Converting Blinkers to Running Lights

[Janx101]

  ... Sigh ... Go on then.. Be all logical about it ... 

[ThatOtherGuy]

 

I researched it because I used to ride my bicycle commuting with blue flashing lights on it.  Was a great way to scare drivers into slowing down on approaching me from behind and driving safer around me.  Even better when you can quote legislation to a smart alec copper trying to pin something on you about the blue lights.  Shuts them up real fast when they realise they don't have a leg to stand on.

[Janx101]

yeah fair enough ...

tis a bit annoying though... bicycle riders in general ... want to have full legal 'rights' on the road ... but when it comes to enforcement and or grey areas .. suddenly they start with all the 'but its only a bike powered by me' nonsense..

was satisfying a few weeks ago though... part of the 'small freeway' i drive home on every day .. has several kilometers of marked bicycle lane along the side .. but a group of riders were riding the normal left traffic lane .. at 4.45pm at start of peak hour ... when i went past (after a number of km of backed up traffic... normally the freeway flows pretty well)..  the highway patrol car with flashing lights and frowny face LEO had the group stopped .. one of the riders was picking up bits of gravel and stuff and pointing back and forwards from bike lane to traffic lane .. the leo was shaking his head (book in hand) and also DEFINATELY pointing to the bike lane .. .looked like "but officer, that bit has all little rocks and stuff and we could get a puncture" ... and " doesn't matter sir, the cars would get in trouble for using that bike lane, the bike lane is there for your safety and to allow traffic flow.. and your group is causing massive chaos in afternoon traffic" ....

didnt see if he started writing it up .. they probably all suddenly had no ID or something ..  .. but i fondly hope that someone got a ticket for something.... the bike lane was specifically put in/marked out after a petition and lobby group complained that there was a need for a bike lane for rider safety .. and bikes ARE normally not allowed on the freeways in that situ .. theres even normally signs to say so ...

so yeah .. hopefully the coloured lycra budget amongst the group is a little tighter this year...

[ThatOtherGuy]

well I don't defend law breaking cyclists, particularly red lights.

but on the subject of bike lanes, most bike lanes are not actually bike lanes, there are specific requirements necessary to be able to consider what appears to be a bike lane, actually a bike lane, and no a separating white line and little painted bike symbols is technically and legally not a bike lane in Australia. 

Now as for the cyclists you mention, assuming what you describe was actually a bike lane, the cyclists indicating the accumulated detritus in said lane is a valid reason not to use it.  After all would you drive along a road lane covered in rocks that could damage your car or hurt you.  Course not, you would expect a government service to clear and clean the road.  No different for a cycling lane.  If that cop had any brains he would not issue the ticket as it only takes one of those cyclists to contest the ticket and he's got to spend a day in court and then explain to his superiors why he wasted time and resources on a ticket that was quashed.  Now if all of them contest it, more time, more resources and thats a real kick in the pants.

Now before you start on bikes not paying rego, rego does not pay for roads, general revenue does from local, state and federal imposts.  So yeah my income tax, my rates and the GST I pay covers roads, just as yours does.  If we're going to go down that road, why are pedestrians getting a free ride, all those pathways provided for them, they should have to be registered to use them.

And finally I will close by saying "roads were not built for cars", Google that and read it, you'll find it interesting.

[Janx101]

sorry TOG .. i wasnt really aiming at you... i just switched to general comment quick ...

roads were not built for cars... think i read part of that .. before i fell asleep..   

i do ride my bike occasionally .. got a soft core mountain bike/cruiser style... i would have been happy riding that bike lane... yes there was small gravel bits and a few small sticks... but very very very scattered about.... none of it.... NONE!!  .. would have presented a real danger to tyres or crash risk ..

and definately not compared to the hundreds if not thousands of cars and heavy vehicles passing in the one free road lane...

yeah ok i have seen real bad debris on bike lanes...

but most of what i see around... is so minor... and the riders are just being princess bitches about it... 

also.. this particular group of local 'tour de france' wannabes .. wears their own little club logo .. one of the logos that was involved in the lobbying for the bike lane...

the main roadway also gets some minor debris on it... but they dont mind that .. because then they can cause chaos...

i should have said before also... there is an ALTERNATIVE roadway (within 200m of the freeway) that is all 60km/h zoned .. but they dont use that (maybe cos its got curves and bridges and is a whole 200m over there) .. and part of the bike lane reasoning was that riding on the other roadway presents a risk of getting hit by cars and trucks?!?!?..

debris or not... this little mob get around to 'enforce their rights' .. by endangering themselves .. so they get noticed ... and stopped .. so they do deliberately waste taxpayers money .. by making poor choices while there are alternatives available .. but which dont suit their mindset...

i dunno... in general MOST of the riders i see do stick to the regulations and or make valid use of the rules...

but some consider themselves outside all that .. and do go out to 'prove how right they are' .. 

[ThatOtherGuy]

sort like any group hey, including motorbike riders.

[Janx101]

true that!!...

just with a motor you can zoom past the traffic... instead of holding it up..

we must have more rights!! .. we faster!!