Calling all cyclists

Want yer help people

I'm gonna add a new section to www.boroondarabug.org (our new home)
to tackle all the ill-informed, naive, and just plain dumb anti-cycling
rhetoric we get//hear. Entitled 'MythBusters' (original, isnt it? )

Can y'all rub a few braincells together and suggest some topics.
Please try and keep OT so I dont have to sift thru the usual 'one day,
at band camp...' stories If you could write answers to em that'd be
cool too
Take a look at urbancyclist.org

My initial thoughts a

Why dont Cyclists Pay rego if they want to use the road?

Why are taxpayers' moneys used to pay for cycling lanes/paths?

Cyclists cause congestion

Bikelanes take up road space, leaving me with only one lane...

Cyclists should get off the footpath

Cyclists take up a whole lane

etc etc

fanx in advance
FD


--
flyingdutch

flyingdutch Wrote:
Want yer help people

I'm gonna add a new section to www.boroondarabug.org (our new home)
to tackle all the ill-informed, naive, and just plain dumb anti-cycling
rhetoric we get//hear. Entitled 'MythBusters' (original, isnt it? )

Can y'all rub a few braincells together and suggest some topics.
Please try and keep OT so I dont have to sift thru the usual 'one day,
at band camp...' stories If you could write answers to em that'd be
cool too
Take a look at urbancyclist.org

My initial thoughts a

Why dont Cyclists Pay rego if they want to use the road?

Why are taxpayers' moneys used to pay for cycling lanes/paths?

Cyclists cause congestion

Bikelanes take up road space, leaving me with only one lane...

Cyclists should get off the footpath

Cyclists take up a whole lane

etc etc

fanx in advance
FD

Might be worth using some BV stuff, they have a section on "dinner
party arguments" in their magazine....... of course, you'd have to
accredit it now that you're gonna be one of them....


--
Shabby

Shabby Wrote:
Might be worth using some BV stuff, they have a section on "dinner party
arguments" in their magazine....... of course, you'd have to accredit it
now that you're gonna be one of them....

stop counting chickens big guy! (very nervous/scared FD...)

My angle is more debunking the myths, not 'general' stuff
altho i shall take a look and see what tiopics they have covered
(not sure I can be bothered/want-to do an anti-cm rant tho...)


--
flyingdutch

flyingdutch wrote:
Shabby Wrote:
Might be worth using some BV stuff, they have a section on "dinner party
arguments" in their magazine....... of course, you'd have to accredit it
now that you're gonna be one of them....

stop counting chickens big guy! (very nervous/scared FD...)

My angle is more debunking the myths, not 'general' stuff
altho i shall take a look and see what tiopics they have covered
(not sure I can be bothered/want-to do an anti-cm rant tho...)

I'll do that one for you

"FD" == flyingdutch writes:

FD Why dont Cyclists Pay rego if they want to use the road?

Motorists pay rego to use the road because society has decided that the
risks posed by motorists to society warrants registering people who wish
to use a car. The same mechanism is used to monitor people who wish to
use firearms, both are capable of death and injury and need to be
controlled.

In ten years cyclists have collectively killed two people. On average
it takes motorists three days to achieve that, I guess that's one area
where motorists really are more efficient.

The lions share of the rego fee is in fact the TAC (Traffic Accident
Commission) contribution. This is necessary because motorists kill
hundereds, cripple thousands and injure hundereds of thousands every
year.

Cyclists do not.

FD Why are taxpayers' moneys used to pay for cycling lanes/paths?

Why are taxpayers money used to pay for roads?

Roads are useful to society so the government collects taxes and uses
those taxes to build roads for the common good. Cycling lanes and paths
cost significantly less than roads and are useful to every able bodied
person in society; you do not need a licence to use a bike lane or path.

Everyone uses pavements and guess what? They're paid for by taxes too.

FD Cyclists cause congestion

A road which can service 1000 cars an hour can service 8000 bicycles in
an hour. Clearly bicycles do not cause congestion.

FD Bikelanes take up road space, leaving me with only one lane...

Bikes lanes are there to increase the flow of traffic for cars, not
bicycles.

Without a defined place for bicycles on the road motorists would use the
whole width of the road. On encountering a cyclist a motorist would
likely have to deviate from his course causing confusion and danger for
following motorists.

Bike lanes can be dangerous places for cyclists. It encourages unsafe
cycling by putting a cyclist in close proximity to parked cars and the
lane is rarely maintained to the same standard as the roads.

FD Cyclists should get off the footpath

I couldn't agree more. Cycling on the footpath is far riskier than
cycling on the road, however it is legal for children under 12 and
adults accompanying said children.

FD Cyclists take up a whole lane

On occasion yes, and that's to help motorists. Many motorists are
unaware of the width of their vehicle and lack judgement in how much
room to give a cyclist. By taking the whole lane when appropriate
cyclists make life easier for you by not requiring you to make a
decision which, if the motorist got wrong, could result in lethal
consequences. Even though motorists kill and maim on a daily basis
cyclists are aware that this is not intentional and are only too happy
to help motorists be good citizens on the road.

