Forum Home
PC World Chat
Thread ID: 116018	2011-02-13 23:04:00	Cyclists won't like this	--Wolf-- (128)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1177963	2011-02-14 21:54:00	What's the motorway got to do with this particular incident, Sol? There isn't any move to allow cycles on motorways that I am aware of (nor should there be, IMO)... The cyclists that this woman killed were legally on a public country road, and on their side of it, early morning in good weather. Your argument could be applied to motorcycles too (as regards lack of protection - and I would add, low-visibility), but there doesn't seem to be a call be them to be banned from the public roads that we all pay for.... Oh, wasnt aware it was a back country road...!!, as for motorcycles, at least they travel at the same speed as cars!	SolMiester (139)
1177964	2011-02-14 21:57:00	Oh, wasnt aware it was a back country road...!!, as for motorcycles, at least they travel at the same speed as cars! Or even faster in some cases!	Snorkbox (15764)
1177965	2011-02-14 22:00:00	There is, or was, a move to allow cyclists to use the Auckland Harbour Bridge as I remember it though was there not? Cyclists do not pay for the roads and neither do they have to undergo a test as to their ability . You have said before that cyclists also own cars and therefore do pay . I say that not all cyclists own cars and therefore those that do not own cars do not pay . Those that do own cars maybe should use them instead of a cycle perhaps for their own protection . Motor cyclists do, in fact, contribute to ACC and the upkeep of roads by way of taxes on fuel . In no way do I condone the sentence passed to the woman in the case mentioned by the way . The Harbour Bridge Crossing will not use the motorway, but purpose built clip-ons . No, cyclists don't have to undergo testing to ride on the road, but schools used to educate kids about how to ride a bike, and common sense takes care of the rest of the training . Just like school swimming lessons, this has been dropped, to the detriment of all (noticed the number of drownings is increasing every year?) . You don't need a piece of paper to go swimming in the sea either, but people do swim . Some drown, most don't . And I'm getting heartily sick of the myth that is constantly perpetuated that cyclists don't pay for the roads . Yes, cyclists pay road taxes with the petrol they use and the registration and ACC fees they pay for their motor vehicles . Most are probably home-owners, so also pay rates, which is where a lot of the money comes from to maintain local roads . Not that cyclists do any damage to the roads they ride on anyway . A 100kg item versus a 2000kg (or 20,000kg) item over a tar-sealed surface - it's obvious which does the damage to the road! There would be a very small minority of riders who don't fall into one of these categories, most of whom would be either greenies or kids . There are many reasons for using a bike - not all of which revolve around getting from A to B . There are professionally competitive cyclists who need to train on real roads (because they are road cyclists, like Hayden Roulston), recreationally competitive cyclists who like to challenge themselves and pit themselves against other recreational cyclists in organised events (they still need to train for these events), there are people who ride for health reasons (such as myself) or social interaction and coffee with like-minded people, there are commuters, there are alternative life-stylers (greenies), there are kids getting to school and there are casual riders . There are probably a load more reasons to ride a bike, but I don't have time to put them all down now .	johcar (6283)
1177966	2011-02-14 22:08:00	there are kids getting to school Hardly any of them now around here. There would be a hell of a lot fewer cars on the road if the kids rode their bikes to school.	mikebartnz (21)
1177967	2011-02-14 22:13:00	Hardly any of them now around here . There would be a hell of a lot fewer cars on the road if the kids rode their bikes to school . Yeah . Vicious circle: perception (not really, there are!) that there are too many cars on the road, so it's perceived as unsafe to let little Johnny ride to school . Little Johnny doesn't ride to school (Mummy takes him in her SUV), creating more traffic issues and little Johnny gets fat and lazy . And never learns basic road sense, so when he gets behind the wheel of a car, has no idea how to drive safely .	johcar (6283)
1177968	2011-02-14 22:26:00	Yeah. Vicious circle: perception (not really, there are!) that there are too many cars on the road, so it's perceived as unsafe to let little Johnny ride to school. Little Johnny doesn't ride to school (Mummy takes him in her SUV), creating more traffic issues and little Johnny gets fat and lazy. And never learns basic road sense, so when he gets behind the wheel of a car, has no idea how to drive safely. Exactly the old chicken and egg thing.	mikebartnz (21)
1177969	2011-02-14 22:34:00	@Johcar. Where your argument fails rather badly is that "common sense" is not as common as it used to be. Not all cyclists pay for roads. What part of this do you not understand? Paper means nothing and qualifications mean nothing either for that matter. You can get a marriage license for example but to do so you don't have to pass a test. And what about the cyclist who left the road recently and killed himself? Early news reports said there was a vehicle involved which was later retracted. What if I went over the cliff ( in my car ) to avoid the said cyclist?	Snorkbox (15764)
1177970	2011-02-14 23:04:00	I agree with the common sense part. A symptom of the political correctness that afflicts us all so badly these days. No-one is allowed the opportunity to push the boundaries to see where they actually lie because everyone is so bound up in red tape and cotton-wool. I didn't disagree that not all cyclists pay for the roads - I said they would be a small minority. Just like unlicensed/unregistered(/uninsured) motor vehicle drivers.... If you had run off a cliff to avoid your cyclist, I would be thinking several things: "Oh no! Snorkbox has driven off a cliff. I hope he's OK!!" "Why weren't you giving the cyclist more room? (Cyclists are intrinsically wobbly at slow speeds, that's why they need 1.5 metres)" "Why were you travelling so fast that no other option was available to you, near a vulnerable road user?"	johcar (6283)
1177971	2011-02-15 00:15:00	I agree with the common sense part. A symptom of the political correctness that afflicts us all so badly these days. No-one is allowed the opportunity to push the boundaries to see where they actually lie because everyone is so bound up in red tape and cotton-wool. I didn't disagree that not all cyclists pay for the roads - I said they would be a small minority. Just like unlicensed/unregistered(/uninsured) motor vehicle drivers.... If you had run off a cliff to avoid your cyclist, I would be thinking several things: "Oh no! Snorkbox has driven off a cliff. I hope he's OK!!" "Why weren't you giving the cyclist more room? (Cyclists are intrinsically wobbly at slow speeds, that's why they need 1.5 metres)" "Why were you travelling so fast that no other option was available to you, near a vulnerable road user?" Lol intrinsically wobble the pickled pedallers are pickled on Saturdays thats why they wobble.Its not intrinsic they are pissed and wobbly. Waits for terrible retribution.	prefect (6291)
1177972	2011-02-15 00:27:00	You're a funny man, prefect. :pf1mobmini:	johcar (6283)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10