Suicide man?

[Roger]

Yesterday afternoon - I'm waiting at traffic lights at a crossroads to turn left into a one-way
street. The lights change to green, so I can turn left and the traffic on the busy road I'm on can
go straight on in both directions. As I turn left, a middle-aged man rides the wrong way out of the
one-way street I'm turning into, straight across the junction.

The shock of seeing him apparently about to kill himself was quite something... There's a screeching
of brakes as the cars on the road he's riding across try to avoid him. He never slows down or tries
to avoid the cars, but by some miracle makes it to the other side.

Other than deliberately trying to kill himself, at a junction where an old lady was killed by a
lorry only a couple of weeks ago, the only explanation I can come up with is that he was seriously
drunk, but he seemed to be riding too straight for that!

--
Roger

 

[Dave]

"Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Yesterday afternoon - I'm waiting at traffic lights at a crossroads to turn left into a one-way
> street. The lights change to green, so I can turn left and the traffic on the busy road I'm on can
> go straight on in both directions. As I turn left, a middle-aged man rides the wrong way out of
> the one-way street I'm turning into, straight across the junction.
>
> The shock of seeing him apparently about to kill himself was quite something... There's a
> screeching of brakes as the cars on the road he's riding across try to avoid him. He never slows
> down or tries to avoid the cars, but by some miracle makes it to the other side.
>
> Other than deliberately trying to kill himself, at a junction where an old lady was killed by a
> lorry only a couple of weeks ago, the only explanation I can come up with is that he was seriously
> drunk, but he seemed to be riding too straight for that!
>
> --
> Roger

Late last year I saw a lad cross a set of traffic lights, against the lights, on a trials style
motorbike, with no helmet and no lights. He had no protective gear, not even a helmet and it was
dark, fairly busy at about 1830, tail end of local rush hour...oh, and he had a friend on the back.
Funnily enough I wasn't outraged or annoyed like I know I should've been, I was just in a state of
pure amazement that he made it across alive. The only way I could think of that he might have made
it more difficult for himself was maybe to close his eyes or get rid of the bike altogether and roll
across the junction. I don't think it was David Blaine <s?> or Derren Brown, but you never know with
those two!! Some folks just live their lives slightly outside the parameters of what is considered
normal reality. The sick thing is that they get away with it because they expect to. You just know
that if either you or I tried it we'd be down first go ;-) Dave.

 

[Miket]

Roger <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Yesterday afternoon - I'm waiting at traffic lights at a crossroads to turn left into a one-way
> street. The lights change to green, so I can turn left and the traffic on the busy road I'm on can
> go straight on in both directions. As I turn left, a middle-aged man rides the wrong way out of
> the one-way street I'm turning into, straight across the junction.
>
> The shock of seeing him apparently about to kill himself was quite something... There's a
> screeching of brakes as the cars on the road he's riding across try to avoid him. He never slows
> down or tries to avoid the cars, but by some miracle makes it to the other side.
>
> Other than deliberately trying to kill himself, at a junction where an old lady was killed by a
> lorry only a couple of weeks ago, the only explanation I can come up with is that he was seriously
> drunk, but he seemed to be riding too straight for that!

That's nothing - two nights ago I saw a bloke with no lights cycle the wrong way down a 4 lane one
way street, into the junction with Holloway Road (5 or 6 lanes with a central divider), across the 4
lanes of traffic coming against him and away down Holloway Road.

Nothing hit him, not much braked and he sauntered off as if it was the most normal thing in the
world. It was jaw dropping.

 

[Paul Stevenson]

"Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Yesterday afternoon - I'm waiting at traffic lights at a crossroads to turn left into a one-way
> > street. The lights change to green, so I can turn left and the traffic on the busy road I'm on
> > can go straight on in both directions. As I turn left, a middle-aged man rides the wrong way out
> > of the one-way street I'm turning into, straight across the junction.

snip

> > Roger
>
> Late last year I saw a lad cross a set of traffic lights, against the lights, on a trials style
> motorbike, with no helmet and no lights. He had
no
> protective gear, not even a helmet and it was dark, fairly busy at about 1830, tail end of local
> rush hour...oh, and he had a friend on the back.

snip

> Dave.
>
Going a bit OT here.

