CY 187 761 Mazda Double Cab

[Guest Smimby]

Do you think he's going to stop? How self righteous must anyone be to think they have that kind of authority or power over others. Whats worse, he doesn't know who Smimby is, all he sees is another one of those self righteous elitist cyclist pr!cks who now have an even bigger target on their backs. I wonder if Smimby is going be there to rescue the day when Mr Mazda Double Cab has had enough of cyclists and nudges one off the road.

 

So by this logic if you see someone doing something wrong, let say it is not cyclist related...you do nothing? Guy chucks bottle out of window and it hits a kid walking to school, you do nothing? Or do you ONLY act when it hits a kid, if it falls on the grass it is OK?

 

Or in CPT if you chuck a stompie out in town it is ok, as long as he does not do it on the mountain?

 

Too many motorist think that cyclist do not belong on the road, and there is the problem, not the attitude of this one or that one. It has NOTHING todo with me being on my bike, I might as well have been in my car...and have done the same while in my car...and YES I am one of those (mostly the ONLY) that will pull to the left to block the taxi from driving down there.

 

Trying to make a difference.....

[nonky]

Howzit dude, no I don't and no I will not come looking for you, not for this or anything. Seems like I have quite a serious reputation now. 

 

By the way if you have any other grievances or anger issues and need someone to vent on I am you man. 

 

I will not take it personally.

"sorry" seams to be the hardest word....

[Guest Smimby]

I really try to stay within the confines of the law. Laws are put in place by society to protect that society from the excesses of itself. I would be seriously stupid to debate the veracity of the law. I fully and totally agree with the ban on driving or even being stationary with your phone glued to your ear (hence my BT system). I am a law abiding citizen and I am often disappointed by the wild west attitude of some of my fellow South Africans. And I most certainly don't agree with anyone who rationalises their illegal acts with "Well, it's fine cos everybody"s doing it".

 

That said, very occasionally I do go a little over the speed limit. It's illegal to do so!

 

I have jumped a red robot (once) in the dead of night. Also illegal.

 

Sometimes I don't come to a complete stop at the junction at the top of my road (just crawling over it, mind you, and in a private estate, but still). Breaking the law!

 

I have overtaken on the left on a highway when I couldn't stand to be behind the slow driver in the right-hand lane. This is contrary to the law.

 

And probably quite a few other infractions that don't immediately come to mind.

 

1. All of these things are illegal and I can only be glad that certain members of the Hub weren't nearby to yell into my open car window and vociferously point out the error of my ways.

 

And from the tone of his posts, 2. I can only conclude that the OP has never broken the law on any occasion. Has never transgressed in any way, however slight and thus has a right to be 3. smug, self-righteous and sanctimonious, even in this instance. If that is indeed the case Smimby, I apologise whole-heartedly for my unwarranted diatribe.

 

 

I did not feel responding but here goes...

 

1. I did not YELL into the car, and asked and said please.

 

2. I never said that, I try my best and you know I have done a stupid thing or two...I once looked to the right and then proceded to turn left into the road and the next moment a cyclist was next to me. Obviously he gestured and instead of saying "f-u" etc...I appoligised and NO I did not say "I did not see you" 

I said "wow Sorry buddy, I was being a clot and did NOT LOOK properly" 

And that has made me even MORE aware to look and SEE.

 

3. Whenever I make a mistake on the road, and someone flashes at me I am the first to gesture sorry, we are not perfect and everyone needs to be reminded what the rules are and that we did something "Doff"

[BLACKvoodoo]

Looks like Friday has come early !

[Skubarra]

 

I have overtaken on the left on a highway when I couldn't stand to be behind the slow driver in the right-hand lane. This is contrary to the law.

 

And probably quite a few other infractions that don't immediately come to mind.

 

 

Don't want to hijack this thread but afaik passing someone on the left on the highway is not strictly speaking breaking the law? Especially if the right hand lane is moving slower than the left side lane.

 

I think you can scrap that one from your long list of sins....

['Dale]

Entitled.

Imposing.

Arrogant.

