the path closest to the lake. Anyone who has a three year old would understand they aren’t perfect little soldiers that will want to hold your hand and only march in step with you with eyes straight ahead. They’re kids. Especially around that area, its a good place for them to have a little run.

Not if there is danger of being run over by a bike. Let dil jr go for a run on grassy area off the bike path. If you know there is a reasonble chance of a bike to be speeding along the path (yes it’s wrong but lots of things are “wrong” and still happen) surely it would be a good idea to hold jr’s hand and not let go? No good writing “I was right, cyclist was wrong” on jr’s gravestone.

Dilandach said :

And having one of these clowns hit a small child at the speed they go at, would cause a lot of damage..

Yes it would, to both parties.

Dilandach said :

Its the feeling of entitlement that you get from cyclists as they race past without a care for anyone else. God forbid if you call them on the behaviour, be prepared for a speech on rights etc. Just don’t mention the risk of having to pry a toddler out of their spokes.

Yes, unfortunately some cyclists think the path is only for bikes, not pedestrians as well. Not sure what the solution is, confronting them doesn’t work, just leads to defensive anger, maybe more education of people in general on path use and ettiquitte.

damien haas said :

Maybe we should have only ONE anti-cyclist story a month on RA ?

It would win the Mully every month.

Boring.

luv_this_city9:13 pm 20 Mar 12

+1 for the Delta AirZhound, 115 DB that is VERY useful on shared and on-road, how I use

a tinkle of the bell to just say i’m here, a quick blast at distance (so you can fetch your dog, tighten leash, move left, whatever) and a big blast if you are in danger (or for cars)

DUB said :

One thing I still wonder at times- WHY do I stop for cyclists who fly through pedestrian crossing? Dismount!! I don’t mind waiting.

I don’t. I blare the horn and drive on. Simply too dangerous to let cyclists get into the habit of doing that – if they come out speeding from a place with low visibility, or let kids copy them, there will be an injury and that will cost the taxpayer.

onlytt600 said :

Why can’t we all just get along? mainly I drive but I also enjoy walking and heaven forbid cycling but havn’t tried a Segway – that would just be too w@nky.

You should give it a try. It’s fun. And it has the added benefit that TUS won’t direct his/her biting sarcasm at you.

ThatUniStudent7:46 pm 20 Mar 12

LoL! Ha, excellent. Considering that my sarcastic post was intended to show the futility of arguments between cyclists and car drivers, or cyclists and pedestrians for that matter, and to start such a futile thread, it has suceeded spectacually. Hey, add yourself to number 10 on that list eh. Besides, trolling is done with the intention to harass, and I made no attempt to harass anyone, unlike yourself. Nice try, but you failed.

thatsnotme said :

Hey ThatUniStudent, here’s a word you could learn:

fail (fl)
v. failed, fail·ing, fails
v.intr.
1. To prove deficient or lacking; perform ineffectively or inadequately: failed to fulfill their promises; failed in their attempt to reach the summit.
2. To be unsuccessful: an experiment that failed.
3. To receive an academic grade below the acceptable minimum.
4. To prove insufficient in quantity or duration; give out: The water supply failed during the drought.
5. To decline, as in strength or effectiveness: The light began to fail.
6. To cease functioning properly: The engine failed.
7. To give way or be made otherwise useless as a result of excessive strain: The rusted girders failed and caused the bridge to collapse.
8. To become bankrupt or insolvent: Their business failed during the last recession.

And let me add my own:

9. ThatUniStudent fails to understand how sarcasm can be expressed via the written word, and comes across as an Arsehat troll.

OpenYourMind6:39 pm 20 Mar 12

I do wonder how many of the people that complain about cyclists on the rec paths actually regularly use said paths. I cycle, I MTB, I jog and I walk a pram and never have any major issues on these paths. The golden rule is keep left and keep your dogs and where possible your kids on your left.

From years of experience, I’ve long since learned that other path users don’t hear bells or if they do, they wonder what the dinging sound is and walk into your path. As a cyclist, I call out bike. Some may be a little affronted by that, but it’s the most surefire way to alert a pedestrian.

