Society & Culture Things in life you just don't understand - Part 2

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peternorth

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Being hit by a bicycle doing 40-50 km/h is pretty serious. Doesn't happen that often, but a lot of cyclists are dicks when it comes to picking and choosing when they want to use the road and when they want to use the footpath.

Also pedestrians are zombies. It's common to ride along a dual use pathway with no one around and ample room for everyone and see pedestrians walking 4 abreast, or just single file but randomly snaking all over the place as they get a new high score on Candy Crush. If I ride my bike on a dual use pathway I try to give pedestrians as wide a berth as possible to account for unpredictable movement.
I like the way you go about it. The key word is UNPREDICTABLE. People are exactly that these day. That's why so much care needs to be taken.

I read somewhere some interesting and thought provoking takes on this relationship. When a cyclist breaks a rule he/she is lambasted and rightly so. But when motorists do it, for example on the phone texting, not indicating, breaking speed limit, the anti cyclist brigade smirk and shrug their shoulders.
 

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Scotland

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I like the way you go about it. The key word is UNPREDICTABLE. People are exactly that these day. That's why so much care needs to be taken.

I read somewhere some interesting and thought provoking takes on this relationship. When a cyclist breaks a rule he/she is lambasted and rightly so. But when motorists do it, for example on the phone texting, not indicating, breaking speed limit, the anti cyclist brigade smirk and shrug their shoulders.
Cyclists are the worst because they chop and change. As a pedestrian you don't get to walk along the road if you feel like it, and as a motorist you can't drive along the footpath. Cyclist have a foot in each camp, so they annoy everyone. They want to ride on the road when there's a cycle path next to it, then they'll go straight through the lights because they don't want to wait.

But yeah, people are just re-treads these days. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are all people, and people are stupid.
 

peternorth

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Cyclists are the worst because they chop and change. As a pedestrian you don't get to walk along the road if you feel like it, and as a motorist you can't drive along the footpath. Cyclist have a foot in each camp, so they annoy everyone. They want to ride on the road when there's a cycle path next to it, then they'll go straight through the lights because they don't want to wait.

But yeah, people are just re-treads these days. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are all people, and people are stupid.
What if a cyclist is also a.....wait for it.....a motorist.



We just have a culture of me first and someone else worry about it

People don't take responsibility for their own safety let alone anyone else often enough when walking, riding or driving.

Too many people in a rush and or distracted
Great point. As others have alluded to on this board witness driving culture in other parts of the world where there's no road rage. Its simply astounding! In places of dense population, drivers cut each other off and no worries. These are typically countries of one single race.

But here, it's as you said me first
 

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Cyclists are the worst because they chop and change. As a pedestrian you don't get to walk along the road if you feel like it, and as a motorist you can't drive along the footpath. Cyclist have a foot in each camp, so they annoy everyone. They want to ride on the road when there's a cycle path next to it, then they'll go straight through the lights because they don't want to wait.

But yeah, people are just re-treads these days. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are all people, and people are stupid.
there is a painted bike lane in town near a subway exit. In the morning the cyclists have to deal with pedestrians using the bike line to go around the other pedestrians on the footpath that are walking to slow for them, this pushes the cyclists into the actual peak hour traffic

not to mention the amount of times they just walk out on the road in front of cars who have a green light, or stop on the road waiting for the lights instead of on the curb

CBD is like the wild west as far as obeying the laws, nobody seems to give a shit, cars block intersections and cut off trams, taxi's park in clear ways around the corner from their rank etc
 

perthblue

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I haven't cycled in a couple years but I used to enjoy it on the weekends for a bit of exercise, and pedestrians are easily the most oblivious and stupid group of road users.

I even had to stop using my bell because I couldn't trust people's reactions. One time there was a group of 3 walking in a line along a shared path, I rang the bell so that the one on the end was aware I was coming by him, his instant reaction was to jump away from the other 2 members of his group and into the oncoming path and forcing me into evasive action. luckily there was nobody coming the other way. FFS never used my bell again like that, for fear of coming across other people who behave like startled poultry.
 
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If I ride my bike on a dual use pathway I try to give pedestrians as wide a berth as possible to account for unpredictable movement.
Or use your bell. Be sure to ring it repeatedly until you're past the pedestrian or alternatively if you're too embarrassed to ring a bell/don't have one just scream BIKE! at them as you go past.

