The Torrens river walking and bike track
My Mum and her friend walk down the Torrens around kidman /finders park, every day for many years, and have had trouble with what my mum calls the Lance Armstrong want a Be's.
She said that the professional riders will call out they are coming through with plenty of notice and will also let them no if there are more riders coming.
The Lance Armstrong want a be's will not call out they swear,yell abusive things and spit on them and almost hit them, Well actually they have run over my mum's friends dog twice and abused them for being there.
The main problem here is they mainly walk on the WALKING track there are signs up that say NO BIKES but they still ride on that pathway and abuse them for getting in there way.
A month ago this main offender came tearing down the WALKING track on his bike didn't give them any notice until he was pretty much on top of my mums friend HE knocked her of the track and she went flying.
She got badly hurt laying on the grass while the man on the bike got up and again abused her for getting in his way. He did not stay to help he just took of still swearing at her, a young man helped my mum carry her friend to a near by house to get some help. She ended up with half her body badly bruised and her knee that just got operated on is now stuffed. She is still in a bad way.The man is lucky she didn't brake any thing. and very lucky he didn't hit my mum cos i would of gone after him. :)
I don't understand why these people think they own the pathway, My mum and friend still walk down there as it is there right to and they don't see why they should loose out. but again this week a cyclist nearly ran over my mum's dog, and again yelling at them to get of the track the signs are up saying no bikes and on the other pathway signs are up saying give way to pedestrians.
I ride down there and slow down when seeing pedestrians around and give them noticed sometimes i have to yell out and slow to almost stopping as there are the elderly that are hard of hearing or people walking with walkmans oops ipods :P
It's not that hard to slow down and let someone no your coming through.
so It's not just cars and bikes it bikes and padestians on a bike and walk track.
the police only patrol the area when there is a flasher but they have told them that it's up to the council to deal with the problem.
The bike registration conversation came up again but to catch the stupid riders and i think this is why everyone wants us to have it,like with everything the idiots of the world stuff it up for the rest of us.
My mum and friend have witnessed over the years cyclist riding so fast they have gone straight into the Torrens and bike lost, other people getting run over, dogs getting hurt.
- So what bigger signs?
- 1 bike lane
- 1 walking lane
- bike rego
- council patrols
- police patrols
Or how about we all just slow down and enjoy the track together with out any body getting hurt........
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Comment by Davidtcr on February 25, 2011 at 19:24 -
Just slow down and enjoy the track together. There is no need on that track to ride that fast past people, there is generally enough sight lines to be able to see people in enough time, and if there isn't then you are going too quick for the conditions. If you want to train mix it with the cars on the road.
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Comment by Richard Gawel on February 25, 2011 at 20:12 -
While I don't condone any violent actions (verbal or otherwise) on the part of anyone, I also think that courtesy works both ways. I've used that track on my road bike only a couple of times but was dismayed by the number of peds who walk four abreast across the whole track. This forces you to shout out to them politely ot move aside. But if they realised that it is better and safer to 'gas-bag' across a kitchen or coffee shop table then it would be better for everyone. The other action that shouts "I own this track" is the use of long stretchy dog leads where the owner walks on one side of the track and the dog is in the bushes somewhere on the other. How is any cyclist (Lance Armstrong wanna be's or otherwise) be expected to manouvre around that.
I would suggest that a good solution is to make the 8-9am and 5-6 slots 'friendly' to commuter cyclists in some way. Even give them right of way(?). Most recreational walkers would have more options as to when they can do their daily walk. Commuter cyclists don't have that. Their ride times are dictated around office hours. And if the Government is dinkum about getting more people out of cars during peak hours and onto cycles, then this should be considered- particularly given that surveys of potential cycle commuters have said that they don't do so regularly because they don't want to tangle with cars during peak hour. I don't blame them. I've been commuting on and off in Adelaide for 30 years and it still scares the shit out of me.
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Comment by MARK FERGUSON (SPARTACUS) on February 26, 2011 at 9:25 -
This behaviour is not acceptable and I am sure most cyclists I know would not do this. I always yell out "comming through" and ring my bell and usually say "thanks" and/or "good morning" as I ride by.
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Comment by trappy on February 26, 2011 at 16:20 -
@Mark so do i , never had a problem with People walking
@Richard I think people that walk together and talk have the right to do so there getting out and keeping fit, us cyclist just need to slow down it's not a race track.
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Comment by trappy on February 26, 2011 at 16:21
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@David i agree
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Comment by heather on February 26, 2011 at 16:23 -
There is the other side of the coin.
Pedestrians talking as they walk on both sides of the path; stop on the path to talk; suddenly change direction with their back to you. Then there was the woman on one side of the path, her unrestrained dog on the other, and she swore at me when I politely called out.
Now I rarely cycle the Torrens Linear Path to avoid this. Means a special trip down south by train, to cycle back on the Veloway for a good spin. Hard to find the extra time. Even here on a dedicated bicycle path, I find illegal pedestrians, motor bikes, and the signs of cars (wheelies in the dirt beside).
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Comment by trappy on February 26, 2011 at 16:30
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Yep there are bad pedestrians as there are bad cyclist but is it necessary for people to get badly hurt, yelled at, spit on just for enjoying there day.
@Heather you shouldn't avoid the area you have a right to be there to.
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Comment by Gus K on February 26, 2011 at 16:50 -
I ride it every day. Some people do wander a bit but you need to 'share' and understand. Some people are older while others are 'pro' path walkers.
My rule is "no bell, no ride" and when I take a detour on my roadie (sans bell) I just accept I need to go with the flow and slow down when approaching walkers. Most are appreciative.
Yelling at people and spitting is unbelievable in our society anyone does that and should not be tolerated.
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Comment by Simon Lownsborough on February 26, 2011 at 16:50 -
I always call out 'on your right' (or left), and say thanx. Nothing worse than hitting someone, for either of you. And in most situations you are on a shared path.
It's sad that some think they have special rights. I'm sure most cyclists wouldn't behave like this.
As usual, the minority damage the reputation of the majority.
I hope that your mum's friend is OK.
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Comment by heather on February 27, 2011 at 20:04
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I cycled into town today / Sunday, with part of my route on a shared path of the Adelaide parklands. When 10 metres from a pedestrian, she threw a ball towards me, it passing just in front of my front wheel. Close to hitting the spokes. Concerned that she was throwing the ball for a dog to retrieve. The dog ran to my bike, but confused and slow enough for me to dodge. I did yell at her to put her dog on a lead. Usually I am lenient when people ignore the 'dogs on lead' sign.
© 2013 Created by Gus K.
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