Cycling & bikes - Cycle Terrorists

Jack Russell Wrote:
Some nice replies in Tuesday's SMH, congrats to those who wrote them

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Jack Russell

You little beauty, congratulations to those who penned these replies,
see below. May your nearest or dearest buy you a beverage of choice as
a worthly reward!

From Letters- Sydney Morning Herald 20 July 2004

http://www.smh.com.au/letters/index.html?from=lhsnav

Cyclists have a right to ride without being abused

I am concerned at the habitual publishing of references to bicycle
users as "terrorists" from the sad serial hate-mongers such as Jenny
Ward of Erskinville (Letters, July 19). In late 2002 the Herald
published a call from the same pedantic car addict for people to
deliberately push over cyclists, alleging the act was accidental,
equating bicycle users with cane toads.

Jenny Ward has chosen to live in a crowded inner-city suburb near South
Sydney, where in places up to 45 per cent of households have abandonded
car ownership as anachronistic and impractical.

Please allow me to disabuse her of the notion that she can lawfully
encourage morons of her ilk to push over and maim my wife, my children
and my sensible neighbours as they go about their lawful business.

Paul Campbell, Marrickville, July 19.

There are nutters on two wheels, but there are also nutters on four.
Let's look at the behaviour of some drivers. I've had rubbish and abuse
hurled at me. I've been tailgated by a driver, horn blaring, who then
swerved around me but turned left just metres on. A friend waiting at
an intersection had a driver behind him who deliberately nudged forward
until the car hit his rear wheel.

We should just let our blood pressure settle a little (exercise is
great for that) and behave better on the roads.

Kathryn Topp, Leichhardt, July 19.

I am a car owner, but for the majority of my daily trips, I choose to
ride my bike for the health and environmental benefits. Some fellow
bike riders do flout the law. But every day, I am faced with car
drivers who coast through stop signs, run red lights, fail to give way,
abuse me or cut me off.

Recently, I was knocked off my bike by a driver who tried to overtake
me in the middle of a roundabout. Even though I was lying in the middle
of road and bleeding, the driver didn't stop.

Law-breaking cyclists are an irritation to you, Jenny, but law-breaking
drivers can be deadly for a cyclist.

Greg Noonan, Tamarama, July 19.

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