Another nasty one

[Sycophant]

Not to dwell on these things, but there was a serious motorcycle vs car accident in Symonds St outside Auckland Uni today.

I understand the motorcyclist is dead.

The Herald has this.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/latestnewsstory.cfm?storyID=3556922

A friend of mine who was around the area shortly afterward said that the car driver did a U-Turn in a no u-turn area and didn't see the motorbike coming toward him.

I hope it wasn't anyone from here, and regardless, it's a horrible tragedy which hopefully isn't repeated too often. It's nice to see an improved campaign to "Watch Out For Motorbikes" - I only hope it has some effect.

Stay safe everyone.

[Motoracer]

I just hope its not anyone I know :disapint:

[Posh Tourer :P]

Condolences to anyone who knows this person..... A bit close to home as both me and milky were in and out of Uni along Symonds St today

[Lord Pac]

yeah just heard it now!

becareful out there people!

[riffer]

[sighs]

utterly bloody disheartening... :(

[Wenier]

Thats bad and sux, sorry to anyone who knew this person. Look out for those cagers everyone :(

[Coldkiwi]

thats a real shame. Symonds st is so dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists/motorcyclists because the lanes are not very wide and there is so much traffic on the footpaths and road. Combined with the shade from trees, it is a very difficult task to properly identify all possible hazards when riding/driving. This is often made worse by dodgy crossing from students (been there, guilty of that).

[MikeL]

My son who was there tells me the pillion passenger was trapped under the car which had to be lifted up to release him. He also gave me details about the car driver and his actions. Without prejudging the issue it would appear that the driver did a sudden U-turn and the bike was going a bit too fast to avoid a collision. Another avoidable tragedy.
In any civilised city a street that runs through a university campus would be closed off and turned into a pedestrian precinct.

[Big Dog]

Fark that they don't even know if it was a man or a woman.
No doubt it will go down in the statistics as rider error because he was going to fast to stop. Despite the sudden and illegal move by the cage.

I'm not paranoid, they are all out to get me.

[sAsLEX]

It was two third year engineers, a bit close to home as they are only a year ahead of me!!

"Without prejudging the issue it would appear that the driver did a sudden U-turn and the bike was going a bit too fast to avoid a collision."

The driver was apparently a foreign student, so how good their license was could be interesting.

[Indiana_Jones]

That's sad.
Man those cunts just pull out of no where, and 95% of the time it's just asains who don't look.

-Indy

[KATWYN]

I always like to convince myself when I hear about a "nasty"
on the road or on the track that it was rider error- so I can
tell myself I have a certain amount of control over that sort of thing happening to me on my bike and that if I do EVERYTHING right and ride defensively it "won't happen to me"

But the hardcore truth is I am participating in a dangerous passtime
and the risk factor is 50/50 of a "nasty" happening when I choose to
get on the bike. No amount of playing with the facts of accidents and how they happen will change that.

As well as rider error - Road conditions, other drivers and mechanical
failure of the bike are an uncontrollable risk as much as I try not to
think about that side of it.

Does anyone else think this way...or have any other comments?

[Motu]

Very much so,rogue events - you gotta be on the lookout for them.Sad as this situation was - like,um....riding inner city Auckland,going a bit fast...oh,some stupid bitch did a U turn in front of me an I got killed - uh...HELLO!!!

[k14]

Yeah, that totally sucks.

Dont need to be PC saslex, fucking asians.

Probably get their parents to pay some "reperation" money to the family of the person that died and get a suspended sentence or something crap like that.

Stupid fucking cagers, this pisses me off so much :ar15:

[Marmoot]

wtf does that gotta do with Asians again? Ain't ya bored with same-sounding threads all the time about those stereotyping??

F*ck ya man if ya can't live with Asians go to South Pole. I don't think there will be lots of Asians down there.

:Oi:

[k14]

Just calling it how it looks. Cause it is the facts.

[sAsLEX]

Its more the temporary New Zealanders who are only here to abuse our education system.

Didn't a guy like that get off charges because he gifted money to a preschool?? One law for some, another for those who know people, another for those with money and one for ethinticity!!

[Jackrat]

Its more the temporary New Zealanders who are only here to abuse our education system.

Didn't a guy like that get off charges because he gifted money to a preschool?? One law for some, another for those who know people, another for those with money and one for ethinticity!!

So far this week there has been 3-4 bad ones reported on this site,I notice you don't slag off the others.And as far as abusing our education system goes
I guess we can forget about the thosands of dollers these people bring into the country,Unlike the Kiwi students that leach off the loan system an then fuck off over seas.The way some of you carry on you would think it was only Asians that fuck up.Get real.

