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Every car should have these to deal with cyclists

by Whaleoil on March 2, 2013

Which kind of leads to this, via the tipline  

Tamaki Drive Cyclists from Cremaster on Vimeo.

Just a typical Tuesday morning driving to work in Auckland at 7.30 am.

Readers who don’t drive to work along Tamaki Drive [in Auckland] may not realise
what an issue cyclists have become for us.

I’ve uploaded a video I recorded the other day showing a fairly
typical drive. At least they’re not 3 or 4 abreast for once.

Tagged: • • • • • • •

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  • Never in the dark…..

    Which is why my daughter does the park-n-ride on the train. She’d be had for manslaughter otherwise, if not outright murder.

  • http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/ Petal

    are these all individuals going to work, or a large group that belong together in some way?

    • Steve (North Shore)

      They are the ‘Road Lice Gang’

      • Michael

        If you cycled, you would know that skin tight lycra is superior to cotton shorts. It’s nothing to do with the muscular legs and shapely bum you get when you bike regularly.

        • Steve (North Shore)

          muscular legs and shapely bum you get
          You of course are one of the Road Lice perverts, hahaha!

          • Michael

            You’re the one who notices, not me. ;-)

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=706456651 Nigel Sherrie Fairweather-Hunt

          you flatter yourself.

          you’ll flatten yourself.

      • James Stephenson

        Probably one of the pre-work bikeshop bunch rides, like as not Cam’s former sponsor Mt Eden cycles.

        I’ll back my multitool in a sock versus any car driver who wants to try it on. Wing mirrors and windscreens aren’t cheap to replace.

        • Chris Trathen

          Nor is life, or a mangled leg, from someone who has just had enough of wankers on bikes…

        • Michael

          Don’t be an idiot,

          • James Stephenson

            I’ve been dealing with fuckwit car drivers in Newcastle and London since I was a teenager, Auckland’s don’t even rate on my giveashit meter.

  • Michael

    If you really want the cyclists off Tamaki Drive then a proper cycle path with the surface as good as the road is needed. Being a cyclist (but in Wellington) did you notice the following in the video

    The uneven surface of the cycle path.
    The roadworks with the digger completely blocking the cycle path.
    The three temporary road work signs each about 400 metres apart, all both blocking the “cycle” path.
    The cracks on the “cycle” path caused by the tree roots.

    (If this was the state of the road there would be thousands in Aotea Square demanding immediate action.)

    Any of those would render the path unusable – so cyclists are free to use the road under the land transport regulations (cyclists only have to use a cycle lane if it is “adequate”.)

    • http://www.whaleoil.co.nz Whaleoil

      Pay some road user charges and we might entertain your fanciful ideas for spending other peoples money….oh and obey the road rules, and have registration for your cycle just like motorbikes…and while we are at it, let’s also have warrants of fitness for your bikes too

      • Michael

        Would love to, then I’d have access to the motorway and it would save me about 15 minutes a day. Not sure it would improve traffic flow. And if it was user pays it’d cost next to nothing as bicycles cause so little road wear compared to cars and trucks.

      • meow

        That is the typical bullshit retarded view that some motorists have. See my comment above – most of these guys already pay registration on at least one vehicle.

      • Mark

        As a lifetime motorcyclist,I pay $500+ for rego each year.Even this amount does not mean I can remove or not wear my helmet when I feel the need too,or “filter thru” intersections,or ignore red lights.I also cannot elect not to use my indicators or have brake lights,seems most cyclist can afford quite expensive bikes & clothing but not equipment to enable them to share the road with other motorists.I would not last an hour on the road without a cop stopping me if I was exhibiting the behavior we see hourly from cyclists.
        I drive for a living & if I see it so do cops,yet the enforcement is not there.
        I will say that there has been a noticeable improvement from cyclists in Auckland where I am,their advocate groups have worked hard in this area.But until it is more widespread I see no reason to reward disregard for other road users with new paths paid for from OPM & laws to make life easier for them.
        The argument that they are car owners & therefore pay into the system is of course completely bogus & must be countered every time it comes up.If I buy another vehicle to use on the road I have to pay more costs.

        • meow

          I understand your point of view, however I’m not advocating for cycle lanes in particular – just having the normal road kept in a decent state for ALL users would be great. Cyclists can be pinged for breaking the road laws just like a motorist can. They shouldn’t be going through red lights except on a pedestrian signal (which is permitted). They are also not allowed brake or indicator lights – they are illegal.

          Cyclist absolutely have responsibilities when on the road, but what doesn’t help is dumb ass red neck drivers who argue all sorts of idiotic arguments (like Cam did above) simply because they don’t like and disrespect cyclists. Hopefully you are not one of those drivers.

          • Mark

            Having the roads kept in a decent state would be great,but the money does have to come from some taxpayer or at least diverted back from funding 18th century rail systems.

            Cyclists can indeed be pinged,& I would be happy to see an enforcement focus on road safety with regard to all road users,we both know there is no revenue in that…

            I know that the red light filtering is legal,IMO it was a little premature & should have been held back as a reward for behavioral change.