A few years ago a teenager and his mate on a trials bike were killed near here.

They were riding it along a railway line in the dark with no lights and were hit from behind
by a train.

Perhaps its a trials bike thing?

Paul

 

[Dave]

"MikeT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Roger <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Yesterday afternoon - I'm waiting at traffic lights at a crossroads to turn left into a one-way
> > street. The lights change to green, so I can turn left and the traffic on the busy road I'm on
> > can go straight on in both directions. As I turn left, a middle-aged man rides the wrong way out
> > of the one-way street I'm turning into, straight across the junction.
> >
> > The shock of seeing him apparently about to kill himself was quite something... There's a
> > screeching of brakes as the cars on the road he's riding across try to avoid him. He never slows
> > down or tries to avoid the cars, but by some miracle makes it to the other side.
> >
> > Other than deliberately trying to kill himself, at a junction where an old lady was killed by a
> > lorry only a couple of weeks ago, the only explanation I can come up with is that he was
> > seriously drunk, but he seemed to be riding too straight for that!
>
> That's nothing - two nights ago I saw a bloke with no lights cycle the wrong way down a 4 lane one
> way street, into the junction with Holloway Road (5 or 6 lanes with a central divider), across the
> 4 lanes of traffic coming against him and away down Holloway Road.
>
> Nothing hit him, not much braked and he sauntered off as if it was the most normal thing in the
> world. It was jaw dropping.

That's nothing (heheh!!)...when I did the E2E in March I only planned my route at a very high
level. When I came to cross the River Clyde in Glasgow to get to Kilmarnock, I followed
instructions to cross the Clyde through the bike tunnel only missed the partly obscured teeny-weeny
bike tunnel sign and started to head down the road tunnel....luckily I realised at the last minute
that it would've been serious suicide to continue, so walked my fully loaded bike back up against
the flow of traffic and somehow survived....got my first puncture of the trip going through the
bike tunnel though ;-) Dave.

 

[Dave Kahn]

On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 23:15:23 -0000, "Dave" <[email protected]> wrote:

>... walked my fully loaded bike back up against the flow of traffic and somehow survived....

Woh! Scary moment!

--
Dave...

 

[Peter Connolly]

"Paul Stevenson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]... <snip>
> A few years ago a teenager and his mate on a trials bike were killed near here.
>
> They were riding it along a railway line in the dark with no lights and
were
> hit from behind by a train.
>
> Perhaps its a trials bike thing?
>

Darwinism!

Regards,

Pete.

 

[Richard Goodman]

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

> Other than deliberately trying to kill himself, at a junction where an old lady was killed by a
> lorry only a couple of weeks ago, the only explanation I can come up with is that he was seriously
> drunk, but he seemed to be riding too straight for that!
>

I don't recall seeing anything like that or some of the other things people have mentioned, but most
days I do see some degree of recklessness by POBs. Personally I do believe that it is possible to
transgress against red lights in a safe and considerate manner and don't necessarily condemn the
practice outright, but there are some who, it seems, either don't care for their own safety or that
of others, or are simply clueless about it. Reminds me of the story of some tribe somewhere that
believe that going off to fight naked makes them invulnerable to bullets. It seems some POBs think
that being on a bike makes them invulnerable to motorvehicles! (Of course we all know it makes us
_invisible_, but that's a different point!).

Rich

 

[Dave Larrington]

Managed something similar in Holland once - we missed the Fietspad coming out of a village and ended
up on the main road approaching a tunnel under some river or other. On the wrong side. Life was made
more complicated by two of the three present being in fully-faired Windcheetahs, this making a quick
exit over the crash barriers rather problematic.

