Bloody drunkard

[Mojoman]

Firing someone for being drunk at work is not illegal, not following the right process while firing him is. But I assume you know this. The process is not complicated (same goes for firing someone for poor performance), it's just admin and needs to be followed to the T.

 

But you are right, this guy's employer would not be able to fire him for this incident. Not at this point anyway...

Ja....Procedure and paperwork....

 

[Robbie Stewart]

I don't want to derail this thread but the way this happened is something i ALWAYS have in the back of my mind when riding and it hit me quite hard when i read it.

I do my best to ride on pavements, cycle lanes or where they don't exist - as close to the road shoulder as humanly possible on n mtb -  just to remove myself from road traffic as best I can. I have been hit by cars twice in my life while riding and know by now that there is no point being passive aggressive about a piece of road on a bicycle when you are up against cars, no matter how entitled you think you are. You will lose every single time.

 

But even riding well out of the way, I also know that i am 100% also at the 'mercy' of the person that approaches me from he rear in a car. Maybe they are on their phone, maybe they are preoccupied or day dreaming, maybe they have road rage, maybe they sneeze, maybe they are drunk....

 

On Sunday i was riding contermans road and two guys on superbikes were doing 'time trials' on that piece of road. Up and down up and down. They probably passed me around 4 times going up and down. As I heard the front bike approach every time, and was somewhere on the outside of a corner,  I realised that I was placing my faith 100% in the notion that I hoped he knew what he was doing and not going to loose control of that thing right at the wrong time.....

 

it doesn't matter where we ride on the road anymore....and it seriously sucks. its becoming to risky to even ride to the trail networks these days.

 

Sunday afternoon, 26 July 2016, I was on my way to Contermans in my car, and came across a guy wedged underneath the armco barrier in the left-hand bend at the top of the hill before the turn-off. His motorcycle (a Honda CBR-1100 if I recall correctly) was laying in the turn-off to Contermanskloof farm. He passed away while I was calling for help.

 

Scratching is what they call the "time-trials" you refer to. Sadly, the guy's phone rang just after he was declared deceased, and the paramedic answered. It was his son. Very sad day indeed.

Edited June 17, 2020 by Robbie Stewart

[tinmug]

Ouch. 

 

Feel terrible for the rider, and much worse for the son (and who knows who else), but if this was the outcome of playing superbiker then, well. 

Edited June 17, 2020 by tinmug

[dev null]

Ouch. 

 

Feel terrible for the rider, and much worse for the son (and who knows who else), but if this was the outcome of playing superbiker then, well. 

 

Just plain stupid. There are track days for this.

[Kranswurm]

The funeral is today

[nathrix]

Here's how the new drunk driving law could leave you uninsured

 

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/heres-how-the-new-drunk-driving-law-could-leave-you-uninsured-49405983

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Sunday afternoon, 26 July 2016, I was on my way to Contermans in my car, and came across a guy wedged underneath the armco barrier in the left-hand bend at the top of the hill before the turn-off. His motorcycle (a Honda CBR-1100 if I recall correctly) was laying in the turn-off to Contermanskloof farm. He passed away while I was calling for help.

 

Scratching is what they call the "time-trials" you refer to. Sadly, the guy's phone rang just after he was declared deceased, and the paramedic answered. It was his son. Very sad day indeed.

It was a fireblade. I passed it, too, coming out of Conters. By that time the cops and ambo were there. 

[Robbie Stewart]

It was a fireblade. I passed it, too, coming out of Conters. By that time the cops and ambo were there. 

We must have passed each other on the road to the dairy shed, as I left a bit after the ambo pitched and tried to assist. At first they tried to loosen the barrier which was a non-starter, but soon after the EMT gave up with assisting the rider, and called it. It was really sad. The ride after was a somber one.

[Jewbacca]

A Fireblade? I owned a 4th gen big bore Fireblade which I used to drive from Perth to Geraldton in WA when I needed to commute quickly in 2000/01

That thing was a death trap. 

