You know what I wanted to talk to you guys about today? I wanted to talk about what I took away from the very sad funeral I attended on Friday for a truly exceptional person taken WAY too soon. I wanted to talk about legacy and what we could do to honour that legacy. But then ... Yesterday a memorial ride was held in that mans honour. 600 people cycled from UWA to Churchill Cycles in Booragoon to show their love and respect for Brynt; mirroring the kindness and respect he showed to *every single person* he came in contact with. This ride was reported on all the major news sites and I made the mistake of reading some of the comments posted on Facebook with regard to this ride. They were horrifying and saddening. Worse, these comments weren’t posted by a tiny minority of redneck dipshits. They were the thoughts of sensible, intelligent people. People who we are all friends with, work with or are family with. The best of these thoughts were ill-informed (about cyclists and their right to be on the road.) The worst were outright hateful and as with all hateful thoughts, incredibly dangerous. So it’s worth repeating what my friend Chris mentioned here on a related post a couple of weeks ago. When it comes to the use of our roads, there are no cyclists or motorists. There are just people. PEOPLE who ride bikes. PEOPLE who drive cars and trucks. PEOPLE who ride motorcycles. Here are some common misconceptions that PEOPLE who drive cars have about PEOPLE who ride bikes. I will do my best to correct these misconceptions: ---------------------------------------------------- 1. People who ride bikes should stick to paths. ---------------------------------------------------- Its not safe, practical or legal for cyclists riding above a certain speed to ride on footpaths. It IS safe and practical for them to ride on designated dual use paths such as the one that goes all the way along the freeway in Perth. When such a path exists, it is the preferred option for all cyclists. ---------------------------------------------------- 2. Doesn’t matter, people who ride bikes don’t belong on the road. ---------------------------------------------------- A bike is considered a vehicle and as with all vehicles, a person riding a bike is permitted to use the road. ---------------------------------------------------- 3. Well if they’re going to be on the road they should be following the road rules. ---------------------------------------------------- The vast majority of people who ride bikes DO follow the road rules. Just like the vast majority of people who drive cars. If the actions of a few motorists don’t cause hatred for all people driving cars, then the actions of a few cyclists should not distract from the fact that most people riding bikes do so legally, and in a way that is respectful to all the other people on the road. ---------------------------------------------------- 4. Well then people who ride bikes should pay rego ---------------------------------------------------- People who ride bikes DO pay rego because the vast VAST majority also own cars. For the record, when you pay car rego, you’re not paying for the right to be on the road, you’re paying for the damage your car does to the road + an insurance component + an admin component. So ironically, people who ride bikes are paying for damage to the road they’re not causing. That said, most cyclists I know would LOVE to pay rego. If only so they didn’t have to hear this line. ---------------------------------------------------- 5. Whatever, cyclists should have number plates just like cars and motorcycles so we can report cyclists who are doing the wrong thing. ---------------------------------------------------- When was the last time you saw someone in a car doing the wrong thing and rushed to record their number plate much less actually ring someone to report them? ---------------------------------------------------- 6. Ok, the truth is, Im just sick of cyclists getting in my way and slowing down my trip to work ---------------------------------------------------- Do you know what would slow down your trip to work even more than the people on their bikes? If all those people were in their cars. ---------------------------------------------------- 7. OK fine, but they should be riding single file. Why are they riding two abreast? ---------------------------------------------------- One, because it is safer (and legal) for people who ride bikes to ride two abreast. Two, whether you believe it or not, people who ride bikes don’t really like getting in the way of people who ride cars. A large group of cyclists riding two abreast takes up less of the road than the same group riding single file. ---------------------------------------------------- 8. Well how about when there’s a bike lane and the cyclists aren’t sticking to the bike lane? ---------------------------------------------------- A bike lane comfortably fits one person riding single file so long as that bike lane does not contain glass and other hazards that would puncture a bicycle tire (and they often do contain those hazards.) That said, when riding single file, people riding bikes much prefer to be able to stay in the designated cycle lane as it’s safer for them. When riding two abreast (which as you remember is both legal, and makes it quicker for people who drive cars to get around a group of people on bikes) a bike lane is not quite wide enough. But, in the presence of a bike lane, people riding bikes will still be taking up a lot less of a regular traffic lane than if there was no bike lane. ---------------------------------------------------- Misconceptions should always be addressed and education is great. But we shouldnt need education. We should just need to remember one thing: We’re all people. We simply need to be less hateful to each other. PEOPLE in cars need to be less hateful: both to each other, AND to those on their bikes. PEOPLE on bikes need to be less hateful: both to each other, AND people in cars. It does seem a little surreal that Im even having to write these words because really, they should go without saying shouldnt they? Every human being we come across in the course of our day is worthy of our respect and deserves our kindness. Every human being is someone to someone. Thats why we all need to start looking after each other better, whether were on the roads or in our homes. Maybe looking after each other better can be Brynts legacy to us all. And if we make that happen, then it will be a legacy in proportion to the person he was. ---------------------------------------------------- ** A WORD REGARDING THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW If you wish to engage respectfully with my words above and the words of others below - go for your life. If you feel compelled to perpetuate ignorance or write something nasty and hateful, save yourself some time and bad energy by not writing it as your comment will be deleted instantly anyway x
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 21:33:04 +0000
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