Theo Bekkers wrote:
>
> Patrick Turner wrote:
> > Aeek wrote:
>
> >> I am scared for the timid cyclists who hug the left away from the
> >> nasty cars and snap right into the green lane at the last instant.
> >> They are setting themselves up to be hit and it really won't be the
> >> drivers fault.
>
> Hehe. You're quite good Aeek
>
> > Yes, I'd agree they would be setting themselves up.
> > But not if they stopped, and proceded after taking a good look at
> > what's coming.
> > 99% of cyclists don't have rear vision mirrors, and looking around
> > while pedaling,
> > and keeping balance, is quite beyond some ppl.
> > There old neck bones don't allow it anyway sometimes...
>
> I thought you were youngandfit@sixty Pat. I'm older than you and have no
> problem turning my neck. You should do something useful in your spare time
> like me. I'm a lieutenant in the local volunteer fire brigade and get to
> drive 12 tonne 4WDs.
Hehe. You're quite bad Theo
You have assumed I was talking abouy my neck. But I wasn't. And I have
a friend of
66 who can't turn his neck much due to the effects of having had a
horific car accident 40 years ago.
I don't have any spare time as you so erroneously assume.
I am still in the workforce, and not retired, and you're implying.
OK, I do a couple of rides. Driving a 12 tonne big red toy fire engine
wouldn't keep me fit; I NEED the rides to stay fit, and prevent what's
happend to most
of my friends, fatness, unfitness, diabetes, etc.
Nature gave me an attrocious pair of knee joints.
3 years ago the surgeons said I would definately have to have both
joints replaced.
I was forced off cycling because of knee pain in 1993, and the building
work I had been doing
for 30 years with a broken cruciate lig didn't help.
I did have a cartlidge trimming op 3 years ago, and have managed to get
back on the bike
last year with the attitude that it would stuff my knees completely, or
improve them
and get rid of 20kG of excess fat, improve heart lung function, and stop
the rot.
My knees have got better, i have lost the weight, and have resting HR of
52.
But I still can't run, and loathe standing around for long, and long
walks.
That of course makes me pretty antisocial but I
don't miss coctail parties and BS.
Its good to see someone does volunteer work.
I work in my own business repairing electronics and building new
sound systems, and unfortunately, while many people treasure the service
I offer, they don't want to pay me like they did when I was a builder,
and when I switched from building to electronics as a second career,
I was forced to accept wages that are at least 7 times lower per hour
than building work gave me.
So effectively, I am volunteering my services to everyone
for next to nothing.
So I may spend several weeks building a really good quality amplifier
and pair of
speakers, and the labour I put in is equal to doing a minor house
extension.
People might pay 40 grand for the several weeks of building work,
but only maybe 6 grand for a top class stereo.
Some woll just fo to BingLee for their stereo, and
I never get to work for those folks, and they always
want stuff repaired for almost nothing, because although they want
their own wages to be AWE of $800, ie, $20 per hour for 40 hours,
they only want to pay me $5 max. The chinese imports made with labour
costing 20c per hour has spoiled our values.
So effectively, the chinese are also volunteering to maintain
the standard of living of those on AWE in western nations.
I could go on to make a few more points in this debate,
but I will be accused of having too long a post.....
>
> > So without a rear vision mirror, you never know quite when you are
> > about to leave the planet.
>
> They cost all of $5, go get one.
I have ears. I've ridden 110,000 kms on bicycles without a mirror.
I recal I once tried one, and found it not worth the bother.
I look around instead.
One of those helmet mounyed types, small, might be the best, not sure.
>
> > Cyclists should pray all the time while on the bike, and beg God's
> > forgiveness each hour.
> > It'd have to be far more effective than being a Catholic,
> > which means one can drive over several cyclists by wednesday, go to
> > confession
> > on friday, say 2,000 hail marys for penance on saturday, and drop dead
> > after mass on sunday,
> > then arrive forgiven into heaven on monday.
>
> 2000 Hail Marys? Thats a bit steep for a couple of cyclists. One Rosary per
> cyclists ought to be enough. Better being a Protestant Patrick. When you run
> over a cyclist next you can say it was God's will.
Of course you could be a Muslim, and then its definately the Will of
Allah!
And a Budhist of course would say it was kharma. Of course it F&^%$#@
was.
THe Hindu of course might say that the rapid expiration of
a cyclist could be right in some circumstances, but not in others,
and depending on caste. Don't cycle in India.
Use a bullock cart instead.
And in China, where they have fogotten to be religious or moral,
you'd bribe a party official if who you ran over was another party
official.
There's around a billion bicycles in china and the man in the car has
some grandly breathtaking opportunities.
Patrick Turner.
>
> Theo