You're going to kill someone

[jcza]

Every motorist should read this

 

http://www.johnpostmd.com/john_post_md/2013/09/youre-going-to-kill-someone.html

 

 

[SeeKooigaap]

Brilliant!

[shaper]

always a good reminder...

[andydude]

Every motorist should read this

 

http://www.johnpostm...ll-someone.html

 

Good to read J, but like I said before, it's not a driving problem, but an attitude and entitlement problem. It's in all spheres of our lives, whether cycling, working, playing, or whatever. We South Africans are very self-centered. I don't know how you change that!

[DJR]

It really IS that simple.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

That was very well written but doubt most non-cycling drivers would ever read it let alone agree with the simple logic behind it. Pity really.

[jmic]

Good to read J, but like I said before, it's not a driving problem, but an attitude and entitlement problem. It's in all spheres of our lives, whether cycling, working, playing, or whatever. We South Africans are very self-centered. I don't know how you change that!

 

So true!!!

It is exactly this "self-centered-ness" that has killed not thousands, but millions of people in SA.

Everything is me-myself-and-I. This mentality is just more visible on our roads than in other places.

We all are guilty of this, and it probably is not going to change.

 

We have a lot to learn from someone like Madiba.

It only takes 1 person, maybe even you... (or me)...

[Gripen_85]

It is simple.

 

And I try my very best to stay far away from cyclists, especially if I am doing 100km/h down the R44, because I know what it feels like having a car blast past at that speed while riding a motorbike, so I can only imagine what it's like on a bicycle.

 

I also often wait behind cyclists at turn-offs on the R44 because I don't want to rush ahead and cut in front of them to make the turn. And when I do wait behind, I make sure I'm at least 10m away, so that they don't feel threatened by me.

 

On the R44 specifically:

 

What gets to me is when groups cycle line-abreast in the yellow line, with the person on the side riding to the right of the line (ie, in the road). I know it's more social riding line-abreast, but come on. Now that cyclist is in the road, so I slow down and move over. But a lot of the time that puts me in the middle of the two lanes, and that puts me close to other traffic (especially when there's a lot of traffic, if not, I simply change lanes). It's even worse when it's only two cyclists riding line-abreast, and the one is to the right of the yellow line, when there is about 1m of room next to the cyclist on the left.

 

Oh, and my favourite... a single cyclist on the R44, riding to the right of the yellow line, with the entire yellow lane open. I don't want to hit you, so I DO move over, but come on, don't be an idiot.

 

I drive from Somerset West to Stellenbosch on a daily basis, so I see these guys (and girls) often. Sometimes pairs, whole groups, or people riding solo. I've encountered one group where it seemed very structured; two people, side-by-side, and the rest staggered behind. That was awesome, because I could stay in the middle of my lane, and there was still oodles of room between the cyclists and my car.

 

Something I learnt from riding motorbikes in a group is that everyone rides in a staggered fashion; it gives the bikers more breathing room, and also that way if one person falls or something happens, there is enough space for the people behind to move out the way, or slow down.

I don't know how the dynamics of cycling in a group/pack works, but can one not adopt a similar thing in certain environments?

[Guest Latent Blue]

Yes, I do. I ride my bike safely. The rules say I’m supposed to pretend that I’m a car, but see, that’s dangerous if I’m the only one obeying that rule. I’m pretending I’m a car, and you think I’m a bike, and you run over me and kill me with your car. This is bad for both of us. So, the minute you treat me like a car, I’ll start acting like one. In the meantime the difference between when you break the law and when I do is that you’re endangering my life, and I’m endangering your … wiper blades? Maybe? Probably not even that.

 

1000 x

[Guest Latent Blue]

Sunday morning I held up the whole frekkin Old Main Road on the way to church while they were honking and waving hands (and fingers) at me to pass a group of cyclists!

 

I passed when it was safe (only a while later) of oncoming traffic and I could actually see ahead.

 

 

People need the chill-the-#&^$ out!

[Moriarty]

Very good article, unfortunately this is South Africa not America, so motorists killing cyclists generally have been getting away with very lenient or non-existent sentences.

[rattlesnake]

Nice article

[Wyatt Earp]

South Africa is a great place and an interesting nation.

Common sense and patience are no longer prevalent.

