“I’m not a cyclists hater, I’m not nothing,” Jason told Macquarie Radio this morning.
“I was just driving along and I had a car failure and now I’m in trouble - I dunno.”
Oh the hiliarity which has ensured since “Jason” had his epic moment of cognitive and mechanical dissonance on Sydneys Southern Cross Drive on Thursday morning. Not only did he piss off from a road incident (yes, obviously clearly illegal), the lad then had the temerity to go on 2GB and have a chat.
Shoutback gets fun
And then, in a now legendary moment in Australian live radio, Ben Kersten called into 2GB talkback and went mano-a-mano with the hapless Jas. For feck sakes, even a garden snail would have more sense than this tool than to talk to the media. Where’s his legal rep?
The torrents of bullshit from this latest round of anti-cyclist palavar are further examples of lazy, but somewhat cruel, entertainment for the plebs. Needless to remind you, in Sydney the likes of gormless idiots like Anita Quigley and overwrought shoutback AM radio announcers relish these pointless circular arguments. Does nothing. Proves nothing. Makes some people feel momentarily better about something they never knew anything about at all. Push repeat.
I have a itsy-bitsy hunch that this variety of online commentary is likely to be ever so slightly tilted towards marketing and branding, like who wouldn’t want to have a clickthrough ad on a article page with a raging river of shite being updated every 5-10 minutes?
Rego
The reheated rego issue is bollox, like as if having licensing for vehicle operators has created 100% compliance? As for taxation issues, petrol tax only pays for a tiny section of road infrastructure, as most governments infrastructure costs are paid from consolidated revenue. The lie that ‘cyclists’ don’t pay tax is a lazy furphy.
It gets trotted out for another airing again and again as it’s easy to repeat, sticks like shit and doesn’t it just make a great sound bite?
The comments on these articles are mostly a beatup and best ignored. For the more disgusting variety: have a look at this Media Watch segment and follow up if necessary. In this case I’m taking screen shots of the lot. And following up with appropriate action.
Although I’ll add a gentle caution, please don’t get too despondent over this latest outburst, pander the pun it’s a cyclical thing that pops into the public consciousness at least twice a year and then goes off the boil.
Remember: the vast majority of drivers and cyclists are completely normal law abiding people.
Want some hot bike lovin’ action? Well get yourself to Canberra. Yes, I did type the word ‘Canberra’.
So, if you’re in Canberra or visiting soon, the re-opening of the Royal Danish Embassy includes a cycling themed exhibition entitled “Dreams on Wheels: Danish Cycling Culture for Urban Sustainability”.
The exhibition includes an amazing bicycle film festival (see the program in the links below!), speakers program, a community day and free rides on an original Copenhagen Citybike.
From the Danish Embassy site: The exhibition is curated by Thomas Ermacora, Founder of Etikstudio, and has previously been shown at the Danish House in Paris, The Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen, and Harbourfront Centre of Toronto.
The concept is driven by the motivation to illustrate how a “cyclocentric” approach to urban development stimulates environmental concern and sustainable civic behaviour.
Dreams on Wheels can be seen at the Showcase Gallery, Commonwealth Place, Canberra, ACT from 3 May to the 1 June 2008. Admission is free and open to people of all ages.
April 29, 2008 at 11:21 pm · Filed under Now Seriously
The Age: Brumby to spend $112m to fight traffic
Melbourne’s clearways will be more heavily policed, buses will have greater priority and new bike tracks will be built under a new state government plan to reduce congestion.Unveiling the $112 million Keeping Melbourne Moving strategy, Victorian Premier John Brumby said the new measures represented a balanced approach to tackling congestion on the roads
….. and then …
More than $28 million will be used to further develop the city’s bicycle and pedestrian network in an attempt to get up to 12,000 commuters to switch to walking and cycling.
Bike paths! Bike paths! Here in Melbourne we have bike paths going at crazy crazy prices you can’t beat anywhere! I’m getting confused, are these bike paths part of the stuff promised by the Transport & Livability Statement two years ago, outcomes of the recent IMAP findings, ongoing projects allocated from VicRoads annual budget, Sir Ron’s cycle link recommendations or the all new dog and pony show Transport Department restructure? Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s a little video I created via the mobile, showing a slice of Sunday afternoons entertainment on Sydney Road. More photos here. Not a good selection, as twin horror of a flat battery & full card on the Other Camera thwarted my planned pictorial of the event. Read the rest of this entry »
Messrs. Frigswell and Digby Caesar-Salad Esq. of West Kunting do the “Blue Steel”. Even the hunting hounds back then had stiff upper muzzles.
Why does everyone from n00b commuters to weekend warriors feel the necessity to tear along shared paths and roads as if they’re racing for sheep stations? Folks, calm down and enjoy the ride. The PB attempt can come later, at a more appropriate venue like the Hawthorn Mellowdrome, Biatch Road or a local crit. Here’s a tip: Read the rest of this entry »
Today there’s yet another all singing all dancing article in todays Age stating how $60m allocated towards cycling in Sir Rod’s report is all wonderful and grand and we all should be happy tra la la la for the Joys of Segregated Cycling Facilities.
Bicycle Victoria’s strategy aims to quadruple the number of cyclists commuting to work in the city. In March last year, bicycle traffic accounted for 7.9% of all vehicles entering the CBD (up from 3.9% in 2006). Some of Bicycle Victoria’s ideas are simple and inexpensive, such as painting the bicycle lane green, or placing a rubber strip or a vibrating line between the bicycle lane and the road. Others are more sophisticated and expensive, such as the route now in place in Swanston Street where concrete barriers and a row of parked cars stand between cyclists and the traffic. This has become known as the Copenhagen lane.
But there is no discussion about attitudinal change or awareness. The reality is that element maybe beyond the scope of Rods homework, but just how does someone starting out (either vehicle operator or cyclist) acquire the confidence or skills base to negotiate with other road traffic if they are instructed only by infrastructure to ignore each other? Read the rest of this entry »
Just between you and me, there’s probably a queue forming to do just that.
Speaking of crow bars, can a spare one be swiftly utilised by an awake News Limited sub-editor to prise off Wayne Carey flavoured comments tacked on the end of this obit article?
Heston’s relationship with Carey has long been a source of concern for the AFL in general. Hopefully now that he is gone Carey will have a chance to stop being such an idiot. I was hoping Heston was going to take up a more prominent position in the club, perhaps as a secret youth adviser but now my hopes are dashed.
Posted by: Heston fan 11:36pm April 06, 2008
Comment 23 of 26
April 5, 2008 at 10:37 pm · Filed under Now Seriously
Still feeling a smidgen nonplussed by the bike ban fiasco earlier this year? Here’s further inadvertent entertainment.
Figure 1. Great 4 Wheel deals for 2 Wheel riders
Now the best on four wheels brings Bicycle Victoria members an extra incentive to get on your bike and ride down to one of the 5 Subaru Melbourne retailers.
Yet another example illustrating the beauty and wonder of the internerds: turning a bicycle into a turntable. Although I think the ABC techs worked out how to creatively fudge the Malvern Stars on 45 segment on Spicks & Specks at longtime ago. In lieu of actually having such a musical device that probably would have even Percy Grainger slightly puzzled, get your goodselves along to VeloRock next weekend at the Brunswick Velodrome.
So what’s being going on here at Beer Can Hill HQ? Plenty, hence the relative inactivity on this internerd fridge magnet.
Firstly there was a WIN with the Bin the Bike Ban campaign last month, which requires monitoring and follow up. Then the peaceful re-education of several anti-cyclist facebook groups and their subsequent conversion to Bike Pride chapters. Although we shouldn’t really be surprised by the rank stupidity that people (using their real names) are capable of on a public forum.
There’s been so much activity that’s it’s difficult to put it all in context, from Roberts exceedingly kind offer of getting the plastic Igor eagles for Team Captain Bike (MS Summer Cycle), and media monitoring of even more rank stupidity in public, this time on the radio waves. Read the rest of this entry »
February 11, 2008 at 10:47 pm · Filed under Now Seriously
As a personal gesture of respect to Sheldon Brown, we’re putting a team together for the MS Summer Cycle. Now I’m not usually one for these variety of mass rides, but the combination of Sheldon’s sad passing last week, his diagnosis of MS in August 2005 and this upcoming ride to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research on February 24 have created a opportunity to show our respect for a great personality who enriched our cycling world so much.
Team Captain Bike is being organised, so as a small gesture to honour his memory, why not consider either participating or donating? Although Sheldon did hold alternative views to ‘thons, but that maybe due to how local events were organised in the US. At 40km this ride is hardly near the arduous distances that some US rides are organised over. Please either join Team Captain Bike by following the details in this link or contact moi on telstarATcfsmtb.netRead the rest of this entry »
It is with heavy hearts that we convey to you the news that Sheldon Brown has passed away. Our thoughts go out to his family at this time.
The cycling community has lost one of it’s most passionate members..
A inspirational bloke, Sheldon always had the time and patience to share his vast knowledge and expertise. The cycling community has lost a great personality.
Read below for a small example of Sheldons unselfish attitude and wonderful knowledge (12 Sep 2005 via aus.bicycle)
cfsmtb wrote:
> Ok, peruse this faded beauty. We thinks it’s a Lawrencia (circa 1940/50’s) road bike, that we retrieved via the annual Boroondara Hard Waste collection. With a GC1 quadrant shifter and GH-6 Front Dynohub. Wait ’til you see closeups of the post-modernist paint jobbie! Read the rest of this entry »
Although I’ll add a gentle caution, please don’t get too despondent over this latest outburst, pander the pun it’s a cyclical thing that pops into the public consciousness at least twice a year and then goes off the boil.
The Age: 
So what’s being going on here at Beer Can Hill HQ? Plenty, hence the relative inactivity on this internerd fridge magnet.
As a personal gesture of respect to 