FD etc etc

Keep em coming :-)
--
Cheers | ~~ __@
Euan | ~~ _-\,
Melbourne, Australia | ~ (*)/ (*)

flyingdutch Wrote:
Want yer help people

I'm gonna add a new section to www.boroondarabug.org (our new home)
to tackle all the ill-informed, naive, and just plain dumb anti-cycling
rhetoric we get//hear. Entitled 'MythBusters' (original, isnt it? )

Can y'all rub a few braincells together and suggest some topics.
Please try and keep OT so I dont have to sift thru the usual 'one day,
at band camp...' stories If you could write answers to em that'd be
cool too
Take a look at urbancyclist.org

My initial thoughts a

Why dont Cyclists Pay rego if they want to use the road?

Why are taxpayers' moneys used to pay for cycling lanes/paths?

Cyclists cause congestion

Bikelanes take up road space, leaving me with only one lane...

Cyclists should get off the footpath

Cyclists take up a whole lane

etc etc

fanx in advance
FD


How about calling it CrankBusters instead of MythBusters?


--
warrwych

warrwych Wrote:
How about calling it CrankBusters instead of MythBusters?


Yeah, I like that! Another tact, not just busting myths about cycling -
but how it is a perfectly normal activity with a long noble history in
Australia. One thing that keep springing to mind is peoples short
memories when it comes to remembering our cycling heritage. Recall the
exploits of Percy Armstrong, Danny Clark, Russell Mockridge "Snowy"
Munro etc etc etc. Sir Hubert Opperman went on to be a Liberal MHR
(shock horror) More he
http://canberrabicyclemuseum.com.au/cyclists_Aust.htm

Shearers used ride btw sheep stations on their trusty Malvern
Stars....ie: write a historical aspect into busting myths about
cyclists. We are just carrying on in a long & proud tradition....


--
cfsmtb

warrwych Wrote:
How about calling it CrankBusters instead of MythBusters?


goodwun!!!!


--
flyingdutch

"Euan" wrote in message
...
"FD" == flyingdutch
writes:

FD Why dont Cyclists Pay rego if they want to use the road?

Motorists pay rego to use the road because society has decided that the
risks posed by motorists to society warrants registering people who wish
to use a car. The same mechanism is used to monitor people who wish to
use firearms, both are capable of death and injury and need to be
controlled.

In ten years cyclists have collectively killed two people. On average
it takes motorists three days to achieve that, I guess that's one area
where motorists really are more efficient.

The lions share of the rego fee is in fact the TAC (Traffic Accident
Commission) contribution. This is necessary because motorists kill
hundereds, cripple thousands and injure hundereds of thousands every
year.

Cyclists do not.


On the other hand, just because it's sitting in the driveway doesn't mean
that the car which the average cyclist does in fact own hasn't had its
registration paid.

FD Why are taxpayers' moneys used to pay for cycling lanes/paths?

Why are taxpayers money used to pay for roads?

Roads are useful to society so the government collects taxes and uses
those taxes to build roads for the common good. Cycling lanes and paths
cost significantly less than roads and are useful to every able bodied
person in society; you do not need a licence to use a bike lane or path.

Everyone uses pavements and guess what? They're paid for by taxes too.


And of course there's the recently rolled out "You mean as a cyclist I'm not
a taxpayer? Wow...BIG refund this year then!"

FD Cyclists cause congestion

A road which can service 1000 cars an hour can service 8000 bicycles in
an hour. Clearly bicycles do not cause congestion.

FD Bikelanes take up road space, leaving me with only one lane...

Bikes lanes are there to increase the flow of traffic for cars, not
bicycles.

Without a defined place for bicycles on the road motorists would use the
whole width of the road. On encountering a cyclist a motorist would
likely have to deviate from his course causing confusion and danger for
following motorists.

I wouldn't go there...if the deviation required to safely pass a cyclist
confuses a motorist to the extent that it becomes a danger, then it's time
for that motorist to send the driving license back to Kelloggs. It also
presents the idea that cyclists actually DO hold up traffic and that they
generally present a danger on the road.

Bike lanes can be dangerous places for cyclists. It encourages unsafe
cycling by putting a cyclist in close proximity to parked cars and the
lane is rarely maintained to the same standard as the roads.

FD Cyclists should get off the footpath

I couldn't agree more. Cycling on the footpath is far riskier than
cycling on the road, however it is legal for children under 12 and
adults accompanying said children.

FD Cyclists take up a whole lane

On occasion yes, and that's to help motorists. Many motorists are
unaware of the width of their vehicle and lack judgement in how much
room to give a cyclist. By taking the whole lane when appropriate
cyclists make life easier for you by not requiring you to make a
decision which, if the motorist got wrong, could result in lethal
consequences. Even though motorists kill and maim on a daily basis
cyclists are aware that this is not intentional and are only too happy
to help motorists be good citizens on the road.

FD etc etc

Keep em coming :-)
--
Cheers | ~~ __@
Euan | ~~ _-\,
Melbourne, Australia | ~ (*)/ (*)

We really should set up a wiki for this. Anyone know how?

flyingdutch Wrote:
goodwun!!!!

Can it be more like Brainiac with lots of gratuitous nudity...

Did you see the charge tape, they cut a shaped hole in a steel plate! I
want to blow some stuff up.


--
PiledHigher