Cycling in Sydney Australia
A Rant
I am usually more of a reader than a writer in these forums, but today I am in a particularly wingey mood.
I've just arrived home from a short ride from Pitt Street up William to Potts Point, and I am tired of the same old antics by other cars (especially taxis) and pedestrians. Although it was a skateboarder who tipped me over the edge to write this.
I know you're all probably in a similar situation, but I thought it couldn't hurt to put my thoughts down and share my stories.
- I often cycle from Paddington back to Potts Point/Kings Cross after 10pm at night - I am so fed up of pedestrians simply wandering across the road, often drunk, without a proper look. No headlights? Obviously there is nothing hurtling towards them at 25+km/hr. I usually try to pass them as close as I dare so they know I exist.
- Typical car-drivers, not even considering to check the bike lane when turning right (eg William Street about twenty minutes ago). The old dear in the passenger seat looked terrified when I was staring through the window, having skidded to a halt.
- Trucks/Vans that love to pass you within about 30cm.
- Taxis. In General. Whether it is overtaking then turning left, overtaking then stopping to pick up/drop off, pulling away without checking mirrors, or just generally believing they are more entitled to the road than anyone else, cyclists or otherwise!
- Buses. Similar to taxis in that they overtake then stop in front of you. Although I must admit I believe I have seen an improvement over the two years that I have been cycling in Sydney (eg Elizabeth Street, they stay behind you from the lights if they know they'll have to stop in 50m)
- Skateboarders. They just should not be allowed to exist, IMO. Noisy, ignorant and in the way when they're on the pavement, and ridiculous on the road (also I'm 99.9% sure illegal). The *&!# today; earphones in, playing with his iPod, swerving across the lane, on the wrong side of the road.
- Motorcycles/Mopeds. I have begun calming down now and these are more of a nuisance than an actual problem... stopping me from edging between traffic at the lights, just because they can't fit!
- Did I miss anything?
Is it too much to try to lobby Clover Moore to ban all four-or-more-wheeled vehicles from Sydney's CBD roads...?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by sit ubu sit on
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Those close-passing vans aren't a problem - once your arm flung out to make a right-hand turn signal rearranges their panel work. Couldn't have possibly been you though, as there is no way the driver would have passed you within arms length, that would be illegal.
I hear you on the other stuff - the best thing I can suggest is go for a long ride through one of the national parks this weekend.
That guy in the photo is going to need to sharpen up his line to knock her phone out of her hands with his shoulder - as I would have done if it was me...
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Permalink Reply by Carlos Kramer on -
Maybe he can get the guy on the mobile phone standing further down the bikeway.
I'll second that getting an Airzound is a good idea, it works a treat.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew K on
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Third the AirZound, while not condoned, sometimes a BAAARRRPPPP of anger is just what a few of the subjects of the original post need. I wouldn't judge, lest I be judged on a particulalry bad commuting day ;)
But make sure you can be seen, and seen easily. Ride empathetically, try and put yourself in other road users shoes to see how they might see you. Make sure you are not a ninja, ninja's bring issues to themselves. Ring bells on approach to peds and yell "bike" if it even looks like they are wayward. Yeah a hassle, but usually solves 95% of issues before they become a problem.
Then again, sometimes people just need to be AirZounded.
Just be prepared for unpredictable results - especially if used on peds (the etiquette is not to use on shared or heaven forbif - footpaths). We don't want AZ's banned.
Have no problem airzounding vehicles acting dangerously to me, and it usually has much more of a positive reaction that verballing them at the lights. They understand horns, as they are what they cop from motorists if they do something wrong. And they are a motorist. Its a psychological thing.
My AZ is worth much, much more than the $35 I paid for it.
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Permalink Reply by herzog on -
What's your visibility situation? You got lights and decently visible clothing?
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Permalink Reply by Mike Stuart on -
I have one front light on steady, one flashing rear and a steady rear, reflective strips on my shorts. i replaced my lights in summer but i'm thinking a brighter front light wouldnt hurt as winter forces me to ride in darkness more and more often.
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Permalink Reply by back street boy on -
Get an airzound. I like skate boarders.
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Permalink Reply by Colin on -
I like skateboarders too. Pedestrians also. But those cyclists are a pack of whingers.
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Permalink Reply by PaulJ on -
William st needs a complete redesign!
You can thank Morris Iemma for backing down to the local motorists who demanded to be able to drive their cars through the center of the city rather than the cross city tunnel.
As a result we ended up with door zone bike lanes frequented by motorbikes and taxis.
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One sat there revving his dirt bike engine loudly as he pulled up to me in the bike lane this arvo, as if to say get out of the way. Yep a bike should get out of the way of a motorbike... on a bike lane. He took off on one wheel in the adjacent traffic lane. 5.05 pm.
That dude was so awesome, I so want to be him /s
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Permalink Reply by Snowy_5 on -
That`s a driving in manner dangerous in a public place if the police catch him in the act.
In `89 I was pulled over by police and was warned to book me next time if he see me do it again when I chucked a wheelie on my old Triumph 750 Bonneville.I was lucky to be let off when I gave them the excuses.
I was berated for my behaviour by police and not getting the ticket.Never ride again after breaking 5 bones in my left ankle in mid`90.It was my wild days gone by.
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Permalink Reply by timothy.clifford on -
I usually try to pass them as close as I dare so they know I exist.
Yeah, used to do this too, but felt a little hypocritical given how much I whinge about cars and trucks passing very close to me.
I've taken to screaming desperately "WATCH OUT!" as if I'm about to hit them. Of course I am a safe 10 metres away, but it gets attention.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Lambert on -
I think it is that time of year. I nearly got taken out this morning by a woman coming the other way through a roundabout who turned right without indicating. I guess it must have been hard for her to reach the indicator as she was talking on her mobile phone and had a dog on her lap.
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