Ali Clarke: Isn’t it high time cyclists got off their high horses?
TELL me something annoying a cyclist might do. Just be warned, if you do, get ready for some serious biking backlash from a very vocal sector of the cycling community.
TELL me something annoying a cyclist might do.
I’m guessing you might say something like taking the driving lane, cutting you off or wearing Lycra.
Just be warned, if you do express that sort of opinion in public get ready for some serious biking backlash from a very vocal sector of the cycling community.
That’s exactly what happened to Channel 10s Family Feud last week courtesy of their cheesy game show that’s helped enter ‘‘survey says’’ into the vernacular.
They posted that very question for two competing families, with the aim of the game being to choose the most common responses from the survey results.
Little did they know, that particular Q&A section would set off a tsunami of outrage against the show and its producers.
Viewers said they would never watch the show again and others attacked the producers for promoting division between drivers and cyclists.
Australian Cyclist Alliance president Edward Hore even said he was ‘‘shocked’’ at the question saying, ‘‘Seriously, the hatred against cyclists has to stop. We are all someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter.’’
Well let’s get serious, Edward, and get some sort of perspective as I’ve never seen such a ridiculous overreaction.
No doubt there is a constant push and pull between different road using communities, but as a cyclist and a driver there is absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging this in what is essentially light entertainment.
If they chose to ask people what annoys them about bus drivers (pulling out into traffic without acknowledging people), taxi drivers (not knowing the most obvious streets) and drivers in general (speeding up and not letting people merge, tailgating, etc) do you think there would be the same type of reaction?
This small minority has only served to promote cyclists as precious whiners whose cycling knicks are the only thing from stopping them from disappearing up their own backsides and all you have to do is look around our TDU to see that’s not the case.
In direct comparison another story that surfaced at the same time, yet didn’t garner the same emotive reaction from the cycling community, was that of 24-year-old Emily Greenwood who was run down by a bike as she stepped out onto a pedestrian crossing.
She broke her collar bone, parts of her face and teeth. While police are reportedly planning to charge the cyclist with negligence, which could result in a $67 fine and potential court costs, because he has no insurance and there is no third-party insurance for cyclists, Emily’s left with horrific bills upwards of $15,000.
The CEO of Bicycle Network Craig Richards was asked whether or not there should be changes to the current system.
“Compulsory third party insurance is just one more hurdle that’s put in the way of encouraging people to ride a bike,” he said.
“How often is there a collision between a pedestrian and a bike? It’s really not that often.”
What a disgraceful response.
No doubt there are myriad hurdles to overcome, but it’s high time some cyclists stop wasting energy in outrage over innocuous game show questions and help all of us focus on trying to fix this problem by having reasoned community conversations.
After all, if cycling is to increase, which is what most of us want, sheer weight of numbers will dictate more accidents like this will happen.
Perhaps one answer is for all bike riders to become members of organised groups like Bike SA, which covers their members in instances like this.
To have cyclists complaining about drivers not using the road responsibly and then being unable to put in place policies ensuring their own responsible use, only serves to slow any journey to safer and calmer roads.