Rhodes Drive brainfart!

[GoLefty!!]

Let's be most considerate and stop cycling all together. Problem solved

 

 

Not

[Tubehunter]

you didn't....

you used that aggrevating phrase..

 

I'l cycle on any road its legal to cycle on when I deem its safe to do so. Your wobley this morning doesn;t come into any decision I make as to where I ride.

 

Cycle wherever you like and whenever it suits you. You could be a grown up, so it really is your choice! Judging by the group of motorists I was surrounded by this morning, if you choose to do it during peak hour on Rhodes Drive, you may want to make sure your life and funeral cover is in order! It will be sad to see any further cyclists injured, which is why I am making this plea!

 

OR if you prefer I could call you at 5:30 and ask you what your moods like before I venture out? Is that a suitable compromise?

 

Why not self regulate? If you're going to be obtuse refrain from participating perhaps?

 

I don't get it, promote cycle safety on the one hand and on the other, have a blue Monday and we're now being dictated as to where we should ride.

 

No dictation on where you should ride, just highlighting EXACTLY how unsafe the road conditions are when you mix in the daily scenario along this stretch of road! In case it was not obvious to those who still think all cycling safety concerns stop when you ride owning a lane.

 

So which is it?

 

It's still ALL cycling safety dude! Have you not posted RIP on enough threads this year already????

 

PS: Don't need those lights, I have better. But thanks for the heads up

 

[Tubehunter]

the cyclist is not in control of the motorists emotions. the motorist is.

 

the cyclist duty is too themselves. Angry chops who have no patience should seek out therapy and not a drivers license renewal.

 

I suspect this post and support for the rant is just a cop out to justify bad driving behavior.

 

Share the road. there is no try. this is my way.

 

of course for you there is always the highway

 

Do you just like arguing in order to take to the other point? You make no sense, were not even present at this particular situation and yet you've jumped to some new conclusions. 

 

Cop out to justify bad driving behaviour???? 

[Tubehunter]

based on the description of events the cyclist was riding defensively......as PPA recommends.

 

So theHub Morality police says that its only ok to cycle defensively when YOU'RE on the bike. Bu when a hubber is driving then all other cylists must get the F*** out of their way because the hubber is in a bad mood..

 

oh booo hooo. Pick a side and play for it.

 

The only bad mood here is yours!

 

There's riding defensively AND still interacting with traffic in some way so as not to cause an unnecessary hold up along a KNOWN narrow road with no shoulder and then there's riding in the lane and making no effort to allow faster moving traffic any opportunity to get by. 

[marko35s]

Let's be most considerate and stop cycling all together. Problem solved

 

 

Not

Why are you being ridiculous?

Are you advocating that we should never show consideration for others?

[Tubehunter]

This whole thread is hypocritical and typifies the battle we have with cycle safety.  No offence to Tubehunter intended in this reply, I have always found his attitude to safety very positive.

 

As has often been pointed out on these pages, some of the worst offenders in the abuse of a bike rider's rights to a safe journey is the motorist with the bike strapped to the back of the vehicle or bearing the 1,5 or staywider sticker.

 

In this case, very definite pro and con views are expressed.

 

However, it is a public road, it is legal for a bike rider to ride on it, it is not wide enough and there is no sealed run-off area to the left and the camber is pretty awful. So a bike rider needs to ride a little more towards the centre than is common on some other roads to be safe.

 

I say this thread is hypocritical as the condemnation of the bike rider has come out BECAUSE a motorist HAD to OBEY the law and not overtake as it was not safe to in terms of the law. So it's ok to demand a safer environment as long as it doesn't affect us? And if it does, we all give our views on why the bike rider is such a knob.

 

Which is it? Do we want respect for our space on the road or do we want to moan when we have to respect someone else's space if it inconveniences us?

 

Edit: removed video

 

Carbon I am more interested in safety where the cyclist remains alive. There are MANY motorists out there who blatantly break all manner of laws on the road. Most of the non cyclists I know have no idea about the 1m overtaking gap law already in place. Chances are that if you had to run a spot poll of vehicles standing in peak hour traffic along any stretch of road and simply quiz them that one question you will get some startling results. 

 

Just so everyone knows, the cyclist in question was never directly threatened by anyone unfortunate enough to have been stuck driving behind him for more than the couple of minutes while we got to watch him ride his bike and no one attempted an illegal overtaking manoeuvre that I saw, so lets just drop any abuse issues right now. 

 

Yes it is a public road, but is common sense really that much of a stretch with this scenario? As I was driving this morning watching this all happen around me, seeing the visible frustration and anger displayed by motorists around me, I really got the feeling that the cyclist may be in the right, but if he did this regularly he would also be dead at some stage. This has nothing to do with a simple inconvenience, but rather a fundamental attitude of inconsideration towards other road users! These conditions are not a surprise. They're a daily occurrence! If I had to choose I would rather pick living than being right and having someone try and win a court battle in my honour. 

