cyclists causing traffic jams with emergency services

kona

some may remember there was a poster here who was so ignorant to cyclists when they caused a tailback on a N road on a sunday afternoon.
he was complaining about them being flanked by emergency sevices, which were causing a traffic jam, and complaining about how a supeintenant could sanction such a activity and cause him hassle

a example for the reason for this is below:mad:


http://www.smh.com.au/news/beijing2008/angry-driver-takes-out-50strong-cycle-pack/2008/05/08/1210131112608.html

peasant

link doesn't seem to work

kona

fixed.

_feedback_

So it's as a direct result of this, that the cyclists in Mullingar were accompanied by emergency services?

Good reason for a new thread.

MarkR

So they were attempting to preempt an attack on cyclists and got the wrong side of the world? While the sydney incident was terrible, I don't see how that is relevant to a tailback here?

kona

elviscostello wrote: »

So it's as a direct result of this, that the cyclists in Mullingar were accompanied by emergency services?

Good reason for a new thread.

if you cant see why its relevant dont post:rolleyes:

because tbh youre even more ignorant, with a dash of astounding stupidity.

cyclists with no protection are open to attack from ignorant gob****es in their status symbols.

this is the reason why, in real life that they have a escort, its sad that they actually do need one:mad:

_feedback_

Sorry, the way you worded it seemed to connect this incident 100% to the one you linked to.

No need to get so hot under the collar and personal about it though.

peasant

kona wrote: »

if you cant see why its relevant dont post:rolleyes:

because tbh youre even more ignorant, with a dash of astounding stupidity.

cyclists with no protection are open to attack from ignorant gob****es in their status symbols.

this is the reason why, in real life that they have a escort, its sad that they actually do need one:mad:

While we have done cyclist vs motorist threads before, I still think that this incident (Australia or not) can be the basis of a new discussion.

Two things though ...please keep the language civil (Kona)...and don't get hung up on Mullingar (all the others), ok?

kona

elviscostello wrote: »

Sorry, the way you worded it seemed to connect this incident 100% to the one you linked to.

No need to get so hot under the collar and personal about it though.

edited to be more user friendly

_feedback_

kona wrote: »

edited to be more user friendly

Fareplay.. didn't mean to aggrevate you!

Maybe you'll edit the rest of your remarks towards me too.... thanks.

You are obviously with the cyclists/escort on the whole thing. Me too, and I don't know why the poster in that previous thread was getting so worked up about it.

The escort is clearly needed to slow down traffic approaching a group of cyclists on a main road. What you linked to is horrific to say the least.

peasant wrote: »

Two things though ...please keep the language civil (Kona)...and don't get hung up on Mullingar (all the others), ok?

Aye !

Raam

It's quite obvious how this link is relevant to the other discussion. I am participating in a 4 day cycling event from Friday to Monday with chaperone vehicles. I hope I won't need any emergency services, but I will be very glad that they are there.

Robbo

kona wrote: »

ithis is the reason why, in real life that they have a escort, its sad that they actually do need one:mad:

I thought that they needed escorts in real life because non-paid company isn't interested in cyclists?

Matt Simis

kona wrote: »

if you cant see why its relevant dont post:rolleyes:

because tbh youre even more ignorant, with a dash of astounding stupidity.

cyclists with no protection are open to attack from ignorant gob****es in their status symbols.

this is the reason why, in real life that they have a escort, its sad that they actually do need one:mad:

From your first post to this is appears you still dont know what the word "ignorant" actually means.

MrPudding

I am involved with the “National Escort Group” in the UK, I am a trainee moto escort. We are there for a number of reasons. The main reason for the escort is safety. We try to make drivers more aware of the cyclist and provide a buffer between them and sometimes hostile traffic.

At the same time we keep an eye on the riders to try to ensure that they keep to the rules of the road as well. Some of these guys are super competitive and will try to take a racing line, which may not be safe.

Cycling is huge here in the UK and there are a lot of events at the weekends. I can see why some impatient drivers might get annoyed, but at the end of the day it tends to be a reasonably small hindrance and to be honest not worthy of some of the disgusting and dangerous reactions I have personally seen from drivers, even those coming in the opposite direction to whom the race has effectively no impact.

MrP

lightening

Wow, temper temper!

I was heading to an from Sligo on the weekend of the 19th of March from Dublin. There was cyclists in a big group on the hard shoulder after Carrick on Shannon. There was a van with yellow flashing lights and a huge sign saying CYCLISTS. I think they were pretty inexperienced judging by the way they were cycling and the speed they were doing. So the van was a very good idea.

The next day on the way back I saw the same thing, except this time there was a civil defense ambulance with its blue flashing lights on! This of course led all drivers to assume there was an accident or some sort of emergency happening and were very reluctant to overtake. I thought this was pretty stupid.

kona

Matt Simis wrote: »

From your first post to this is appears you still dont know what the word "ignorant" actually means.

fight fire with fire

lightening

kona wrote: »

fight fire with fire

Could you maybe find the post? You just sound like an insulting nut at the moment. I'm sure your a grand fella, just a bit vague and very angry.

kona

lightening wrote: »

Could you maybe find the post? You just sound like an insulting nut at the moment. I'm sure your a grand fella, just a bit vague and very angry.

which post?? or the thread?

Cionád

Terrible thing that it happened and all but that headline did make me laugh out loud.

Fey!

Why couldn't this simply have been added to the original thread rather than having a new one made?

