I was riding home from work today on the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan bike path when I stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Newcastle Street and Canberra Ave. When the lights changed, I crossed and waited on the traffic island for vehicles turning left on the slip lane fron Newcastle Street. A driver in a Toyota Avalon, rego DQ1111 stopped, flashed his lights and motioned me to cross. He didn't have to do that, as I was prepared to wait, but I gave a thank-you wave and crossed over onto the bike path.
A lot of Canberra drivers are very aggressive with cyclists, which is the main reason why I use the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan path instead of the Monaro Hwy and Lanyon Drive. It was a refreshing change to encounter one who stopped when he didn't have to - maybe it was because he was from Queanbeyan ;-)
I get more abuse from drivers when i am riding home in Queanbeyan including (which is about 5 percent of my ride time) compared to when i am riding my bike in the ACT (the other 95 percent).
"Craig Wilkes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I was riding home from work today on the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan bike path when I stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Newcastle Street and Canberra Ave. When the lights changed, I crossed and waited on the traffic island for vehicles turning left on the slip lane fron Newcastle Street. A driver in a Toyota Avalon, rego DQ1111 stopped, flashed his lights and motioned me to cross. He didn't have to do that, as I was prepared to wait, but I gave a thank-you wave and crossed over onto the bike path.
A lot of Canberra drivers are very aggressive with cyclists, which is the main reason why I use the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan path instead of the Monaro Hwy and Lanyon Drive. It was a refreshing change to encounter one who stopped when he didn't have to - maybe it was because he was from Queanbeyan ;-)
I was riding home from work today on the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan bike path when I stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Newcastle Street and Canberra Ave. When the lights changed, I crossed and waited on the traffic island for vehicles turning left on the slip lane fron Newcastle Street. A driver in a Toyota Avalon, rego DQ1111 stopped, flashed his lights and motioned me to cross. He didn't have to do that, as I was prepared to wait, but I gave a thank-you wave and crossed over onto the bike path.
A lot of Canberra drivers are very aggressive with cyclists, which is the main reason why I use the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan path instead of the Monaro Hwy and Lanyon Drive. It was a refreshing change to encounter one who stopped when he didn't have to - maybe it was because he was from Queanbeyan ;-)
My mate Shaz told me the other day a very cute story from when she was in Mackay... riding along she came to the train tracks and a train was coming along so she slowed and waited. He braked, waved her through and yelled out the window "Go on love, you go, that's harder work than driving this thing."
I was riding home from work today on the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan bike path when I stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Newcastle Street and Canberra Ave. When the lights changed, I crossed and waited on the traffic island for vehicles turning left on the slip lane fron Newcastle Street. A driver in a Toyota Avalon, rego DQ1111 stopped, flashed his lights and motioned me to cross. He didn't have to do that, as I was prepared to wait, but I gave a thank-you wave and crossed over onto the bike path.
A lot of Canberra drivers are very aggressive with cyclists, which is the main reason why I use the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan path instead of the Monaro Hwy and Lanyon Drive. It was a refreshing change to encounter one who stopped when he didn't have to - maybe it was because he was from Queanbeyan ;-)
My mate Shaz told me the other day a very cute story from when she was in Mackay... riding along she came to the train tracks and a train was coming along so she slowed and waited. He braked, waved her through and yelled out the window "Go on love, you go, that's harder work than driving this thing."
T
I had one the other day. I was waiting at an intersection (multiple lanes both ways) to do a right turn. A bogan with a car load of long haired, tattooed passengers yells out to me. Expecting the normal [censored] he says "Mate, can you press the pedestrian crossing?" After saying thanks but no, he said "But I'm being nice & you're so used to getting [censored] from us cars". So I had to say "Fair enough", rode over & pressed the pedestrian button. The lights promptly changed and off we all went happy as larry.
"Craig Wilkes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I was riding home from work today on the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan bike path when I stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Newcastle Street and Canberra Ave. When the lights changed, I crossed and waited on the traffic island for vehicles turning left on the slip lane fron Newcastle Street. A driver in a Toyota Avalon, rego DQ1111 stopped, flashed his lights and motioned me to cross. He didn't have to do that, as I was prepared to wait, but I gave a thank-you wave and crossed over onto the bike path.
A lot of Canberra drivers are very aggressive with cyclists, which is the main reason why I use the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan path instead of the Monaro Hwy and Lanyon Drive. It was a refreshing change to encounter one who stopped when he didn't have to - maybe it was because he was from Queanbeyan ;-)
Theres quite a high possibility that the considerate motorists mentioned above,with the exception of the long haired bogun mentioned in a another reply, could be enthusiastic cyclists......even in our cars, we gotta help each other out!!
"Craig Wilkes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I was riding home from work today on the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan bike path when I stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Newcastle Street and Canberra Ave. When the lights changed, I crossed and waited on the traffic island for vehicles turning left on the slip lane fron Newcastle Street. A driver in a Toyota Avalon, rego DQ1111 stopped, flashed his lights and motioned me to cross. He didn't have to do that, as I was prepared to wait, but I gave a thank-you wave and crossed over onto the bike path.
A lot of Canberra drivers are very aggressive with cyclists, which is the main reason why I use the Fyshwick-Queanbeyan path instead of the Monaro Hwy and Lanyon Drive. It was a refreshing change to encounter one who stopped when he didn't have to - maybe it was because he was from Queanbeyan ;-)
Theres quite a high possibility that the considerate motorists mentioned above,with the exception of the long haired bogun mentioned in a another reply, could be enthusiastic cyclists......even in our cars, we gotta help each other out!!
DJ
Right on! There is a distressing tendency in this forum to see motorists as evil , although most of our SO's, siblings, parents , children and friends, and indeed we ourselves, are also that.
