Why do cars hate us so much

I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat
death every day.
Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists.

They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even
though I am nearly in the gutter.

Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed.
****ed off cyclist.

"Neil Watson" wrote in message
...
I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat
death every day.
Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists.

They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even
though I am nearly in the gutter.

Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed.
****ed off cyclist.


There are some disrepectful drivers out there. You need to be careful about
where you place yourself on the road. Riding almost in the gutter creates
too much space in the lane and encourages other road users to try to share
your lane. I find riding a couple of feet out from the gutter forces them
to consider the cyclist ahead and move partially into the next lane. Sure,
some don't care but you may just find that taking a more assertive road
position increases your safety and the respect given to you.

Kevin
Happy Cyclist

K&C Russell wrote:
There are some disrepectful drivers out there. You need to be careful
about where you place yourself on the road. Riding almost in the gutter
creates too much space in the lane and encourages other road users to
try to share your lane. I find riding a couple of feet out from the
gutter forces them to consider the cyclist ahead and move partially
into the next lane. Sure, some don't care but you may just find that
taking a more assertive road position increases your safety and the
respect given to you.
Kevin Happy Cyclist


i agre

the reason 'they' hate us (careful not to lump em all in. probabl
realistically approx 10% that hate us) is cos we're the answer. Thei
the problem! :

If you put it all on paper common sense leans so heavily in our favour

No emissions, better health, no noise pollution, minimal road/path-wea
and hence far less expenditure required, far less need of public healt
system, far-less-likely-to-take-sick-leave, less parking space require

Election approaching. What are ours (and most governments') bigges
areas of expenditure? Health and Roads. in that order. And the sad par
is the latter has a huge influence on the prior! Does anyone identif
this in public? Dont be daft. thats crazy-logical talk! The planet'
biggest cycling population, China, are rapidly growing in th
middleclasses. That means they can and do now afford cars. You thin
ozone/environmental issues are a problem now? just wait until they belc
out more than the rest of the world combined

But enough of the rant. You ride, you win. They drive we all lose

As K&C says, ride assertively. After all, you affectivel
subsidise them!!

and smile, cos youre the better ma

Dutch getting-less-of-me-all-the-time cyclis


-

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 21:25:19 +1000, Neil Watson wrote:

... they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even
though I am nearly in the gutter.

That's your problem, if you're in the gutter, and the pass within 30cm
then you aren't riding "as far left as is safe" you're riding far enough
left to be UNsafe. I had this problem when I started riding in the
Sydney CBD. If I kept right to the left of the bus lane, the busses
would still squeeze through - I swear that one passed so close that it's
left-side mirror passed just over the top of my head. Basically I ride
now in the middle of the lane, but to the left a bit.

I think your should try riding just under 1 metre from the left, say to
the 2/3 right of the left half of the lane. If you need it, or if it's
dangerous, take the middle of the lane.

Can you find someone else to ride with at these times ?

If you're in Sydney, have you considered riding with the bike bus ?

-kt


--
Kingsley Turner,
(mailto: )
http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ - news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions

"Neil Watson" wrote in message ...

They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even
though I am nearly in the gutter.

Kevin has already replied, but I want to reinforce his message. Riding
in the gutter sends the message that you belong in the gutter ("and
off the damn road!" usually follows that thought). Riding in the
middle of the lane says "I belong here, *you* can avoid me". You're
also easier to see, so drivers have more time to react to you -
they're not past before they realise you're there. Yes, that's bad
driving. Yes, there are a lot of bad drivers out there. I still cling
to the belief that most drivers are inept, not malicious. There are
exceptions...

I ride the Pacific highway between Turramurra and Sydney several days
a week. I use the middle of the lane, and even the second lane if
there are parked cars. Every now and then I get into a bit of verbal
with a clueless car courier, but generally I'm fine. If I sit in the
gutter, I get pushed past. You have the right to be on the road. The
law says you must stay as far left as practical, which applies to all
road users. If "practical" means you need to be in the second lane to
avoid weaving between parked cars and moving traffic, so be it.

