Evidential contrast leading to frustration

**rastuscat** · 10th June 2014, 10:22

Right, so I'm the motorcycle supervisor in Christchurch. I get told to make motorcycling safer by anyone who has an axe to grind.

Our crash attendance guys attend at least 2 or 3 crashes each week where a motorcyclist or moped rider gets knocked off when riding down a cycle lane. It's against the law, it's a bad idea, anyway, that's not what this is about.

I got a weed on a few weeks ago about motorcyclists just riding in unsafe places, so I went and sat on a particular cycle lane and waited for something to happen. Like, I was there specifically looking.

Huge amounts of traffic at that time, traffic was banked up for miles. Sure enough, a bloke on a bike rides up the cycle lane, at least 100 metres that I saw, overtaking all the stationary traffic. I step out, stop the guy, and we enter into discourse on the rights and wrongs. He tells me that he thought it was okay for motorcyclists to use cycle lanes. It isn't. I end up writing a ticket.

Some weeks later, I'm advised that the ticket is being defended. That's cool, constitutional rights, all that sort of thing. A ticket is just my allegation. No probs.

Here's the kicker. The rider is now saying that he had only used the lane to negotiate hazards on the road, and that he did so safely. Fecking lies.

That's the problem with making shit up; you have to remember the lies that you've told, as somewhere they will be recorded and drawn back to your attention. I made notes of what was said at the roadside, I know what the excuse was at the time, and that this new excuse is BS.

And this egg is running around telling all his mates that the cops are revenue collecting scum sucking bottom dwellers (I feel a quote-fest coming on), making us look like the ones who broke the rules.

Just venting during the break I've given myself from the 90 minutes of paperwork it will take me to get the bloody thing ready for the court case.

Donut time.

**bogan** · 10th June 2014, 10:26

Originally Posted by rastuscat

Donut time.

I just tried a black forest one from donut king, t'was alright, but don't think I'd go that flavor again.

**Drew** · 10th June 2014, 10:35

If he intends to argue that the stopped traffic was a hazard, he hasn't changed his story. Merely elaborated on it.

Be a tough sell I imagine, but I'd go with the argument that bikers get tail ended regularly enough to be constantly concerned by it.

**george formby** · 10th June 2014, 10:35

Excuse my naivety but what makes cycle lanes so unsafe? If 2 or 3 bikes a week are getting knocked over whats happening to cyclists?

Genuine question. I live in the boonies so have to rely on the signs saying yay or nay for bus & cycle lanes when I visit the big smoke & can only think that merging back into traffic would be hazardous unless motorcyclists are belting along to fast. Or just being cocks like the rider disputing his ticket.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 10th June 2014, 10:35

I honestly thought it was OK to use the cycle lanes on a motorbike. No, really.

But if you ever ding me at the roadside I will say "I only used it sporadically orifice, and only to avoid hazards on the roadway*"

*the hazard being christchurch fucking car drivers, obviously.

I have learned my new thing for the day. Might go and lanesplit IN MY UNIMOG. Catch me if you can copper!!!

**HenryDorsetCase** · 10th June 2014, 10:40

Originally Posted by Drew

If he intends to argue that the stopped traffic was a hazard, he hasn't changed his story. Merely elaborated on it.

Be a tough sell I imagine, but I'd go with the argument that bikers get tail ended regularly enough to be constantly concerned by it.

If the cars are stopped I will continue to use the cycle lane so I can get to the head of a queue of traffic. When the lights go green I will (after CAREFULLY looking for fucking red light runners who are a bigger problem than anybody using the natural advantages of a motorcycle or pushbike to avoid traffic queues... lemmetellya) use the superior acceleration of the motorbike to move ahead of the queue of cars and create some space around my. Space = safety.

Of course what happens with Christchurch car drivers is they think you are giggling at their comically small penis and they then try and tailgate you to within an inch of your life.

That is more of a problem than using a cycle lane, in my submission, your Honour.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 10th June 2014, 10:43

Originally Posted by rastuscat

Just venting during the break I've given myself from the 90 minutes of paperwork it will take me to get the bloody thing ready for the court case.

Donut time.