If you want to see real aggro try walking on the cycleways in the Netherlands. There’s walking paths and cyclepaths and you quickly learn which one is which.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd5:59 pm 20 Mar 12

Walking around the like with family i have never had any problems with cyclists. they ring the bell and we move to the left.
i guess there are always gonna be d-bags, i just never come across one, although it would be interesting for one of these hero cyclists that people always talk about on here to actually try and mouth off at me.

cyclists should be made by law to have a card in their spokes so the bike can make engine noises then pedestrians and animals could hear them coming.

astrojax said :

Henry82 said :

damien haas said :

Maybe we should have only ONE anti-cyclist story a month on RA ?

I think we should just have one consolidated thread entitled ‘cyclist vs cars’ and have it sticked to the sidebar.

no way! – it’d have to be ‘cars versus cyclists’… 😉

versus pedestrians

Henry82 said :

damien haas said :

Maybe we should have only ONE anti-cyclist story a month on RA ?

I think we should just have one consolidated thread entitled ‘cyclist vs cars’ and have it sticked to the sidebar.

no way! – it’d have to be ‘cars versus cyclists’… 😉

Bennop said :

You infer…

She imply’s, you infer from her information.

jase! said :

poetix said :

Now, to get into it myself, I dislike impatient cyclists who go round me without ringing their bell, when I’m trundling along on my bike very slowly. I had one swear at me the other day because I stopped to look at something. Guess what he was wearing? And it didn’t flatter him, either.

given the prevalence if talkers and ipod wearers the only way to be sure a bell will get someones attention these days is to throw the bloody thing at them. If I could find a way to fit a stebel horn (google it) to my bike it would be awesome

Pedestrians generally seem unable to properly respond to a cyclist with a bell.

Many seem to see it as the cyclist somehow having a go at them, when in fact all the cyclist is doing is following the rules of the shared path and being polite by alerting the pedestrian of their presence. Copping verbal abuse for ringing your bell isn’t uncommon.

Others are either deaf or simply ignore the bell. I would say over half of the people who are blocking my path simply ignore the bell.

Bikenut mentioned that pedestrians have right of way, which is true. The signs on the shared paths say. “Cyclists ring your bell. Give way to pedestrians. Pedestrians do not block the path.”

Common courtesy goes both ways.

Hey ThatUniStudent, here’s a word you could learn:

fail (fl)
v. failed, fail·ing, fails
v.intr.
1. To prove deficient or lacking; perform ineffectively or inadequately: failed to fulfill their promises; failed in their attempt to reach the summit.
2. To be unsuccessful: an experiment that failed.
3. To receive an academic grade below the acceptable minimum.
4. To prove insufficient in quantity or duration; give out: The water supply failed during the drought.
5. To decline, as in strength or effectiveness: The light began to fail.
6. To cease functioning properly: The engine failed.
7. To give way or be made otherwise useless as a result of excessive strain: The rusted girders failed and caused the bridge to collapse.
8. To become bankrupt or insolvent: Their business failed during the last recession.

And let me add my own:

9. ThatUniStudent fails to understand how sarcasm can be expressed via the written word, and comes across as an Arsehat troll.

damien haas said :

Maybe we should have only ONE anti-cyclist story a month on RA ?

I think we should just have one consolidated thread entitled ‘cyclist vs cars’ and have it sticked to the sidebar.

devils_advocate4:04 pm 20 Mar 12

damien haas said :

yes! A mate of mine had a kangaroo jump into him while he was riding his bicycle. in hospital for a week, several months rehab.

This happened to me too. I was doing the right thing, cycling back from the pub, and nearly got taken out by a roo, was a pretty young one not a full grown buck or anything. But at the speed this thing was going it would’ve messed me right up.
This is not even a joke or anything, it scared the piss out of me, it came across the path at 90 degrees and they’re so quick you don’t even see them in your peripheral vision, you don’t know what’s happened til it’s over.

