Cycle warrior

Last night I watched a repeat of the BBC show, Grumpy Old Men. The episode covered one of my pet annoyances: the arrogance of people who barge onto pedestrian crossings without first checking for approaching traffic.

Rather than break stride and defer to a stupid car/bus/taxi, these pedestrians prefer risking injury or death. You see, they have rights - the right to act with reckless stupidity.

Tellingly, the frequency of such behaviour increases the closer one is to the city. Here I’m talking about the progressive inner-city, anti-vehicle crowd or, dare I say it, the ‘bikes are better’ brigade.

The previous afternoon in Surry Hills I was travelling along Cleveland Street and slowed to turn into Chalmers Street. Having the green light, no pedestrians and a ‘No Walk’ sign in my favour I was taken by surprise when a cyclist riding at speed along the footpath suddenly careered onto the crossing...

In panic I braked hard to avoid a certain collision but he also yielded, allowing me right of way. As we passed I called him an idiot, the normal banter in peak hour traffic.

However this kamikaze commuter took umbrage and in my rear view mirror I watched him change direction, rise on the pedals and give chase. Here we go, I thought.

In hot pursuit the cycle warrior dodged and weaved through traffic at breakneck speed, surprising me with his speed, determination and ability to stay in touch.

I turned into Elizabeth, thence Holt Street and pulled up at News Ltd, well known for championing the cause of cabbies. What better place for a beat-up than at their front door.

As the flashy racing bike stopped at my door I pointed the camera at him. From behind his fast glasses I saw him hesitate whilst sucking in deep breaths. He wasn't so stupid, after all.

• Him - Why did you call me an idiot?
• Me - For riding across a pedestrian crossing on a push bike.
• Him - So what, I stopped for you.
• Me - You had no choice, you had the most to lose.
• Him - At least you had your indicator on, thanks for that, but I did give way to you.
• Me - Doesn’t matter, the law forbids riding push bikes across intersections. If you don’t understand why, then you’re an idiot.
• Him - Okay, what about Traffic Regulation (I forgot #) ? That says...”
• Me - Mate, don’t tell me about the road rules, I’m a professional driver. You can’t ride across an intersection, period.”
• Him - In my experience cabbies are the last people to claim professionalism.
• Me - That’s your opinion. Now go home and be thankful you’re not in an ambulance.

With that he slowly turned the bike around and muttered an inaudible insult. Actually it was all pretty civilised though he need not have been so reserved because the camera was only on standby. I had failed to trigger the recording. Doh!

UPDATE: Cycle warrior responds in comments.

UPDATE 2: Cycle warrior's profile. 

Comments

[Miles]

That's excellent... Some cyclists really do think they are superior to everyone else and rule the road. If a car breaks the rules they're all over them, but it's fine for them to go the wrong way down the street, run a red light, etc. I've almost been taken out by a number of these guys in Melbourne.

Lots of crappy car drivers too of course, but they're a bit less sanctimonious about the whole thing :)

[Bill]

I had a similar incident this morning - turning right from Alison Rd into Darley Rd, R'wick, with
the green arrow, when cyclist shot straight across pedestrian crossing in front of me.
No accident but close.

[wabz]

There are bad cyclists and bad taxi drivers out there.

As a cyclist who obeys all the road rules (even if there are some that may be safely broken by cyclists), and who chooses my route carefully so as not to disrupt traffic, I'm rather annoyed at your posts which do nothing to improve the attitude between cyclists and other road users.

There are good cyclists and good taxi drivers out there.

[the idiot]

Your not telling the full story and taking a fair bit of creative licence, I did have the green light cross sign, and as I tried to explain to you, it is a shared section of path. I still think you were in the wrong

[Mooloolaba resort]

Great story, nobody has a problem with cyclists
that take care with how they handle their vehicle,
unfortunately there is a growing number that seem
to think the world revolves around them, you come
across them on the street, i come across them on
the shared bike/footpaths in Brisbane.

[kae]

Idiot,

Cyclists are expected to dismount when crossing using pedestrian crossings.
The police on Moggil Road, Qld, make a fortune booking cyclists who do not dismount, even though they are on a cycle way.

You broke the law. Does not matter if you had the green light to cross sign, it's for pedestrian traffic.

