TNT1 Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Seriously - we just keep on saying "let's not change anything as taxis are the worst anyways"?Following your logic, we might as well do away with speed limits, alcohol limits and road worthiness rules, because faak it, all taxis break the rules anyways.Lately I am embarrassed by the logic some of our fellow riders come up with. I have started enjoying rides on my own as I am fed up arguing with other about setting an example, attitude, making the first step, thinking for all of us etc - you seem to be a prime example why many drivers have issues with cyclists. What I never understand - I am a cyclist, I am a pedestrian, I am driving a vehicle. I drive to races, cycle and drive home. I don't think "cyclist vs car vs taxi, as I am all. I think I participate in traffic, no matter what changing method I am currently using. So yes, I try to set an example by following rules to increase safety. As long as we keep on blaming other before actually obeying rules ourselves, nothing will change. What this oke said. By the by, I feel more threatened bu cars when I am in my car as I turn off the main road into my little neighbourhood. The speed and closeness the pass with has made me find a new route to my house in my car. And this isn't taxis. This is poena and co in their sh1tty little cars, and PF and co in their penis extensions they call double cabs.
River Rat Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Reading this thread (and others) it got me thinking that what we have going here is a typical change management exercise where the pace of change is typically set by how much time we spend addressing the naysayers. These guys will spend all there time trying to tell you why something won't work but zero effort on how to make it better. The only way around this is to ignore them and get on with it because they are going to contribute zip anyway and then hopefully the pain of not changing will exceed the pain of the change.
ccc2 Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 motorists must be charged with murder not culpable homicide if they kill a pedestrian/cyclist. get the focus on this or make it law and the 1.5m gap will follow naturally.the 1.5m campaign is like pissing against the wind. costs to print the 1.5m stickers is negliable, the buyer of the 1.5m cycling jersey pays the costs of producing it. the campaign is meaningless to those motorists that won't even follow logic/reason when overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic and putting their own lives at risk sadamhussein, Witkop and ChUkKy 3
Dirtbreath Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Why 1.5m? That's a helluva gap. Why not 1.0 or 0.75?
David Marshall Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 As V12man said, if this is made law it shifts the onus onto the motorist in the event of an accident, the same as is the current situation if you hit a pedestrian. The motorist will then have to show that the cyclist did something wrong to cause the accident or accept responsibility. The size of the gap is not important but the ramifications of bridging the gap are. V12man, ichops, pbp2007 and 1 other 4
River Rat Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 To use the analogy of the safe following distance where if you rear end someone the onus is on you to prove that you kept to the correct distance. In the case of the proposed1.5m gap if you hit a cyclist you'll have to prove that you kept the gap, geddit? ChUkKy, ichops and V12man 3
Ryanpmb Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 The proposal of the 1.5m gap is the most moronic thing i've ever heard of! How does the suggestion of a gap between vehicles and a bicycle prevent someone from being mowed down from behind by people who think they are outside of the rules that the law abiding road users adhere to? The idea of a gap is all good and fine, but if you cant get taxi drivers to stop using the emergency lane as their own piece of road to speed past stationary traffic at 80kph+ , or get them to stop jumping red lights the second the light goes amber for cross-traffic, i'm afraid you certainly wont get them to leave a 1.5m gap. First fix the lawlessness of these hooligans who get aggressive as soon as they are confronted for their wrongdoings, then worry about a "gap".One step at a time and a few positive attitudes are required I guess. Maybe the Gap rule won't get enforced but it has heightened awareness so that's a start...
Ryanpmb Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 And dumbasses.... I wonder how many moronic threads arguing the same we are going to have..... Or threads bitching anonymously about some other cyclist behaving in a way we don't like....Agreed. I'm almost wishing the 'Which 29r?...' threads back...
coldfusion Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Just to counter your argument on one front.... someone showed us some stats here recently, there are more cyclists hit by motorcars than taxis. I haven't had any issues with taxis threatening my spot on the road, in all the 10 or 11 years I've cycled. Surprising I've had more problems with female drivers nearly knocking me. 3 cases in the last few weeks. I am not stereotyping. I am just telling it like it is. 2 blondes and 1 brunette. So does this mean female drivers are more reckless than men?
Stretch Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 The other day a taxi driver threw a piece of metal at me (after intentionally trying to intimidate me by sitting on my rear wheel) when i refused to let him past in the yellow lane where i was riding. Therein lies the problem.you are essentially trying to fight with the taxi with your carbon against his metal. What he is doing is wrong but until we stop trying to police traffic ourselves through aggression and prevention only makes people angrier and accidents more likely. Use your energy to raise awareness of the ineffectiveness of the traffic police rather Agteros 1
Brogue Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Therein lies the problem.you are essentially trying to fight with the taxi with your carbon against his metal. What he is doing is wrong but until we stop trying to police traffic ourselves through aggression and prevention only makes people angrier and accidents more likely. Use your energy to raise awareness of the ineffectiveness of the traffic police ratherYep. Movable object = flesh on carbon. Unstoppable force = taxi. There's only ever gonna be one winner in that contest. I prefer to live to ride another day! DIPSLICK 1
DJR Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 ....................... I prefer to live to ride another day!.................. This is my phylosophy when riding as well as driving. (In other words: Take care when you jump out of the plane so you can keep on jumping out of planes.)
dirtrider Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 I see you got the brain cell this weekend ? So what has your contribution been towards cycle safety ? None !! But you sure got a big mouth but no spine
ChUkKy Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 So does this mean female drivers are more reckless than men? Possibly, I was married to one who didn't see a car stopped at a stop street and ploughed straight into the back of it, she is an ex now. On Friday afternoon about 18:30 after doing a spruit ride, Karma and myself decided to come back to paulshof all the way up William nicol and then down main road to try beat the rain storm. We were approaching the Sloane intersection coming down Main Road by the bike park doing about 55km/h, going over the lights I see this white ford focus coming from the left on the slip lane, this chick didn't even see us she went straight in between Karma and myself. She missed me by about an arms length.
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