Article in The Age

Found this this morning...
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinio...562975946.html

I'm not sure who to be more ****ed off at, Jim Schembri who seems to be
determined to make ignorance a virtue, or the ******s who do actually ride
on footpaths, run red lights etc and as such actually do deserve this sort
of rant. On the whole I think I'm rather more ****ed off with the
redoubtable Mr. Schembri...this article doesn't seem to serve any purpose
other than to vilify cyclists as a group.

Spit.

Stomp.

Swear.

Sent a letter to The Age:

Jim Schembri seems to be determined to make knee-jerk, reactionary vitriol a
virtue. As (predictably enough, I suppose) a regular cyclist, I do find
myself swearing at the odd pedestrian. Usually the ones that look straight
at me prior to walking out in front of me from between parked cars. This is
assuming that they look at all. Here's where I differ from the redoubtable
Mr. Schembri though - I recognise the fact that these twits are most
decidedly the minority. The bulk of pedestrians do the right thing by dint
of taking some responsibility for their own safety. There is however, a
small pecentage of pedestrians, motorists and, yes, cyclists who do stupid
things on a regular basis. I see them daily as I ride to work and I swear at
them at least as much as motorists do because it gives the self-satisfied
prat sitting next to me in 2.6 tonnes of Prado an excuse to squeeze me into
the gutter.

I, as most serious cyclists, by which I mean someone who sees cycling as
transport and not some poor substitute for a proper, fossil fuel burning
form of transport, do in fact make a point of obeying the road rules. We do
actually know what the road rules are, with particular regard as to how they
apply to us.

Jim Schembri's article is a pathetic attempt to appeal to the least
thougtful section of the community by latching on to a currently fashionable
bogeyman. There's nothing easier than whipping up a bit of scorn for a
conveniently placed minority group, but there are also few things less
responsible. As a direct result of this tripe, I expect to be harrassed on
the road, despite scupulously obeying the law and being as courteous as
possible.

Grow up Jim, and if you can't find some serious issues to address try your
hand at something else. Oh, and buy yourself a bicycle so you can address
this topic from a position of knowledge instead of ignorance. Who knows. we
might make a bike Nazi of you yet.

good one (except that last sentence )

dont want that phrase sticking..

--
flyingdutch

He he, this is weird. He bitches about bikes hung from the handrail i
the trains. I was orderd by Connex staff, ticket controllers or WF
ever you call them, to put the bike there. So, now I do, by direc
order from Connex. :

--
Claes

Personally, I thought Schembri's effort was quite a good lark and probably
wouldn't do much to damage the rep's of those of us who obey the rules. We
all know the idiots he's talking about. I'm looking on the bright side and
seeing it as a good bit of fun to poke at those of the biking
fraternity/sorority we think of unkindly. Don't take it too personally but
you have o consider that in many respects he is right. If we continue to
obey the rules and do what we do, we earn the respect of those cagers and
peds we see on our regular morning and evening commutes. To me, that's
where it counts.

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying
"Claes" wrote in message
...

He he, this is weird. He bitches about bikes hung from the handrail in
the trains. I was orderd by Connex staff, ticket controllers or WFT
ever you call them, to put the bike there. So, now I do, by direct
order from Connex.


--
Claes

Resound wrote:
snip
small pecentage of pedestrians, motorists and, yes, cyclists who do stupid
things on a regular basis. I see them daily as I ride to work and I swear at
them at least as much as motorists do because it gives the self-satisfied
prat sitting next to me in 2.6 tonnes of Prado an excuse to squeeze me into
the gutter.
snip

Oooh, you singled out Prados. You rock!

Tam

Its the context

If the article appeared in a cycling magazine, you might take it to b
a bit of an off-beat criticism/commentary on the more aggressive/badl
behaved part of the cycling fraternity

In a mainstream publication, read by many who are either mildl
anti-cyclist or totally anti-cyclist, the article merely feeds thos
irrational prejudices.

Should Schembri be asked to write a similar "BMW nazi" or "Prado nazi
article for next week

Steve

--
SteveA

Seems to me this is a pre critical mass vent - it is the last Friday o
the month after all
*To demonstrate the Power of the Pedal we often hold huge rallies
blocking roads and bridges and driving motorists nuts - but people jus
shrug their shoulders and go "Well, what can you do?" We once blocked a
entire bridge. It was a stirring display of democracy in action. I stil
have no idea what the cause was.

--
ADA23

"Resound" wrote in
:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinio...the-bike-nazi-
party/2005/08/
25/1124562975946.html

Dear editor,

Jim Schembri's article is an amazing
piece of literature ("Join the Bike Nazi Party" The Age 26/8/2005).
Despite his claim of an expensive bike purchase and his
desire to join the "Bike Nazis", he obviously has never experienced
the joys of narrow misses with the "Car Nazis". Nor has he experienced
the joys of the "Parking Nazis" who insist that bike lanes are really
parking lots. And of course cyclists being a much maligned minority
why not give them another lot of good kicking while they are down?
Given the numerous cyclicts killed in hit-and-run accidents, perhaps
we should all resign from "Bike Nazis" party and join the
"4WD Nazis"? Why not clog up our roads (can we clog them anymore?) and
pour tonnes and tonnes of pollution into our cities? Keep them coming,
Jim, mate! There is nothing like ignorance and prejudice to keep up
your readership.

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 20:03:25 GMT, The Doctor wrote:

"Resound" wrote in
:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinio...the-bike-nazi-
party/2005/08/
25/1124562975946.html

Dear editor,

Jim Schembri's article is an amazing
piece of literature ("Join the Bike Nazi Party" The Age 26/8/2005).
Despite his claim of an expensive bike purchase and his
desire to join the "Bike Nazis", he obviously has never experienced
the joys of narrow misses with the "Car Nazis". Nor has he experienced
the joys of the "Parking Nazis" who insist that bike lanes are really
parking lots. And of course cyclists being a much maligned minority
why not give them another lot of good kicking while they are down?
Given the numerous cyclicts killed in hit-and-run accidents, perhaps
we should all resign from "Bike Nazis" party and join the
"4WD Nazis"? Why not clog up our roads (can we clog them anymore?) and
pour tonnes and tonnes of pollution into our cities? Keep them coming,
Jim, mate! There is nothing like ignorance and prejudice to keep up
your readership.

Schembri:
"Sometimes, as I'm hurtling down the footpath at Warp 7, I'll
accidentally-on-purpose boot some hapless pedestrian in the bum as
punishment for not looking behind them every few seconds and making way."


He's obviously not a cyclist. No cyclist would bother to unclip for such a
silly thing. Even among those that have occasion to want to kick a car for
trying to kill them, if they have a moment, think: 'is it really worth
unclipping...naw' LOL.

-Wheels