The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[elantra]

bike only path. 2 pedestrians, 2 unleashed dogs. what could go wrong

Perhaps the dogs have more road-sense than their humans.
Which ain’t very reassuring.

[Anrai]

I've started seeing people completely on their phones (leaned back looking at the screen with both hands on the phone) riding on the cycleway this week.
And a nearly full-grown kid riding a tiny BMX with low-rise bars he had to bend his knees at funny angles to reach.

[g-boaf]

People on phones are normalising cycling, you see…

[jasonc]

[Mr Purple]

This one amused me.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/moto ... inspection

Amateur cyclist accused of (and probably guilty of) motor doping in an amateur stage race. Then tries to run over race director in his van in a bid to escape with the evidence.

Even funnier is that it's not the only occasion this has happened in an amateur race in Italy in recent years. They must take things much more seriously than we do!

[Retrobyte]

You wonder if this pedestrian would cross a road without looking left? This is quite a busy shared path at commuting time, with plenty of illegal e-devices that travel a lot faster than the average cyclist. Only a matter of time before she gets cleaned up if this is how dumb she is.

[antigee]

Looked but looked late better than the average coffee carrier - In the past I've switched wheel sets to put noisiest freehub on bike that I use on shared trails - I find drivers returning to their parked car and heading for the door to be regular performers of the "its only a cyclist" its doesn't matter step out, be surprised, carry on regardless

article from Guardian couple of days ago:

"Hybrid and electric cars are more likely to strike pedestrians than petrol or diesel vehicles, particularly in towns and cities, according to an analysis of British road traffic accidents.

Data from 32bn miles of battery-powered car travel and 3tn miles of petrol and diesel car trips showed that mile-for-mile electric and hybrid cars were twice as likely to hit pedestrians than fossil fuel-powered cars, and three times more likely to do so in urban area.........“If you’re moving to an electric car, remember it’s a new kind of vehicle,” Edwards added. “They are much quieter than the old-fashioned cars, and pedestrians have learned to navigate roads by listening for traffic. Drivers of these vehicles need to be extra cautious.” "

https://www.theguardian.com/world/artic ... tudy-finds

[Retrobyte]

Looked but looked late better than the average coffee carrier

She only turned to look after I called out and braked, otherwise she would have been none the wiser and sprawled on the ground

[vbplease]

I might nominate myself for a dumb cyclist yesterday.. my front light went flat halfway through my ride. It was on dusk when there was some half decent light.. at least for the bikeway I ride on. A group of 10 cyclists coming head on didn’t think so.. so shouting got worse towards the end of the group..
get a light!!
Get a f’n light!!
F’n cnt $#t light!!!!
It got worse from there..

[g-boaf]

When I did a lot of longer commute rides later in the evenings when it would get dark towards the end of the ride I always took two front lights. Only ever used one but the other one was a backup just in case. I learned my lesson once and never made that mistake again.

[CmdrBiggles]

No harm in having or adding as many front or rear lights as you wish, or as riding conditions dictate. Few, if any of my commutes or rides in the late-autumn and all winter seasons are at dawn or dusk. Statistically, these are the prime times for accidents involving cyclists, one of the causes being a lack of visibility.

The KNOG BLINDER 900 is joined up front by a tiny Bontrager ION 200RT as a sufficiently powerful backup in the unexpected event of the Blinder running out of juice. But having lights is just one part of the equation. If I have a gripe at all, it is riders dressed entirely in back (far too often) in low light or darkness, with feeble little lights — or no lights at all! They simply are not there nor visible until the last moment, and that is from the point of view of a cyclist AND as a driver! What is is about this attitude, prevalent among road cyclists? Is it 'not cool' to ride in visible clothing, with legally-required lights?

In my bicycle touring days, Sanyo DynaPower lights (often creatively modified to enhance power output) and heavy Cateye D-cell rear lights were standard, almost expected fare, and absolutely feeble little things compared to what we are spoilt with by choice and technology today.

[Retrobyte]

If I have a gripe at all, it is riders dressed entirely in back (far too often) in low light or darkness, with feeble little lights — or no lights at all! They simply are not there nor visible until the last moment

Dog walkers and joggers in black active wear, and/or a black puffer jacket, are similarly invisible at dusk or later. Often I see the dog's collar reflect before I see the person on the other end of the lead.

[g-boaf]

Bay Run is getting more crazy:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-s ... 5jgk8.html

[zebee]

When I did a lot of longer commute rides later in the evenings when it would get dark towards the end of the ride I always took two front lights. Only ever used one but the other one was a backup just in case. I learned my lesson once and never made that mistake again.

I remember riding home from work one winter night. Put the red flasher on the back turned it on, it flashed happily, off I went.

Got home and it was dead. No idea when it died....

That tipped me over the edge to get dynamo lights. But I also carry a spare front and a spare rear light and I've needed the front one once when a dynamo connector was damaged. (It's also useful as a light source when fixing a flat)

I can say though that when your e-trike battery is so dead you get no assist at all even after a steep downhill using regen, it still has enough to power the lights!

