4WDs and bikes in roundabouts

[SteveA]

When approaching a roundabout I get in the middle of the lane, so I cant be
cut off.

A bike goes as fast thru a roundabout about as quick as a car anyway (as
long as you dont have to stop or slow right down before entering).

Paul

Yep, that's my approach too. I claim my space. But this bozo wasn't having any of that. She got up beside me before the roundabout (the vehicle must have been over the centre line to do it) and eased me over on the way into the roundabout.

Looking back, maybe this was part of why I got more annoyed than usual

SteveA

 

[TimC]

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 at 03:18 GMT, SteveA (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>> I think the message got through. I was describing the incident in the
>> office and someone here described how a fellow rider of theirs had been
>> cut off by a bus in a roundabout and had chased the bus and then gone on
>> to take out the rear indicator with his pump, ripped the rear view
>> mirror and one windsceen wiper off and had then put in a complaint
>> about the driver to Transperth. That's one angry cyclist!

Hrm. Probably makes us look a bit too fanatical -- think of all the
passengers who saw it!

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
My other car is a cdr

 

[SteveA]

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 at 03:18 GMT, SteveA (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>> I think the message got through. I was describing the incident in the
>> office and someone here described how a fellow rider of theirs had been
>> cut off by a bus in a roundabout and had chased the bus and then gone on
>> to take out the rear indicator with his pump, ripped the rear view
>> mirror and one windsceen wiper off and had then put in a complaint
>> about the driver to Transperth. That's one angry cyclist!

Hrm. Probably makes us look a bit too fanatical -- think of all the
passengers who saw it!

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
My other car is a cdr

Yeah, not my style either. Once the close call is over, if I catch up to the driver I am more likely to have a very quiet and serious chat to them "You know that was a bit dangerous back there when you pushed me out the side of the roundabout...."

SteveA

 

[TimC]

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 at 07:22 GMT, SteveA (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> TimC Wrote:
>> On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 at 03:18 GMT, SteveA (aka Bruce)
>> was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>>> cut off by a bus in a roundabout and had chased the bus and then
>>> gone on to take out the rear indicator with his pump, ripped the
>>> rear view mirror and one windsceen wiper off and had then put in a
>>> complaint about the driver to Transperth. That's one angry
>>> cyclist!
>>
>> Hrm. Probably makes us look a bit too fanatical -- think of all the
>> passengers who saw it!
>
> Yeah, not my style either. Once the close call is over, if I catch up
> to the driver I am more likely to have a very quiet and serious chat to
> them "You know that was a bit dangerous back there when you pushed me
> out the side of the roundabout...."

I would probably use the hardest-object-on-my-bike tactic, but then
come to regret it later.

I just hope that I don't do it in front of 30 bus passengers


Last time I thumped on someone's window as a message that there wasn't
enough room in the lane I was in for the both of us, he simply sped
off past the traffic light, came to a screeching halt, got out of his
car, and started pushing me around. I didn't have enough warning to
grab my U-lock off the rack, and I wouldn't have wanted to, judging by
the breatherliser 50m up the road.

I hate being a soft weakling sometimes Shoulda just pulled a mono
and put my front wheel through his head

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
"Does bacteria culture in coffee cup qualify as pet? Have already
givink it name." -- Pitr Dubovich/User Friendly

 

[Parbs]

"TimC" asked in message...
>
> Hmmm. How's a vistalight for this purpose? I've been given the
> go-ahead to put a bike light on mum's credit card for my upcoming
> b'day

OK, but the NiteFlux vision stick is much better (for this purpose anyway)

Parbs

 

[hemyd]