[sAsLEX]

Everyone fucks up! This one I know a little bit about, the others I dont! Freinds of mine were quite close to the guys!

Have you been to a $5500 engineering course recently and not been able to hear the lecturer speak because of the five different languages being spoken around you, or even better when the lecturer struggles with simple conversation english yet alone Electrical Engineering!! Dont think I mentioned anything about asians either!! I haven't borrowed a cent for my education but am working through it, parents haven't either.

How can this country prosper if we give all the space in professional courses to high paying overseas students who then take the skills they learnt back home with them??

[Kwaka-Kid]

whoa as much as i want to stay out of this one it tempts me too much... im not saying anymore then one of you go ask a traffic-cop what the *unofficial* *guestimated* percentage is on the highest accident causing ethnicity, and who it is... But i shall say no more. And Its so sad to read about these things, i get to hear about them all the time, and it always seems to be on afternoon shifts ill be up on Curious Georges level talkin about stuff and im bound to hear theres a m/clist in the ortho theatres! nasty, its happening all too often for my liking, it means my turn is getting closer sooner! well untill then ill just keep on being cautious.. :S

[Lou Girardin]

I don't know how often you drive in Auck city jackrat. But if you haevn't been here for a while, come and try it.
As for Marmoots comments, would you say the same to Maoris?
Lou

[k14]

So far this week there has been 3-4 bad ones reported on this site,I notice you don't slag off the others.And as far as abusing our education system goes
I guess we can forget about the thosands of dollers these people bring into the country,Unlike the Kiwi students that leach off the loan system an then fuck off over seas.The way some of you carry on you would think it was only Asians that fuck up.Get real.

Where do you get those facts from?? I doubt many people avoid paying off their student loans. Anyway, wouldn't a skilled engineer/lawyer/scientist bring alot more money into new zealand than a foreign student who is only here because it is cheaper to go to uni here than it is in japan/china/taiwan etc. But thats another issue all together.

The other crashes haven't had much info about them, and no one was killed in them. In the end this crash was caused by some ignorant driver who did a stupid thing in a very busy road. An innocent person is dead and another is badly injured. If this "fucking asian" had bothered to check his/her mirrors this wouldn't have happened.

I guess the reason why i am pissed off the most is cause it could have easily been me, or even you jackrat, and through no fault of our own we could be dead right now. And what will happen about it, sfa. The driver will get done for careless driving causing death and get disqualified from driving for 6 months and get a $2000 fine or so. Definately worth it for a lost life.

[KATWYN]

So far this week there has been 3-4 bad ones reported on this site,I notice you don't slag off the others.And as far as abusing our education system goes
I guess we can forget about the thosands of dollers these people bring into the country,Unlike the Kiwi students that leach off the loan system an then fuck off over seas.The way some of you carry on you would think it was only Asians that fuck up.Get real.

Yea I agree Jackrat,

I'm going to vent here...I don't care if anybody reads it or comments on it - I'm getting it off my chest

I have to say this cos I get heated under the collar with racism (i'm 100% Kiwi) apart from boosting our economy with new money,Asians and indians
are the most productive employees we have ever had (in our personal business)....and i'm sorry, but they put a lot of "other NZ" people to shame when it comes to doing a bloody good hard days work! I never hear them whine or complain or threaten the employment act, discuss terrible work conditions ("awe gee its 1 degree hotter to work in, this is an unacceptable working environment- please spend thousands of dollars on an air con system just for me) and they never complain about pay rates! in fact they appreciate having a job and prove it in their work

If it wasnt for asians and indians and all I had was lazy, dole bludging (The ungenuine ones..) no hopers to choose from (for factory work) or the ones that think you are on the earth to serve them and that they are doing YOU a favour by working for you,I would be taking stress leave every month. (well according to OSH, business owners don't suffer stress, cos theres certainly no allowance for their well being in the workplace)

One has to wonder why our economy is raging and benefiting all, it could have something to do with our visitors.....