Erg0 said :

Sgt.Bungers said :

If there’s no foot path, cyclists need to take into account that there may well be a pedestrian on the cycle path around any bend.

If pedestrians are on a cycle path, they need to take into account that people on push bikes can approach at 15 to 30 km/h, thus should keep to one side and keep their dog on a lead.

You, of all people, should know that there’s no such thing as a “cycle path” in the ACT – just on-road cycle lanes, shared paths and footpaths.

http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/cycling/cycling_and_walking_map/road_rules

I did know that. Old habits die hard.

Solidarity said :

I hate cyclists.
No real reason why.
Just putting it out there

Because some of then are Grade One Top Notch A-Holes?

Although…

poetix said :

jase! said :

I had one swear at me the other day because I stopped to look at something

Do you think the same would have happened if you were driving and decided to stop in the middle of the road where there was no reason to other than a flat tyre?

Oh, and I almost got cleaned up again on Northbourne. They really really don’t see us do they?
Gave her a light tap on the bonnet to let her know that the next time she does it I will dent her car with my head and graffiti all over it with my blood.

jase! said :

poetix said :

Now, to get into it myself, I dislike impatient cyclists who go round me without ringing their bell, when I’m trundling along on my bike very slowly. I had one swear at me the other day because I stopped to look at something. Guess what he was wearing? And it didn’t flatter him, either.

given the prevalence if talkers and ipod wearers the only way to be sure a bell will get someones attention these days is to throw the bloody thing at them. If I could find a way to fit a stebel horn (google it) to my bike it would be awesome

Not quite a Stebel, but close enough?

http://www.deltacycle.com/Airzound-Bike-Horn

poetix said :

Now, to get into it myself, I dislike impatient cyclists who go round me without ringing their bell, when I’m trundling along on my bike very slowly. I had one swear at me the other day because I stopped to look at something. Guess what he was wearing? And it didn’t flatter him, either.

given the prevalence if talkers and ipod wearers the only way to be sure a bell will get someones attention these days is to throw the bloody thing at them. If I could find a way to fit a stebel horn (google it) to my bike it would be awesome

I hate cyclists.

No real reason why.

Just putting it out there

Pedestrians have the right of way, regardless.

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

My dad said to me when I was learning to drive. Always give way to People and Horses. And I’ve stuck to that advise as I haven’t hit a horse yet.

Well, that stands to reason, since you are the Rawhide Kid (part 3). I’m sure horses are extremely valuable to you! Hahahaha!

jase! said :

….slow jogging twat collective…

Sounds like a band.

Now, to get into it myself, I dislike impatient cyclists who go round me without ringing their bell, when I’m trundling along on my bike very slowly. I had one swear at me the other day because I stopped to look at something. Guess what he was wearing? And it didn’t flatter him, either.

damien haas said :

Maybe we should have only ONE anti-cyclist story a month on RA ?

just sayin…

I’m bored with it to be honest & Segways are too easy – what about the “Water-Skiers of Belconnen”? they’re gagging for it.

having just come back from a leisurely ride around the lake my pet hate of the day is groups of walkers (3 or more) that stretch across the width of the path so they can continue nattering away to each other. it seems a bell isn’t loud enough to get their attention to keep left (and the signs don’t get the point across either). If you want to block the whole path it should be up to you to maintain enough situational awareness to get out of the way when other path users need to get past. Yes I am looking at the mobile mothers meeting that was happening near the crappy bridge at the entrance to government house and the slow jogging twat collective under commonwealth ave bridge

Erg0 said :

The most shocking thing for me is that 61% of cycling accidents on shared paths in the ACT involve neither a pedestrian or another cyclist. Are they hitting kangaroos or something?

yes! A mate of mine had a kangaroo jump into him while he was riding his bicycle. in hospital for a week, several months rehab.

Maybe we should have only ONE anti-cyclist story a month on RA ?

just sayin…

onlytt600 said :

Why can’t we all just get along? mainly I drive but I also enjoy walking and heaven forbid cycling but havn’t tried a Segway – that would just be too w@nky.