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> Must be something in the air. Normally I just shrug off rudeness from
> motorists but not this evening.
>
> Riding home up Nepean and was at the junction of Bay Road. Lights
> changed, took off. Was cycling along the entrance to the car park and a
> P plater took umbrage and tooted me.
>
> Normally I let these things go, however it was about 17:45 so figured
> I'd have a good chance of catching her in the car park.
>
> Found the car but the driver had already decamped. Was just about to
> head off when she came out with her friend who she was obviously picking
> up.
>
> Cycled up to car and tapped on her window. She looked at me, realized
> who I was and did a passable impression of a startled rabbit caught in
> the headlights. I think I gave her a bit of a scare. Told her tooting
> cyclists wasn't on and left it at that.
>
> Probably not the right thing to do but man did I leave with a smile on
> my face. Her face was a picture.
> --
> Cheers
> Euan

Yes, drivers exist in the blissful anonymity of being enveloped in their
steel and glass box, aloof from the other nuisances that try to take their
space. It comes as a surprise when "one of those" creatures suddenly
confronts them - not their car, but *them*- as the person who is responsible
for the behaviour of the car - the operator of the horn, in your case. Then
they suddenly find themselves naked - open to scrutiny as the person they
are, not protected by their car. Then maybe they are embarrassed. For a
brief period. Then they return to being their aggressive selves.

Henry.

 

[hemyd]

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> The other morning I had a bit of a rear wheel slide happening at about 45
> km/h (pretty scary) as I was going over some of those red ripple strip
> thingos in the wet (the ones at the bottom of the hill near the reserve at
> Heidelberg that the BR goes on just before Burgundy St). Later on the
same
> ride I was Southbound on Wellington St (near the Clifton Hill end) and
> riding in the bike lane when a garbage truck (industrial bin type) came
from
> one of the side streets on the left and stopped just before the bike
> lane......trouble was, he still had his two steel prong bizzos lowered and
> so they pretty well went right across the bike lane. I was doing between
30
> and 35kph and had fark all time to react. There was no way I was going to
> stop and so I swerved right and hoped like hell that nothing was coming up
> behind me (there was one guy but thankfully he gave me some room).
>
> Another day last week, I was riding Northbound on Wellington St in the
arvo
> and coming up to the lights at Alexandra when a car door in the parking
lane
> suddenly flung open and a girl lurched out into the bike lane. It was a
two
> door hatch and so the door was pretty wide, and then the chick sorta
> stumbled as she came out and ended up right in the middle of the bike
lane.
> The traffic was already stopped for the lights and so I had nowhere to go
to
> the right and I did an emergency stop (back wheel came off the ground a
bit)
> and at the same time said pretty loudly "fckin idiot". I stopped probably
a
> foot or so before this chick who then (along with her three friends) had
the
> nerve to have a go at me. I basically told them in no uncertain terms to
> step into the room of mirrors and have a good hard look at themselves and
> then kept riding.........morons.
>
> I am seriously considering bypassing this road as it is the same one that
I
> was cleaned up on a couple of years ago and I am getting too many near
> misses for comfort.
>
> Ride On,
>
> Gags
>
>
>
One day on the bike track in Murrumbeena Rd on the way to Chaddy, a lady
drags around me, about 20 metres in front, and parks. I thought that was
bad, but then her friend in another car drags around me a couple of seconds
later, only about a metre in front, then stops. Door opens. Second lady
smiles as she says hello to the first lady.

The second lady's toddler son was in the back seat. I stopped at the open
foor of the car, and said very loudly to the toddler "can you ask your mummy
why she's trying to kill me", then left.

Henry.

 

[eddiec]

I hate being a soft weakling sometimes Shoulda just pulled a mono
and put my front wheel through his head

Ditto! I may have a resting heart-rate of a coma and no subcutaneous fat whatsoever, but the fitness that goes with that doesn't translate well when confronted with 185kgs of sweaty, selfish, narrow-minded bigotry and an overly aggressive attitude fueled by a wailing libido... Most times when I do the tap or knock I make sure I can escape quickly... Or at least make sure you stay public and have the mobile ready and visible and with 000 already punched in.