 

It's all about doing as you please because the authorities are OK with that.

 

I will give a small example.

Saturday I leave Vodaworld at 9:00 am. after being at gym (I was scared of the cold)

I get to the stop sign, I stop as I always do (it's the one thing I become passionate about)

I turn left, drive up the road and get stopped by the JMPD.

 

I get told I did not stop.

I tell the officer quite sternly that I in actual fact did stop and he needs to try his trick on someone else.

 

After I had my car surrounded by 7 of them, I take the key out the ignition, give it to hi and tell him "do what you need to do"

He gives the key back to me and tells me "go, just go"

 

I then tell them that instead of sitting like a bunch of thieves in he massive workforce they were at some arbiratory stop sign, they need to get to another big 4 way stop in town where people speed through the stop at 80 km/ph plus.

 

My point being, motorists do as they wish simply for the fact that the law don't do their jobs properly.

Things are lawless and people act lawless as they simply assume that it is now acceptable to do things and get away with it.

 

So the moral of the story, even as hard as us cyclists try and behave and stay in single file.

I simply don't see how people who think that a simple action such as stopping at the stop ( is the right thing to do and also the law) are going to have patience when a guy on a bicycle "gets in their way"

[arendoog]

My wife always complains about the cyclists in her way ,even when i am driving and i am a cyclist .Do you know how difficult it is to drive to avoid the cyclist and klap you wife at the same time !

[the nerd]

My favorite part:

 

"the difference between when you break the law and when I do is that you’re endangering my life, and I’m endangering your … wiper blades? Maybe? Probably not even that."

[Velouria]

It is simple.

 

And I try my very best to stay far away from cyclists, especially if I am doing 100km/h down the R44, because I know what it feels like having a car blast past at that speed while riding a motorbike, so I can only imagine what it's like on a bicycle.

 

I also often wait behind cyclists at turn-offs on the R44 because I don't want to rush ahead and cut in front of them to make the turn. And when I do wait behind, I make sure I'm at least 10m away, so that they don't feel threatened by me.

 

On the R44 specifically:

 

What gets to me is when groups cycle line-abreast in the yellow line, with the person on the side riding to the right of the line (ie, in the road). I know it's more social riding line-abreast, but come on. Now that cyclist is in the road, so I slow down and move over. But a lot of the time that puts me in the middle of the two lanes, and that puts me close to other traffic (especially when there's a lot of traffic, if not, I simply change lanes). It's even worse when it's only two cyclists riding line-abreast, and the one is to the right of the yellow line, when there is about 1m of room next to the cyclist on the left.

 

Oh, and my favourite... a single cyclist on the R44, riding to the right of the yellow line, with the entire yellow lane open. I don't want to hit you, so I DO move over, but come on, don't be an idiot.

 

I drive from Somerset West to Stellenbosch on a daily basis, so I see these guys (and girls) often. Sometimes pairs, whole groups, or people riding solo. I've encountered one group where it seemed very structured; two people, side-by-side, and the rest staggered behind. That was awesome, because I could stay in the middle of my lane, and there was still oodles of room between the cyclists and my car.

 

Something I learnt from riding motorbikes in a group is that everyone rides in a staggered fashion; it gives the bikers more breathing room, and also that way if one person falls or something happens, there is enough space for the people behind to move out the way, or slow down.

I don't know how the dynamics of cycling in a group/pack works, but can one not adopt a similar thing in certain environments?

 

Then you've certainly seen me. While I do my best to hide in the yellow line, I've found that often the best form of defense is to be an obstacle.

 

With pedestrians, bulldozers, tractors transporting grapes, the traffic turning into Technopark, broken bottles and other obstacles in the yellow line I've found it safer to ride to the right of the yellow line and become part of traffic.

 

If the yellow line exists for cyclists, then why are there so many situations where that is the last place I feel safe. As mentioned, the turn off into Technopark, the left turn on the R44 at the Lord Charles - here, cars invade the yellow line like it is another lane leaving little or space for any other road users.

 

I've also found that a little wave to so thank you for not riding over me can go a long way - being friendly to motorists seems to disarm any animosity there might be, and the frustration of being 20 seconds late because they were considerate towards me is quickly forgotten.

 

And then to do the same thing when I am driving - give cyclists a gap. Set the example for other road users.