Disgraceful behaviour by Discovery driver

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Originally Posted by MrLandy

Chops, I humbly suggest you stop generalising about all cyclists. Most don't break the law. And also quit the 'them and us' line of thinking. This is the problem. We are all road users together. There is no them and us.

By the way I drive a Defender and ride a bike almost every day. In the past I rode semi-professionally, so huge km's and massive experience of what it's like to ride a bike on the roads. My rights and responsibilities on the road are the same whether I'm riding or driving. In addition, when driving my 4WD - 2 ton Defender, I take extra care and demonstrate the wisdom of patience around cyclists who are vulnerable to my every move.

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Originally Posted by MrLandy

The care required is proportional to the size of the vehicle IMO. Obviously all road users need to follow the road rules. Which includes cyclists stopping at red lights and drivers recognising that cyclists have a right to be on the road even if it slows drivers down.

This thread began because of the dangerous carelessness shown towards cyclists by a driver. As such, my example from tonight is exactly what it is about.

Obviously none of this applies to considerate careful drivers. Tonight I also had a B-Double wait patiently behind me around a corner, then give me room as he passed. He got the Landy wave from me.

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????

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Originally Posted by pop058

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Selective hearing ?

"In addition, when driving my 4WD - 2 ton Defender, I take extra care and demonstrate the wisdom of patience around cyclists who are vulnerable to my every move."

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Originally Posted by Chops

Yep, and so too do I.
But then I have to pay rego too, which helps pay for roads, so why shouldn't a cyclist? Especially since they want "special" lanes etc. (??)

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Rego only pays a small part of the cost of roads. Most of the cost of roads comes from various taxes, which everyone pays (except possibly our 200 largest corporations, but that's another thread).
Cyclists are entitled to use our roads. That's the way it is. Don't fight facts. It is what it is.

"Special lanes". In very limited cases perhaps a good idea, say in city centres (assuming there is room). Otherwise they are usually a joke, only useful for the pollies to throw up to hide their inaction on truly addressing safety.

There are reasons many cyclists will not use one of those lanes, even when provided e.g. shared path with pedestrians so not safe at commuting speeds, or subordinated phasing at traffic lights etc.

Moaning about how difficult it is to pass a bunch of cyclists? Shall we say 20 of them. Now assuming you are considerate and leave a safe gap you will likely be across the centre line, so may as well cross over fully in which case much easier (quicker) to pass 10pairs than a line of 20 (how much longer if you had to pass 20 individually....). A bunch deliberately blocking, well to me they are idiots, not people I want in cycling community.

Not disputing there are idiots in all forms of transport (and as a cyclist it drives me made to be pulled up behind a car, one back from the red light and have another bike jump to the frog, just inconsiderate to that car), but it is ALL forms.

In other words a bit of care from everyone and everyone gets home to see family, if that means a vehicle has to wait 30 seconds to pass then so be it, same for the bike waiting at the lights, or indeed the pedestrian not running across the road in traffic

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Originally Posted by Chops

Funny how if I choose to drive something different, I have to pay rego on that vehicle too so I can drive it.
Maybe we should only have to pay one rego for a heap of cars.

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I vote Mr Chops as Minister for Transport.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Rego only pays a small part of the cost of roads. Most of the cost of roads comes from various taxes, which everyone pays (except possibly our 200 largest corporations, but that's another thread).
Cyclists are entitled to use our roads. That's the way it is. Don't fight facts. It is what it is.

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It is what it is because a minority group whinged enough to a politician and got special lanes. I still believe in bike registration,,, it's the fair thing to do.

I get the impression that Mr Chops is describing the situation in Germany where you only have one set of rego tag numbers for all the cars in the household.

If anyone knows the actualities of this, please let us know?

in the UK, your 3rd party is on your licence not your rego.

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Originally Posted by Chops

It is what it is because a minority group whinged enough to a politician and got special lanes. I still believe in bike registration,,, it's the fair thing to do.

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Registration is a stupid idea. Rego fees are based on weight. My bike is 7kgs, I am happy to pay the approximately $1.46 to shut you up and move on from this ridiculous argument. **** it, I will round it up to $1.50 if I have to if you think that will help to have better roads and give me the same rights in your eyes as every other road user.

I don't usually get involved in this argument because neither side ever really understands the other. There are dickheads on both sides, bad riders and bad drivers. BUT the issue is cyclists are more often than not guilty until proven innocent and I am sick to death of it. I get cut off, pushed into parked cars, have doors open, have idiots thinking its great fun to put their boot down and fill my face with black smoke and then people sit around forums moaning about how cyclists are taking up the entire lane etc - its because one too many times we have nearly died from an idiot driver with an agenda and we now ride defensively.

Don't get me wrong, I am courteous on the road, but coming up to a choke point I will move into the middle, have a car overtake 30cms from your bars at anything above 20km/h faster than you can get scary. Think about riding a bike on a train platform on the wrong side of the yellow line while a trains pulls in. I am entitled to do it and I will. NOW, when I get a nice driver who takes it easy I will generally make sure its safe for me and waive them through, because I am aware of it.

This argument will go on into eternity, until there is more empathy (I am a big believer in everyone should be a cyclist for a week and you understand a hell of a lot more why we do what we do).

I am a motorist and cyclist, I am a respectful person when doing both, and when off the bike and out of the car I like to think I am the same but it shouldn't be cyclists are guilty until proven innocent so move on from that otherwise the argument is never going to be productive.

Just remember, that cyclist you cut off to save 5-30 seconds of your travel time is someone's partner, son, daughter, father, mother etc - is that miniscule time saving worth someone else's life? Why is your time more important than their safety? If you did something dangerous would you be open to going around and explaining to their family why that person will never be coming home? Do you think its fair a paramedic has to attend an accident because of that? Or the police have to do your dirty work and tell the family?

Cyclists are people too, it doesn't matter who is using the road - your time is NOT more important than their safety and life, regardless of what sort of wheeled adventure they are on. If you can't understand that then I hope they take your license off you.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

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Originally Posted by JoeFriend

Cyclists are people too,

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:eek: