Re: Sydney Bicycle accident

"Noddy" <me@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:482a8c95$0$58050$c30e37c6@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Trevor Wilson" <trevor@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:68vfklF2uid5dU1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>> **I have no problems with harsh penalties being handed out to ALL road 
>> users when they break the law. Particularly idiots who ride without 
>> lights (during the dark). I know if I ran one down, I'd lose a lot of 
>> sleep. And that ain't fair to me.
>
> I'd feel no different to knocking down some idiot who ran across the 
> street in the dark. In other words it would be *his* actions that got
him 
> killed not mine, and I wouldn't lose any sleep at all.

**We're not the same. I'm pretty certain that if I killed someone, it
would 
bother me for quite some time.

>
>> **Well, I know a few cyclists who wear that ****. They're straight 
>> (AFAIK). Perhaps they're less afraid of ebing different. Perhaps the
bold 
>> colours enhance their visibility to other road users.
>
> You can be visible without having to look like float at the gay &
lesbian 
> Mardi-gra :)

**Obviously, you've missed the Dykes on Bikes (my favourites).

>
>> **Nope. I'm a motorist and an occasional cyclist who respects other
road 
>> users.
>
> Sure.

**Good. I'm glad we finally cleared that up.

>
>> **Nope. I smell a bull**** story. Are seriously telling me that you 
>> believe the **** that the motorist told the cops?
>
> There's part of you're problem right there.
>
> You're assuming that the guy who called in *was* the motorist, and we
have 
> no idea if he was or wasn't.

**Good point. He may not have been.

 We *also* have no idea if the bike riders are
> telling the truth and just sticking to a story *they* made up to cover 
> their own actions which may have been illegal.

**I often toddle down to my favourite coffee shop/patisserie some
mornings. 
Around 7:00AM. It happens to be on The Grande Parade, at Brighton
(Sydney). 
It is on the same piece of road that the riders probably ride on. There
are 
a *lot* of riders who ride past (though some of the not so dedicated ones,

stop for a coffee and cake) at that time of day. Almost all ride two
abreast 
in the kerbside lane. Whilst I cannot say, I'd bet your balls that I've
seen 
that same group ride past. They ride properly and considerately. Hell,
they 
even stop for the pedestrian crossing.

 In short, we have no idea what
> happened other than what was printed in the media, and media re****ts
about 
> "events" can be anything they want them to be.

**Agreed. I guess we'll have to wait for the police re****ts.

>
> In answer to your question specifically, I don't believe *either* side
as 
> I wasn't there and there is no video evidence to sup****t one side or the

> other. As I said previously if the cops charge the car driver with 
> something relating to the cause of the accident then I'll believe he
most 
> likely was responsible for it, but until then I'll withhold my
judgement. 
> The fact that they haven't charged him with anything other than leaving 
> the scene of an accident suggests to me that there were faults on both 
> sides.

**That is a real possibility, which I have never denied.

>
>> We have the word of ONE motorist, who left the scene of an accident (of

>> his own making) and the words of at least one cyclist which conflict
each 
>> other. What will you say when (or if) 5, 10, 15 or 50 cyclists rebuke
the 
>> claim of the motorist?
>
> As I said, I'm happy to leave the decision of laying blame up to the
cops.

**We'll see what happens.

Trevor Wilson