 

Terrible handling at speed, rubbish brakes..... Like throwing a ten pound hammer as hard as you could and trying to steer it. 

 

I loved it

Edited June 18, 2020 by Jewbacca

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

A Fireblade? I owned a 4th gen big bore Fireblade which I used to drive from Perth to Geraldton in WA when I needed to commute quickly in 2000/01

That thing was a death trap.

 

Terrible handling at speed, rubbish brakes..... Like throwing a ten pound hammer as hard as you could and trying to steer it.

 

I loved it

Not as bad as the OG Zook though. That pre-slingshot model was.... Interesting

[Spokey]

Sunday afternoon, 26 July 2016, I was on my way to Contermans in my car, and came across a guy wedged underneath the armco barrier in the left-hand bend at the top of the hill before the turn-off. His motorcycle (a Honda CBR-1100 if I recall correctly) was laying in the turn-off to Contermanskloof farm. He passed away while I was calling for help.

Scratching is what they call the "time-trials" you refer to. Sadly, the guy's phone rang just after he was declared deceased, and the paramedic answered. It was his son. Very sad day indeed.

I have not posted on this.......I am angry about this “accident” setting out driving pissed is criminal, we all know that. , I know this part of Joburg and although I left 4 years ago it feels close to home. Condolences to the family. But all this about banning alcohol and stories of bike “time trialing” gosh...I am one who likes my wine an like my bikes.........I choose not to drink and drive at all as it amongst other things a conviction will result in me losing my job in the Mid East, and frankly I understand why one does not do this. The riding of motorcycles, yes, I have come across my share of accidents where the riders talent outshone their ability (roughly the Casey Stoner quote) and yes I do enjoy a fast trek up the Outeniqua Pass, but I am mindful of the temperature, weather, road users etc. Of course at some point I could stuff if it up but I like to think that I ride with the brain rather than just the throttle hand. I honestly do slow right down if cyclists are on the road, because, that could be me on another day.......I am not a superhuman, I just wish more peeps would think **** through.

What we need is consequence of the action. This guy who crashed his car into the cyclist must be held fully accountable. Our laws need to be much stronger with drink driving.

I did some early adulthood growing up in Europe where they managed to develop a stigma to drink driving and it has stayed with me and I was able to pass it on to my kids. It is still all too macho in this part of the world to go and braai with mates and get doped or go jolling for dinner and get dopped. Somehow this needs to made shameful. Apologies for the rambling.........

Edited....had a chuckle at a mild swear word filtered out......what is the world coming to!

Edited June 18, 2020 by Spokey

[Spokey]

Culpable homicide is there for an accident - like a guy runs across a freeway and is killed in an unavoidable manner

There were witnesses, this guy was drunk. He chose to be in that car in that condition. If it’s proven he was drunk, the charge should be amended to murder

Can get depressing living here in the pursuit of riding a bicycle - bike jackings, murderous drivers - ffs

Agreed wholeheartedly Wayne. Living where we do and I still load the bike up and drive to a hopefully safe area to cycle.

[Robbie Stewart]

I have not posted on this.......I am angry about this “accident” setting out driving pissed is criminal, we all know that. , I know this part of Joburg and although I left 4 years ago it feels close to home. Condolences to the family. But all this about banning alcohol and stories of bike “time trialing” gosh...I am one who likes my wine an like my bikes.........I choose not to drink and drive at all as it amongst other things a conviction will result in me losing my job in the Mid East, and frankly I understand why one does not do this. The riding of motorcycles, yes, I have come across my share of accidents where the riders talent outshone their ability (roughly the Casey Stoner quote) and yes I do enjoy a fast trek up the Outeniqua Pass, but I am mindful of the temperature, weather, road users etc. Of course at some point I could stuff if it up but I like to think that I ride with the brain rather than just the throttle hand. I honestly do slow right down if cyclists are on the road, because, that could be me on another day.......I am not a superhuman, I just wish more peeps would think **** through.

