Stupid stuff you see on a bike!

Had a cynical laugh to myself on the way into work this morning. As i was riding through the park near South Tce in the city i passed a lady riding a hybrid with a wicker basket on the front. As i approached her i noticed she wasnt wearing a helmet (not overly strange) but as i passed her i saw she had it sitting in the basked on the front of her bike! As i rode away with a strange sort of despair i was stopped a red light on south tce at the end of the bike path. i was there for a minute or two and saw her approaching the intersection, she proceed to take the helmet out (while still riding) and put it on here head! i just sat there stunned and to add to it she just rode straight across the pedestrian crossing when the lights turned orange (she had PLENTY of time to stop and didnt check for any turning cars).

i am continually dumbfounded and saddened by a lot of the stuff i see while i am out riding.

What stupid things have you seen?

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Permalink Reply by Paul on April 11, 2012 at 0:14

I don't know about everyone else, but my blood boils when I see motorists on the phone while driving.

However, when I saw a gentleman riding his bike with his head cocked to one side to pin his phone between his jaw and his shoulder, indicating to turn right, then turning the corner without checking to see if he was going to end up in someone elses path - to top it off, no lights at dusk.....

it took alot of self control to not throw something at him.

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Permalink Reply by David B.o.R. on April 11, 2012 at 9:58

I've written this one on another thread but it bears repeating. Guy on a mountain bike coming down Regency Road with his helmet on his handle bars, a ciggie on the burn, on his phone, on the wrong side of the road. He was one of those work boots and jeans cyclists, and I think that those guys are great and every bit the cyclists that I am. It's just that I keep seeing them do stupid things like this and then constantly hear or read the phrase "Lycra-clad lunatics".

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Permalink Reply by Virginia Riches on April 11, 2012 at 10:18

I witnessed a whole new level of stupidity this morning and it was lucky that I wasn't involved in a serious accident. I was riding along linear park this morning on my way to work when I come around a bend to see a guy on his bike. Turns out his thought process this morning went, I like riding and I like walking the dog so I'll combine the two. I don't have that much problem with the concept however when it manifests itself as a guy flying round a corner at me swinging the dog lead in a circle (metal end swinging) at me then I have serious problems. Essentially this shining example of forethought and consideration thought that someone approaching him from the other direction would in no way be offended by having a weighted weapon directed at them. In case you haven't figured it out I'm a little irritated at this.

The conclusion of the story however is that I am here at work and bozzo probably has a few more scratches after the dog lead caught in his back tyre. I didn't stick around to see if he went flying as I might have been tempted to add a few extra bruises given how angry I was. Oh, and to top it all off, has dog was running along a few meters behind, however the dog was exceedingly well behaved and his master could learn a lot from him.

Sorry to have such a rant but it makes me very angry when people threaten my safety through their stupidity.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Lownsborough on April 11, 2012 at 14:03

sounds like karma to me… :-)

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on April 11, 2012 at 14:03

Virginia hope you feel better soon. I had a similar incident a few years ago behind the Plaza on the bike path when confronted by a cyclist with dog in tow on an extendable lead. The cyclist was stopped off the track semi in the bushes and the dog was in the bushes on the other side of the track doing what dogs do. The cyclist saw me coming and decided to try and lift the lead over my head and succeeded in getting it chest high which was the point when I saw her. I rode straight into the lead the cyclist let go of her end and the lead retracted very quickly such that the handle was caught up in my bike. My inertia caused the lead to snap tight and dragged aforementioned and now very surprised and irritated dog from the bushes and into the wreckage which was now me and my bike. The dog now identified due to it's close proximity to my face as a surprised, irritated and angry full grown Alsatian attacked. The owner almost immediately sprang into action ........eventually and regained control of the devil wolf dog after it had savaged my arm which was doing it's best to protect my meagre good looks while it stood on my head one paw making a mess of my eye. Anyhow all's well that ends well the cyclist she devil gatekeeper to hell dog owner duly informed me that I deserved it and I was lucky the wolf had not done further damage. They then rode off leaving me stunned concussed and bloody to be assisted by the next person that came along. So anyhow two things

1. as you can see I got over it with no grudges

2. I don't ride the linear path anymore

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on April 11, 2012 at 14:07

OOps did I hijack the thread. Just to get it back my wife has been tempted to respond to this thread and say the stupidest thing she's seen on a bike is me!

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Permalink Reply by Virginia Riches on April 11, 2012 at 14:12

Wow that's awful! And truly despicable to leave the scene of the accident. I have to say though, like on roads, the majority of people on linear park seem absolutely wonderful and a lot of the regular users seem very alert and watch out for everybody. I have had an accident on the path (at least partially my fault) and the first words out of both of our mouths once we picked ourselves up was "are you all right?". So there are people that are decent human beings out there, trick is not to let the other ones spoil it for you. I do hope you recovered all right, I struggle to believe how anyone could walk away from someone who they had severly injured.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on April 11, 2012 at 15:35

Virginia I should have added the police were called (by the person who helped me) charges laid, fines paid and unfortunately the dog was put down as it had a history. To me though the owner was the one that needed putting down.