Eddie(doesn't carry a u-lock and I don't think a water bottle will have the same impact)c

 

[Katharine & Paul]

Sounds like a real idiot driver.

What is it about so many 4wd owners that their approach to driving is 'kill
or be killed'. You know the ones who say 'I own a 4wd so I dont come off
second best'. (bugger it that you have just killed another driver).

I'll get off my soapbox now (only to jump back on it on another day!)

Paul


"SteveA" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Katharine & Paul Wrote:
>>
>>
>> When approaching a roundabout I get in the middle of the lane, so I
>> cant be
>> cut off.
>>
>> A bike goes as fast thru a roundabout about as quick as a car anyway
>> (as
>> long as you dont have to stop or slow right down before entering).
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>
> Yep, that's my approach too. I claim my space. But this bozo wasn't
> having any of that. She got up beside me before the roundabout (the
> vehicle must have been over the centre line to do it) and eased me over
> on the way into the roundabout.
>
> Looking back, maybe this was part of why I got more annoyed than usual
>
> SteveA
>
>
> --
> SteveA
>

 

[hippy]

John Tserkezis wrote:
> I smashed a rear car window with my elbow. Can't tell you how much it
> hurt at the time, because I was knocked unconcious (with short term
> memory loss), but my elbow bloody hurt for a week afterwards... Not as
> much as my head though...

Jazmo been offering you riding tips?

hippy

 

[hippy]

TimC wrote:
> Quick question: What bite sized sound bite could I come up with for
> motorists who get upset at me sitting in the middle of the road with
> right arm outstretched waiting to turn right? Would they be as upset
> with me if I was in a car and blocking the entire lane instead of just
> the right 1 foot of it?

No words. Get off the bike and walk to their window..

If you must use words they would be a choice mix of F&%&, C$^&, S$%*,
C#$% and A$^*#@&% interspersed with mother, off, head, rip, kill, break,
smash, etc.

hippy
- public school education at its best!

 

[hippy]

flyingdutch wrote:
> "what are you talkin about?"
> I smile and quickly tap him on the arm.
> "You're it!" and i ride off. hahahahahahaha
> I look back and he's smilin.
> Put one down for the Dutch

hehe.. creative fscker aren't you!

I fear driver cooties hehehe

hippy

 

[hippy]

Parbs wrote:
> "TimC" asked in message...
>>Hmmm. How's a vistalight for this purpose? I've been given the
>>go-ahead to put a bike light on mum's credit card for my upcoming
>>b'day
>
> OK, but the NiteFlux vision stick is much better (for this purpose anyway)

Why?

hippy

 

[hippy]

eddiec wrote:
> TimC Wrote:
>>I hate being a soft weakling sometimes Shoulda just pulled a mono
>>and put my front wheel through his head

I wish!

> Most times when I do the tap or knock I make sure I can escape
> quickly... Or at least make sure you stay public and have the mobile
> ready and visible and with 000 already punched in.

Isn't it 112 on a mobile?

If you get beside the driver's door, they can't turn the car around to
get you and if they drive off you can watch where they go. If they want
to open the door to have a go you can gently put it back into closed
position with a little 'love kick'..

hippy

 

[SteveA]

TimC wrote:
> Quick question: What bite sized sound bite could I come up with for
> motorists who get upset at me sitting in the middle of the road with
> right arm outstretched waiting to turn right? Would they be as upset
> with me if I was in a car and blocking the entire lane instead of just
> the right 1 foot of it?

No words. Get off the bike and walk to their window..

If you must use words they would be a choice mix of F&%&, C$^&, S$%*,
C#$% and A$^*#@&% interspersed with mother, off, head, rip, kill, break,
smash, etc.

hippy
- public school education at its best!

Even better delivered by a cyclist with an upper class British Public School (ie expensive private school) education. Said cyclist was an ex-rugby player and was not happy at being cut off by fool in Range Rover.

