Posts by Isaac Freeman
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Greg Wood,
Thank you Greg, seriously.
I've always suspected that the critical mass flash-mob approach, while valuable in its time for uniting cyclists and so forth, has a major flaw: it presents cyclists to motorists as an undifferentiated mass of inconvenience.
I think a much more lasting effect is achieved when drivers see a cyclist every day, and that cyclist becomes a regular part of their commute. They always see you at about the same place, and you hold them up slightly, then let them through. It becomes obvious that you're not there with an agenda of making their lives difficult. And if they get a wave to reinforce good behaviour, they'll learn the pattern when they see you again every day.
Which is to say, even if they don't know you're Ruby's daddy on a bike, they at least know you're That Guy on a bike. And That Guy seems OK. In fact, it looks like he's enjoying himself.
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Zach Bagnall,
While cycle lanes are often poorly placed, I think they do have a role as permanent markers of territory. They say "cyclists use this road", even when no cyclists are visible.
Of course, some cycle lanes say "cyclists use this road, and I, the painter of this cycle lane, wish to take this opportunity to say 'Fuck you, cyclists'".
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to JackElder,
most people – drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, that idiot on the kick scooter – are actually pretty considerate and nice
I thought I'd said that, but I see I neglected to do so. Thanks, Jack.
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Deborah,
I've never been sure of that one as a cyclist, either. So if I intend to go straight ahead, I make a point of pulling out of the cycle lane and slightly in front of the car, so they can tell I'm not just some left-turning cyclist who's neglected to indicate.
That's my solution.
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,
My very anecdotal impression is that people in Auckland open their driver doors without looking more often than people in Christchurch do. Since the streets are narrow in Auckland and there are more cyclists in Christchurch, I have tentatively concluded that drivers are more motivated by concern for the lives of cyclists than by concern for their doors being hit by another car. It is possible I am biased by just not wanting any more reasons to despair at the human condition.
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Angus Robertson,
The thing is that you have on the one hand actual deaths that have actually happened, and on the other some hypotheticals about what might increase risks. Your hypotheticals all assume that people parking on Tamaki Drive have no other options for how they travel, which is not an assumption that is likely to be shared by people who choose other options every day.
Frankly, I think a proportional response would be to weld shut every driver-side door in the country. This would inconvenience drivers a little, but hardly enough that people should die over it. I would be willing to consider compromise positions like lifetime disqualification and vehicle confiscation for anybody who opens a car door into traffic without first turning on their hazard lights. Instead we are talking about removing a few parking spots from places where people who have no business being in a driver's seat in the first place are known to have actually killed. I'm going to need more than speculation about how people might illegally park in some undefined place that might turn out to be even more dangerous than the place where people are actually killed to be convinced that we should abandon even this pathetic cop-out.
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Joe Wylie,
I tend to assume that anything shouted from a car can be directly translated as “I’M IN A CAR!!!!!!!”
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Kyle Matthews,
See, I'm pretty sure this is why we write one Book of Rules for everybody.
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Angus Robertson,
Angus, I'm sure it was not your intent, but can you see how your assertion that "people need to park their cars" comes across as a little callous in a context in which other people are actually getting killed because of where cars are parked?
-
Hard News: I'm not a "f***ing cyclist".…, in reply to Rich Lock,
What is sensible behaviour for a car is often bloody daft for a cyclist, or motorcyclist.
Descending a steep hill with only one hand on your brakes because you have to hold the other one out as your turn signal, for example?
Oh granted, I was being more than a little glib there. There are certainly situations in which obeying the letter of the law is unreasonable, and sensible people ought to exercise good judgement. Occasionally the law adjusts to account for these situations, as with the recent change that removed the requirement for cyclists to indicate at roundabouts the same way drivers are supposed to.
But consciously recognising situations where the law isn't a good fit is one thing. Acting as if it never applied to you in the first place is quite another. And it's the latter I see from other cyclists every day. Grown men riding on the footpath. People failing to indicate where the hell they intend to go. Dogs and cats living together without cycle helmets on.
Honestly, the world would be a better place if everyone would just listen to me and the Book of Rules.