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share the road! (Read 16966 times)
freediver
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share the road!
Dec 5th, 2006 at 9:53am
 
I ride my bike to work on most days. I have to use a 50m stretch of busy road to get through a major intersection. This morning I made the mistake of getting too far over to the left, which tends to make car drivers think they can overtake me without changing lanes (this is illegal, but people do it anyway). I was in the far left of three inbound lanes. I got clipped by a car. It's left rearview mirror hit the handle bars of my bike. Luckily the mirror gave way and it didn't knock me off. I reported it to the police. I managed to get the number plate and the officer was going to call the driver and talk to him about it. It would not have been possible to press charges because there was no evidence. The officer told me he rides on the footpath instead of the road, even though it is illegal, because your safety is more important than the law. I can't do that at this one intersection, but I'll be making sure I am over in the middle or the right of the lane so the drivers think twice about overtaking me. It always seems that the more room you give them, the closer they are when they overtake you.
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mantra
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Re: share the road!
Reply #1 - Dec 15th, 2006 at 7:01pm
 
You are very brave riding a bike on a public road these days.  Sometimes even in my car, I feel unsafe.  The drivers are crazy and so many of them are rushing and if you stay within the speed limit - you're liable to be a target of road rage.  Some days I'll just pull over and let them all rip past.

Bike riders are a worry though even for a cautious driver like myself.  I always try to give them a wide berth, but it's just becoming increasingly unsafe for a rider to travel in peak hour particularly.

I'd take the officers advice and try to stick to the footpaths - although it depends if you live in a busy area  where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic - that would make it difficult.   Anyway good luck - you are in a vulnerable situation riding to work - so be careful.

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Reply #2 - Dec 20th, 2006 at 12:31pm
 
Heres what you need to do........where your drink bottle normally sits, attach a heavy hammer.  If that happens again, or you see the car that did it to you, at the next convenient set of lights, remove said hammer and belt the bugger out of their vehicle. Then ride off.  You dont have a licence plate, so there is not much they can do.  But what it will do is put fear into their hearts when they next see a cyclist, probably giving you a wide berth.  Im not a supporter of road rage but sometimes police are useless in exacting justice.
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freediver
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Reply #3 - Jan 15th, 2007 at 8:32am
 
SBS wasn't on this morning so I switched to that sunrise show. Today they were talking about bad drivers. One of them said his pet peeve was cyclists who take up the whole lane. Fair enough, they often say stupid things and the others pick up on it, but this time they all agreed. What is wrong with these people? We should stick them on a bike on a busy road and see how they feel after trying to deal with drivers who think they should make do with the gutter and half a foot of bitumen so as not to interrupt their makeup session. Channel seven should issue a public apology to all the cyclists who get knocked of their bikes this week by people who now feel entitled to force cyclists off the road.
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Re: share the road!
Reply #4 - Jan 15th, 2007 at 6:55pm
 
Some cyclists are complete idiots. I came around a bend the other day doing 90 in a 90 zone with a semi right behind me and here is this bike rider, completely oblivious to whose behind him, doing 22 and taking up a third of the left hand lane. If a vehicle was coming the other direction that cyclist would be roadkill by now.

I'm sure you ride in a manner that you understand the other motorists have cars that do a lot quicker than bikes and because if you slow these vehicles, allowing them to run uneconomically creating the need to use more oil, the government will always be on your side.

I believe bikeways are for bikes. Because I believe in equality I feel the government should build bikeways and/or bike lanes for all major routes.

When it comes to me hitting another car or taking out the idiot on the bike, look out idiot.

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freediver
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Re: share the road!
Reply #5 - Jan 16th, 2007 at 9:03am
 
I'm all for bike lanes, but until you get them, you have to share the road with bikes, just as you have to share it with old people who drive slowly. You shouldn't be driving at a speed where you cannot avoid obstacles anyway. There's always a chance you'll get a cow or a kangaroo on the road, both of which can kill the driver of a vehicle because they are up so high. Fair enough, I won't be riding in a 90 zone. It feels dangerous enough in a 60 zone. But unless bikes are banned (motorways) then you are legally required to share the road with them. You should think of it as the cyclist taking up the whole lane, not just a third of it, and you should give them the whole lane, or at least plenty of room, when you overtake.

