Thread: Cyclist aware drivers... are you one?

I have made some tongue in cheek comments, but folk, how about some mutual tolerance & give it a rest.

Originally Posted by pop058

The bicycle rego debate is never going to end. From what I have experienced and read in this (and other) threads is that one of the main calls for bike rego is purely to make them identifiable like all the other road users.

So what if we had FREE rego for cyclists that wish to use the public roads. The only cost would be that the rider should have (and obviously pay for) CTP insurance like all the other road users.

Just take you CTP slip into Main Roads, lodge your details and be issued with a bicycle rego number (but not a physical number plate). If the rider is responcible for supplying their own number plate, then as long as it conforms with some size/font/etc. standard, they can have it embosed across their lycra butt if they what, as long as it is visable.

IMHO this would go (someway) toward pacifying the "anti-cylclist" lobby, make all road users equally identifiable and cover the insurance side of things in case, for example the peloton goes wheels up (literally). There is obviously some details to be investigated and resolved, but I think the basic concept would work.



flame suit on

No rational person could fault that! A plastic soft edged plate would be a good idea. Lucky you've got a flame suit, gonna need it...

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Onya Bob.
I guess they would ride on the bike paths but there's too many pedestrians slowing them down.

From my experience, the riders call them speed bumps. Bob

As a car driver, why is it I don't experience the same impatiance and frustration being voiced by others here - towards push hogs.

Is it because I ride a bike - maybe.

Is it because I'm now in my 40's. No. Ive always been tolerant of cyclists. Maybe because I've always ridden a bike.

Is it because I learnt to drive in the UK and have lived elsewhere and riden and driven. Possibly. I can honestly say the level of suspicion and anomosity towards me as a rider who wears lycra is most pronounced here in Australia out of the countries I can compare. Not sure why. I have my theories of course. I can only speak from personal experience.

That experience on a bike in Australia has included somebody threatening to stab me in Sydney. Beer bottles launched at me from cars (more than once). I tried to catch them as I was thirsty at the time, but they smashed unfortunately. What a waste of good beer. Tacks in the road during around tbe bay. Numerous heart in the mouth almost elbow clipping incidents. And general verbal and horn abuse. At times it has felt like I was in the movie Duel - except I was riding a bike. I've obviously triggered this behaviour but I assure you I was completely innocent of any offensive/illegal riding. It appears that act of just being a cyclist invokes this emotion in some drivers. Yes it's the minority, but I believe its a bigger moronic minority than most other civilised nations.

At one time I used to ride with a visually impaired tandem club in the north of England. Now if any group of cyclists should cause irritation to drivers - its a large group of tandems. But despite riding on all kinds of roads, we were accepted as legitimate road users. I can't recall anything like the animosity I've experienced here in Australia. There has to be something in this.

Similar comparisons can be drawn when I consider Australia vs South Africa/NZ/UK/Ireland/continental Europe/even the USA.

There is an issue between cyclists and motorists here in Australia. This post highlights it. We can all do something to improve the situation. I will commit to riding my bike in a more considerate manner. I don't believe I need to change my driving habits when around cyclists. I will continue to afford them all the time in the world. The alternate involves too much risk.

Originally Posted by davidsonsm

As a car driver, why is it I don't experience the same impatiance and frustration being voiced by others here - towards push hogs.

Is it because I ride a bike - maybe.

Is it because I'm now in my 40's. No. Ive always been tolerant of cyclists. Maybe because I've always ridden a bike.

Is it because I learnt to drive in the UK and have lived elsewhere and riden and driven. Possibly. I can honestly say the level of suspicion and anomosity towards me as a rider who wears lycra is most pronounced here in Australia out of the countries I can compare. Not sure why. I have my theories of course. I can only speak from personal experience.

That experience on a bike in Australia has included somebody threatening to stab me in Sydney. Beer bottles launched at me from cars (more than once). I tried to catch them as I was thirsty at the time, but they smashed unfortunately. What a waste of good beer. Tacks in the road during around tbe bay. Numerous heart in the mouth almost elbow clipping incidents. And general verbal and horn abuse. At times it has felt like I was in the movie Duel - except I was riding a bike. I've obviously triggered this behaviour but I assure you I was completely innocent of any offensive/illegal riding. It appears that act of just being a cyclist invokes this emotion in some drivers. Yes it's the minority, but I believe its a bigger moronic minority than most other civilised nations.

At one time I used to ride with a visually impaired tandem club in the north of England. Now if any group of cyclists should cause irritation to drivers - its a large group of tandems. But despite riding on all kinds of roads, we were accepted as legitimate road users. I can't recall anything like the animosity I've experienced here in Australia. There has to be something in this.

Similar comparisons can be drawn when I consider Australia vs South Africa/NZ/UK/Ireland/continental Europe/even the USA.

There is an issue between cyclists and motorists here in Australia. This post highlights it. We can all do something to improve the situation. I will commit to riding my bike in a more considerate manner. I don't believe I need to change my driving habits when around cyclists. I will continue to afford them all the time in the world. The alternate involves too much risk.

they never picked on you bike riders in the UK because they always picked on us horse riders

Originally Posted by davidsonsm

has included somebody threatening to stab me in Sydney. Beer bottles launched at me from cars (more than once). I tried to catch them as I was thirsty at the time, but they smashed unfortunately. What a waste of good beer. Tacks in the road during around tbe bay. Numerous heart in the mouth almost elbow clipping incidents. And general verbal and horn abuse. At times it has felt like I was in the movie Duel - except I was riding a bike.

Ha! That's not because you ride a bike. That's because you are on the road.
I've had beer bottles thrown at me. They obviously liked you. They threw empty ones at me. I've had eggs thrown at me. Egging was a great sport. Especially around the Chevron. Tech screws work wonders on car tyres. Yep, they get tossed on the roads. Apparently, it's great fun pouring a few litres of oil on a roundabout on a wet night. Driving along St Kilda Rd one night a car passed me with a fellow hanging out the window swinging a tyre lever. I was lucky. He only got some chrome trim on my car. He got the windscreen on the car in front. Driving down Lygon St, after some international soccer match I guess, the crowds were swarming out into the street. The cars ahead of me cannoned through. I slowed as a few people got in the way. When the crowds were banging on the car, I gunned it. The revelers soon got out the way. The poor bugger behind me stopped and as I continued down the street, I saw in my rear view mirror people dancing around on the roof of his car. Verbal and horn abuse. I witnessed some of that today. Some inconsiderate bastard in a little car was trying to turn right from a right turn lane. Go figure!
This isn't people targeting cycles or cars. This is normal Melbourne behavior.

And you know what else uses the roads to get around?





Rain drops.




They fall all over the bloody place, congregate in huge gangs, cause enormous hazards to other road users, undermine the very road surface and then scuttle off into the gutters without being identified.



Rain drops need rego plates.

I can relate to those experiences which seem to be late night occurrences.

I'm quoting experiences on a bike during daylight hours. The moronic behaviour can come from some unlikely people. One old chap was swearing and cursing at us only the other week. Two of us - two abreast was his issue. Scared us half to death with the closeness of his driving and the aggression on the horn. He had a bike strapped to the back of his car.

We had a word back at the lights, but the elderly lady behind then started hurling abuse. It left us dumbfounded. We'd obviously caused a 5 second delay to their journey. I guess I should apologise for breathing their air in future?