Nosey.

Rude.

Creepy.

Interfering.

Etc.

 

 

These are but a few of the perceptions that can be created with a stranger-to-stranger interaction, smimby, although you are acting with the very best of intention.

 

Intention isn't enough hey. What is lacking for the recipient (man in car) to share your same value system ('obey the rules / laws of the road where possible') and see the value in your feedback / request.

 

In general, people reflect and, possibly, alter their behaviour when their is a field of trust, care and shared responsibility between them. It's rarely gonna happen when a stranger engages a stranger.

[SAGecko]

The laws that the OP has broken or not broken is not the topic of conversation here.

 

The way the guy acted and reacted to it being pointed out is.

 

By your own logic, you cannot call him smug if you have ever been smug, not even once.

 

I think it is the topic of conversation. It's all part of the same scenario.

 

Going back through the posts, I don't see that anyone is disputing that the Mazda driver was breaking the law.

 

So the conversation encompasses the initial telling off and the subsequent reaction.

 

I still believe that the OP was being, at the very least, self-righteous and precious about the phone to the ear whilst the driver was stationary.

 

He had no clue what was going to happen once the lights changed and probably jumped at the chance of being a holier-than-thou societal policeman. I know I am surmising here but in my many years on this planet, I've only perceived this sort of behaviour from the sanctimonious and the precious types who see others as if they're in need of proper guidance.

 

And I say smug because he couldn't wait, in a Letter-to-the-Editor format, to boast of his brush with this lower form of life (A "Mazda Driver" forsooth!).

 

So I take exception to that. Especially if the OP isn't as squeaky clean as he would have us believe. And who is? Especially here on the interwebs where you may say just about anything without much fear of being found out as a liar or a hypocrite.

 

You may see the irony of this in my avatar.

[Tubehunter]

Snipped...

 

All of these things are illegal and I can only be glad that certain members of the Hub weren't nearby to yell into my open car window and vociferously point out the error of my ways.

 

And from the tone of his posts, I can only conclude that the OP has never broken the law on any occasion. Has never transgressed in any way, however slight and thus has a right to be smug, self-righteous and sanctimonious, even in this instance. If that is indeed the case Smimby, I apologise whole-heartedly for my unwarranted diatribe.

 

So the real issue for you is the apparent 'attitude' and tone Smimby gave this random driver? The way he has described his interaction has got you fired up properly to take him on, is how this all comes across. You're agreeing that the driver was in the wrong.

 

Have you ever asked someone to get off their phone while driving?

['Dale]

Entitled.

Imposing.

Arrogant.

Nosey.

Rude.

Creepy.

Interfering.

Etc.

 

 

These are but a few of the perceptions that can be created with a stranger-to-stranger interaction, smimby, although you are acting with the very best of intention.

 

Intention isn't enough hey. What is lacking for the recipient (man in car) to share your same value system ('obey the rules / laws of the road where possible') and see the value in your feedback / request.

 

In general, people reflect and, possibly, alter their behaviour when their is a field of trust, care and shared responsibility between them. It's rarely gonna happen when a stranger engages a stranger.

 

PS Trust, care and shared responsibility (a strong sense of collective citizenship) are features that are, sadly, lacking in Souf Effrika because of this nation's socio-political context.

[Tubehunter]

Entitled.

Imposing.

Arrogant.

Nosey.

Rude.

Creepy.

Interfering.

Etc.

 

 

These are but a few of the perceptions that can be created with a stranger-to-stranger interaction, smimby, although you are acting with the very best of intention.

 

Intention isn't enough hey. What is lacking for the recipient (man in car) to share your same value system ('obey the rules / laws of the road where possible') and see the value in your feedback / request.

 

In general, people reflect and, possibly, alter their behaviour when their is a field of trust, care and shared responsibility between them. It's rarely gonna happen when a stranger engages a stranger.

 

G, you are so very right, interactions with a stranger are always precarious, because no one truly knows what the other person's intentions are.