Dave - who has been tempted to make up some cards with the relevant
sections of the Roads Act for those odd verbals...

--
Dave Hughes

I want you to remember, I intend this breast
satirically. ~Coupling, "Flushed,"

Neil,

You didn't say how long you have been riding for. Many beginners ride
in the wrong locations. eg. Riding in the gutter is a bad idea. Does
your local bike group have experienced riders that can help?

In the end only you can decide what to do. But if every one that had
bad experiences complained to say, their local members and road
authorities, then something would be done about it.

As it is, everyone complains to each other, but (as a cycle activist,
and local bike group member), getting even cycle riders to complain to
the authorities about _anything_ is just so hard. Take the time and
write some letters. Go visit and talk.

Once work place 'accidents' where accepted, drunk driving deaths, fire
arm deaths, but with people speaking out, these things and more
changed.




"Neil Watson" wrote in message ...
I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat
death every day.
Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists.

They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even
though I am nearly in the gutter.

Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed.
****ed off cyclist.

Random Data wrote:
Dave - who has been tempted to make up some cards with the relevant
sections of the Roads Act for those odd verbals...



apprently BV are working on something like this

in manhattan bike couriers carry A4 adhesive-backed stickers with the
relevant roadlaws printed onto the back (sticky side) ans wack on
abusive or recalcitrant drivers' windscreens. gives the driver ages to
read the message

a tad overboard perhaps but you can see the angle

Megan, can you give me a run down on what a bike-bus is exactly. Im
guessing its something lkike what my wife does with the kids walking to
school and picking up other kids along the way on a pre-arranged route
but would love to hear more on the bike version thereof...



--

If you're in Sydney, have you considered riding with the bike bus ?

-kt



Whats a bike bus?

"K&C Russell" wrote in message . ..
"Neil Watson" wrote in message
...
I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat
death every day.
Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists.

They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even
though I am nearly in the gutter.

Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed.
****ed off cyclist.


There are some disrepectful drivers out there. You need to be careful about
where you place yourself on the road. Riding almost in the gutter creates
too much space in the lane and encourages other road users to try to share
your lane. I find riding a couple of feet out from the gutter forces them
to consider the cyclist ahead and move partially into the next lane. Sure,
some don't care but you may just find that taking a more assertive road
position increases your safety and the respect given to you.

Kevin
Happy Cyclist

I agree with Kevin and add that riding faster on the road enhances
safety, especially in 50 and 60 zones. At least, in my experience with
heavy traffic, riding faster makes you part of the flow and gives
drivers more time to see you and time their overtaking a bit better.
Otoh, it means they require more distance to overtake, so it is a bit
of a trade-off.

Ritch
(Also mostly a) Happy Cyclist

PS. I really have a problem with only about 0.1% of drivers, maybe
less on my daily 16km each way commute in Sydney. About once a week I
have to deal with a (more dangerous than usual) situation.

Greetings,
Well, Neil, it's simple, a small percentage of
motorists, as are some cyclists and every other community grouping, are
complete ****wits. A slightly larger percentage will do something
totally unacceptable if they think they have a good chance of getting
away with it, cf. last Monday's Four Corners on ABC.
I have had all of that and I have been shot at as well simply because I
was a cyclist, and therefore a suitable target for ****heads. I knew
what road rage was before they invented the term. I agree it's
depressing, but I don't know what to do about it in this car-mad, obese,
inconsiderate society we live in. I guess we have to live with it or
give up entirely and hibernate.
Regards,
Ray.

Neil Watson wrote:

I have had enough, everytime I go for a ride now, it seems that I cheat
death every day.
Cars , trucks, and buses just don't give a rats ass about cyclists.

They fail to give way to us, they zoom past about 12 inches from you, even
though I am nearly in the gutter.

Anyway, I think I will quit before I am killed.
****ed off cyclist.