Communtering Madness

[kave]

This morning I was being a wee bit naughty and riding on the median strip in to work, when a pushie decided that the median strip was a good place for him to be as well. Luckily I keep a close eye on all pushies, so I wasn't really suprised or upset, but it is amazing to watch, to see just how oblivious the pushies are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4AUm9lEDB0

And, yes I know, I'm a naughty boy and a dirty criminal for riding where I was.

[Mully]

What bothers me more is scooterati riding in the gutter and passing on the left (moving vehicles specifically).

Yeesh

And yes, you are a filthy criminal (but we knew that when you got a bike)

[Gubb]

...Communtering?

That's like, 8 words in one!

[kave]

...Communtering?

That's like, 8 words in one!


I wish I could claim I created it, but a quick search shows it used in 41 posts, and its originator was vifferman

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=145238&postcount=11


Umm..., no, I usually don't communte, although once I did. Once I munted my bike when I lowsided on the way to work, once I hit a car on the way to work, and once I busted a mirror off when filtering on the way home.

On the other hand, I commute quite frequently, and quite frequently commute, but not if my wife wants a lift, or it's shitty shitty weather. Or the bike's been munted by communtering.

I used to commute all the time, in all weathers (including snow, but that was in Chch), but decided "Why the hell should I?!?" when I realised (a) I got no brownie points for being staunch, (2) I didn't enjoy it as much when the weather was sucky, (d) it increased the DangerFactor substantially, and (iii) I didn't have to, so Why Should I?

[Blossom]

a pushie decided that the median strip was a good place for him to be as well.

My question is....did he jump????
I think I would have brown pants after getting buzzed by a bike whilst on my pushie... hell I still get the odd fright in the cage when a bike goes past.
(in my defence..I am half deaf)

[merv]

Yeah what you been munting boy? :shit:

[kave]

My question is....did he jump????
I think I would have brown pants after getting buzzed by a bike whilst on my pushie... hell I still get the odd fright in the cage when a bike goes past.
(in my defence..I am half deaf)

I checked my mirror after going past, and he did seem to be a bit wobbly, so I would guess he got a fright (and, is it too much to hope, learnt his lesson).

[Gremlin]

*wonders where the cyclists youtube vid is about some maniac biker* :laugh:

High time that perhaps you're also told about jay walkers and windscreen washers when you split down lanes at traffic lights... Pedestrians never look when going between cars. :no:

[Drum]

So you video your ride to work each morning?

[Strang0r]

When I'm on my pushie I keep looking for my mirrors...

[xwhatsit]

Woohoo you were getting some good speed along there!

Maybe it's just Youtube or summat, but it seems like you were going fairly quick along there -- when I use median strips (which I don't normally; there's not too many around Auckland where they're useful for this, and cops won't turn a blind eye to it at all), I tend to keep the speed differential a lot lower. Cars often just pull out straight onto them without looking to turn right, and oncoming traffic will do the same. If the traffic is stopped, it's perfectly legal to overtake on the left, by the way.

I've had a few near misses with cyclists in similar circumstances; they've got similar advantages to us, so they're frequently stuffing themselves into gaps that are attractive for us too; however they don't move fast and don't think that motorcyclists might try the same trick as them so get taken by surprise.

[mattian]

When I'm on my pushie I keep looking for my mirrors...
looking for your mirrors? ......where did you leave them last??

[Strang0r]

looking for your mirrors? ......where did you leave them last??

I'm not 100% sure but its possible that the owner of this bike stole them...

[alanzs]

So you video your ride to work each morning?

Yeah, what's up with that? :scooter:

[jrandom]

they're frequently stuffing themselves into gaps that are attractive for us too; however they don't move fast and don't think that motorcyclists might try the same trick as them...

Don't go generalising too hard there, sir.

I get held up by motorcycles while filtering on the pushy on a regular basis. You can fit through much smaller gaps on a (pedal) road bike than you can on any motorcycle.

Anyway, y'all are ignoring the true enemy - pedestrians.

Those cunts are deaf, dumb and blind, and appear to live in their own happy fantasy world, full of flowers and sunshine and twittering gnomes telling them that if they can't hear an engine, there cannot possibly be a vehicle about to whizz past at over 40kph.

[nevets]

The road code is broken, medium strips are most handy.. I use em every day in similar fashion :)

Seriously though, you're riding past at a fair pace.. you haven't had one of the bastards pull out on you yet eh?

[kave]

I wouldn't say I was riding excessively fast, nor would I say I was dawdling, I think the best description would be to say that I was riding purposefully. The good thing about Tamaki Drive is that when you are commuting into town there is only water on your left and no roads for the cages to turn down. I have found the biggest danger on Tamaki Drive is oncoming traffic pulling onto the median strip to turn into a driveway.
Having said that, I have found that my speed has started creeping up since I have started wearing earplugs. This is something I really should start watching.

[xwhatsit]

Don't go generalising too hard there, sir.
Maybe you and the rest of the Colnago gang, but there's plenty of fat(er?) slow(er?) munters who seem to want to stop and do a balancey thing when I want to scram out of my hidey hole.

You're dead right, though, the problems they cause are more inconvenience compared to the lunacy of pedestrians. Downtown along the waterfront next to the old ferry building in rush hour is almost a screencap of Carmageddon.