[James Deuce]

Yea I agree Jackrat,

I'm going to vent here...I don't care if anybody reads it or comments on it - I'm getting it off my chest

I have to say this cos I get heated under the collar with racism (i'm 100% Kiwi) apart from boosting our economy with new money,Asians and indians
are the most productive employees we have ever had (in our personal business)....and i'm sorry but they put a lot of "other NZ" people to shame when it comes to doing a bloody good hard days work! I never hear them whine or complain or threaten the employment act, discuss terrible work conditions ("awe gee its 1 degree hotter to work in, this is an unacceptable working environment- please spend thousands of dollars on an air con system just for me) and they never complain about pay rates! in fact they appreciate having a job and prove it in their work

If it wasnt for asians and indians and all I had was lazy, dole bludging no hopers to choose from (for factory work) or the ones that think you are on the earth to serve them and that they are doing YOU a favour by working for you,I would be taking stress leave every month. (well according to OSH, business owners don't suffer stress, cos theres certainly no allowance for their well being in the workplace)

One has to wonder why our economy is raging and benefiting all, it could have something to do with our visitors.....

Oh yes, the "all white Kiwis are lazy and useless argument". Of course you don't care if someone comments because we are all useless and lazy, and don't have enough money to be able to influence your lifestyle.

I'm working full time, have two small children, and am putting myself through a M. Communications (IT) part time. It is bloody frustrating to pay all that money and then sit there and struggle to reach a level of intellectual interaction with people who struggle to say "Hello", let alone discuss the impact of IT on intercultural communication.

I apologise for not being grateful to my employer for gifting me a job, and doubly apologise for not paying for the privilege of going to work for them. I am a white male, so I obviously am not prime employment material, but I will promise to be lazy and sit round all day surfing the Internet and drinking coffee.

I've run a couple of small businesses, and its bloody hard work. However I like to think that I never descended to that patronising, condescending attitude, towards employees who work to live. If you want to see lazy white people in action head to Europe, and the UK in particular. You take your laziest white employee to the UK and he/she will look like a whirling dervish of dynamism.

Oh yeah, I steal pens from work. Not because I go out of my way to increase my crap biro collection mind. More because I forget to take the suckers out of my bag/pocket at the end of the day.

[KATWYN]

I apologise for not being grateful to my employer for gifting me a job, and doubly apologise for not paying for the privilege of going to work for them. I am a white male, so I obviously am not prime employment material, but I will promise to be lazy and sit round all day surfing the Internet and drinking coffee.

? Its not about being grateful about having a job, its about not being a pain in the arse to the employer when you do.
i'm also talking about low skill employment here by the way. Im not talking skilled employment in what I wrote about above.

I've run a couple of small businesses, and its bloody hard work. However I like to think that I never descended to that patronising, condescending attitude, towards employees who work to live. Good argument, but when you are getting paid to do a job, you do it- isn't that fair? ? it works both ways. You do the job you are PAID to do. How you live your life or veiw the means of obtaining that income is not my business

If you want to see lazy white people in action head to Europe, and the UK in particular. You take your laziest white employee to the UK and he/she will look like a whirling dervish of dynamism.
Yea I have seen it - and who was it that started the unions here.- and yes before anybody gets hot under the collar about that, unions do protect employees and have their place. there are a lot of wanky employers out there who take advantage of employees and I agree they need protection - but im not one of them. All the staff in our business are wonderful and we like have regular shouts to show appreciation for their input

[Indiana_Jones]

I an't got anything Asians, they just can't drive very well as their license system is paying a few bucks :whistle:

And though it's a sterotype, there must be some truth behind it for it to become one :niceone:

-Indy

[KATWYN]

Oh yeah, I steal pens from work. Not because I go out of my way to increase my crap biro collection mind. More because I forget to take the suckers out of my bag/pocket at the end of the day. By the way,if that was me I would capitalize on forgetfullness and "walking" pens and put our company name & logo on them for maximum exposure - but thats just the sort of person I am I suppose, right Jim?

[SPman]

From a rider I was talking to today, who was there just after it happened, the
driver said the bike was in his blind spot before he turned. ie - he glanced in his mirror then went! It seemed the rider tried to brake and turn inside the car (towards the kerb) and the bike semi highsided the riders straight into/under the car. Honda CBR600F4 by the description. The (Indian) rider, said the driver was Asian . Nationality should be irrelevant, but it is a fact of life that there are high percentages of Asian drivers with limited experience, driving around the Uni area. Was probably only a matter of time brfore something like this happened. :no: :weep:

[Big Dog]

That's sad.
Man those cunts just pull out of no where, and 95% of the time it's just asains who don't look.

-Indy
Well today it was a blue rinser who i reckon should be up on attemted murder charges.
She did a uey at a T intersection around the traffic island I was turning into the long part of the t and she was turning out.... or so I thought. Tipped right in I suddenly realised she was still turning and with the reactions of a rhinocerous I locked up the back wheel and had the front end screaming for mercy. Damn near high sided into her.