[boy on a bike]

I always ride across cross walks, but always after stopping at the edge first to ensure that traffic is going to stop for me. Most drivers stop, but there are always the odd ones that look like they would run down their grandmother if she got in their way. If I dismount and walk the bike across, it would take me 3-4 times as long to cross as riding across slowly. The way I see it, you don't just tear onto a crossing expecting cars to stop suddenly. On the other hand, I'm happy to walk - but are you happy to wait?

Back when I was learning to drive a truck a few decades ago, I was taught to always be prepared to stop when approaching a cross walk, regardless of whether you could see anyone in the vicinity even thinking of crossing. As a driver, you have to expect the unexpected and be ready for it.

[adrian]

Hi idiot, according to Google maps Streetview there is no indication of your claimed shared footpath. The only shared path is clearly marked by the yellow bicycle line on the roadway next to the kerb (found either side of intersection).

Feel free to investigate this link and show me where this shared footpath is notified by markings or signage. I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Like I said at the time and others have noted in comments, the RTA regulations pertaining to bicycle safety forbid you from doing what you presumably do every day.

On a minor point the Don't Walk sign never changed due to there being no pedestrians. However if you feel I've embellished this account you're welcome to post your version of events.

[Greg]

Wait, your story is about a cyclist who behaved dangerously but you start with how much you abhor pedetrians who "barge into" pedestrian crossings without regard to "approaching" traffic? Crossing against the signal is certainly foolhardy, but within a defined crosswalk pedestrians have the right of way, as they do on approach to a zebra-crossing, for both of which automobile operators are provided sufficent forewarning to start paying attention to their own "approaching traffic" situation. Too many drivers, cabbie included, take an aggressive approach to transiting such shared zones for me to take your reproaches to heart.

[The idiot]

I was pretty happy to give way to you, which I did. What annoyed me was the abuse I received when you thought you where a safe distance away.

[James]

Hey idiot, it's called a footpath for a reason.

Jesus how I hate cyclists who make up the rules as they go along.

[fenn paddler]

The comment out the window was made on the assumption the giver of the character reference could make a quick getaway without repercussions. It strikes me as a wee bit cowardly to make a verbal attack and then attempt to hide behind the anonymity of a vehicle and when that failed scuttle over to a newspaper building and hide behind a camera. I drive and ride, and when I'm driving I get p*d off at the liberties cyclists take with the law but at the end of the day it's 1,800kg's versus 80 kg's, so we drivers really need to remember to take care at pedestrian crossings and shared zones.

[idiot]

James- It is a shared zone, go and check out the markings painted on the pavement, and as mentioned above I gave way to all turning traffic.

"Jesus how I hate cyclists who make up the rules as they go along." Are you saying cab drivers don't? stopping where ever they see fit is one big one that springs to mind.

The more I think about it I wonder how much abuse gets hurled about by the author so he has something interesting to write about, if so I took the bait.

This debate is never going to end I'm afraid, the roads aren't going to get any safer until all roadusers start showing some respect to the others around them.

[Aleksey]

Cyclist is right.

As I understood and suppose, he was moving with the speed of car and on the road made for cars, so he thought that the cars rules works for him.

Usual traffic rule says that turnig car should wait for traffic, which goes straight, does not it?

The presence of the pedestrian crossings does not convert the vehicle into pedestrian, even if the vehicle is small. :-)
What if it was the motorbike? :-)

So the Adrian did not noticed that bike at all or
used the absence of the motor to humiliate poor guy. :-) Both things are an alarming indicator.

[Aleksey]

My logic in previous topic works for right-hand traffic, not sure about Australia.
Possibly bicyclist is foreigner? :-)

[Romany Deschale]

We could argue for a long time about the road rules that applied to Adrian's Cleveland Street experience. What I find interesting is that the attitude that some cyclists display on the roads and shared paths is also shown in their off-road behaviour. It seems to me that some view cycling as a combination of two virtues - physical exercise and care for the environment - and therefore above reproach.

Ask any Manly ferry commuter about the cyclists' pushiness in the queues there. I work in a small shop and several times a day the following happens: there will be a crash outside as a cycle is parked against the shop window, the cyclist then strides into the shop, makes a few supercilious comments, and marches out, mounts the bike and rides off. It's getting to the point where I cringe at the sight of a cycle helmet before I've even seen the wearer's face. And don't get me started on the lycra ...

