Team Exxaro - We do not need to heed to the LAW

[canadonis]

its the bruised ego we dealing with after being told to F Off.

 

The initial incident of going through a red robot is not the issue as no cyclist can honestly admit to never having gone thru a red robot and the justification that it's fine to do it while in a generic 'trek' jersey but 'not in my Netgear jersey as I represent my company' is b@llshit.

 

Please let us not judge others especially if we have done the same more so not to confront others on their safety decisions

[Monark]

its the bruised ego we dealing with after being told to F Off.

 

The initial incident of going through a red robot is not the issue as no cyclist can honestly admit to never having gone thru a red robot and the justification that it's fine to do it while in a generic 'trek' jersey but 'not in my Netgear jersey as I represent my company' is b@llshit.

 

Please let us not judge others especially if we have done the same more so not to confront others on their safety decisions

 

I wonder if your view would be different if he smashed through the riders and killed a few.... #handbagloaded

[Pure Savage]

I think the issue was being told to F off. 

 

Sometimes we get carried away and ride two abreast, but apologize when car hoots. 

 

Problem is nobody takes ownership, they just look for someone else to blame and shift responsibility to.

[Monark]

I think the issue was being told to F off. 

 

Sometimes we get carried away and ride two abreast, but apologize when car hoots. 

 

Problem is nobody takes ownership, they just look for someone else to blame and shift responsibility to.

 

A reasonable voice! Ive never met you but often like what you have to say.

[Cois]

its the bruised ego we dealing with after being told to F Off.

 

The initial incident of going through a red robot is not the issue as no cyclist can honestly admit to never having gone thru a red robot and the justification that it's fine to do it while in a generic 'trek' jersey but 'not in my Netgear jersey as I represent my company' is b@llshit.

 

Please let us not judge others especially if we have done the same more so not to confront others on their safety decisions

One thing.  I am to scared to cycle over a red light as I have seen a person getting killed a few years ago.  I am scared of even cycling trough a green light without caution as I have seen many a cyclist being taken out by drivers on cell phones. Heck, when the light turn green I will still wait to make sure that satan in his white chariot realized that the light went red...

 

There is a law for a reason.  and most of the LAWS are there to keep idiots like me save from other godly or rather godlike people (like most people on BikeHub)

[Cois]

I think the issue was being told to F off. 

 

Sometimes we get carried away and ride two abreast, but apologize when car hoots. 

 

Problem is nobody takes ownership, they just look for someone else to blame and shift responsibility to.

Not at all to be honest.  I tell a lot of people at the office to F off.

It is that I cycle on this route they are on.  I have to face the same traffic.  And if they piss off the people on the road, they loose all the respect for cyclist.

 

I don't want my wife to stand next to an open grave one day because some driver lost his or her cool with this baggie wearing idiot on the road after Exxaro's team pissed him or her off. And you will never know, but you pissing a driver off can be the cause of a cyclist related incident after the driver decided that one cyclist must be like all the others... So lets get back at this one cyclist and screw him over, because we are a angry vengeful nation who would so like to get payback... 

[Cois]

I have a reply from Exxaro:

 

Dear Francois

Thank you for your e-mail, though unfortunate to hear about the cyclists’ behaviour.

 

I will immediately bring it to the attention of the Exxaro MTB Academy’s steering committee to ensure that further action is taken.

 

Kind regards, Lizette

 

 

LIZETTE KOHN - Manager, Group Stakeholder Communication

 

Consider the environment before printing this email

 

 

 

 

Be assured that we will definitely take action.

We take pride to teach and encourage our riders to live the Exxaro values and brand, and therefore unsafe and rude behaviour like this is totally unacceptable.

Regards, Lizette

 

 

From: François Marais
Sent: 07 March 2016 08:37 AM
To: Lizette Kohn [HQP - Stakeholder Communication Services] 
Subject: Re: Your cycling team

 

Morning Lizette

Thanks for the reply.

It is appreciated. 