About the time my front end wialed its mournful cry she finally looked and saw me. The iritating thing was I stopped in time to leave her line open but she did not.
however it gets worse, when she came to a stop right in the middle of my line she adjusted her glasses and squinted at me. before realising she had nearly hit me.

At 6.3 300lbs in a bright blue jacket on a large red and blue bike with the head light on she failed to identify me a s a hazard until after she would have (save for my actions) been parked on me.

Thge truly scary bit is if i had not been on a sport bike I probably would not have been able to pull up in such a short distance (40-50kmph to stationary in about 2 bike lenghts, while on its side). On a cruiser I would probably still be in surgery.

[MacD]

Not to mention the woman who did a U-turn in front of me in her Vitara last Sunday on Tamaki Drive was blonde and blue-eyed (OK I admit I couldn't quite see her eyes, but she was European). Also gave me the blank stare about half-way through the U-turn as I braked hard towards her. Fortunately she at least indicated so I had some warning! :brick:

I have worked/commuted down Symonds Street for many years and that street is just crazy outside the University these days. Double-parking is commonplace and people continually pull out without looking properly. I usually try to find a car to sit in behind to act as a "shield" as it's just not worth being the first down the road on a bike from the lights. :eek5:

However, I had a great ride up Highway 16 to Wellsford today! Just a few roadworks to contend with including lime being spread about halfway between Helensville and Wellsford. Took me a while to clean that off when I got home!

[Lou Girardin]

Well Katwyn, if you vote Act next time you'll have the low wage, expolitative labour market that will drive NZ into the top of the OECD and give us lots of grateful employees.
Funny though, it didn't work for the Nats last time. Remember Ruthenasia?
Lou

[James Deuce]

i'm also talking about low skill employment here by the way. Im not talking skilled employment in what I wrote about above.

I started out as a drainlayer's apprentice, then went through factories and warehouses. I still resent the implication that cheap labour imported from overseas is preferable to employing an NZ native. Some of the kiwis I worked with in those jobs were absolutely amazing in their measured output, and it was everything I could do to try and keep up. This was breaking diecast objects from sprue by the way, and sorting them into boxes. I'm only "skilled" because I had some lucky breaks from employers who gave a shit, but since the mid-90s I have been expected to do more, and more, and more as employers "downsize".

Good argument, but when you are getting paid to do a job, you do it- isn't that fair? ? it works both ways. You do the job you are PAID to do. How you live your life or veiw the means of obtaining that income is not my business

Not when it means that 10-15 hours of overtime a week goes unnoticed and without recompense. Not when I don't see my children for days on end because I doing 2.5 jobs and trying to improve my practitioner qualifications at my own expense, and in my own time. I managed to get a job 9 months ago that pays on-call allowance and pays overtime, with prior approval. Its revolutionised my life, as my "real" income has stayed the same for 9 years, which in reality is a 2-6% per annum decrease in spending power. The overtime has meant that I could buy a "new" (2nd hand) bike, and start planning some improvements to the house.

If our economy is raging and "everyone is benefitting" why hasn't my income at least maintained pace with the increase in the cost of living? Because my previous 3 employers all claimed poverty due to an economic downturn. Is it any wonder your average NZer feels less than motivated? All the "free" stuff you were promised as a kid has evaporated. I won't get to "retire" and I will probably end up paying for my kids University education. I can only hope that they will be happy to look after me in my dotage.

I've had had enough of the poor little rich person bleating I've heard from employers of late. In the meantime I will continue to maintain my personal standards of professionalism, because I give a damn. Being a lazy shit means that someone further along the chain is put out, and I do not like making anyone else's life harder.

[750Y]

not good news...with this story fresh in my mind i paid special attention to vehicles on the road side on my ride this morning. If we can try & learn something from these horror stories we might all stay a little bit safer. the message i am getting from this one is keep your speed down in town & watch the cars on the roadside. stay awake people and stay alive.

[jrandom]

I have to say this cos I get heated under the collar with racism (i'm 100% Kiwi) apart from boosting our economy with new money,Asians and indians
are the most productive employees we have ever had (in our personal business)....and i'm sorry, but they put a lot of "other NZ" people to shame when it comes to doing a bloody good hard days work!

Of course they're productive. Of course they work hard. Nobody ever accused immigrants of being lazy. I believe they *have* been accused of being statistically more likely to turn out as bad and/or dangerous drivers, though. Of course I won't comment on that, far too sensitive an issue.



I never hear them whine or complain or threaten the employment act, discuss terrible work conditions ("awe gee its 1 degree hotter to work in, this is an unacceptable working environment- please spend thousands of dollars on an air con system just for me) and they never complain about pay rates!