The truck driver would have seen the cyclist a lot earlier than you did. They have a good view from up there.
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Reply #6 - Jan 16th, 2007 at 12:59pm
 
LOL No Comment  Cheesy !  I would just give them the finger when they past. If thats not good enuf Id just grab a good sized rock and chug at their car windows mostly.
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Re: share the road!
Reply #7 - Jan 18th, 2007 at 10:00pm
 
The faster the roads the more productivity. Bikes have no place on the road. Just because the health lobby is powerful that a very small margin of the population has been catered to in the hope that more people will take to the roads for a cardio vascular workout. Take big gasps of that polluted air and tell me where your health benefit is.

The butterfly effect of the bike rider is, backed up traffic, causing frustration and a possible volatile situation. Emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire brigade can't get to their destination because a bicycle rider has traffic backed up for km's. Accidents can occur from the mess you leave in your wake whilst you ride along taking up a lane on a road that was only made for motorised vehicles. Yet you selfishly say "Share The Road" because you want to be different. I say "Shove Off".

The bike rider - Builder of stress and mess.
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Re: share the road!
Reply #8 - Jan 19th, 2007 at 8:55am
 
It is illegal to ride on footpaths in Australia. If more people rode bikes there wouldn't be as much traffic in the first place. One big limit to productivity in Australia is obesity. It is fast becoming the biggest killer - soon to overtake cancer. The air you breathe on a bike is same air you breathe anywhere else in the city. Cars may appear to give higher productivity, but a lot of that productivity is wasted on keeping our rode system up and running. I am justified in saying share the road because I am more than willing to share it with cars. I just don't like being forced off the road in fear of my life. As far as emergency vehicles go, you may not know this being someone who thinks they own the road, but when you hear one coming you move off to the side to let them through. Lots of cars on the road tends to create a situation where everyone needs a car, but they do this by destroying the amenity for other users.
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Re: share the road!
Reply #9 - Jan 19th, 2007 at 7:25pm
 
you wrote;

It is illegal to ride on footpaths in Australia.

Of course it is, the walkers didn't want to share the footpaths with you due to the dangers that you create and now drivers don't want to share the road with you because, once again, of the dangers you create.

If more people rode bikes there wouldn't be as much traffic in the first place

Now we all have to be like you.

One big limit to productivity in Australia is obesity

Someone forgot to tell the food industry.

The air you breathe on a bike is same air you breathe anywhere else in the city

When you are riding your bike you will take much deeper and much more frequent breathes than someone sitting in his airconditioned vehicle. Suck that polution in!

Cars may appear to give higher productivity, but a lot of that productivity is wasted on keeping our rode system up and running

I don't see how this is a waste, this is productivity. Just ask the Macquarie Bank.


I am justified in saying share the road because I am more than willing to share it with cars

You don't seem to get the point, the walkers and drivers don't want to share anything with a bike rider because of the dangers that they create to the uniformity of their lives.

Next minute we'll have skateboarders on our roads then roller skaters, where will it end?

As far as emergency vehicles go, you may not know this being someone who thinks they own the road, but when you hear one coming you move off to the side to let them through

As for owning the road, seeing that I buy petrol and this is where the taxes come from for the roads you could say that I contibute to the maintenance and building of the roads. I even pay a toll to use the road when on motorways. I wouldn't say I own it but I do contribute to it where bike riders contribute nothing but misery, frustration and anguish.

As for pulling over to the left when emergency vehicles are approaching of course I practice this but how does the 2 lane traffic bumper to bumper backed up for 2 km's because of a bike rider doing 22km's an hour all move to the left? The bike rider is obviously unaware of what he is doing because he wouldn't be able to see 2kms behind him and here the siren.

Bike riders come accross as very self centred and ignorant people due to the way they conduct themselves on the road and footpaths. Obviously you have proved this to be true if your unaware of the effects that you cause on the roads.







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freediver
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Re: share the road!
Reply #10 - Jan 19th, 2007 at 9:55pm
 
Quote:
and now drivers don't want to share the road with you because, once again, of the dangers you create


Are you worried we might scratch your car as you run us over?

Quote:
Now we all have to be like you


No, the more people on bikes, the more road left for those still using cars too.

Quote:
When you are riding your bike you will take much deeper and much more frequent breathes than someone sitting in his airconditioned vehicle.


