Cameras, cars and cyclists

I ride to work and also take a long way around to avoid most of the roads. I think I'll be installing a camera though. In Brisbane a lot of people just seem to hate all cyclists, no matter what they're doing. People will swing into bike lanes just to mess with you, they'll overtake you in a one lane roundabout even if you're doing 60km/hr and they yell abuse at you, even when you're standing with your bike at the side of the road.

I try to ride safely and within the road rules at all times. I don't wear lycra or ride in a peloton and my bike is lit up with expensive lights and reflective material. Even so, to a lot of drivers I'm just an arrogant pig who deserves to die.

So, if someone does run me down, the camera will give a good indication of what happened. My GPS unit will also record the speed, direction, location and so on. It will make it easier to sort out the insurance claim and, if necessary, assist any prosecution.

I have noticed that there seem to be a very tiny number of cyclists who seem to believe that it is more important to insist on their rights than it is to survive their trip.

They seem to be prepared to do things that are unnecessarily dangerous, just because they are legally entitled to do so. Riding at speed up the inside of a taxi that has just stopped probably falls into that category. Maybe I have a more highly developed sense of self preservation than some cyclists, but in that situation, I would not be able to dismiss the thought that a passenger who may be in a hurry, a bit distracted or just plain careless, might suddenly fling his door open in front of me. I would try to allow for that possibility.

I believe I saw similar semi-suicidal behaviour by cyclists in Canberra recently when I took part in the Burley Griffin Canoe Club 24 hour challenge. The cycle path around Lake Burley Griffin continues right beside the Molongolo River opposite Duntroon. With dozens of caravans, tents and vehicles right beside the cycle path, it was pretty obvious that there were going to be a lot of people wandering about on and near the path.

In spite of the fact that for 24 hours there were about 100 paddlers regularly crossing that cycle path, often carrying kayaks up to 6 metres long, almost none of the cyclists made any attempt to slow down or exercise extra caution. They seemed to believe that they had the right to ride at their normal break neck speed and ignore the possibility that one of the out of town visitors might be unaware of the possibility of being cleaned up by a cyclist at full tilt.

Hardly any of the multitude of cyclists seemed to have any sense of their own vulnerability. I would have expected a few cyclists to show no consideration for others or any regard for their own safety, but it seems that they almost all wanted to continue to use the cycle path in the manner that they believed was their right, regardless of the risk to themselves or others.

With that sort of attitude so prevalent, it would not surprise me if their were a tiny minority of cyclists who will be even more aggressive because it is more important to them to have video evidence that they were merely exercising their legal right than it is for them to use a little common sense and avoid the incident in the first place.

Proving they were in the right seems more important than surviving.

Yep the minority generally buggers it for all........

As someone who rode a motorcycle into the Sydney CBD for 5 years , I always went at walking pace when in a situation that someone could possibly open a door on me.
This included lane splitting for up to a kilometer on the infamous Burnt Bridge Deviation at Balgowlah . It was slow but safe although I have been abused at times for Lane splitting, once by a woman who took time out from talking on her mobile.

What was she thinking riding at speed next to a stopped taxi?

I note that 49% of votes in the poll on the clip said the cyclist was at fault.
Maybe the cops should book her for inattentive driving/riding.
Regards Philip A

The only thing that gets me about cyclist is when they ride on footpaths (be they shared or not).
I have 3 hearing impaired kids who are not used to cities. The kids can't hear the bike coming & on more than 1 occasion we have had some very close calls where a cyclist has ridden past the kids, very closely, & the child has almost jump into them from fright.
Some cyclist then give the child a mouthful.
Jonesfam

Whether I'm riding my bike to work or driving the County, I have the same attutude: treat every other person on the road like they aren't paying attention and they WILL pull out, move over or what ever else right in front of you because they weren't looking.

The level of 'self entitlement' seems to be inversely proportinate to the level of 'common sense' these days. The cyclist in the vid was a muppet.

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Originally Posted by jonesfam

The only thing that gets me about cyclist is when they ride on footpaths (be they shared or not).
I have 3 hearing impaired kids who are not used to cities. The kids can't hear the bike coming & on more than 1 occasion we have had some very close calls where a cyclist has ridden past the kids, very closely, & the child has almost jump into them from fright.
Some cyclist then give the child a mouthful.
Jonesfam

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I understand where you're coming from - people do sometimes get a fright when a bike goes past them and they didn't hear the bell. Just so people in other states know, in Queensland it is legal to ride on footpaths but you must give way to pedestrians and not endanger or inconvenience other footpath users.

I ride a lot of shared paths and bikeways and most people hear the bell and often signal that they've heard you and it's safe to pass. Some people have earphones playing loud music or are engrossed in a phone conversation and don't hear you, so you give them a wide berth.

Where I live there are a lot of fairly militant pedestrians on the bike paths so you have to take extra care. I've had a group of very large women link arms and block the path after I rang my bell, a group of teenage boys tried to knock me off the bike as I went past and a couple of months ago a bloke set a dog on me. My partner rode past a bunch of teenagers recently and one of them kicked a skateboard under her wheels. She bunny hopped it and dropped her back wheel onto the deck but sadly failed to break it.

At the end of the day, I'm fairly relaxed about it. Some people just feel a need to express their pent up aggression, and abusing cyclists generally makes them feel better and has no consequences. I agree that some cyclists behave like complete tools, but they are probably the same behind the wheel of their cars, or anywhere else for that matter. They would be the people answering their phones at the movies.

Unfortunately I can't think of anything your kids can do to keep riders at a safer distance. If anything springs to mind I'll post it.

Just to be clear the taxi was stopped at the lights, not parked. Apparently the taxi was going to let them off around the corner or up further but they jumped out at the lights. If it was me riding the bike i wouldn't expect a car stopped at the light to open its door so i would have ridden up there. Personally i think bikes should be made to have flashing front and rear lights, when im riding i can see a flashing light well before i recognize another bike is coming.

try this
http://www.cycling-inform.com/how-aw...-for-cyclists/

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Originally Posted by Chucaro

I think that I am going to install a camera in my car to film the stupid things that some cyclist are doing in the Tasmanian roads :mad:



Cyclists using spy cameras to film motorists

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Fair enough, but isn't it a shame that anyone feels the need to do this. Just remember that in your case you might see a whole heap of annoying, ignorant behaviour from that 5% of idiots but it's unlikely to do you any harm. The cyclist's camera on the other hand... Each transgression it records might very well be life threatening. That's the difference here. The staunch anti-cyclist mob seem hell bent on ignoring the fact that it's people's lives at stake. And not theirs. The whole thing is really disappointing and it's only getting worse.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chucaro

I think that I am going to install a camera in my car to film the stupid things that some cyclist are doing in the Tasmanian roads :mad:

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What may surprise you is that you will also film drivers doing stupid things and in some cases even breaking the law as well proving that not only cyclists are morons on the road. :wasntme:

Hop over to the BNA forum and have a look at some of the videos posted on the moron motorists and the moron pedestrians and cyclists threads. Idiots, lawbreakers and morons aren't confined to bikes.