Look, Katwyn, many of them probably don't even know that there *is* an 'employment act', but I'm sure they're very aware that if they screw up and piss off their boss they could land in the gutter with no very good way of keeping themselves and their families alive.

I work in an R&D job at a company that also employs a huge raft of (predominantly Asian) immigrants in factory line jobs. Yes, I believe our cultural background (mine as well as the factory guys and girls) has contributed to our suitability for our jobs. I'm not the best person to sit in a single spot all day doing the same thing over and over, no I'm not.

But every month I see Kiwi engineers slaughtering Americans and Europeans at their own game on a tenth of the budget and I'm damn proud of the culture we seem to have built here, even if some of its members aren't too good at being organic robot assembly arms.

Get over it, Katwyn, you chose to run a business and employ people. That's *your* job. And if the jobs you need to fill suit the temperaments of immigrants with no financial or social security and a desperate need to survive, then, well...

[KATWYN]

Well Katwyn, if you vote Act next time you'll have the low wage, expolitative labour market that will drive NZ into the top of the OECD and give us lots of grateful employees.
Funny though, it didn't work for the Nats last time. Remember Ruthenasia?
Lou

Lou, don't talk to me about labour exploitation. We turned down a business
offer to build a plant & produce product in India because my/our conscience would not allow it (any progress toward it was stopped at the birth of the idea itself,we felt so strongly about it- we were told "oh don't worry about labour it is cheap, very,very cheap" gross). We pay 40% above the minimum adult wage rate for unskilled labour too. Exploiting people for financial gain is absolutely disgusting

[KATWYN]

i'm also talking about low skill employment here by the way. Im not talking skilled employment in what I wrote about above.

I started out as a drainlayer's apprentice, then went through factories and warehouses. I still resent the implication that cheap labour imported from overseas is preferable to employing an NZ native. Some of the kiwis I worked with in those jobs were absolutely amazing in their measured output, and it was everything I could do to try and keep up. This was breaking diecast objects from sprue by the way, and sorting them into boxes. I'm only "skilled" because I had some lucky breaks from employers who gave a shit, but since the mid-90s I have been expected to do more, and more, and more as employers "downsize".

Good argument, but when you are getting paid to do a job, you do it- isn't that fair? ? it works both ways. You do the job you are PAID to do. How you live your life or veiw the means of obtaining that income is not my business

Not when it means that 10-15 hours of overtime a week goes unnoticed and without recompense. Not when I don't see my children for days on end because I doing 2.5 jobs and trying to improve my practitioner qualifications at my own expense, and in my own time. I managed to get a job 9 months ago that pays on-call allowance and pays overtime, with prior approval. Its revolutionised my life, as my "real" income has stayed the same for 9 years, which in reality is a 2-6% per annum decrease in spending power. The overtime has meant that I could buy a "new" (2nd hand) bike, and start planning some improvements to the house.

If our economy is raging and "everyone is benefitting" why hasn't my income at least maintained pace with the increase in the cost of living? Because my previous 3 employers all claimed poverty due to an economic downturn. Is it any wonder your average NZer feels less than motivated? All the "free" stuff you were promised as a kid has evaporated. I won't get to "retire" and I will probably end up paying for my kids University education. I can only hope that they will be happy to look after me in my dotage.

I've had had enough of the poor little rich person bleating I've heard from employers of late. In the meantime I will continue to maintain my personal standards of professionalism, because I give a damn. Being a lazy shit means that someone further along the chain is put out, and I do not like making anyone else's life harder.

Thank you, for sharing your story Jim. I believe that employers do have a moral obligation to look after their employees and if they don't I don't know how they sleep at night. A good employer will value what you do, as without you they would have no business. There are too many that don't acknowledge this. Doing 10-15 hours over time without being noticed is disheartening to hear about ...especially the fact you are sacrificing time with your children

[KATWYN]

Get over it, Katwyn, you chose to run a business and employ people. That's *your* job. And if the jobs you need to fill suit the temperaments of immigrants with no financial or social security and a desperate need to survive, then, well...
Read my above posts (Lou's one). Don't you dare accuse me of that. :Pokey: :mad:

[KATWYN]

Look, Katwyn, many of them probably don't even know that there *is* an 'employment act',


Yea I was waiting for that comment. Random,any Human resource division /employer that knows what they are doing, know that they are under a legal obligation to inform any new or existing staff of their rights under the current employment relations act, and the steps they are to take if there is a personal grievance

[dangerous]

WAY too many 'do gooders' in this country :argh:

[jrandom]

Read my above posts (Lou's one). Don't you dare accuse me of that.

