More discouragement of cycling in Australia

[steveindenmark]

I'm so bloody ashamed to be Australian, right now. I really wish I could afford to leave.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...in-world-s-toughest-regime?platform=hootsuite

Because of cycle laws? You must be joking.

Come to Europe. It's bloody freezing, everything's flooding and we have a huge refugee crisis.

Makes wearing a helmet a bit of a non starter doesn't it.

 

[classic33]

Because of cycle laws? You must be joking.

Come to Europe. It's bloody freezing, everything's flooding and we have a huge refugee crisis.

Makes wearing a helmet a bit of a non starter doesn't it.

Refugee crisis is worldwide.

We don't have anyone(group or individual) "mining" stretches of road with tacks/caltrops purely aimed at cyclists either.

Gets cold, you dress for it.

 

[steveindenmark]

Refugee crisis is worldwide.

We don't have anyone(group or individual) "mining" stretches of road with tacks/caltrops purely aimed at cyclists either.

Gets cold, you dress for it.

I'm in Denmark. I don't need to be told about dressing for the cold.

I doubt if Australia has the same refugee problem as Europe.

It may be a cyclist laying the tacks.

 

[classic33]

I'm in Denmark. I don't need to be told about dressing for the cold.

I doubt if Australia has the same refugee problem as Europe.

It may be a cyclist laying the tacks.

You don't have to wear a helmet when you want to go cycling. Or be fined for not doing so.

 

[Arrowfoot]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10206830922144910&id=1031985234

It's the Constable Savage sketch.

I will be cautious as it seems like a windup. The cops in 2 police vehicles stopping a lady in heels riding a 1970 retro bike with front basket for dangerous riding and poor riding attire. Too many red flags. Only thing missing is her name could be Mary Poppins.

 

[jefmcg]

I doubt if Australia has the same refugee problem as Europe.

And you'd be wrong. Australia has been mistreating refugees since the 1990s, imprisoning them in offshore and inshore camps, paying neighbouring countries to hold them or defining parts of Australia as being foreign soil so they don't have to honour the UN conventions they have signed for treatment of refugees on their soil. I was in Germany on September 11 2001, and in the morning of that day, the biggest news was the Tampa Affair. Of course the focus moved elsewhere that afternoon.

But there's no fleeing Australia's refugee policy, as it's being rapidly adopted by European nations,

Because of cycle laws? You must be joking.

I think you are missing the severity of them.

• Increasing penalties to help improve safety on our roads for bicycle riders who are:
  • Not a wearing helmet (from $71 to $319)
  • Running a red light (from $71 to $425)
  • Riding dangerously (from $71 to $425)
  • Holding onto a moving vehicle (from $71 to $319)
  • Not stopping at children’s/pedestrian crossing ($71 to $425).
• Making it compulsory for adult riders to carry photo ID so that they can be identified in an emergency or if they break the road rules. ($106 fine for not carrying it).

So a single interaction with a belligerent cop could get you $1275 (>£650 or 2 weeks gross income if you are on minimum adult wage) in fines. That's enough to make someone feel driving is cheaper. And certainly enough for someone who cops a fine to decide stop cycling for good.

 

[simonsch]

I have to admit to a bit of schadenfreude here - apparently it was a bit of a bad day on the roads in Sydney yesterday:
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydne...d-catch-public-transport-20160308-gne5lw.html

 

[Drago]

I doubt if Australia has the same refugee problem as Europe.

It sure does, but - right or wrong - they'd prepared to deal with it decisively.

 

[Bollo]

It sure does, but - right or wrong - they'd prepared to deal with it decisively.

SC&P <--------==

 

[dodgy]

http://road.cc/content/news/182150-sydney-cyclists-reportedly-fined-£225-trackstanding

Sydney cyclists reportedly fined £225 - for trackstanding - See more at: http://road.cc/content/news/182150-...fined-£225-trackstanding#sthash.xHooZayi.dpuf

 

[simonsch]

http://road.cc/content/news/182150-sydney-cyclists-reportedly-fined-£225-trackstanding

Wow.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...n-sydney-roads-nsw-cyclists-on-new-road-rules

The backlash begins...

 

[Milkfloat]

Although to be fair - nobody has any idea what they were actually charged for. It is total conjecture that it was dangerous riding or for trackstanding.

 

[dodgy]

One day we'll have a positive cycling story from Australia.
http://road.cc/content/news/182480-tack-saboteurs-end-uci-gran-fondo-qualification-hopes

 

[jefmcg]

I just checked out a Sydney newspaper to see if there was any more news about the track stands, found this quote

Mr [Roads minister Duncan] Gay said that if one life was saved by the new measures, "it will be worth it".

"The penalty levels for bicycle riders for road rules offences are being increased so that the fines better reflect the road safety risk they pose for bicycle riders and other road users."

Well, aside from that being nonsense, it's as if he doesn't seen any upside to cycling; that's it's something bad that should be curbed and would be ok if it stopped completely, like smoking or drinking.

Not surprisingly (but shockingly) this article turned up in a side bar: Amputations due to diabetes up 25 per cent in two years. So in the same state, NSW, they are having a terrifying increase in diabetes. According to the article, it's increasing in incidence by 7-10% each year (ie doubling every 8-10 years) or more frightening as per the headline 25% more amputations over 2 years - which suggests doubling the number of diabetics in 6 years.

(Diabetes rates in Australia and the UK are both about 5%. I wonder what will be the status by 2020)