 

We want respect when we're on the road. Hopefully this respect means we get space on the road from the motorised crew. We will however never get it, when we take up space on a road where there is no room for anyone to share it with us when we're using it as no one can legally get past us. As much as we have to campaign to be recognised as valid users of the road, surely as fellow road users we need to recognise where our use becomes the only option and we stop sharing it entirely as there is no safe option for the motorist who has no knowledge of this passing law? Do we really want to put this kind of moral dilemma in the hands of the calibre of drivers we have out there? If just one cyclist reading this changes his training habits on that stretch because of this thread, it's been worth it!

[namibquest]

Do you just like arguing in order to take to the other point? You make no sense, were not even present at this particular situation and yet you've jumped to some new conclusions.

 

Cop out to justify bad driving behaviour????

I think GoLefty is one of those people who often likes to stir and argue for the sake of it. Always quick to be condescending, but very seldom actually contributing positively to a debate.

[Patchelicious]

Let's be most considerate and stop cycling all together. Problem solved

 

 

Not

I think this post illustrates that he shouldn't be taken seriously.

[Capricorn]

with some of the opinions expressed here, i'll probably get verbally reamed for calling out the moron with the blinding bikelight (clearly intended for trails not city riding) riding down the wrong side of the road.

 

But wrt tube's concerns, which albeit not a road users moral dilemma, is a case for considerate road usage. This is just some guy out training: it only benefits him. What's the hardship in finding another location, or another time to do the same without being an annoyance to other road users? Arrogant roadies might be quick to suggest similarly alternate routes to complaining drivers. This just to satisfy their selfish goal for personal gain?  One person's personal gain versus inconvenience to many other road uers? yoikes. get an IDT and suck it up.

[Velouria]

I just passed 362 cars on the R44 (in the left lane only - and yes, I counted them) between Somerset West and Stellenbosch. I fully expect the internet to explode with enraged motorists writing tripe on electricity forums who were inconvenienced by the embarrassment that is Eskom.

 

If those 764 motorists can keep their cool about a traffic light that isn't working, then I think they should be more than happy to drive along behind a cyclist doing 25km/h.

 

It would appear that it is far easier to get enraged (or outraged) about a single solitary cyclist doing his own thing, enjoying life, than actually channelling that energy into something useful.

 

Oh, and while I was commuting, I was dressed in normal cycling kit. Just because the guy goes for a ride at 7h30 doesn't mean he is out on a training ride, although the type of riding he was doing is completely irrelevant to this argument. He could have been an old granny on a dikwiel with a basket off to bridge club and his rights would have been just the same.

[GoLefty!!]

Do you just like arguing in order to take to the other point? You make no sense, were not even present at this particular situation and yet you've jumped to some new conclusions. 

 

Cop out to justify bad driving behaviour???? 

 

 

 

you said it yourself: You were angry and made a comment at the cyclist. That's bad driving behaviour.

 

So since you're on about consideration, please can you identify a cycling route in southern suburbs Cape Town were the road is wide enough to accommodate cyclist and motorist?

 

And once you've identified these roads can you please inform as to what time of the day its appropriate to cycle on these roads. bearing in mind that 95% of us are at work from 8H30 and leave home at 07h30 and that sunrise is after 06h30. Lights does not make one safe, they just allow you to see the road.

 

Since you are the leader of the Hub morality police I await your bible on how and when we should be cycling on these narrow zero shoulder roads where we first need to consider the motorists needs

[Tubehunter]

I just passed 362 cars on the R44 (in the left lane only - and yes, I counted them) between Somerset West and Stellenbosch. I fully expect the internet to explode with enraged motorists writing tripe on electricity forums who were inconvenienced by the embarrassment that is Eskom.

 

If those 764 motorists can keep their cool about a traffic light that isn't working, then I think they should be more than happy to drive along behind a cyclist doing 25km/h.

 

It would appear that it is far easier to get enraged (or outraged) about a single solitary cyclist doing his own thing, enjoying life, than actually channelling that energy into something useful.

 

Oh, and while I was commuting, I was dressed in normal cycling kit. Just because the guy goes for a ride at 7h30 doesn't mean he is out on a training ride, although the type of riding he was doing is completely irrelevant to this argument. He could have been an old granny on a dikwiel with a basket off to bridge club and his rights would have been just the same.

 

Can a motorist accept a traffic light not working as the cause of his delay and deal with the emotions of that? If his rage gets the better of him and he drives over the light does it die, or can it be replaced? Can that same motorist deal with a solitory cyclist out using a specific road that has no shoulder or verge to accomodate both the cyclist and vehicles safely getting by and deal with the obvious hold up while the cyclist travels in the opposite direction of most established work areas on an uphill stretch of road with a growing procession of cars idling along behind him?

 

As a regular commuter would you consider using this piece of road at that specific time of the morning??

[Patchelicious]

I just passed 362 cars on the R44 (in the left lane only - and yes, I counted them) between Somerset West and Stellenbosch. I fully expect the internet to explode with enraged motorists writing tripe on electricity forums who were inconvenienced by the embarrassment that is Eskom.

