WTF? I can understand.

[Call Me Crazy]

http://www.news24.com/News24/MyNews24/Letters/0,,2-2127-2129_2333846,00.html

[Thug]

Roads are for cars, not bikes

 

 

Dear Editor,

 

 

Another cyclist has been knocked over and killed in Durban. To make

matters worse the motorist sped off from the scene. This is totally

unacceptable and I hope the guilty motorist is caught and faces the

full force of the law.

 

However, let's look at this incident from another point of view. Our

roads are the most dangerous in the world and to try and safely ride a

bicycle on them is madness. Cyclists are also to blame for these cycle

accidents; not only do they ignore the road rules but they also become

aggressive and rude when a motorist points this out to them.

 

How often do we see cyclists riding three or four abreast? How

often do we see them ride through red robots? How often do we see them

ride up on the pavements at intersections so as to avoid the red robot?

 

 

A case in point: last Sunday I was driving along Manning road,

approaching the intersection of Manning and Macdonald. The robot was

green in my favour. The next minute about seven cyclists came from the

opposite direction and went straight through the red robot. I hooted at

them and in return was sworn at and given the middle finger.

 

Gents, if you are reading this, you were in the wrong. If I had not

suddenly applied my brakes a number of you would now be dead or

seriously injured. And me? I would have been labelled by the cycling

fraternity as another senseless motorist who has no care for cyclists

on the road.

 

Wake up guys and girls! Riding on public roads is dangerous and let's be honest, roads are for cars, not bicycles.

 

 

Dave Puttick

[/Quote]

The arrogance of people assuming that they are always in the right !!

 

 

 

 

 

[dirtrider]

Arrogance ? Are you sure ?

[TNT1]

I wrote to the editor:

 

Re: Roads are for cars, not bikes

 

I am so deeply offended by this letter. I have been riding a bicycle on South African roads for more than 25 years.

Roads, like all other public facilities in this democratic nation are for the use of all South Africans.

 

I am well aware of the fact that there are cyclists that break the rules of the road, and I am known for having a loud voice in condemning their actions. Likewise, there are many, many motorists that break the law each and every time they get behind the wheel of their vehicles.

 

In this country, in this life, you can make a decision. You can be consumed by anger and hatred, or you can choose to do good, you can choose to have respect for those around you.

 

Calling for cyclists to be banned from the road only serves to polarise the access issue even further. I try my very be best to excercise tolerance and restraint when I am on the roads, whether I am in my car, on my bicycle or motorcycle. Reading your comments make that task so much more difficult for me.

 

Imagine for a moment that your son, daughter, reletive is the cyclist knocked off and killed, and imaging someone making the callous and unreservedly arrogant statement that you did.

 

This issue as with many facing this great nation will only be resolved by excercising tolerance and respect for one another.

 

[Marius]

I'm with Dave. Don't get what you guys are getting so worked up about?

[Red Zone]

Marius, you are either with us or against us.

[scotty]

Except for the last sentence , Dave is right on the money.

[Marius]

"US" - I'm both cyclist and motorist, I can see his point.

[TNT1]

 

Except for the last sentence ' date=' Dave is right on the money. [/quote']

 

Agreed. But what do you remember from that letter? I remember the title and that last obnoxious, stinging line.

 

[Thug]

 

Arrogance ? Are you sure ?

 

Yip,

 

Cyclists (the plural) are generally extremely arrogant towards other road users when in a bunch, conversely

 

Motorists are arrogant in the belief that the road belongs to them and them  alone.

 

 

 

[TNT1]

 

Arrogance ? Are you sure ?

 

Yip' date='

 

Cyclists (the plural) are generally extremely arrogant towards other road users when in a bunch, conversely

 

Motorists are arrogant in the belief that the road belongs to them and them  alone.

 

 

[/quote']

 

Exactly, and that on both sides polarises the two sets of users and exacerbates the problems.

 

[scotty]

The guy was probably just seething with anger and frustration when he wrote it. I find the best way to deal with angry drivers is just smile and wave( open hand, not middle finger).

[madmarc]

Except for the last sentence ' date=' Dave is right on the money. [/quote']

 

I'm with you on this one Scotty - as a cyclist i am sometimes disgusted at the behaveour of my cycling collegues. a lot of them think once they have donned their lycra pro kit and climbed on their 50K bikes they own the road. Their middle fingers become a means of communication with all motorists.

 

Cyclists have created their own demeaner here and it's going to take years for this perception the change amongst motorists

[RaceChick]

Once again a few cyclists who don't obey the rules make the whole cycling community look bad.

[TNT1]

 

Once again a few cyclists who don't obey the rules make the whole cycling community look bad.

 

Ya... if we needed their help we'd damn well ask for it. I personally do not need anyone to make me look bad. I am perfectly proficient at that all on my lonesome!

 

[scotty]

Madmarc when cyclist behave like that, the driver lumps all cyclists into a box and the next cyclist he sees gets it.