What we need is consequence of the action. This guy who crashed his car into the cyclist must be held fully accountable. Our laws need to be much stronger with drink driving.

I did some early adulthood growing up in Europe where they managed to develop a stigma to drink driving and it has stayed with me and I was able to pass it on to my kids. It is still all too macho in this part of the world to go and braai with mates and get doped or go jolling for dinner and get dopped. Somehow this needs to made shameful. Apologies for the rambling.........

Edited....had a chuckle at a mild swear word filtered out......what is the world coming to!

 

I lived in Kerriwood in Blanco before I became a Kapenaar. Sundays the bikes roaring up and down that pass would reverberate across the valley to ring the end of the weekend in. I have no qualms with motorcycles, and would love a bike myself. I just remembered coming across the poor fella at Conties and reminisced how sad a day it was. But ja, the problem is deep rooted in SA to drink and drive. I have done it myself as a young boykie fresh from school wearing stupid as a badge of honour. That I am still alive astounds me. I am ashamed at the really outright dumbass things I did in my youth, and this event leading to this thread just brings reality come crashing through the veneer of our self built walls of self deceit. I am sad for all life lost. I am sad that a family is ripped apart by such stupidity and selfishness. I am sad that we can go on with life as if nothing happened because one man could not control himself. Ja, I'm also rambling...

[Vetplant]

 I have done it myself as a young boykie fresh from school wearing stupid as a badge of honour. That I am still alive astounds me. I am ashamed at the really outright dumbass things I did in my youth..

I am with you there, I also did some astoundingly stupid things in and after school and alcohol was always involved.

 

We lost a fellow matriculant during final exams as they were drinking and wanted to go to the neighbouring town to dop there... he was the driver and a silver lining is that the other 3 guys in the car survived. Sitting down to write that final subject with his seat near to me was a real sad moment.

 

The alcohol problems in our country start at a young age. We need to somehow win the war early with our youth, hopefully then it will perpetuate into the rest of society.

[Bub Marley]

I was hit by a car 4 months ago here in the UAE and then basically just left to die on the side of the road as the car just drove off. Thankfully someone stopped and called an ambulance which was there already but the time I regained consciousness. Suffered broken fibula, cracked ribs, burn marks all over my body. 
 

I’ve decided to reduce my time on the road now. Got myself an indoor trainer and will do most of my training on there. Will try and only ride in groups if I go on the road. Is so dangerous out there as people could not care less. Besides alcohol, people texting on their phones is a massive problem. And unfortunately as a cyclist we have absolutely no control of the situation no matter how careful we are. At the end of the day it comes down to pure luck on that day. 

[Mojoman]

I am with you there, I also did some astoundingly stupid things in and after school and alcohol was always involved.

 

We lost a fellow matriculant during final exams as they were drinking and wanted to go to the neighbouring town to dop there... he was the driver and a silver lining is that the other 3 guys in the car survived. Sitting down to write that final subject with his seat near to me was a real sad moment.

 

The alcohol problems in our country start at a young age. We need to somehow win the war early with our youth, hopefully then it will perpetuate into the rest of society.

I think the drinking problem is just exploding in the African culture these days....of the 10 guys I used to work with only one of them wasn't a drinker and wouldn't spend the whole weekend trashed and show up on Monday morning utterly useless (and its not a poverty thing as the all earned a decent wage)...For sure we have all been there in our teens and twenties but a lot of the guys are married with kids and aged 40+ and a huge part of their salaries would go on booze..If you go to a location on a weekend (well maybe not now) the streets would be littered with broken bottles and drunken bodies..

 

I've also got a friend whose girlfriend is a alcoholic and drives drunk many times...crashed her car 3 times so far in the last 3 years. In fact sadly a lot of my friends are alcoholics. You can't talk to these guys about it as it causes conflict and anyway they never accept that they do have a problem as all their mates are also alcoholics and don't see anything wrong with it!

 

I think more has to be done at school level (same with road traffic knowledge) and maybe raise the legal drinking age to 21+?

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by Mojoman