Road rage in Australia



S

spindrift

Guest
Cyclists in 50-bike Sydney hit and run

A pack of 50 cyclists - including reportedly at least one Olympian -
has been involved in a hit and run incident on a Sydney road.

http://news.smh.com.au/cyclists-in-50bike-sydney-hit-and-run/20080508-2c56.html

Cyclists dispute driver's account

HE IS known in Colquhoun Way, a back street in the Campbelltown suburb
of Claymore, as "Huss", a nice guy by neighbours' accounts. But only
his dark brown Ford Falcon was there yesterday, with a dented boot -
while Huss was elsewhere arguing his case against furious cyclists.

Huss was driving his sedan along Southern Cross Drive at 6.45am on
Thursday when he encountered a large group of cyclists returning from
a training ride.

The speed limit for vehicles was 80kmh and Huss was obliged to slow.
"I've got in front of, overtaken all of the cyclists, and while I'm
sort of in the middle lane … another car in front of me, he has slowed
down. I've accelerated to get into the left lane - and I just got a
car two days that is a gas and petrol thing - and it backfired, the
airbox popped."

On his account most of the cyclists sailed past him but two went
"thud, thud" into his boot. He found himself surrounded by up to 50
angry cyclists and thought it prudent to drive off. On the accounts of
several cyclists involved, there was a pile-up involving injuries to
up to 20 cyclists.

Yesterday on Macquarie Radio and calling himself "Jason", he defended
himself and said he had even put on his hazard lights. Ben Kersten,
one of the cyclists, rang the station to call Huss a liar: "We have 50
witnesses to say everything you have said is false."

Police have interviewed Huss, and last night had laid no charges but
the cyclists have intimated they may mount a class action and seek up
to $50,000 compensation.

A political row erupted, with the Minister for Roads, Eric Roozendaal,
saying it was "not helpful" for cyclists to ride in peak hour traffic.
But the Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said he was sending a dangerous
message.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cyclists-dispute-drivers-account/2008/05/09/1210131264145.html
 
On Tue, 13 May 2008, spindrift <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> http://news.smh.com.au/cyclists-in-50bike-sydney-hit-and-run/20080508-2c56.html
>
> A political row erupted, with the Minister for Roads, Eric Roozendaal,
> saying it was "not helpful" for cyclists to ride in peak hour traffic.


As opposed to driving in it, which makes the world a better place and
brings smiles to everyone involved, I imagine. However, I can't find
any other reference to the quote (or indeed the 'political row') than
in that one smh article. Anyone else seen anything?

Eric Roozendaal seems a bit of a pillock, however - his defence of
Sydney traffic conditions seems to be that at least the city isn't as
boring as Adelaide.

regards, Ian SMith
--
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On Tue, 13 May 2008 03:06:46 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On his account most of the cyclists sailed past him but two went
>"thud, thud" into his boot.


Translation: Passive-aggressive driver pulled in front of cyclists and
hit the brakes, causing two cyclists to crash into the back of his
car?
 
On Tue, 13 May 2008 03:06:46 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Cyclists dispute driver's account


Here you go. Follow up. Cyclist's account with pic:

<http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cycle-pack-pileup-man-charged/2008/05/13/1210444378585.html>

Cyclists...reported that an older model Ford Falcon sedan swerved into
their lane and slammed its brakes on.

Police yesterday served the driver at his Claymore home with a court
summons for leaving the scene without supplying his details.

The driver, calling himself "Jason", telephoned Macquarie Radio last
Friday and claimed his car had stalled after "the airbox popped" and
blamed the cyclists for failing to watch where they were going.
 
On May 13, 3:37 pm, NewRiderPS <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Tue, 13 May 2008 03:06:46 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Cyclists dispute driver's account

>
> Here you go. Follow up. Cyclist's account with pic:
>
> <http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cycle-pack-pileup-man-charged/200...>
>
> Cyclists...reported that an older model Ford Falcon sedan swerved into
> their lane and slammed its brakes on.
>
> Police yesterday served the driver at his Claymore home with a court
> summons for leaving the scene without supplying his details.
>
> The driver, calling himself "Jason", telephoned Macquarie Radio last
> Friday and claimed his car had stalled after "the airbox popped" and
> blamed the cyclists for failing to watch where they were going.


What's an airbox?
John Kane Kingston ON Canada
 
On 13/05/2008 14:02, Ian Smith wrote:
> On Tue, 13 May 2008, spindrift <[email protected]> wrote:
>> A political row erupted, with the Minister for Roads, Eric Roozendaal,
>> saying it was "not helpful" for cyclists to ride in peak hour traffic.

>
> As opposed to driving in it, which makes the world a better place and
> brings smiles to everyone involved, I imagine. However, I can't find
> any other reference to the quote (or indeed the 'political row') than
> in that one smh article. Anyone else seen anything?


Wasn't it Australian politicians who tried to ban filtering by
motorcyclists a couple of years ago? IIRC the bikers organised a "no
filtering" morning commute, where they all rode as if they were driving
cars, successfully demonstrating the increase in congestion that would
result from a filtering ban.

--
Danny Colyer <http://www.redpedals.co.uk>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"The plural of anecdote is not data" - Frank Kotsonis
 
On Tue, 13 May 2008 14:20:46 -0700, John Kane wrote:

lamed the cyclists for failing to watch where they were going.
>
> What's an airbox?
>

Part of the engine's induction system.