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Dave]

"Richard Goodman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
<snippetysnipsnip>
. It seems some POBs think that being on
> a bike makes them invulnerable to motorvehicles! (Of course we all know
it
> makes us _invisible_, but that's a different point!).
>
> Rich
>
>
I don't think it's so much invulnerable as 'THEIR FAULT', so that makes it ok then. They appear to
not really be able to comprehend the consequences beyond apportioning blame and as car drivers are
in control of the wrecking machine, they must be to blame if they wreck something... Dave.

 

[Dave]

"Dave Kahn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 23:15:23 -0000, "Dave" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >... walked my fully loaded bike back up against the flow of traffic and somehow survived....
>
> Woh! Scary moment!
>
> --
> Dave...

Bloody right!!...seemed to slightly worry the guy working in the office in the building that crosses
the top of the tunnel too...bless him for letting me know that cyclists aren't really allowed to use
the tunnel (mad waving of arms and I'm sure he was shouting something but couldn't hear a thing over
the roar of the traffic), getting back around the hairpin bend against the flow of the traffic was
'entertaining' too. Don't know if they called the police to attend, I was too busy fixing my
puncture 10 minutes later out the far side of the cycle tunnel ;-)...certainly woke up a few cagers
heading into the tunnel at ridiculous speeds on the daily drudge though. Dave.

 

[Marc]

Paul Stevenson <[email protected]> wrote:

> Perhaps its a trials bike thing?

Trials bikes have no lights, their only requirement is a speedometer and a number plate, and even
the speedo is not required if they have a tachometer that can show road speed at road speeds.

--
Marc. Please note the above address is a spam trap, use marcc to reply Printing for clubs of all
types http://www.jaceeprint.demon.co.uk Stickers, banners & clothing, for clubs,teams, magazines
and dealers.

 

[Ambrose Nankive]

In news:[email protected], Peter Connolly
<[email protected]> typed:
> "Paul Stevenson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]... <snip>
>> A few years ago a teenager and his mate on a trials bike were killed near here.
>>
>> They were riding it along a railway line in the dark with no lights and were hit from behind by
>> a train.
>>
>> Perhaps its a trials bike thing?
>>
>
> Darwinism!

Always the nicest thing to say when young people have met untimely deaths in a violent fashion, I
think. No matter how poorly it reflects on the social fitness of the speaker.

A

 

[Iarocu]

> That's nothing (heheh!!)...when I did the E2E in March I only planned my route at a very high
> level. When I came to cross the River Clyde in Glasgow to get to Kilmarnock, I followed
> instructions to cross the Clyde through the bike tunnel only missed the partly obscured
> teeny-weeny bike tunnel sign and started to head down the road tunnel....luckily I realised at the
> last minute that it would've been serious suicide to continue, so walked my fully loaded bike back
> up against the flow of traffic and somehow survived....got my first puncture of the trip going
> through the bike tunnel though ;-) Dave.

I frequently cycle through Glasgow but I make a point of avoiding the Clyde cycle tunnel. It has
loads of broken glass and the southern end exits through a deep cutting where you are vulnerable to
anything thrown from the locals up above. I wouldn,t recommend it in the late evening anyway.
Suitable alternatives are the Renrew passenger ferry about 1 mile down river or Bells Bridge about 1
or 2 miles upriver. For end to enders the Erskine Bridge is another possible route. It has a good
cycle path over it.All the alternatives are easier to find as well. Iain C

 

[Dave]

"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In news:[email protected], Peter Connolly
> <[email protected]> typed:
> > "Paul Stevenson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]... <snip>
> >> A few years ago a teenager and his mate on a trials bike were killed near here.
> >>
> >> They were riding it along a railway line in the dark with no lights and were hit from behind by
> >> a train.
> >>
> >> Perhaps its a trials bike thing?
> >>
> >
> > Darwinism!
>
> Always the nicest thing to say when young people have met untimely deaths
in
> a violent fashion, I think. No matter how poorly it reflects on the social fitness of the speaker.
>
> A
>
>
You think maybe " poor dears" might be more appropriate, Ambrose ?...despite the fact that their
stupid irresponsible thoughtless actions could have led to far more deaths with the derailment of
the train. I believe that it was very probably a suitable timely and violent death.... Dave. father
of 3 who loves kids to bits but despises the morass that society is sinking into due to the lack of
respect for their fellow man that is being bred into certain 'members' of society......

