CYCLIST SAFETY - SO LITTLE SUPPORT

[cyclewife]

I can't understand this. There is a guy riding his butt off from Jhb to CT for the National Cyclist Safety & Memorial Ride...to help raise funds to create awareness of cyclist safety and in memory of those who have lost their lives. Yesterdays ride from Beaufort West to Leeu Gamka was to honor Adam Reyneke who was killed while training. Come on cycling community. Where is your support? We all get up in arms when something happens to one of our own...yet we don't support the people who are trying to make a difference. Show your support at www.backabuddy.co.za/cyclistsafety Ray is almost in Cape Town already....and all that's been raise is about 5K.

[slowpoke]

cyclewife, i hear you loud and clear, but go look at the thread about the beyer's naude incident - clearly people don't want to do anything to improve their safety - they won't speak out about what others are doing wrong let alone put their money into it and they call people who do speak out about it "aggressive" and "arrogant" and other names.

 

it's the same few people who always put in the hard work or participate or contribute who have done so again this time.

 

that is why i'll support Ray and Sign-Up etc but i'm very selective about who/what i'll put my life (and bike) on the line for these days.

[Guest Big H]

Myabe this is the difference between people that DO and people that

complain!!!!!!

[slowpoke]

Oom, true - you only get called names if you do something cos that's when people see what you're doing and maybe the name-calling is cos they are jealous/guilty

[cyclewife]

hey slowpoke...followed thread..gets quite heated i see. 2 wrongs don't always make a right. Tolerance is needed from both sides. And more awareness does need to be created. Somebody has to start somewhere. Thanks for ur support of the cause. Being a mother & wife with cycling prevalent in my household - I can't just sit back and do nothing about my family's safety out there. Cycling is the "new golf" and more attention needs to be paid. If all 35 000 cyclist who participate in the Argus stood together with ONE voice...we will be heard. EVEN IF ONLY ONE LIFE IS SAVED through this campaign...it's worth it. It could be any one us!

[slowpoke]

so true cyclewife. also, (certain) people seem to deliberately ignore my (repeated) comment that the cyclist did go overboard, but that doesn't make the woman innocent.

 

sign-up's hard work might just make drivers more aware of cyclists and save lives in that way. if it's just 1 life saved that is worth it.

 

Ray's ride might just have made other people more aware of cyclists on the road. again, if it's just 1 life saved it's worth it.

 

pointing out to a bad/negligent driver that they have erred might just make that driver more aware of cyclists on the road. yet again, if it's just 1 life saved it's worth it.

 

sitting back and saying/doing nothing (or defending the bad/negligent drivers) doesn't even carry the possibility of making them more aware of cyclists on the road. no lives can be saved by silence or inaction.

[Canaris]

cyclewife, as a guy that used to train on the roads often, and someone who commutes to work, all I can say is that cyclists don't care about their own safety.

I have taken to mtbking for my own sanity.  If I fall then it is my own fault, not the cars.

My attempts to get cyclist participation and interest in thinkbike about two/three years ago failed due to cyclist apathy.

Every week a cyclist is killed and the response is a lot of ranting by cyclists and then no action.  It is sad that even those who have lost friends and family to motorcar accidents weep cry and then do nothing.

I have taken my wifes concern into consideration and now train on mtb trails and only race on the road occassionally.

[slowpoke]

oiy, canaris - have you donated yet on backabuddy??? your boet helped to escort Ray safely out of town....

[LeTurbo]

But it's perfectly understandable: if nobody knows about it, how can they support it? However, now we know, and now we can.

[cyclewife]

Thank you Le Turbo...being a novice on The Hub I would have thought it was announced here somewhere ages ago..please spread the word

[slowpoke]

LeTurbo, it has been mentioned here, it is public on FB, the "other" forum has had LOUD mention of it and it's been in the news.

 

now granted some people (eg you) aren't on all those places and might have missed it very validly (topics here fly past quite quickly). but there are others who are aware but have done nothing YET (prod prod).

 

then again there are others who truly don't care... about safety or doing anything about it

 

 

 

[slowpoke]

Thanks LeTurbo  - you see folks, he saw, he acted...

[shaunh]

Thanks Le Turbo and MichH for your generous donations!

[Kletterer]

the way things are at the moment a lot has to be done. roads are public space but motorists who never walk, run or cycle on them dont seem to be able to aprehend what it is like outside the steel shell. i have been cut off this morning by a lady who could not slow down and wait for 3 seconds for us to pass by her office drive way. she overtook and then pulled in so we had to stop. where does this disrespect and complete ignorance come from?

I support these initiatives (and just donated to Ray following cyclewife's appeal) but I am sceptical as to how impatient, self rightous, ignorant people can be reached and convinced that we share roads and need to mind each other, even if we have to slow down and make space sometimes. This applies to all kind of people, whether in cars, on bikes or on foot.

[slowpoke]

Thanks to you too Kletterer.

 

I agree that one gentle approach won't reach all bad drivers but it's a start and if it even reaches just one and saves just one life that already makes the hard work involved worth it.

[ASTANA]

I would rather worry about my own safety in the near future @ home and in SA than about cycling safety....

 

Unfortunately we are fighting a loosing battle against the government. Cycling / road safely lies with them in the end.... and they cant even govern this country - never mind care about road safety and cycling..

 

Sad but true