SteveA

 

[byron27]

I didn't have enough warning to
grab my U-lock off the rack.

You need one of those Kryptonite Mini ULocks. They fit in to your back pocket for easy access and are useful for rearranging various parts of a car's bonnet, roof and side panels.

A favourite i remember from days on the road involved a one of the guys working for another company. He was having an argument with a driver who had clipped him. Somehow he managed to grab the keys out of the ignition and throw them down a stormwater drain! Now that is getting your point across.

 

[Theo Bekkers]

"byron27" wrote
> TimC Wrote:
>> I didn't have enough warning to
>> grab my U-lock off the rack.
>>
> You need one of those Kryptonite Mini ULocks. They fit in to your
> back
> pocket for easy access and are useful for rearranging various parts
> of
> a car's bonnet, roof and side panels.

Do some people really think resorting to, or advising, violence to
other road users is a viable solution? Do you think people in motor
vehicles deliberately try to injure you? And do you think retaliatory
road rage on your part is justified or advisable?

One and a half tonne car versus 10kg bike? I don't like the odds.

Theo

 

[TimC]

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 at 03:27 GMT, Theo Bekkers (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> "byron27" wrote
>> You need one of those Kryptonite Mini ULocks. They fit in to your
>> back
>> pocket for easy access and are useful for rearranging various parts
>> of
>> a car's bonnet, roof and side panels.
>
> Do some people really think resorting to, or advising, violence to
> other road users is a viable solution? Do you think people in motor
> vehicles deliberately try to injure you?

Yes. Demonstrably.

Eg, the time I was deliberately rammed from behind by 4 thugs in a
stolen vehicle.


And they (siggie monsters) say:

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.
-- Hamilcar Barca @ comp.os.linux.advocacy

 

[DaveB]

Theo Bekkers wrote:
> Do some people really think resorting to, or advising, violence to
> other road users is a viable solution? Do you think people in motor
> vehicles deliberately try to injure you?

Yes refer to BR38 ride report.

> And do you think retaliatory
> road rage on your part is justified or advisable?

Yes refer to BR38 ride report.
>
> One and a half tonne car versus 10kg bike? I don't like the odds.
>
> Theo
>

I suspect our BR38 friends may re-evaluate before tryign to run cyclists
off the road again.

DaveB

 

[Carl Brewer]

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:27:49 +0800, "Theo Bekkers"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"byron27" wrote
>> TimC Wrote:
>>> I didn't have enough warning to
>>> grab my U-lock off the rack.
>>>
>> You need one of those Kryptonite Mini ULocks. They fit in to your
>> back
>> pocket for easy access and are useful for rearranging various parts
>> of
>> a car's bonnet, roof and side panels.
>
>Do some people really think resorting to, or advising, violence to
>other road users is a viable solution?

Some people do, all too often, alas. However, what's
happening here is just speen venting. Call it therapy if you
like.

> Do you think people in motor
>vehicles deliberately try to injure you?

Sometimes, most definatly. I know first-hand of people
who have been assaulted physically whilst riding by
occupiers of cars. I've had heavy objects thrown at
me myself (and I *don't* bash cars with random objects, but do
occasionally gesticulate when cutoff). Last week riding
along St Kilda Rd at 11pm I was "egged" while riding
in the bike lane, doing nothing more wrong than wearing a
bright yellow jersey. That was definatly an attempt to
intimidate, if not injure.

> And do you think retaliatory
>road rage on your part is justified or advisable?

Advisable, no, but justified, sometimes yes. If I could have
caught the turds that egged me, I've have felt quite justified
in force-feeding them the egg, and any remaining eggs they
may have been carrying.

>One and a half tonne car versus 10kg bike? I don't like the odds.

That's why I ride away (same thing on the motorbike). Doesn't
mean that retaliation isn't justified sometimes, just that it's
not likely to be successful!

You know this stuff Theo, I remember you from aus.moto, you're
either trolling, or drunk