On Saturday morning, a 77 year old man was killed after being hit by a cyclist on Beach Rd in Mentone. That someone was killed walking in front of a bicycle is not surprising. Pretty much anyone who rides a bike in Melbourne will have had a pedestrian walk in front of them without looking at one time or another. The difference in this case is that this man was killed crossing with the 'green man' at pedestrian lights, by a 'peleton' of 200+ unofficially organised amateur riders that were either unable, or unwilling to break the bunch and stop in time. I can't help but think that bike/car relations in Melbourne are reaching some sort of crisis point. My daily ride to and from work, mainly along bike-friendly back streets, attracts abuse from motorists (and pedestrians) probably once a week on average. People hate bike riders. As a cyclist, the contempt with which I am treated by those in cars and pedestrians is really quite confronting. A short ride is enough
I know!
ReplyDeletewho is going to say LIBARIAN now???
Ha!
ReplyDeleteI wonder who we'll get now. Pretty-boy in budgie smugglers Thwaitesy? or lego-haired straight man Brumby-y?
I'm pretty sure it was all a cunning Labor scheme to distract people from John Howard's housing plan.
It will without doubt be Brumby, I fancy. Bracksy practically anointed him in his press conference.
ReplyDeleteHis nickname, my public service colleagues assure me, is JB.
Yeah, I think Bracksy sealed Thwaitesy's fate when he said, "And Brumby's really awesome I'll totes be voting for him". So Thwaitesy went to himself, "Today is a good day to die (politically)."
ReplyDelete