http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...617253330.html

AndrewJ wrote:
> http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...617253330.html
>

A man was struck ... and the Hell ride was on at that time. But they
don't actually say the rider was part of the hell ride. Anyone know the
details? Are they just inferring he was part of Hell ride for the
sensationalism?

DaveB

In article <1156735374.240683.111580@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com>,
"AndrewJ" <neuroinf@yahoo.com> wrote:

> http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...s/2006/08/28/1
> 156617253330.html

Driver/rider attitude is more important than the type of vehicle they
are in control of. No?
--

snap!

I rode past this accident a few minutes after it happened. The ambo's were just putting the guy on a stretcher.

Now I am not 100% sure but I am nearly certain that I saw the Hell Riders earlier and they were nowhere near the accident when it happened. Somebody correct me if I am wrong.

If so no idea why they mention them in the article apart perhaps from the fact that they often disregard road rules.

It was on a dead stretch of road with perfect visability so not sure how it could have happened really. Its very sad for all involved and does nothing to help the view of us cyclists.

I am 'guessing' that is legal-speak on the journo's part cos it's either to vague at this stage or they can't for whatever reason name the HR (yet) if they were indeed involved?

...of course the perennial problem the police face is ....what is the 'hell ride',? who organises it?, who is actually 'in' it?...how do you tell the difference? are you still part of it once you've dropped off the back?...what if you just join this fast moving bunch along the road?.....if the police & councils didn't face all these questions, the 'hell ride' would of been 'banned' years ago!

you can buy hellride kit now.. that will help make it easier, apart from the HR wannabees.

seroiusly?.....from le knicks?

ebay..saw them last week.. also www.hellride.com.au coming to a webspace near you.

Love the language used in the article.

"At the time, the "Hell Ride" - a weekly communal ride involving cyclists in groups of 100 or more - was taking place along Beach Road"

....well that's really nice to know. At the time, I was also riding on Beach Road - so what?

It can get crazy sometimes in any group you happen to be in on Beach Rd.

Poor guy - makes me feel ill reading that. One moment you're enjoying a morning walk - next thing...... feel sorry for the family. They're going to have it in for all cyclists now.

Maybe they'll just treat it as an entire Beach Rd thing, not just Hell Ride, which may or may not be a good thing.. It avoids targeting/blaming one small group, but the ramifications could be much more significant... Short of banning bikes from it I don't see how they'd sort it though.

But then, given the volume of bike traffic, are the relative number of incidents such as this one any higher than anywhere else in Melbourne? Goodness knows I see enough people ride through ped lights every day (and just as many peds walking out in front of me!)

On 2006-08-28 16:32:53 +1000, eddiec
<eddiec.2d8lwz@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> said:
> Maybe they'll just treat it as an entire Beach Rd thing, not just Hell
> Ride, which may or may not be a good thing.. It avoids
> targeting/blaming one small group, but the ramifications could be much
> more significant... Short of banning bikes from it I don't see how
> they'd sort it though.
>
> But then, given the volume of bike traffic, are the relative number of
> incidents such as this one any higher than anywhere else in Melbourne?
> Goodness knows I see enough people ride through ped lights every day
> (and just as many peds walking out in front of me!)

Probably hit Today Tonight and ACA in the next few days, and all that
old archive footage of bicycle stacks and running red lights inner city
will come to the fore. I guess the media-circus wont stop there and
make some tenuous links to other groups like critical mass and how
they've shut down the city streets and burnley tunnels before. Wonder
if bikes will become as hated as taxi drivers or those road raging peak
hour drivers.

First heard about the Mentone incident early Satuday arvo, with a warning this would be a inflammatory story. The only guide anyone could give at the mo is to remain calm, don't buy into any unnecesary palavar and basically do the right thing while out in public. The meedya are probably going to have a freaking field day with this.

Although something positive just may develop from this tragic incident.

Numerous "Vagabond and Volatile" cyclists just have that unpleasant wakeup call to behave and obey the law. Refer to yesterdays' thread,

Social and Emotional Aspects of Transportation Cycling
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t361775.html
http://www.gonecycling.com/commuter/index.html

Cycling well IS Cycling Advocacy

One of my mates from work said he rode through there with the group he was
with and there was an ambo in attendance and police were diverting traffic
through a carpark. My mate veered left as per the police instructions to go
through the carpark but the others in his group decided to disobey the
policeman's instructions and carry on along the road. This then obviously
made it OK for all of the following groups as a whole stack of other riders
also disregarded the policeman's directions.

My mate then noticed that there were film crews filming the whole
situation......how long before that footage is used in a cyclist-bashing
report somewhere????

Not sure of who was at fault but for god's sake, obey street signs, traffic
lights, road rules, etc.......there are always consequences.

Gags