Also, file under things I learned recently, it is now legal to cycle on a footpath in WA so next time you tell a stupid cyclist to get off the ******* road and they say they're not allowed to ride on the footpath you can let them know all about it (if you're in WA).
 

comewhatmay

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We just have a culture of me first and someone else worry about it

People don't take responsibility for their own safety let alone anyone else often enough when walking, riding or driving.

Too many people in a rush and or distracted
Often referred to as The Age of Entitlement
 

comewhatmay

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What if a cyclist is also a.....wait for it.....a motorist.





Great point. As others have alluded to on this board witness driving culture in other parts of the world where there's no road rage. Its simply astounding! In places of dense population, drivers cut each other off and no worries. These are typically countries of one single race.

But here, it's as you said me first
And mostly "not my fault"
 

el toado

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I even had to stop using my bell because I couldn't trust people's reactions.
This. I used to ride to work regularly and ringing a bell was the cause of many close calls. I found it much safer to not ring a bell at all or call out 'passing' when i was already past them. I would rather them get startled after I was gone than them get startled and jump out in front of me and put everyone in danger.
 

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Or use your bell. Be sure to ring it repeatedly until you're past the pedestrian or alternatively if you're too embarrassed to ring a bell/don't have one just scream BIKE! at them as you go past.

Also, file under things I learned recently, it is now legal to cycle on a footpath in WA so next time you tell a stupid cyclist to get off the ******* road and they say they're not allowed to ride on the footpath you can let them know all about it (if you're in WA).
This is why I avoid using my bell unless I have to:

I haven't cycled in a couple years but I used to enjoy it on the weekends for a bit of exercise, and pedestrians are easily the most oblivious and stupid group of road users.

I even had to stop using my bell because I couldn't trust people's reactions. One time there was a group of 3 walking in a line along a shared path, I rang the bell so that the one on the end was aware I was coming by him, his instant reaction was to jump away from the other 2 members of his group and into the oncoming path and forcing me into evasive action. luckily there was nobody coming the other way. FFS never used my bell again like that, for fear of coming across other people who behave like startled poultry.
 

Off The Couch

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Lost count of the number of times the bell has frightened the shit out of me. No point ringing it when you are literally sitting on my shoulder - Start ringing further back so I can decide what I want to do. As pedestrian I have the right of way, not you. I was recently walking on my left but wanted to turn right into the station entry point - nearly got cleaned up by a guy who had pulled out to pass me going at a break neck speed when the signage very clearly states that people will be entering and exiting at that point.

The regulations state that you shouldn't be reckless on shared pathways - this means you shouldn't be doing 60 as you go past me.

They also state that you are not to ride across a pedestrian crossing but instead should dismount and walk across. This means that you cannot ignore the red light and go on to the footpath and use the crossing instead.

Motor bike riders ducking in and out of lanes between cars at breakneck speeds and making no allowance it appears for cars that are also switching lanes

I am extremely conscious of both forms of bike riders but you also need to take some responsibility for yourselves and follow the rules and a great many don't.
 

perthblue

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no bell too. usually make enough noise to suggest im approaching, then ill bellow "coming by on your right side". After passing shout out "thank you".

I used to also say good morning to walkers, cyclists passing by. Just creates a positive environment
**** you campaigner
 

chargers 09

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I just wonder what goes through people's heads when they plan to go out for a nice dinner etc. then wear shorts.

I guess some people just have no awareness of being over/under dressed, or don't care.
What about chino shorts?


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The notion of why people in the past and less educated societies beleived in gods is not ridiculous. In fact science has shown us why humans are prone to believe in made up gods . However science has also shown us that gods do not exist and given people in western socieites have both this knowledge and the knowledge of why humans are prone to believe in made up gods then it does seem ridiculous how so many of the population continue to still believe in them. Its like a magician has shown us how a magic trick is an illusion and we still continue to believe the magic is real.
Science has shown us Gods don’t exist ? Science will never be able to show us Gods don’t exist.Nothing has changed for us humans .. there is stuff and it’s in motion.. that’s what we knew 10,000 years ago and it’s what we know now. We now know a little more about the stuff that’s in motion but that’s about it.
 
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