Accuse you of what, exactly? My last paragraph was (intentionally) a little emotive, but I'm not sure how you parsed it as an accusation of anything. It's a fact of life that there will always be jobs for people who are pressed for money and lacking in options, and there will always be people to fill those jobs. Does it make you feel bad to think that you might be providing some of those jobs to the market? You shouldn't.

We're all in the same environment, we just see things from different standpoints because of our positions. I don't think *anybody* has an 'easy' time of it, employed or employers.

And you need to be a little less touchy, Ms Captain of Industry :Pokey:

[KATWYN]

Accuse you of what, exactly? My last paragraph was (intentionally) a little emotive, but I'm not sure how you parsed it as an accusation of anything. It's a fact of life that there will always be jobs for people who are pressed for money and lacking in options, and there will always be people to fill those jobs. Does it make you feel bad to think that you might be providing some of those jobs to the market? You shouldn't.

We're all in the same environment, we just see things from different standpoints because of our positions. I don't think *anybody* has an 'easy' time of it, employed or employers.

And you need to be a little less touchy, Ms Captain of Industry :Pokey:

lol, true true. aye aye I can be that too (touchy) there laddy, Master Random of ethics :Police:

[Marmoot]

The bigots will never realise they are bigots anyway since they ARE bigots.

As for stereotyping, I don't call "fucking kiwi" everytime I see a news of child murderer, or "fucking Islander" everytime I see a news of bank robber.

And as for roadkills go, whatever happened to that Remuera Kiwi Businessman that killed a teenager and got off with a fine of $700?
You tell me that!

[spudchucka]

Isn't it amazing how these threads develop. This went from some poor bikers getting smacked to Asian drivers to worker exploitation and workers rights, brilliant. The internet is alive and evolving rapidly.

As far as not getting wasted by car drivers goes, I've always treated other road users as pshycopaths out to kill me. I don't trust anyone on the road and never assume to know what they are going to do. It's a simple theory but its kept me in tact for a long time.

[Marmoot]

And remember to as much as possible stay in right wheel path of the car in your lane.

:niceone:

[dangerous]

And remember to as much as possible stay in right wheel path of the car in your lane.

:niceone:

IMHO crap............well it depends on the situation aye, If I'm in town 'yes' depending, and on the open Rd I sit in the center of my lane, if there 'is' on comming cars as if they wonder over the line (as some people do) I have more room to get out of the way. And if there is 'no' on comming cars then I will sit on the right side of my lane so as to give me more room if a 'something' comes out from the left of me.

Dosent the road code say to stay to the LEFT ???

[Marmoot]

I dunno....didn't the TV propaganda machine said 'Right'?

[James Deuce]

Thank you, for sharing your story Jim. I believe that employers do have a moral obligation to look after their employees and if they don't I don't know how they sleep at night. A good employer will value what you do, as without you they would have no business. There are too many that don't acknowledge this. Doing 10-15 hours over time without being noticed is disheartening to hear about ...especially the fact you are sacrificing time with your children

That was a better answer than I deserved! :niceone:

Got any jobs???

[dangerous]

I dunno....didn't the TV propaganda machine said 'Right'?

Yeh but do the buracratic dickheads in there leather chairs even know what a motorbike is? let alone know how to ride one

[Marmoot]

Who was that MP that rides bike?
We need more of them.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I have worked/commuted down Symonds Street for many years and that street is just crazy outside the University these days. Double-parking is commonplace and people continually pull out without looking properly. I usually try to find a car to sit in behind to act as a "shield" as it's just not worth being the first down the road on a bike from the lights. :eek5:

However, I had a great ride up Highway 16 to Wellsford today! Just a few roadworks to contend with including lime being spread about halfway between Helensville and Wellsford. Took me a while to clean that off when I got home!

Agree on both counts... Symonds St is mad, take off slowly when I leave from outside the Gym, so as not to hit the hundreds of unsuspecting fellow students crossing the road, who invariably look surprised to see me....

SH16 to Wellsford is great fun.... road works give me the opportunity to get a lead on Two Smoker - normally gone very quickly again :P From my place, take Scenic Drive, and Old North Rd.... then onto SH16.... great ride, except for the lack of return routes apart from SH1 and back the same way

[Jackrat]

IMHO crap............well it depends on the situation aye, If I'm in town 'yes' depending, and on the open Rd I sit in the center of my lane, if there 'is' on comming cars as if they wonder over the line (as some people do) I have more room to get out of the way. And if there is 'no' on comming cars then I will sit on the right side of my lane so as to give me more room if a 'something' comes out from the left of me.