Regards

François Marais

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

Thanks toLizette for the reply.

[Cois]

I wonder if your view would be different if he smashed through the riders and killed a few.... #handbagloaded

That is what my wife said as well.  What if I had right of way and killed a few cyclists? 

 

For one I would be devastated.  I am not sure how I would be able to handle killing another human.  And not to think of a cyclist.  To be honest I would kill myself.  Shyte, never thought of it like that...

[gtr1]

Kudos to Lizette for responding so swiftly to Francois. That to me is doing something about a situation, and hopefully there will be follow up from Exxaro, and maybe even feedback that some action was taken. Even if it is more education.

 

Also kudos to OP for sending the mail, as many of us would have left it.

 

The point I was making earlier was that a positive action could have much better results than posting on the HUB that some guys are tjops for breaking the law. Every cyclist/motorist breaks the law daily. So who are we to copmplain when others do the same.

 

If the post stated up front that an email had been sent to Exxaro based on the actions it would have had a positive twist from the outset rather than what looked like a moan session.

 

So lets hope the team gets some learning out of this and improve their behavior/image. Then everyone's a winner. At least the fact that they had sponsors kit, one knows who to complain to.

[avatar]

Dont know if this was said already, but once again its about mutual respect, being arrogant and too proud to admit that you are in the wrong and being aggro is not cool. I dont often stop at traffic lights but if someone is offended, ill apologise profusely and try not to piss them off further

[nonky]

its the bruised ego we dealing with after being told to F Off.

 

The initial incident of going through a red robot is not the issue as no cyclist can honestly admit to never having gone thru a red robot and the justification that it's fine to do it while in a generic 'trek' jersey but 'not in my Netgear jersey as I represent my company' is b@llshit.

 

Please let us not judge others especially if we have done the same more so not to confront others on their safety decisions

"their safety decisions"

their UNLAWFUL decisions

there, fixed it for you

[Dicky DQ]

So we have now established that hubbers believe:-

• Cyclists do not need to stop at traffic lights
• <Not really, I do stop, but only in daylight hours or if there is traffic around me, going same or cross direction in the predawn hrs. > 
• Cyclists are entitled to ride 2 or more abreast (motorists must be patient and wait)
• <I ride 2 abreast in the yellow line and almost in the middle of the road lane if there is no shoulder. If a cyclist feels they want to ride next to me on the road shoulder side that is his perogative>
• No-one should ever question a cyclist or they deserve to be sworn at
• ​No we always need to be polite, even if the motorist is wrong>
• Exxaro riders are a great bunch of guys
• If someone breaks a law, you should take the time to educate them on what a traffic light (or similar) means (while not breaking point 3 above)
• <Souns like a good plan, I will think about this, but then people could want to educate me about riding with a helmet, hmm maybe not so much>
• One hubber has even managed to bring in both the race card and Oscar P's court case before we hit page 3 (as he said - this is South Africa after all!)
• <Maybe he/she was feeling offish>

As both a motorist and a long time cyclist, I am amazed at how arrogant some cyclists are (I always stop at red traffic lights and won't ride 2 abreast unless the yellow line is wide enough for both of us - it's not that hard to do!)

[nonky]

If you look at this discussion objectively (as much as one can) and some of the attitudes on display, you start to understand those social media rants that motorists ("them") make against cyclists ("us")...and where their anger comes from.

 

We need to understand the fact that motorists view us all as the same cyclist - in that respect, we are like taxis because we all get lumped with the bad behaviour of the few.

 

[disclaimer: yes, I have jumped a red light before]

[jcza]

https://vimeo.com/4140910

[Slowbee]

Letter sent before I posted here

ping...just read the reply !

 

Nice one Francois and good on you for holding the sponsors responsible for the actions of the teams they sponsor.

[King_Crispy]

I can't believe the comments from some dimwit cyclists. It seems like they are the assh0les for responding the way they do. Condoning illegal actions. This was a case of a specific incident being hilighted, why should the OP be attacked?