[Greg]

Wow, Romany, you mean cyclists come to your shop just to mouth off? Do you have a sign in your window or something? I think your story is missing something or you are.

[Angel]

Shared footpaths, shared roads, designated cycle lanes - the cyclists seems to have it all and still want more! I drive some 18kms each way, very early each Saturday and Sunday morning - the time cyclists like to do their thing. For more than half that distance the speed limit is 100 kms and there are designated cycle lanes, however the cycling squads still choose to take up the whole road - 4 or 5 abreast - so that I have to slow until there is a safe place to overtake.

I know they are not breaking the law, but I find it really arrogant and I dread those early morning drives to work and tend to go earlier and earlier to try and avoid them altogether. I am more than willing to share the roads, but a bit of consideration from all would be appreciated. I am truly amazed that there are not more accidents involving cyclists and they should realise they are the more vulnerable and not flaunt the rules as so many do.

[Peter Deane]

George Mikes writes:

"At traffic lights, a German would not cross against the red, not if you paid him for it. At simple unguarded zebras, he will cross with fear in his eyes, knowing perfectly well that not a single driver will stop for his sake; he regards the zebra-crossing as a death-trap: car drivers wait for him to step into the road and then accelerate to get him.

"In England, on the other hand, drivers often enjoy stopping as much as the pedestrians enjoy loitering. A man on the zebra is not just a person crossing the road: he is a Briton exercising a fundamental right. He walks slowly, with dignity, as academic proscessions do ... I often feel he must be waving a copy of the Magna Carta".

I think we Aussies have taken a leaf out of the Briton's book, as described above and are exercising our civil rights by holding up traffic. Mind you, as a pedestrian it is far easier to stop than a car driver.

[adrian]

I was pretty happy to give way to you, which I did. What annoyed me was the abuse I received when you thought you where a safe distance away.

Mate, a safe distance away? Phfft. We were exactly adjacent otherwise you wouldn't have heard my passing remark. I didn't choose profanity or viciousness but rather an entirely appropiate 'idiot' for your illegal, idiotic practise. Get over it.

I know they are not breaking the law...

Angel, maybe they are. According to the bicycle regulations...

Cyclists also have some special rights, which include: Riding two abreast, no more than 1.5 m apart.

This implies that riding two abreast is the legal limit for groups.

Someone else commented on my perceived cowardice. In fact cowardice would have involved leading the clown on a merry chase around Surry Hills until losing him up a hill.

No, I was headed to News Ltd for work yet being way past the age of fisticuffs-have no doubt, this infuriated warrior was not seeking to simply workshop the incident-I chose to 'record' the confrontation in order to neutralise his rage. It worked. End of story.

[idiot]

Another fine display of tolerance on your behalf.

BTW- You waving your mobile about had nothing to do with my response, you said yourself it was all pretty civilised,I was never going to resort to any form of violence.

[Kieran]

In victoria the limit is two abreast for cyclists riding on the road. Wouldn't be surprised if that was the same in NSW.

[Gerri Patrick]

Talk about managing to excite comment; this must be the most responded to thread ever.

[Walter]

This thread certainly seems to have sparked a frank and open exchange of views.

Not being Australian I'm hard pressed to judge the rules Down Under. Is it legal for cyclists to ride on sidewalks? Around here, cyclists are required to ride in the street and not on the sidewallk.

[boy on a bike]

http://200weeks.police999.com/archives/2376

[nyctaxiphoto]

You sound narrow minded, maybe you should try riding a bike, or walking to the grocery store? in new york we're lucky when people use the crosswalks, there are much worse things out there to complain about. it sounds like you can't drive.

[nyctaxiphoto]

but, I do understand that it impossible sometimes to figure out the actions of pedestrians and bicyclists: their speed, the alertness.

The problem is that there isn't a clear enough system defined for the car less to abide by. I heard that in more 3rd world places everybody stays in constant motion so that their locations can be better predicted. it's when they stop in their tracks that they risk getting hit.

[nyctaxiphoto]

it was only the sense of a me first mentality that bugged me, and probably many others judging from the high volume of comments. if we all think me first, we get chaos. although, on the other hand this whole altercation was brought about by the both of you waiting for the other, interesting. I guess in retrospect the only problem was instigating an argument. We taxi drivers shouldn't light other people's fuses, as there isn't anybody to protect us when shit hits the fan.