Herald Sun: Chopper squad to notorious bike route
Melbourne’s notorious Hell Ride cycle route will come under increased scrutiny by a Victoria Police “eye in the sky”. From Saturday, a police helicopter will monitor the unofficial ride, which attracts hundreds of cyclists who race up to 40km through the city’s bayside suburbs, from Black Rock to Mount Eliza, at speeds of up to 60 km/h.
The additional Air Wing patrol follows an incident last August when one Hell Ride cyclist hit a pedestrian trying to cross at pedestrian lights on Beach Road, Mentone.
The tragedy that befell to James Gould was appalling, totally avoidable and should never never happen again. But utilising the Police Air Wing to keep control of a bunch of cyclists? Suppose what is really required; education, awareness and accountability is far too left of field to consider? No, it’s far too logical to seriously consider, lets instead take a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. Oh FFS we’ve witnessed similar heavy handed and inappropriate tactics before, haven’t we?
MIM: Critical Mass: 150 Police to Ensure City Link Profits (24/11/04)
Police have erected cyclone fencing close to the tunnel to ensure that riders will be unable to enter and ‘disrupt’ traffic. Previously the police have tolerated critical mass rides through the tunnel, which according to The Age “in June last year reportedly cost Transurban $40,000 in lost revenue”. On this occasion the police have decided to mount a massive operation (potentially of greater cost) to ensure no frivolity or fun interrupts the Friday grind of traffic.
More importantly, police are threatening cyclists with potential 5 year jail terms for riding on what should be a public road in the interests of protecting Transurban’s profits. And whilst the Herald Sun would like to write the participants off as having a “pathological hatred of cars,” the point remains that riding on a public road is fine but as soon as you potentially threaten the profits of a large corporation your activity becomes unacceptable.
And then there was …
MIM: Critical Mass, scum journalism and the Victoria Police (26/2/05)
Herald Sun journalist, Andrew Bolt, and 3AW talk back radio host Neil Mitchell, and Melbourne police superintendant, Mick Williams, had done a wonderful job pushing for a ride on CityLink, except they failed to turn up with maps to hand out for their route.Instead we saw several squad cars, the police horse squad, half a dozen highway patrol motorcycles, several constables on foot, the police helicopter, and even members of the special force squad (riot squad) in plain clothes all outside the State Library to meet and greet the cyclists on the organised coincidence of critical mass. The media were present as well, although I doubt any had the gumption to send a reporter on the whole ride.
Massive VicPOL operations and ensuing media hyperbole to control … wait for it … CYCLISTS.
People who ride BICYCLES. It’s hardly a social issue comparable to a vicious, random drive-by shooting or a senseless, callous hit and run incident, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the daily TAC Road toll update or the ongoing depression epidemic in Australian society.
Not the Hells Angels, not machete-welding St Albans gangs, not the selfish cockheads who hoon daily on the Western Ring Road Carpark, not some Monaro driving twat busting reds in the SE ‘burbs.
PEOPLE WHO RIDE BICYCLES.
I am quite capable of a intelligent, rational deconstruction of this reaction to the Hell Ride, of the previous reactions to Critical Mass. But I can’t be arsed, I’m beyond sick of this carping, knee-jerk rubbish.
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with some people in Melbourne?