            I did not know that brake lights & indicators were illegal,it is a shame the rebellious attitude towards other road rules & courtesies expressed by many cyclists has not resulted in massive disobedience of this rule.

            I am convinced that being a motorcyclist & regular pedestrian makes me a more professional & safer truck & car driver.There are certainly plenty of road users who have no regard for other road users or their own safety.I do not think penalising safe drivers because of this is fair.

            By way of an example & to prove I am not just picking on cyclists .
            Making Ponsonby road a 40km zone because silly tarts can’t cross the road in their high heels while carrying their dog & talking on their cell phone is BS.It is part of a disturbing trend toward redefining roads as “shared spaces” where all the onus to be safe is being put on vehicle drivers & it is ok to walk out in front of a bus/car & expect them to stop.

            IMO a road is for the efficient movement of motor vehicles,courtesy towards guests (pedestrians,cyclists) should be observed.

            Sorry for the long rant :)

    • Bea

      Regarding uneven surfaces of cycle paths, I’d suggest you ride a bmx like the kids do. You get at least as much exercise with them – probably more because they don’t have gears. My teenager used to do a 40km round trip to town and back with lots of hills – and he wasn’t even wearing lycra.

  • Hazards001

    Arrogant bunch of cocks. As they ride beside the cycle lane, not on it. No sympathy whatsoever if one of them ends up under a truck…well sympathy for the truck driver I suppose.

  • cows4me

    Don’t have that problem here, cows, dust and flies. Seems to me there were probably way more cyclists on one lane then the amount of cars on the other lane. What I’m trying to say, cars on 500m stretch of road 100, cyclists on same stretch 500. The real problem is getting some form of road tax out of the cyclists.

    • Chris Trathen

      Steady on, you’ll get flamed for suggesting the pay some upkeep…. there is Lycra to buy !!

      • cows4me

        Sorry Chris I shall not mention it again :-)

      • meow

        What you forget is that a vast majority of those cyclists are also fully licenced drivers who pay registration and/or road user charges on at least one vehicle. They’ve paid every bit as much as you have to be on that bit of road.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=706456651 Nigel Sherrie Fairweather-Hunt

          in that case i should only pay for rego for ONE of my three cars.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Brian.Smaller Brian Smaller

    Middle aged guys who think they are Lance Armstrong or some other cycling dude. When I ride to work from Hutt to Wellington I use the cycle lane. Sure you can’t race but so what. Enjoy the ride and the view. The guys who ride that in that video are usually concentrating on the few metres of road in front of them and are usually oblivious to anything else.

  • meow

    Those cyclists are perfectly entitled to use that lane. All I’m seeing here is a bunch of arrogant wanker drivers who think they own the road complaining because they were restricted to 55km/h in a single lane (I would typically be doing around 45km/h at that point of the ride).

    Did they slow you down at all? No they didn’t. Maybe they offended you in some other way. Maybe they subconciously remind you of how fat and lazy you are getting sitting behind the wheel.

    Flaming aside, I know who some of those guys are. The organiser of the group they ride with has been doing a lot of work recently to ensure that they know their responsibilities on the road and that they play nice with other traffic (not like our whinging driver who is both breaking the speed limit for that bit of road and is using his cellphone at the same time).

    A lot of motorists needs to re-evaluate their selfish attitudes. So what if a cyclist holds you up for a few seconds. That cyclist is a human being, a father or mother, quite often with kids – think about that before you buzz them in your vehicle. You should also try getting out there sometime yourselves and experience the crap surfaces, the hazards, drains and potholes and rubbish, maniac scooter drivers, wanker drivers, etc – it might give you a new appreciation for what a cyclist faces.

    When you see me out there, remember that I’m going at almost the same speed as you. Don’t try and cut in front of me or pull out in front of me. Look for me before you sling your car door open. I will get out of your way and let you through as soon as humanly possible – because I’m a driver too.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=706456651 Nigel Sherrie Fairweather-Hunt

      yeah your going on a bit there…

      transition from horses to cars… pretty easy.
      transition from cars to cyclists…. not so easy.

      one day this shit will work out surely. it makes sense to bike to get from A to B and one day most people WILL….in one form or another. Unfortunately for YOU motorists still see cycling as unessential.

  • Bea

    You Aucklanders think you have it tough? We have that problem where I live, except its a two lane road. When the adult cyclists are on it, you’re stuck behind them. Going 20kms an hour in a 100km an hour zone.

    It noticeably doesn’t happen with children/teenagers on bikes. They’re just a whole lot more polite and get off the road when cars need to get past. They need to give some lessons to the adults on how to share the road.

    I don’t understand how a car that obstructs traffic by driving too slow can be penalised but a prick on a pushbike can’t.

  • Jman

    I also go along Tamaki drive to work and the cyclists drive me fucking crazy. The worst are the wankers who have that “One less car on the road” sign . Yeah asshole you might be one less car but you’re also slowing down 100 cars that are stuck behind you.

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