IIRC, the guy who opened the previous thread was taking issue with the driving and road position of the control vehicles, rather than with the cyclists themselves. Maybe the OP here just wanted to muddy this by opening an entirely new thread.

In any sporting event these days emergency services must be present. At fights, there's always a couple of doctors and an ambulance. I'm involved in rally organisation, and on the start line of EVERY stage (section of a closed public road that will be raced on) we have to have a doctor, a rescue unit (first responders who are also trained to remove people from cars and, if necessary, cut the cars open, as well as dropping people vertically onto a stretcher), which will carry literally a ton of equipment for dealing with different scenarios, from cement for oil spills to jaws of life to cut open a car. We also have 2 ambulances and their personnel and equipment, and a tow truck. Then we have Garda liaison and Gardai, a chief medical officer, and accident liaison, accident scene examiners, and the stage commanders like myself who have to ensure that they're all in place and informed to do their jobs. If any one of those listed above is missing, the event isn't allowed to proceed.

This, I am pretty sure, is the same with these cycling outings, who would have to have insurance and therefore have to have their control vahicles and emergency vehicles.

@ Peasant; the OP of this thread made direct reference to the Mullingar thread, so why should people not use it as a reference point?

astraboy

kona wrote: »

if you cant see why its relevant dont post:rolleyes:

because tbh youre even more ignorant, with a dash of astounding stupidity.

cyclists with no protection are open to attack from ignorant gob****es in their status symbols.

this is the reason why, in real life that they have a escort, its sad that they actually do need one:mad:

Yera get the **** over it, this is a motors forum, where, yes, we like our "status symbols" as much as you like your pedal powered two wheeled machine. Stop coming on here looking to rise car enthusiasts and take it to the cycle forum where yourself and other like minded(read, closed minded) individuals can discuss the best way to break a red light, or how to annoy motorists in their planet destroying machines, and how 'evil' they all are.:rolleyes:

For ****s sake grow up and find something better to do with your self.

peasant

Fey! wrote: »

@ Peasant; the OP of this thread made direct reference to the Mullingar thread, so why should people not use it as a reference point?

oops misunderstanding ..sure use it as a reference point ..just don't get hung up about the fact that Mullingar isn't in Australia ..or something along those lines

The original thread is closed, because it all ended in tears. Somehow I get the feeling that this one might go the same way :rolleyes:

For what it's worth, my personal opinion on the matter:

Surely it must be possible for cyclists (be they lone rangers or whole clubs) and motorists to share the same road space peacefully and evenly.
With a bit of give and take on either side that should be feasible.

But somehow it seems as if once people exceed their natural walking speeds by means of a mechanical contraption (be that car or bicycle) all sense gets left behind and a feeling of "my speed, my space, my road" takes over.

astraboy

I have no issue with cyclists. Its their attitude towards motorists and the holier then thou stance they take that pisses me off.

Fey!

@ Peasant; I see your point on the references now. Sorry!

I wholeheartedly agree with you about people being able to share the same space; unfortunately, we are dealing with mindsets on one side of "you don't pay for the road, so I'm going to run you off the road" and "I'm going to purposely swing across you in traffic with no warning and run red lights, because I know that if you make contact with me at all it's you who'll pay, not me" on the other.

There are complete idiots in both camps, and unfortunately I meet both sets of them everyday whilst trying to drive my car without hitting anyone! I'm just waiting for some of the people I encounter to win a Darwin award.

As for Mullingar not being in Australia, it doesn't make any difference, as every country has these morons in pretty similar proportions.

Can anyone imagine what we'd be like if we were allowed guns in this country?

astraboy

Fey! wrote: »

@ Peasant; I see your point on the references now. Sorry!

I wholeheartedly agree with you about people being able to share the same space; unfortunately, we are dealing with mindsets on one side of "you don't pay for the road, so I'm going to run you off the road" and "I'm going to purposely swing across you in traffic with no warning and run red lights, because I know that if you make contact with me at all it's you who'll pay, not me" on the other.

There are complete idiots in both camps, and unfortunately I meet both sets of them everyday whilst trying to drive my car without hitting anyone! I'm just waiting for some of the people I encounter to win a Darwin award.

As for Mullingar not being in Australia, it doesn't make any difference, as every country has these morons in pretty similar proportions.

Can anyone imagine what we'd be like if we were allowed guns in this country?

Off topic I know but: We are allowed guns in Ireland, you just need to go through an extensive licensing process and be a member of a gun club to display you are interested in the sport of shooting, as opposed to wanting to own a gun for protection.

Back on Topic, Fey, what rallies do you do clerk of the course mainly? I marshall in the West Cork and Fastnet rallies every year.

Fey!

astraboy wrote: »

Off topic I know but: We are allowed guns in Ireland, you just need to go through an extensive licensing process and be a member of a gun club to display you are interested in the sport of shooting, as opposed to wanting to own a gun for protection.

Back on Topic, Fey, what rallies do you do clerk of the course mainly? I marshall in the West Cork and Fastnet rallies every year.

On the guns, I meant if we had liberal gun laws like the Americans; we'd be taking potshots at each other in traffic!

As for the rallying, I wouldn't do CoC; I've done Stage Commander for the opening stage on Saturday and closing stage on Sunday for the last few Galway Internationals in February, as well as Stage Commander for the last few opening stages of the Galway National in August. I also do general dogsbody at the hillclimbs in Ballyvaughan in April. We had a good few lads from Cork on our stages at the last International; great bunch of lads (as were all the other who froze their onions off!)