Dosent the road code say to stay to the LEFT ???

Yep,I totaly agree with that.Out my way if you sit on the right side of YOUR lane you will probably die.It seems to be another one of these Franklin County things where the locals just can't stay on their own side of the road.
When I saw that statement made on TV, I thought that may be good in the city but not out here in the sticks mate.My whole approach is to NEVER trust
the Rules or the other drivers.As bikers we have to take the ultimate responsibilty for others actions weather we like it or not.Keep ya' eyes open an trust NOBODY.

[DEATH_INC.]

I've had far more problems with islanders than asians,yet the two biggies I've had were with a white fella and a maori.......BLOODY KIWI's! :rolleyes:

[Lou Girardin]

And as for roadkills go, whatever happened to that Remuera Kiwi Businessman that killed a teenager and got off with a fine of $700?
You tell me that!

He ended up having to pay reparation to the family for funeral costs, a whole extra $1700.00. To someone that lives in Rem and drove a BMW X5 it wouldn't have been too much of a blow. He still tried to dodge it though and his lawyers fees would have been many times that amount.
That's what a life is worth in NZ.
lou

[DEATH_INC.]

Yep,it's like the median barrier on hugh watt drive,it took 1/2 doz people to get killed before it was put in because it was 'not economically viable'.....
I wander what the official value of a life is???

[k14]

Yep,it's like the median barrier on hugh watt drive,it took 1/2 doz people to get killed before it was put in because it was 'not economically viable'.....
I wander what the official value of a life is???

I think it is something like 500k or 250k. So if someone gets killed on a bend, then that much money gets put into the "fund" to fix it etc.

Was told how it worked a few years ago, but can't remember all the details.

[Posh Tourer :P]

Yep,I totaly agree with that.Out my way if you sit on the right side of YOUR lane you will probably die.It seems to be another one of these Franklin County things where the locals just can't stay on their own side of the road.
When I saw that statement made on TV, I thought that may be good in the city but not out here in the sticks mate.My whole approach is to NEVER trust
the Rules or the other drivers.As bikers we have to take the ultimate responsibilty for others actions weather we like it or not.Keep ya' eyes open an trust NOBODY.

Thats what i've learnt.... at about up to 70, stick in r-hand wheel track - less oil and crap, more visibility - for you and other people looking for you

On the open road/motorway, centre of lane... less likely to be lots of traffic therefore less visibility issues, and less oil and grease in the middle of the lane. Also, the faster you go, the more leeway you need eg gust of wind pushing you offline could be bad news when sitting at 120 in the right hand wheel track

[merv]

Who was that MP that rides bike?
We need more of them.

I guess you are talking about Rick Barker.

Other ones of note are Annette King and Lianne Dalziel who both have biker husbands that they ride on the back with.

[Big Dog]

I use the safest place for me for that stretch rule.

on a three lane motorway for example
Left lane = left side.
middle lane = middle of the lane.
right lane = right side.

I try to remain in the right wheel track as this is where other trafic expects you to be but I move around to get the best compromise on conspicuity, visibility, view / road surface, ideal line, threat/hazard & escape route.

Locking in to one lane position as the only acceptable one means you at one point or another are guaranteeing you are going to sacrifice one of the above.

Hence it says to remain in the right wheel track unlessit is safer to ride elsewhere.

Any rule without exceptions will create a hazard if followed with out common sense.

There is an exception to every rule, except the rule that there is an exception to every rule.

[laRIKin]

I guess you are talking about Rick Barker.

Other ones of note are Annette King and Lianne Dalziel who both have biker husbands that they ride on the back with.


Lianne Dalziel does not like to ride on bikes. She tryed it and doesn,t really
like it. By the way she doesn't ride her self.

[Coldkiwi]

I think it is something like 500k or 250k. So if someone gets killed on a bend, then that much money gets put into the "fund" to fix it etc.

Was told how it worked a few years ago, but can't remember all the details.

..i'm sure that news would delight some family friends of ours who lost their eldest daughter to a head on crash on that bend.. and the family whos son was coming the other way.

DEpressing.

Now if we can just hang the politicising (bloody run for government will you lot if you feel so strongly about it!), I am also able to offer some info on the symonds st incident because the brother of a close friend of mines flatmate was the pillion passenger. Apparently he's a biker too (at least was...6 weeks in hospital with titanium rods for his legs after he flew over the car). Sounds as though the rider was going pretty hard out of the intersection (to impress? i dunno) which undoubtedly added to the severity of the crash, if not the actual cause of it. perhaps they would've survived if they hadn't been nailing it?
worth thinking about and contemplating (at least before you hijack a thread with labour law crap)

[aff-man]

Yip my mates at uni said it wasn't to good. Car's fault but bike may have contributed. Sad to say anything else but a misjudgement causing tragedy i hope people have learnt and are more aware. :done:

[Big Dog]

Most disasters begin with several smaller errors.