 

[Ambrose Nankive]

On Sat, 8 Nov 2003 00:20:22 -0000, Dave <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> "Ambrose Nankivell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> In news:[email protected], Peter Connolly
>> <[email protected]> typed:
>> > "Paul Stevenson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > news:[email protected]... <snip>
>> >> A few years ago a teenager and his mate on a trials bike were killed near here.
>> >>
>> >> They were riding it along a railway line in the dark with no lights and were hit from behind
>> >> by a train.
>> >>
>> >> Perhaps its a trials bike thing?
>> >>
>> >
>> > Darwinism!
>>
>> Always the nicest thing to say when young people have met untimely deaths
> in
>> a violent fashion, I think. No matter how poorly it reflects on the social fitness of the
>> speaker.
>>
> You think maybe " poor dears" might be more appropriate, Ambrose?

No.

> ...despite the fact that their stupid irresponsible thoughtless actions could have led to far more
> deaths with the derailment of the train.

That's true.

> I believe that it was very probably a suitable timely and violent death....

That's what I object to. I find the phrase or implication "deserve to die" abhorrent, and I loathe
the glib, complacent and smug attitude of those who use the word Darwinism in association with death
by misadventure. I find it hard to believe that the speakers haven't ever done anything stupid
enough that they trusted their life to luck and I find the lack of empathy and thankfulness for
their good fortune in that situation to be complacent. To me it's obnoxious that someone's first
reaction to hearing of two people being smashed into little bits of blood and guts is what boils
down to 'Ha! Serves you right'.

Natural selection amongst humans also has (in my not hugely informed interpretation) a strong but
subtler element to it, which is survival of the socially fittest, whereby empathy is among the
desirable traits, and I'd suggest it's not lacking just in those who let themselves stupidly get run
over by a train, but also in those who would rather delight in it being someone else than feel
sympathy for the suffering involved. Of course, this effect would be very difficult to measure, but
I find the irony of it interesting.

> Dave. father of 3 who loves kids to bits but despises the morass that society is sinking into due
> to the lack of respect for their fellow man that is being bred into certain 'members' of
> society......

True, society isn't without its problems. I'm never sure if it's the fact that kids hang around
outside intimidating people (often inadvertantly), breaking things and making a mess, or the fact
that there's no adults out there as well.

 

[Simon Brooke]

Ambrose Nankivell <$firstname+'n'@onetel.net.uk> writes:

[snip: kids riding motorbike on railway line, run over and killed by a train]

> That's what I object to. I find the phrase or implication "deserve to die" abhorrent, and I loathe
> the glib, complacent and smug attitude of those who use the word Darwinism in association with
> death by misadventure. I find it hard to believe that the speakers haven't ever done anything
> stupid enough that they trusted their life to luck and I find the lack of empathy and thankfulness
> for their good fortune in that situation to be complacent. To me it's obnoxious that someone's
> first reaction to hearing of two people being smashed into little bits of blood and guts is what
> boils down to 'Ha! Serves you right'.

I sympathise with your objection to suggesting that anyone deserves to die, but for heaven's sake
this wasn't 'misadventure'. This was arrant stupidity. The consequences were inevitable and
forseeable. So although I don't think these kids 'deserved to die', I do think they are solely
responsible for their own deaths.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

There are no messages. The above is just a random stream of bytes. Any opinion or meaning
you find in it is your own creation.