 

If those 764 motorists can keep their cool about a traffic light that isn't working, then I think they should be more than happy to drive along behind a cyclist doing 25km/h.

 

It would appear that it is far easier to get enraged (or outraged) about a single solitary cyclist doing his own thing, enjoying life, than actually channelling that energy into something useful.

 

Oh, and while I was commuting, I was dressed in normal cycling kit. Just because the guy goes for a ride at 7h30 doesn't mean he is out on a training ride, although the type of riding he was doing is completely irrelevant to this argument. He could have been an old granny on a dikwiel with a basket off to bridge club and his rights would have been just the same.

I think its more a fact that the motorist can actually engage with the cyclist and give him "a piece of his mind" so to speak. With stuff like Eskom, we have resided to just being despondent. However if there was an Eskom guy on the side of the road during load shedding, I am sure motorist would give him a chirp.... or more

[Andrew_ew]

The people complaining here about having to take a few minutes extra on their journey because of a cyclist have probably spent more time posting here than they actually spent behind the cyclist.

 

Why stop at ranting about cyclists? What about old age pensioners grocery shopping in peak times, people chatting at the top of escalators in malls, people walking in front of you and dawdling whilst chatting on their cell phones, people who can't be arsed to have their parking tickets ready when leaving a parking lot and have to hunt for them? The list is a long one.

 

The point is life is full of inconveniences for most people, why single out cyclists, there must be more to it than simple delay?

 

Maybe having to be responsible for others safety simply angers SA motorists?

[Tubehunter]

you said it yourself: You were angry and made a comment at the cyclist. That's bad driving behaviour.

 

So since you're on about consideration, please can you identify a cycling route in southern suburbs Cape Town were the road is wide enough to accommodate cyclist and motorist?

 

And once you've identified these roads can you please inform as to what time of the day its appropriate to cycle on these roads. bearing in mind that 95% of us are at work from 8H30 and leave home at 07h30 and that sunrise is after 06h30. Lights does not make one safe, they just allow you to see the road.

 

Since you are the leader of the Hub morality police I await your bible on how and when we should be cycling on these narrow zero shoulder roads where we first need to consider the motorists needs

 

I'll bite:

 

How is making a comment going by when it is safe to do so and giving over 2 meters of space to the cyclist, bad driving in the world of Lefty?

 

Dude, I think the point of behaving like a pinhead because you feel in the right to do so and doing it out of conscious choice might be lost in translation, based on the manner of your argument.

 

It is everyone's choice to cycle wherever and whenever they like, which is why we all started cycling in the first place, not so? How difficult is it however to assess the risks involved for a specific set of road conditions though and make a better choice? It would be obvious to most of us, yet here you and I are arguing this out eh? Nevertheless, Lefty to confirm this for you, please go and cycle wherever you like whenever you like too, but know that if you choose to do it on Rhodes Drive heading towards Hout Bay during peak morning traffic and the oncoming lane has no let up to allow cars behind get by you and there is no way possible for you to maintain traffic flow conditions, you will become that much of a hinderance that someone who has no issues with using bad driving behaviour is probably going to use you as a speed bump.

 

Just to clear up any further confusion. Will that person be me? No, I genuinely care about the plight of cyclists and their safety and even give pinheads the required space to keep riding safely. Will I be saddened if it happened by some other motorist? It is my nature to be this way for every single incident like this. Will it come as a surprise based on the prevailing road conditions? Not so much.

[Tubehunter]

The people complaining here about having to take a few minutes extra on their journey because of a cyclist have probably spent more time posting here than they actually spent behind the cyclist.

 

Why stop at ranting about cyclists? What about old age pensioners grocery shopping in peak times, people chatting at the top of escalators in malls, people walking in front of you and dawdling whilst chatting on their cell phones, people who can't be arsed to have their parking tickets ready when leaving a parking lot and have to hunt for them? The list is a long one.

 

The point is life is full of inconveniences for most people, why single out cyclists, there must be more to it than simple delay?

 

Maybe having to be responsible for others safety simply angers SA motorists?

 

Point me to the grocery shopping forum. While you're at it, please hook me up with the escalator user group and the parking for punks chatroom. If any of those issues interested me enough to join those I would certainly start a topic on your behalf. (I am of course assuming you use these portals)

 

As a cycling forum and in the best interests of having a healthy image of this to fellow road users on a specific stretch of prime roadway, it is probably in our best interests to deal with what we can for our own interest and focus group and some healthy debate around this has never hurt or further inconvenienced anyone?

 

Also trying to understand how spending more available time here outside of peak travelling time has any relevance to the specific schedule people would need to follow during other morning time when it is at a premium? Waiting is not an issue when you can accept the cause of this.

 

As a fellow cyclist, watching some guy being obviously inconsiderate in these specific circumstances I can understand the rage the non cycling community has for us.