So apparently I'm going to be on Channel 7 news tonight
Channel 7 just came to my office to film me for a story tonight after seeing my YouTube channel. They're doing a story on ... I dunno, something cycling-related ... it all happened pretty quickly.
Anyway, http://www.youtube.com/user/DuthyStreet
Hooray for spy glasses?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
Christene, you can take the details of an offending vehicle and report to SAPOL Traffic Watch on 131 444 (24-hr).
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Permalink Reply by Christene Heney on -
I was so shocked at the stupidity of it all that I forgot to take the number of the vehicle! I guess that is how these morons get away with this kind of behaviour though.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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From your post sounded like you did not record the rego. When we remind each other of options, more chance that we will act next time.
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Permalink Reply by Lorraine C on -
Christene: I've a similar story. A few weeks ago I saw a car that nearly side swiped a cyclist on MN Rd, Pooraka; a short distance later he then drove on the left shoulder at Parafield/Para Hills so he could speed pass the cars in both lanes (spraying dust, dirt and weeds everywhere). I had got his rego, car & driver description. I rang 131 444 to report the dirver and Police said as it happened 20 mins earlier all they could do was contact the driver and tell him someone had reported his dangerous driving!
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Lorraine, you did try and that is important. I understand that police keep records and if a driver is reported often by the public, then other action is taken.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Dickson on -
Ruddager, having checked out your Youtube videos and seeing how many hazards there are on Duthy St, I wonder why you don't take an alternative route? It seems like it's only a matter of time before you come to grief there.
How about Cambridge Terrace, Porter Street and the path through the parklands?
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Permalink Reply by Jilden on -
Ditto. I've never felt comfortable on Duthy Street, and the back way means you aren't stopping for the traffic lights at Wattle and Fisher.
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Permalink Reply by Ruddager on
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I still prefer Duthy st because I get up to speeds of 50km/h in parts, depending on conditions of course (usually I'm travelling around 35). I used to take Porter st instead of George, but I find on little suburban streets like those that people are paying even less attention than they do on the main (ish) roads. In addition, the sun sets at 5:45 today and those streets are lit terribly at night. I know we all need lights, but when it's dark it's dark, and Porter street's lights have been blocked by tree branches for a long time.
Also, I like to think that I'm very aware of what's going on and the kinds of things that can happen when riding with traffic so I ride very defensively. I never pull alongside a car that could turn without indicating, I always assume that I haven't been seen by on-coming traffic, I do everything I can to avoid the "door zone" and when traffic slows or stops I prepare for virtually anything to spring out in front of me.
A lot of my videos look close but they're all things I saw coming or had already prepared for ... except for the lady in green pulling out in front of me (kinda). in that case I'd seen her and thought she might pull out, but I there was a car on my tail so I thought she wouldn't. I expected this other car to be overtaking me so when it didn't I looked back (as seen in the video) because I also like to make sure that I'm not going to get run over by someone turning left over the top of me. I saw their indicator and that they were well back (phew), but then looked up to see the lady in green start to move. I think she'd actually seen me but had just badly mis-judged my speed. Not that that made it any less scary, but anyway I digress ...
My point is that I do feel the safest on Duthy st and that despite the videos the risk is manageable if you're alert and ride defensively. I believe we are all responsible to ourselves to stay safe, and that any accident we are involved in is essentially our own fault because we should've known better than to put ourselves in a dangerous situation ... unless someone deliberately runs you over I suppose. I told channel 7 my too, but they didn't show it, they only showed the bits of me commenting on videos.
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Incidentally, the real reason I got the spy-glasses was because someone did once try and deliberately run me off the road - first one side, then the other. It was crazy! Then they stopped their car and got out to confront me, but I think they realised that, as a 5'6" diminutive, it was not a good idea to take on a 6'3", scary-looking Ruddager. The guy called me a c**t, got back in his car and sped off to wage war on someone else, but I was VERY shaken up and was left feeling powerless.
So yeah, I got the glasses so that if something like that ever happened again I could go to the police with evidence, not just to post nusciances on YouTube.
Still, I do post my nusciances on YouTube and I started hoping that it would "raise awareness" ... somehow. I think awarness is a cyclists biggest ally, and the people in my videos are clearly not aware. When channel 7 contacted me I wasn't sure whether I really wanted to get on camera in case they made me look like someone who was just out to complain about everyone but himself, but I realised that if "awareness" was the reason I started posting videos in the first place then I'd be the world's biggest hypocrite if I didn't. In the end it went well, I just wish I could go back in time and video that first idiot to have him charged with some kind of motor vehicle assault thing.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Ruddager, an appropriate place to remind us of your spy-glasses (e.g. link, cost, filming ability in lower light conditions, ability to record rego numbers).
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Dickson on
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Fair enough mate.
I strongly agree with your point about misjudging speeds. I do that myself sometimes in the car with respect to other cars and trucks. I'm sure drivers do that a lot about cyclists too - they just don't appreciate the speeds that bikes can travel at. .
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Permalink Reply by Sophia MacRae on -
Just saw the video on the Channel 7 site (things have been a bit hectic, so I'm behind the news!)
You'll all note about 1 minute into the story, the little grab from Chris Russell, the spokesperson for the LGA. He would have been interviewed on Mon 16th, just days after the Local Government Association General Meeting on Friday 13th. I was at that meeting, as the rep from Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council. There are 68 Councils in SA, almost all were represented there.
West Torrens Council put forward a Motion titled "Bicycle Lane Education Program", as follows:
"That the General Meeting resolves that the LGA writes to the State Government requesting it delivers a state wide education campaign to ensure motorists and bicycle riders understand the legislation and safety benefits associated with designated bicycle lanes"
The assembly voted in favour of the motion. I voted in favour, of course, after speaking to it also.
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