Right on! There is a distressing tendency in this forum to see motorists as evil , although most of our SO's, siblings, parents , children and friends, and indeed we ourselves, are also that.
Motorists really seem to appreciate it when I wave them on to turn left, as I'm riding behind and to the left of them up a hill. Doesn't hurt to be nice :-)
What side of the road do you guys keep to, anyway? Please excuse my ignorance.
We're on the left side of the road in Oz. Britain and Japan understand the wisdom of this, but the rest of the world has yet to catch on 🙂
The way I understand it is that travelling on the left side made sense, as the right arm was then free to wield the sword and defend oneself against highwaymen. This "keep left" continued when the first vehicles appeared in Britain. (Does anyone know what side the Romans travelled on?) So, Keep Left was the original and logical system, and the French and Americans switched to Keep Right because, basically, they hated the English.
Peter.
-- If you are careful enough in life, nothing bad -- or good -- will ever happen to you.
What side of the road do you guys keep to, anyway? Please excuse my ignorance.
The left side is the right side. The right side is the wrong side. One of these days, the Left-Side-Driving countries (Australia, the UK, Japan, and probably others that I don't know offhand) will unite and convert the rest of the world, who so heinously ignore the One True Side Of The Road. By the sword, if necessary.
Or maybe not. 🙂
Excuse me, I really must be going.
-- My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@ to usenet".
The left side is the right side. The right side is the wrong side. One of these days, the Left-Side-Driving countries (Australia, the UK, Japan, and probably others that I don't know offhand) will unite and convert the rest of the world, who so heinously ignore the One True Side Of The Road. By the sword, if necessary.
The Swedes, once left side drivers decided to become right side drivers in the 60s if I remember correctly or was it the 50s?. Being Swedish they did it in an orderly fashion. Bicycles on day one, cars day two and trucks day three. So sensible.
The Swedes, once left side drivers decided to become right side drivers in the 60s if I remember correctly or was it the 50s?. Being Swedish they did it in an orderly fashion. Bicycles on day one, cars day two and trucks day three. So sensible.
1967. They didn't change their trains though. They still have a lefty rail system.
The Swedes, once left side drivers decided to become right side drivers in the 60s if I remember correctly or was it the 50s?. Being Swedish they did it in an orderly fashion. Bicycles on day one, cars day two and trucks day three. So sensible.
1967. They didn't change their trains though. They still have a lefty rail system.
On a serious note -- the reason for the change was the sheer amount of hassle and confusion when Swedes drove out of their country and into another that had a right-hand-side drive system. So they made the changeover to match the countries around them. Since trains run on rails, and hence aren't as subject to confusion (just follow the signals, and everything will be all right), there would have been no need, and no impetus, to change them. Probably. 🙂
-- My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@ to usenet".
1967. They didn't change their trains though. They still have a lefty rail system.
Quoted message said:
On a serious note -- the reason for the change was the sheer amount of hassle and confusion when Swedes drove out of their country and into another that had a right-hand-side drive system. So they made the changeover to match the countries around them. Since trains run on rails, and hence aren't as subject to confusion (just follow the signals, and everything will be all right), there would have been no need, and no impetus, to change them. Probably. 🙂
And that most of their cars were left-hand drive. OTOH, their only land border is with Norway, a country of about 3 million people. I doubt they go to mainland Europe by driving through Finland. They would car-ferry from Stockholm or near there. The trains were not a major thing and would have required changing every set of points in the country. I only mentioned the trains as a point of interest. most people never think of rail systems as right or left handed.
"Theo Bekkers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Stuart Lamble said:
Theo Bekkers wrote:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
1967. They didn't change their trains though. They still have a lefty rail system.
Quoted message said:
On a serious note -- the reason for the change was the sheer amount of hassle and confusion when Swedes drove out of their country and into another that had a right-hand-side drive system. So they made the changeover to match the countries around them. Since trains run on rails, and hence aren't as subject to confusion (just follow the signals, and everything will be all right), there would have been no need, and no impetus, to change them. Probably. 🙂
And that most of their cars were left-hand drive. OTOH, their only land border is with Norway, a country of about 3 million people. I doubt they go to mainland Europe by driving through Finland. They would car-ferry from Stockholm or near there. The trains were not a major thing and would have required changing every set of points in the country. I only mentioned the trains as a point of interest. most people never think of rail systems as right or left handed.
Theo
Not only that, but all locomotives and city electrics in Australia are standard Left Hand drive and the only reason the drivers of freight trains need mirrors, is to see if the carriages/freight wagons are still on the rails(derailments) or in the case of shunting, to make sure no-one is walking around near the train before moving, such as brake examiners or guards etc.
Not only that, but all locomotives and city electrics in Australia are standard Left Hand drive
Hmmm. In Perth the electric rail-car drivers sit smack in the middle. Freight stuff is LHD.
Theo
At the risk of sounding as though I wear an anorak:
Generally in Australia the trains run on the left, just like the cars. However the driver sits on the left because that is the side the signals are on.
"Jack Russell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Generally in Australia the trains run on the left, just like the cars. However the driver sits on the left because that is the side the signals are on.
Generally?? I'd be a bit worried about the exceptions to this rule. :-)
Cheers Peter - who always makes sure to sit with his back to the engine.
Not only that, but all locomotives and city electrics in Australia are standard Left Hand drive
Hmmm. In Perth the electric rail-car drivers sit smack in the middle. Freight stuff is LHD.
Theo
At the risk of sounding as though I wear an anorak:
Generally in Australia the trains run on the left, just like the cars. However the driver sits on the left because that is the side the signals are on.
-- Remove norubbish to reply direct
Jack Russell[/QUOTE]
More importantly, it's because that is the side the controls are on. 😄