I think recumbent cyclists are relieved that there is now something nerdier than them on the paths.

HenryBG said :

Dilandach said :

A great big irritation of mine is walking with dil jr down near the library side of the lake where all the cafes are and having some armstrong wannabe riding full speed along the path closest to the lake. Anyone who has a three year old would understand they aren’t perfect little soldiers that will want to hold your hand and only march in step with you with eyes straight ahead. They’re kids. Especially around that area, its a good place for them to have a little run.

And having one of these clowns hit a small child at the speed they go at, would cause a lot of damage.

Its the feeling of entitlement that you get from cyclists as they race past without a care for anyone else. God forbid if you call them on the behaviour, be prepared for a speech on rights etc. Just don’t mention the risk of having to pry a toddler out of their spokes.

Exactly – the refuse the ride to the conditions, and when they do collide with a 4-year-old, they are the very opposite of remorseful, as I have personally experienced. Pure selfishness, and they want our rates to pay for yet more under-utilised cycling inAs an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approachesfrastructure.

You want roads exclusively for cars, but you don’t want cycle paths for cyclists. Bit hard to take anything you say seriously, HenryBG

We’ve had people here before hiding behind kids to excuse their own failures and prejudices. I’ll ask again, did the cyclist veer into the child walking on the left hand side, or are you abrogating all responsibility as a guardian to maintain situational awareness and for letting a young child wander across a shared path with cycle traffic?

For the record I sympathize with Dil, especially in regards to the path closest to the lake, though I will say that cyclists often take that route because the main path can get very congested with pedestrians and bus loads of kids blocking both sides.

Like everything else, it would be solved with mutual respect, to the point of simply mastering what is obviously the deceptively complex concept of staying left. Cyclists must be super careful around young children, but the adults supervising children (as well as pedestrians in general) have to take shared paths seriously and remain more vigilant, and respect them as they would a road.

Rawhide Kid Part312:29 pm 20 Mar 12

niftydog said :

Dilandach said :

Its the feeling of entitlement that you get from cyclists…

The projecting of perceived negative attitudes upon cyclists is part of the problem. Some people take the sound of a bell to be a sign of aggression and get all huffy. Even slowing down and crawling past seems to get some people hackles up – they just assume that the cyclist is angry because they had to slow down so they go straight on the attack.

DUB said :

One thing I still wonder at times- WHY do I stop for cyclists who fly through pedestrian crossing? Dismount!! I don’t mind waiting.

Awesome, that’s ONE driver who doesn’t mind waiting – now can you work on the operators of the other 258,000 registered vehicles in the ACT? Let me know when you get them all to agree. KTHXBYE! 🙂

My dad said to me when I was learning to drive. Always give way to People and Horses. And I’ve stuck to that advise as I haven’t hit a horse yet.

Why can’t we all just get along? mainly I drive but I also enjoy walking and heaven forbid cycling but havn’t tried a Segway – that would just be too w@nky.

ThatUniStudent said :

Here’s a word people need to learn:
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt”,[1] usually conveyed through irony or understatement.[2] Most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony;[3] however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony[4] or employs ambivalence.[5]

Dictionary.com describes the use of sarcasm thus:

In sarcasm, ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously, for destructive purposes. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn’t play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal intonation …[9]

I don’t give a toss about cyclists. But I know for some reason half the RA readers do. 😉
Of course I knew this would push the buttons of so many.

It appears university students have too much time on their hands.

Cancel the HECS plan.

Ok dtc are you going to buy every cyclist a speedometer??? Mine wasn’t exactly cheap. The lycra brigade can be a bit nasty at times but THE worst cyclists are the tossers who ride on the road when there is a purpose built cycle path no more than 20 metres from the road. I see it so often on Mouat St in Lyneham.

ThatUniStudent said :

The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal intonation.

Exactly. On the intertubes you can’t tell the difference between sarcasm and douchiness.