Apart from getting run over by the obese person in the air conditioned vehicle who thinks he owns the road, this is a good thing. It's called exercise. Living in a polluted city and exercising is far better than living there and not exercising.

Quote:
I don't see how this is a waste, this is productivity. Just ask the Macquarie Bank.


Roads are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. If there is alternate means that is cheaper, then it is a waste. GDP, or whatever your concern is, is a measure of activity, not productivity.

Quote:
You don't seem to get the point, the walkers and drivers don't want to share anything


My point is that they should share the road.

Quote:
As for owning the road, seeing that I buy petrol and this is where the taxes come from for the roads you could say that I contibute to the maintenance and building of the roads.


And rightly so. Bikes don't wear roads out. Vehicles do.

Quote:
I even pay a toll to use the road when on motorways.


Which is besides the point as bikes aren't allowed on them.

Quote:
As for pulling over to the left when emergency vehicles are approaching of course I practice this but how does the 2 lane traffic bumper to bumper backed up for 2 km's because of a bike rider doing 22km's an hour all move to the left?


If you are moving at 22km/hr then there will be plenty of room if you slow down even more. Most two lane roadways can easily accomodate three vehicles side by side, plus you wouldn't be following so closly that you can't merge anyway.

Quote:
The bike rider is obviously unaware of what he is doing because he wouldn't be able to see 2kms behind him and here the siren.


I have never know this situation of a cyclist holding up 2km of traffic to occur. It is quite fanciful, but not at all reflective of reality. Out of fear for their lives, cyclists always go out of their way to avoid having a long queue trying to overtake them. The last thing you want is an angry obese person in an air conditioned vehicle trying to squeeze past you when there isn't room. I for example only use the road for about 5% of my trip to work, and am quickly back off it when there is room.
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Reply #11 - Jan 20th, 2007 at 4:58pm
 
Anybody riding a pushbike on the roads these days has a repressed death wish.  I have seen cyclists do the most atrocious things on the road.  Get behind the wheel of a car and see how vulnerable you are.  I give you cyclists as much room as I can, but sometimes it's touch and go in today's peak hour traffic. Any pushbike rider advocating damaging other's property (cars) is a roadrager and should be dealt with accordingly.  Pushbikes should be licensed and carry plates as do motorised vehicles, only then will there will be a recourse at law.
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Reply #12 - Feb 17th, 2007 at 6:01pm
 
It is amazing. If you took a car mirror and walked up to a cop and whacked him with hit you can be very sure that you would get charged - even if there was no resultant 'evidence'.
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Reply #13 - Feb 19th, 2007 at 9:07am
 
We need more bike lanes.  It's ridiculous that bike riders have such little choice these days.  We are supposed to be encouraging more people to use public transport, yet the roads are jam packed with angry car drivers - usually with no passengers

Even if they had to narrow some of the arterial roads minimally to allow safer passage for bike riders - it might encourage frustrated car owners to use the public transport system.

Everyone has a right to walk, ride or drive - but those who want the healthy alternative are being punished and having their lives put at risk.

We've got two governments making our lives a misery.  On one hand the federal government gives generous fuel subsidies to those who drive larger vehicles to work, but rejects giving the same subsidies to public transport commuters.  And on the other hand we have a cash strapped NSW (I think Victoria has the same problems) cutting costs by reducing the number of peak hour trains and buses.

We need the State and Federal governments to work on this together.  Cut the fuel subsidies, put more cash into trains and buses and everyone will be happy.  Those who chose to walk or ride a bike can do so without the threat of losing their lives because they want to stay healthy.
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Re: share the road!
Reply #14 - Feb 27th, 2007 at 7:21pm
 
I got my bike serviced last week. I rode home via an unfamiliar route. As I was turning left at a fairly high speed (3 lanes each way before and after turn), I got beeped at from a car just behind me. I must have only held this car up by a few seconds as I checked behind me as I was approaching the corner and there was no-one there. It was a small car with two young ladies in the front, probably only just old enough to drive. After the corner, as they passed, the driver had one hand one the wheel and was swerving over two lanes so she could lean across her passenger and yell at me through the open window. No idea what she said, but she didn't look happy Shocked. I nearly caught up to her two intersections further on, but she just got away.
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