 

[Dave]

"Ambrose Nankivell" <$firstname+'n'@onetel.net.uk> wrote in message
newsprybl03o05mba7f@localhost...
> On Sat, 8 Nov 2003 00:20:22 -0000, Dave <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> > "Ambrose Nankivell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> In news:[email protected], Peter Connolly
> >> <[email protected]> typed:
> >> > "Paul Stevenson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> > news:[email protected]... <snip>
> >> >> A few years ago a teenager and his mate on a trials bike were killed near here.
> >> >>
> >> >> They were riding it along a railway line in the dark with no lights and were hit from behind
> >> >> by a train.
> >> >>
> >> >> Perhaps its a trials bike thing?
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > Darwinism!
> >>
> >> Always the nicest thing to say when young people have met untimely deaths
> > in
> >> a violent fashion, I think. No matter how poorly it reflects on the social fitness of the
> >> speaker.
> >>
> > You think maybe " poor dears" might be more appropriate, Ambrose?
>
> No.
>
> > ...despite the fact that their stupid irresponsible thoughtless actions could have led to far
> > more deaths with the derailment of the train.
>
> That's true.
>
> > I believe that it was very probably a suitable timely and violent death....
>
> That's what I object to. I find the phrase or implication "deserve to die" abhorrent, and I loathe
> the glib, complacent and smug attitude of those who use the word Darwinism in association with
> death by misadventure. I find it hard to believe that the speakers haven't ever done anything
> stupid enough that they trusted their life to luck

I'm sure that when they do and the luck runs out, they won't be worrying about the next smug git
around the corner murmuring 'Darwinism'...more likely to be (should there be any awareness of what
continues in this reality), nodding in agreement.

and I find the lack of
> empathy and thankfulness for their good fortune in that situation to be complacent. To me it's
> obnoxious that someone's first reaction to hearing of two people being smashed into little bits of
> blood and guts is what boils down to 'Ha! Serves you right'.

To me it's obnoxious that individuals don't follow the do as you would be done by guide to living a
socially acceptable life, but hey, that's life!!

>
> Natural selection amongst humans also has (in my not hugely informed interpretation) a strong but
> subtler element to it, which is survival of the socially fittest,

Aaah, this explains why it currently appears that crime does pay and total lack of respect for your
fellow human is not penalised as a trait....

whereby empathy is among the desirable traits, and
> I'd suggest it's not lacking just in those who let themselves stupidly get run over by a train,
> but also in those who would rather delight in it being someone else than feel sympathy for the
> suffering involved. Of course, this effect would be very difficult to measure, but I find the
> irony of it interesting.

Nope, sorry, lost me there. /HUA (head up ****) mode on / I am willing to dole out empathy and
sympathy by the bucketful but only if I feel the recipient is worthy of my effort. /HUA mode off /
>
> > Dave. father of 3 who loves kids to bits but despises the morass that society is sinking into
> > due to the lack of respect for their fellow man that is being bred into certain 'members' of
> > society......
>
> True, society isn't without its problems. I'm never sure if it's the fact that kids hang around
> outside intimidating people (often inadvertantly), breaking things and making a mess, or the fact
> that there's no adults out there as well.

I believe (ahem!) that in the future, either our descendants or who knows, perhaps some alien
species, will study our era and consider our state of civ ilisation. I believe we will be found
wanting, because I also believe that the state of civilisation will be measured by how we interact
with our children and how we prepare them for their contribution to society. If you need to check
this view out, pop into any supermarket or town centre on a busy afternoon. Observe parents ignoring
crying children, fobbing them off when they ask questions in search of knowledge and some even
threatening violent actions if the child does not embrace their world view (i.e. - kid should stop
distracting parent with incessant talking / crying / tugging). I would love to be around when a
child finally responds in like to its parents, having been bought up using threats and possibly
physical violence as the way to teach their child what is and isn't acceptable. The child finally
responds in like and hits the parent and then the parent wonders why their offspring is such a
little sh*t...just to see that look of surprise on the parents face and hear the self-righteous
whining, believing no-one could've done a better job in raising their
child....etcetc.....err....oooops /Rant mode off /