ThatUniStudent said :

Here’s a word people need to learn:
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt”,[1] usually conveyed through irony or understatement.[2] Most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony;[3] however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony[4] or employs ambivalence.[5]

Dictionary.com describes the use of sarcasm thus:

In sarcasm, ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously, for destructive purposes. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn’t play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal intonation …[9]

I don’t give a toss about cyclists. But I know for some reason half the RA readers do. 😉
Of course I knew this would push the buttons of so many.

So you mean you can say one thing, and imply something else at the same time? Well, I never!

dtc said :

In fact, couldnt we have a speed limit on cycle paths? Sure enforcement might be a bit of an issue, but telling a cyclist that he (and its almost always a he) can only go, say, 20km/h around the lake will give them some thoughts.

Please no. I avoid on road cycle lanes as much as possible and stick to shared paths, on which much of the time, there are no pedestrians at all. 20kph is dead slow even for a cyclist who just wants to get somewhere rather than training to be a champion.

I – as a regular cyclist – agree with the ‘ride to the conditions’ issue. Particularly around the lake and around school zones, kids riding bikes when they often can’t even tell which is their left hand.

In fact, couldnt we have a speed limit on cycle paths? Sure enforcement might be a bit of an issue, but telling a cyclist that he (and its almost always a he) can only go, say, 20km/h around the lake will give them some thoughts. Such as the thought of ‘oh, I am so powerful that 20km/h is the speed I ride at backwards, I will ride somewhere else’

Sgt.Bungers said :

If there’s no foot path, cyclists need to take into account that there may well be a pedestrian on the cycle path around any bend.

If pedestrians are on a cycle path, they need to take into account that people on push bikes can approach at 15 to 30 km/h, thus should keep to one side and keep their dog on a lead.

You, of all people, should know that there’s no such thing as a “cycle path” in the ACT – just on-road cycle lanes, shared paths and footpaths.

http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/cycling/cycling_and_walking_map/road_rules

ThatUniStudent11:19 am 20 Mar 12

Here’s a word people need to learn:
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt”,[1] usually conveyed through irony or understatement.[2] Most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony;[3] however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony[4] or employs ambivalence.[5]

Dictionary.com describes the use of sarcasm thus:

In sarcasm, ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously, for destructive purposes. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn’t play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal intonation …[9]

I don’t give a toss about cyclists. But I know for some reason half the RA readers do. 😉
Of course I knew this would push the buttons of so many.

DUB said :

One thing I still wonder at times- WHY do I stop for cyclists who fly through pedestrian crossing? Dismount!! I don’t mind waiting.

Really, somehow I doubt that. My wife was an advocate of dismounting her bike and walking across a crossing, until she copped abuse on three seperate occassions by motorists telling her to stay on her bike and get the phark across faster.
She was preventing some Mark Webber wannabes from racing through a corner crossing at high speed.

HenryBG said :

Dilandach said :

A great big irritation of mine is walking with dil jr down near the library side of the lake where all the cafes are and having some armstrong wannabe riding full speed along the path closest to the lake. Anyone who has a three year old would understand they aren’t perfect little soldiers that will want to hold your hand and only march in step with you with eyes straight ahead. They’re kids. Especially around that area, its a good place for them to have a little run.

And having one of these clowns hit a small child at the speed they go at, would cause a lot of damage.

Its the feeling of entitlement that you get from cyclists as they race past without a care for anyone else. God forbid if you call them on the behaviour, be prepared for a speech on rights etc. Just don’t mention the risk of having to pry a toddler out of their spokes.

Exactly – the refuse the ride to the conditions, and when they do collide with a 4-year-old, they are the very opposite of remorseful, as I have personally experienced. Pure selfishness, and they want our rates to pay for yet more under-utilised cycling infrastructure.

Underutilised, not for much longer, read the strategy… http://the-riotact.com/a-ring-road-for-canberra/68065

Dilandach said :

Its the feeling of entitlement that you get from cyclists…

The projecting of perceived negative attitudes upon cyclists is part of the problem. Some people take the sound of a bell to be a sign of aggression and get all huffy. Even slowing down and crawling past seems to get some people hackles up – they just assume that the cyclist is angry because they had to slow down so they go straight on the attack.

