Australian cyclists need your support
 

A Local TV channel ran tonight a 'news' story entitled

"New Age Road rage: Cyclists target pedestrians"

In a city where election platforms are based on more freeways and tunnels
as the biggest transport solution, and where sales of bicycles outstrip cars,
prejudice still is institutionalised and perpetuated by the media (shock!).

The news broadcast effort was a deliberately provocative piece against cyclists,
with interviews with
* pedestrians complaining about sharing the city's busiest designated bikepath
* police promising cyclists will be arrested
* alleged "hidden camera" footage of cyclists breaking the law
A few cyclists were interviewed and presented a rational viewpoint, but the thrust
of the whole story continued to reinforce prejudices against cycling today.

The TV Channel did call for a cyclist's perspective, so to redress the imbalance
I would be grateful if you could please email your experiences as a cyclist
of where you have experienced:

* road rage,
* poor facilities,
* inappropriate police attention,
* agressive behaviour from pedestrians,
* agressive behaviour from vehicles,
* any other experience as a cyclist where your safety was threatened.

Send your feedback as an email to tennewsqld@networkten.com.au. or visit
http://www.ten.com.au/main_idx.aspx?...mo&promoID=282
mailto:tennewsqld@networkten.com.au
Thanks for your support!

Is this a conflict between cyclists and pedestrians on multi-use paths?

Pedristians are complaining about bikes on a BIKEpath? Should I complain about cars on US 21 and SC 170?

Cages want us off the road, peds want us off the paths.

yep, we're the Model Transit Minority

What is it about Banana Benders and their redneck ways. Too long under Sir Joh I'm guessing.

Exactly! In six months Today Tonight will do their annual 'kick cyclists' story, then a month or two after that Current Affair will do theirs. It all rolls according to schedule. There will be an annual 'Pick on dole bludgers' story, an annual 'Taxi drivers suck' story, an annual 'Muslims are trying to undermine Western Civilisation'' story etc, etc. It's all very predictible. Bicycle advocacy groups in Australia will respond appropriately. Just keep paying them dues!!!

I saw one show where they had so obviously edited out a pedestrian (a plant who delibrately started to step in front of cyclists at a crossing) abusing a group of cyclist it was laughable. Of course, they did not edit out the cyclists colourful response.

Bottom feeders catering to the lowest common denominator, end of story. By the way, didn't Fairfax sack a well known motoring writer for expressing redneck views about cyclists on one of these shows?

It's not quite that simple. This has been discussed at length on the bikeqld mailing list. If you want more info the thread starts here.

Basically, the root of the problem is an inadequate detour around a construction on the path, and some cyclists are choosing to ignore the advisory 'cyclists must dismount' signs. All a storm in a teacup imo, but of course a couple of vocal local yokels pipe up, and some newsertainment host decides it's time for another 'cyclist rage epidemic' story.

I registered my opinion by neither watching the show nor responding to their rather clumsy and clichéd troll.

Who? Who? I need to know. I might know him from my old days as a motoring journalist!!