 

However, when interaction is required, it is far better to have it than to simply do nothing. Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

 

The obvious stumbling blocks in these types of scenarios is often the very real perceived threat that continuously starts to present itself as a regular pattern from daily interaction with types of drivers when you consistently commute. Yes, Gecko, it's hard to say what this particular person would do when the light changed but over time you build up a rather well qualified guess at what the likely outcome is and mostly end up having to cycle like an owl looking over your shoulder trying to make sure you look the cell phone wearing driver in the eye so that he knows you have seen him looking at you and somehow have engaged his conscious world beyond his phone call.

[Smurfy]

Howzit dude, no I don't and no I will not come looking for you, not for this or anything. Seems like I have quite a serious reputation now. 

 

By the way if you have any other grievances or anger issues and need someone to vent on I am you man. 

 

I will not take it personally.

He was talking to another DICK, NOT TO YOU DICK.   :w00t:    

['Dale]

G, you are so very right, interactions with a stranger are always precarious, because no one truly knows what the other person's intentions are.

 

However, when interaction is required, it is far better to have it than to simply do nothing. Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

 

 

 

Understood and appreciated, Tubehunter'.

Please see my additional post on Souf Effrikan cultural context.

 

[SAGecko]

So the real issue for you is the apparent 'attitude' and tone Smimby gave this random driver? The way he has described his interaction has got you fired up properly to take him on, is how this all comes across. You're agreeing that the driver was in the wrong.

 

Have you ever asked someone to get off their phone while driving?

 

Of course I'm agreeing that the driver was in the wrong. have a glance at a few posts up.

 

And by the way, this is not me being fired up. This is me presenting a reasoned argument based on my perceptions of the original post and my life experience. I am more than happy to present a rebuttal of any statement I believe to be wrong-headed.

 

Asking someone to get off the phone while driving? No.

 

This raises another interesting question though. Have you ever told anyone to get off the phone whilst driving if they were actually on the phone to you? Has Smimby, I wonder?

[Guest Smimby]

Of course I'm agreeing that the driver was in the wrong. have a glance at a few posts up.

 

And by the way, this is not me being fired up. This is me presenting a reasoned argument based on my perceptions of the original post and my life experience. I am more than happy to present a rebuttal of any statement I believe to be wrong-headed.

 

Asking someone to get off the phone while driving? No.

 

This raises another interesting question though. Have you ever told anyone to get off the phone whilst driving if they were actually on the phone to you? Has Smimby, I wonder?

I ask if they are driving, and if they can talk....if they say yes then i assume(maybe should ask) that they are on a handsfree etc.

[Tubehunter]

PS Trust, care and shared responsibility (a strong sense of collective citizenship) are features that are, sadly, lacking in Souf Effrika because of this nation's socio-political context.

 

But it certainly doesn't have to be.

 

Giant, raging rivers cutting a deep course through the earth, all started life as a small stream somewhere.

 

If everyone who has read this thread has the conviction to challenge someone they see on a phone while driving, after they have made the commitment to never engage in that kind of activity themselves, imagine what could happen?

 

This is already something I don't do anymore, but every conversation like this one that comes up only re-affirms my reasoning for this!

 

With that in mind here is my challenge to you reading this:

 

Can you make the ongoing choice to not actively use your cellphone whilst engaging in any activity behind the wheel of you car???

[Guest Smimby]

Entitled.

Imposing.

Arrogant.

Nosey.

Rude.

Creepy.

Interfering.

Etc.

 

 

These are but a few of the perceptions that can be created with a stranger-to-stranger interaction, smimby, although you are acting with the very best of intention.

 

Intention isn't enough hey. What is lacking for the recipient (man in car) to share your same value system ('obey the rules / laws of the road where possible') and see the value in your feedback / request.

 

In general, people reflect and, possibly, alter their behaviour when their is a field of trust, care and shared responsibility between them. It's rarely gonna happen when a stranger engages a stranger.

Just because that COULD happen does not mean it WILL happen....

 

I see LOTS of engagement between strangers, so I do not agree with your point here, bottom line is I am trying SOMETHING to make the road safer and you are not.