DUB said :

One thing I still wonder at times- WHY do I stop for cyclists who fly through pedestrian crossing? Dismount!! I don’t mind waiting.

Awesome, that’s ONE driver who doesn’t mind waiting – now can you work on the operators of the other 258,000 registered vehicles in the ACT? Let me know when you get them all to agree. KTHXBYE! 🙂

TheDancingDjinn said :

Alot of humans are just assholes – it’s not the mode of transport they choose.

+1. Agree 100%.

If there’s no foot path, cyclists need to take into account that there may well be a pedestrian on the cycle path around any bend.

If pedestrians are on a cycle path, they need to take into account that people on push bikes can approach at 15 to 30 km/h, thus should keep to one side and keep their dog on a lead.

If there’s no foot path, drivers need to take into account that there may well be a pedestrian walking on the side of the road.

If there’s no cycle lane, drivers need to take into account that there may well be a cyclist using a traffic lane.

Of course, none of this would be an issue (in Canberra) if it was possible to walk, cycle, or drive to and from major centres of Canberra via proper dedicated infrastructure for each road user group along our major transport corridors. We have the room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&v=P1RNisaWSbM&gl=US

Oh geez… ANOTHER Car vs Bike thread? Is it 10am already?

And started by RA’s own whinger-extraordinaire, ThatUniStudent! We really are in for something special here, folks.

Dilandach said :

A great big irritation of mine is walking with dil jr down near the library side of the lake where all the cafes are and having some armstrong wannabe riding full speed along the path closest to the lake. Anyone who has a three year old would understand they aren’t perfect little soldiers that will want to hold your hand and only march in step with you with eyes straight ahead. They’re kids. Especially around that area, its a good place for them to have a little run.

And having one of these clowns hit a small child at the speed they go at, would cause a lot of damage.

Its the feeling of entitlement that you get from cyclists as they race past without a care for anyone else. God forbid if you call them on the behaviour, be prepared for a speech on rights etc. Just don’t mention the risk of having to pry a toddler out of their spokes.

Exactly – the refuse the ride to the conditions, and when they do collide with a 4-year-old, they are the very opposite of remorseful, as I have personally experienced. Pure selfishness, and they want our rates to pay for yet more under-utilised cycling infrastructure.

One thing I still wonder at times- WHY do I stop for cyclists who fly through pedestrian crossing? Dismount!! I don’t mind waiting.

A great big irritation of mine is walking with dil jr down near the library side of the lake where all the cafes are and having some armstrong wannabe riding full speed along the path closest to the lake. Anyone who has a three year old would understand they aren’t perfect little soldiers that will want to hold your hand and only march in step with you with eyes straight ahead. They’re kids. Especially around that area, its a good place for them to have a little run.

And having one of these clowns hit a small child at the speed they go at, would cause a lot of damage.

Its the feeling of entitlement that you get from cyclists as they race past without a care for anyone else. God forbid if you call them on the behaviour, be prepared for a speech on rights etc. Just don’t mention the risk of having to pry a toddler out of their spokes.

Ahh TUS, someone boot you out from the bridge?

Rule 141 allows riders to pass on the left, rule number one you are incorrect on. Need I go on?

“Now we’ve had dozens of threads about cyclists, pedestrians and cyclists, cars and cyclists, so you would think by now that the cyclists have learned that it is time to share. “

You infer that the article says cyclists don’t want to share. Thats not what it says. Then you go on a rant about it.

The article says that (the research suggests) cycle injuries may be reduced if cyclists did not have to share their lanes. Nowhere is a cyclists opinion mentioned.

Calm down bro.

LOL news.com.au.

TheDancingDjinn10:05 am 20 Mar 12

Alot of humans are just assholes – it’s not the mode of transport they choose.

Yes, some cyclists are plain vermin.Not all, just those described by OP.

The most shocking thing for me is that 61% of cycling accidents on shared paths in the ACT involve neither a pedestrian or another cyclist. Are they hitting kangaroos or something?

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