NotSoBigBen Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 I have recently moved offices from Midrand to Centurion and so have been travelling along Nelmapius drive through Irene since last week Tuesday. I've seen quite a few Mountainbikers along there (they ride on the verge in the sand!). So today I see 2 juniors slogging it out up the hill out of Irene, first a chap with Harmony kit and a black Ridley then a bit later one with Mr. Price kit and a white Ridley, he is busy trying to open what seems like an energy gel (maybe one of those with the screw on top) and wanders into the road. Now those of you who know this road will know that it is very narrow and has no 'tar' verge at all, a silver merc comes up behind and hoots (probably just to warn the youngster he is coming and that space is needed!) and the cyclist proceeds to move over and immediatley give the driver the finger. Hope his parents didn't teach him that and I'm sure that his club / cycling academy doesn't condone it either! I'd give my laaitie a fat smack if I found out he had reacted in that manner. And he will grow up to be a 'I wonder why motorist have such a bad attitude toward cyclists' adult rider or maybe a pro that doesn't greet others who knows.
scotty Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Or grows up and joins with other cyclists and beats up elderly motorists.
Alida Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Hi Ben I don't want to start a "moan about the juniors" argument by I must say that I have on more than one occaision seen juniors riding recklessly in traffic and whilst I haven't noticed any finger signs, there have been one or two shaken fists etc. Unfortunately these "fine young gentlemen" have also been wearing sponsored kit so one would assume that they would - if not for their own safety - have some sort of responsibility towards their sponsors to behave in an acceptable manner. It's very sad - as you say these guys will grow up to be the ones wondering why motorists have an attitude towards cyclists. I've had a couple of run-ins with motorists driving as close as they possibly could to me and hooting at me from about 2kms back but I know that flipping a finger is most certainly NOT going to improve the situation.
Spinnekop Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 O hell.....here we go again.. Do me a favour. Hold this for just 15 minutes. I have to get some popcorn, chips, coke, chocolate and beer. This could keep on forever!!
rock Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 I wouldn't wory about kids riding bikes and flipping the bird, mosts kids these days are freaking out of control doing drugs and having sex atcavendish square........ pass that 'corn spinnekop ?
TitusTi Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Having sex at Cavendish square, really? Wow, now I know where I need to go hang out!
NotSoBigBen Posted January 10, 2007 Author Posted January 10, 2007 Ok sorry guys I'll ask admin to delete it then! Obviously not an important observation. Perhaps you guys should go back to 'nite nite' or Shimano vs Campy threads for your entertainment for today! Rock maybe your kids are (or future one's will) but I like to think and am pretty sure that mine aren't. And yes quite a few hubbers know my son and see him around I'm sure they can vouch for that but hey just another 'useless' observation! Cheers
MintSauce Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 But Ti....i thought the girls just drape themselves over you WHEREVER you go?
Spinnekop Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Hey Big Ben. Funny how you get worked up on finger and the senseless killings in your country does not bother you THAT much!?!!
slowpoke Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 BigBen, don't let the usual crowd who defend this type of thing get to you. i'm glad you made the observation here so that if i'm ever in that area and i spot youngsters in that kit etc i'll slow down enough to actually try to address the issue if anything happens. i can vouch for your youngster being well brought up, polite, well mannered and wonderful to have around. i know of lots of other kids who are also great. that people can justify bad behaviour with a comment of "oh but all kids are like that" is exactly WHY so many kids are indeed so. if those that behaved badly were taken to task and disciplined at the outset then we'd live in a much better society. i truly hope that their sponsors get to be aware of the disgusting behaviour and that some sort of action gets taken (maybe they should be "suspended" and not allowed to do a race or two... let's see how they feel about making cyclists look bad after that). Spidy, the situation is not a black or white - just because bad behaviour from a cyclist gets pointed out does not mean that the person doing so is always going to take the motorists side. every single incident must be judged on merit. your recent approach of "the cyclist is always right" is highly frustrating because this is exactly the approach that is causing trouble for so many cyclists out there. we ALL need to share and compromise. motorists (both good and bad), cyclists (both pro/semi-pro and social), pedestrians, etc, etc, etc. this SA'n attitutude of "mememememe and only me!" is seriously pissing me off.
scotty Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Back to thread topic, certainly more pertinant to a cycling forum than Dr Ruth posts.
NotSoBigBen Posted January 10, 2007 Author Posted January 10, 2007 Spinnekop - and you know that the senseless killings in our country don't bother me? We had that discussion when?
Alida Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Hey Big Ben. Funny how you get worked up on finger and the senseless killings in your country does not bother you THAT much!?!! I think we're all grossly aware of the senseless violence in our country but Big Ben's post was about the junior that was cycling like a hooligan. Most of us have little control over the bigger picture in the country but where we can make a difference is within our own personal "environments". As cyclists we see other cyclists breaking the law or just behaving like hooligans and there we have the power to say the person concerned that such behaviour is not on and it's ticking the motorists off and in so doing endangering all of us. So the point is not that senseless killings do not bother Big Ben because I'm certain that they do, but rather that one of "our own" is crossing the line and something should be done about it. End of rant
Pantani Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Maybe we should kill Juniors senselessly? Then we all have something to talk about?
Alida Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Maybe we should kill Juniors senselessly? Then we all have something to talk about? Um no, I don't think that was the point either. We don't want them hurt which is why we wish they wouldn't ride in such a manner as to suggest that they are actually suicidal
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