On a cost benefit analysis, clearly what you need to do is withdraw the silly ticket. 90 minutes of your time to prep it, plus a morning to attend Court, at your hideously inflated salary, plus the difficult to quantify but no less real fact that you should be out saving lives and eating donuts instead of sitting in court means withdrawing the ticket is the only logical outcome. Its a win-win.

I'll stop now and finish this job I am procrastinating over.

**pritch** · 10th June 2014, 10:51

Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase

If the cars are stopped I will continue to use the cycle lane so I can get to the head of a queue of traffic.

I (used to) do all kinds of ummm unusual things on the moped, footpaths, pedestrian underpasses, private property, whatever. If it keeps me moving in stopped traffic - it's on.

But cycle lanes I've never tried as I don't like the odds. So you get to the front of the queue at the red light and the dreamboat in the car next to you decides to turn left, how does that work?

I can see how it works on the pushbike, the safest method is to jump the lights; but on a motorbike?

**rastuscat** · 10th June 2014, 10:56

I actually think I'll go out and start painting out all cycle lanes. They make people feel safe going down the left side of stationary vehicles. When in fact is fecking dangerous.

Donut was nice.

**bogan** · 10th June 2014, 10:58

Originally Posted by rastuscat

I actually think I'll go out and start painting out all cycle lanes. They make people feel safe going down the left side of stationary vehicles. When in fact is fecking dangerous.

Donut was nice.

How fast was he doing? Seems a silly place to put a cycle lane if it is that dangerous...

**rastuscat** · 10th June 2014, 11:04

Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase

On a cost benefit analysis, clearly what you need to do is withdraw the silly ticket. 90 minutes of your time to prep it, plus a morning to attend Court, at your hideously inflated salary, plus the difficult to quantify but no less real fact that you should be out saving lives and eating donuts instead of sitting in court means withdrawing the ticket is the only logical outcome. Its a win-win.

I'll stop now and finish this job I am procrastinating over.

Okay. So each time someone disputes a ticket, we should take your advice and withdraw it.

How long do you suppose it would be before everyone twigged to that, and requested a hearing for every ticket ever issued?

**HenryDorsetCase** · 10th June 2014, 11:08

Originally Posted by rastuscat

Okay. So each time someone disputes a ticket, we should take your advice and withdraw it.

How long do you suppose it would be before everyone twigged to that, and requested a hearing for every ticket ever issued?

"constitutional right and all that" I think was the phrase you used.

My personal view is that there should be no such thing as an infringement notice. They are stealth taxes carrying criminal sanction. If an organ of the state (of which you are one... which, I'm not saying ;-) ) believes a citizen has committed an unlawful act then clearly the only venue to properly decide that is the Court.

So, my answer is yes.

**buggerit** · 10th June 2014, 11:13

If the cycle lane is safe for cycles but not m/cycles, the only difference I can see is speed of travel.
The dangers I see are is traffic entering the cycle lane from your left or right which would apply to all cycle lane users.
My thoughts would be a speed restriction for all users of the cycle lane would be a better idea, and may encourage more onto bikes and
reduce traffic congestion.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 10th June 2014, 11:21

Originally Posted by rastuscat

I actually think I'll go out and start painting out all cycle lanes. They make people feel safe going down the left side of stationary vehicles. When in fact is fecking dangerous.

Donut was nice.

Donuts ARE nice.

Why is it considered "safe" for a cyclist to be in a painted cycle lane on the left of traffic but not a motorcyclist? When I did it I was mostly on my scooter and I used to have pretty good spidey senses developed over 16 years of pushbiking to work... my point being that you don't go quickly in a cycle lane because a moron pedestrian will walk out in front of you texting, or a cuntish car driver will use the cycle lane as a left turning lane, or a fucking door will open or some fucking retarded tradesdrone will have at trailer with so much shit on it that it should be behind a logging truck not a Hi Lux.

In answer to pritch's comment I used to trickle up to the front, then when the light goes green wait for the car to go then beat them across the intersection. My internal rule was to only do that if the traffic was stopped. if it is moving no matter how slow I did not do it because too many variables. I also tended to just do it at the big intersections.. brougham street/strickland street, antigua/moorhouse etc.

Now I drive my SUV to work so I can drink coffee and listen to music and back over cyclists. Because I am a grumpy old man and the most typical of appalling christchurch drivers.

I'm OK with that.