[Marmoot]

I guess you are talking about Rick Barker.

Other ones of note are Annette King and Lianne Dalziel who both have biker husbands that they ride on the back with.


Noone with fast sportbike, though, eh? :blank:

As for the accident, we can make peace finally eh? Afterall, motorists are only humans.

[shandawg]

Not interested in getting into the race thing at all, but may do some people some good to think back on their last 5 or so near misses and picture the drivers. On reflection I can think of three asians, two middle aged/old ladies, a gilmours 3-tonne truck driver, an indian taxi driver, a european guy about 30 with his wife and kid in the car.

Anyway not talking about that, I saw the aftermath of that accident as I had a lecture in HSB building that morning.
Must have happened just before lunchtime cos I walked out of my lecture at about 5 to 12, and had to force my way through the crowd to get to my bike. I was very surprised to hear later there was a fatality, as the crash scene didn't look nearly as bad as some other non-fatals. Poor guy. Sorry to all his family and friends.

This is by no means the first accident I have seen on this piece of road, and have been hit by a car on my bmx a bit further up which put me in hospital. (fuck you bitch give me my money).

Symonds street is in my opinion the most dangerous road in central Auckland
by far, and something needs to be done about it before more people are killed there.
There are two student underpasses, but maybe 20% of students use them because they are a pain in the ass. That's really not the problem anyway. There are not enough temporary parking zones for people dropping off passengers, and it obviously needs to be made a no u-turn area.

The main motorbike park for the uni is on Symonds street as well which can be very hairy at times as well.

Ok that's my 2 cents, perhaps I'll write into the council.

Just as well I'm out of there in June so I don't have to risk my life every day down there anymore.

[scumdog]

I an't got anything Asians, they just can't drive very well as their license system is paying a few bucks :whistle:

And though it's a sterotype, there must be some truth behind it for it to become one :niceone:

-Indy

I think rental car companies need to take a hard look at themselves too - a hell of a lot of close calls/crashes down here are non-kiwis in rentals, stopping just around blind bends, passing on yellow lines, parking on the wrong side of the road etc - the extreme one was the trio of camper vans stopped on the down-hill section of the Crown range, the family all lined up across the road (so they had Wakatipu etc as a backdrop) and "dad" in the middle of the downhill lane with the camera set up on a tripod to take the pictures!!! - and all just around one of the tight bends on that road!! (if you'vr been on that bit of road you'll know what I mean)mad:
And yep, unfortunately they WERE Asians.

[Shawn]

Hey do u guys know a girl died along with the biker??...i was there 1/2 hour after the accident...that side of the road was blocked, and i tried to look but their wasn't any body bag or anything...i really think they should put a no u-turn sign up there...as i saw so many ppl doing it . One main reason is ppl are desperate trying to find a parking. As you wait on one side of the road at the signal and see all of a sudden their is a parking spot on the other side, under the trees, it tempts u very much to make a quick u - turn to get that place, specially when finding a parking spot at the uni can very very time consuming. I feel it everyday….not only that, their should be a little island or something that will make the u-turn impossible. Otherwise just for a mare parking spot ppl will keep doing it. At least to me it seems like it.

Oh!! By the way, I almost got ran over twice on the same day on new north RD by 2 old kiwi / European ladies..one was so close my foot touched the car’s front left door. That one still scares me. Anyway when I actually managed to look through the window to see who the fucker was, found a wrinkly face smiling at me, like it was some kinda joke….i didn’t know what to do (not really in a habit of showing finger to an old lady), so I drove off as quick as possible from the killer.

[Menial]

just for my information WHAT THE FUCK IS KIWI???
Father born in England
Mother 4th generation chinese New Zealander.
Look at both of them and tell me which one is "kiwi"
it aint my mother is it?

[Menial]

just for my information WHAT THE FUCK IS KIWI???

[Menial]

geez, someones got abit too much personal angst.

[merv]

just for my information WHAT THE FUCK IS KIWI???
Father born in England
Mother 4th generation chinese New Zealander.
Look at both of them and tell me which one is "kiwi"
it aint my mother is it?

Your father is a Pom, your Mother is a Kiwi and as long as you were born here you're a Kiwi too , that is my opinion.