[elantra]

Bay Run is getting more crazy:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-s ... 5jgk8.html

It’s even worse if he is uploading video of frightened people onto online platforms without their consent

[jasonc]

Bay Run is getting more crazy:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-s ... 5jgk8.html

It’s even worse if he is uploading video of frightened people onto online platforms without their consent

Are you talking about events that occurred in a public place?

[antigee]

Looked but looked late better than the average coffee carrier

She only turned to look after I called out and braked, otherwise she would have been none the wiser and sprawled on the ground

apologies didn't turn the audio on

[mikesbytes]

On another forum I've seen comments that the speed reduction to 30kph on some Melbourne streets will result in an increase in unsafe pedestrian actions. While I'm sure the 10kph or whatever speed reduction will decrease pedestrian deaths the question lies as to whether the reduction will be lineal based on no changes to pedestrian activity or less than lineal based on a change in pedestrian activity?

[elantra]

Bay Run is getting more crazy:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-s ... 5jgk8.html

It’s even worse if he is uploading video of frightened people onto online platforms without their consent

Are you talking about events that occurred in a public place?

Yes I concede that it’s a public space and we shouldn’t get too precious about sharing things that occur around us, but deliberately frightening people and putting their reaction on social media I don’t think is reasonable.

Unless of course they are willing partners !

[Mr Purple]

There was a group of four mountain bikers parked sideways occupying a whole lane while they were riding up Cootha Back this morning.

I respect your right to have a rest while heading up there, but occupying half the road on a blind corner is probably not the best way to go about it. I had a little word with them as I went past on the descent. They probably didn't hear a thing.

[bychosis]

It’s even worse if he is uploading video of frightened people onto online platforms without their consent

Are you talking about events that occurred in a public place?

Yes I concede that it’s a public space and we shouldn’t get too precious about sharing things that occur around us, but deliberately frightening people and putting their reaction on social media I don’t think is reasonable.

Unless of course they are willing partners !

YouTube pranks are a bit of a problem. In this case it's absolutely not funny if he is scaring individuals or pairs in a quiet location. I'll bet he doesn't scare many people who look like they could make him sorry for it either.

Different situation if he was scaring people in an otherwise highly safe environment like a busy public mall.

[find_bruce]

Whereas I thought at least he had his pants on

[JPB]

Are you talking about events that occurred in a public place?

Yes I concede that it’s a public space and we shouldn’t get too precious about sharing things that occur around us, but deliberately frightening people and putting their reaction on social media I don’t think is reasonable.

Unless of course they are willing partners !

YouTube pranks are a bit of a problem. In this case it's absolutely not funny if he is scaring individuals or pairs in a quiet location. I'll bet he doesn't scare many people who look like they could make him sorry for it either.

Different situation if he was scaring people in an otherwise highly safe environment like a busy public mall.

Many many years ago I was pranked when there was a TV show of pranks. Candid Camera?
After the prank was finished I was approached by a person who explained who they were with a form for me to sign giving permission to use the footage.

[antigee]

On another forum I've seen comments that the speed reduction to 30kph on some Melbourne streets will result in an increase in unsafe pedestrian actions. While I'm sure the 10kph or whatever speed reduction will decrease pedestrian deaths the question lies as to whether the reduction will be lineal based on no changes to pedestrian activity or less than lineal based on a change in pedestrian activity?

I'm presuming people are claiming that lower speed limits and with less likelihood of very serious injury pedestrians (and other vulnerable) road users will take more risks... and that although serious injuries and deaths of vulnerable road users may reduce the overall number of collisions will increase?

Seen a similar argument around reducing speed limits on high speed limit rural roads...a journey will take longer therefore exposure time to driving increases and there is a higher likelihood of being involved in collision

I not an expert but was interested and had a quick scan and most of the research focuses on the reduction in serious injury/death of pedestrians

This bit of research from Canada is interesting as it did compare collision count before and after an extensive introduction of 30km/hr limits...the reduction gave the expected outcome on significant reduction in serious injury and death...as to collision count there was a 28% reduction - maybe near misses did increase...remembering that stopping distances are shorter

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.c ... 019-8139-5

Think argument seems to be driven by drivers having a problem with losing their priority by brute force of size/speed and at the same time being asked to be more attentive and actually drive defensively an added load when drivers are already having to deal with cyclists coming out of nowhere and nearly causing a collision

As an anecdotal aside I could with no real evidence argue that some drivers might be applying their mindset to pedestrians...there is a signalized crossing that i use most days as a pedestrian and there are cafes and shops nearby and foot count is high...I can virtually guarantee that if a pedestrian crosses while the ped' light is red that they then head towards a parked car...similar cycling and driving through any local shopping strip...drivers and passengers take risks to cross road at point convenient to where they have parked (cycle lane equals driver/passenger holding lane)

[Anrai]

I've seen at least one person talking on the phone while they're riding the cycleway the last two or three times I've been on it myself.
Today I stepped out onto the verandah and saw someone initiate a call while riding along on a bike I could hear creaking from 40m away.