Cyclist Memorials

"powinc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was driving through the Hunter Region recently and
quickly saw a bike frame with (I think) two crosses
displayed above it.

This is obviously a memorial to one (or two) cycles that
died on that part of the road. It was erected just before
a bridge, where the emergency lane/bike lane narrows to
cross the bridge.

I believe as a group we make a effort to memorialize, or
pay tribute to all cyclists that have died on our roads.
Either by erecting a memorial where they have been killed
or in a memorial park in each capital city or both.

powinc

About 10 km south of where I live (Smiths Hill near Collie,
Western Australia) there is a small memorial dedicated to
two cyclists who's ashes were scattered at the hill. They
died of natural causes but the memorial is dedicated to them
for their cycling feats. We also have a long tiled snake
that represents the Wagyl set into the footpath of the main
street. Tiles set into the snakes form have the names of the
winners of the Collie -Donnybrook cycle race which extends
back about 77 years. At the end is a large tiled apple which
represents Donnybrook, the home of the Granny Smith and Pink
Lady apples. The snake is about 100 metres long.

Marty

"powinc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was driving through the Hunter Region recently and
quickly saw a bike frame with (I think) two crosses
displayed above it.

This is obviously a memorial to one (or two) cycles that
died on that part of the road. It was erected just before
a bridge, where the emergency lane/bike lane narrows to
cross the bridge.

I believe as a group we make a effort to memorialize, or
pay tribute to all cyclists that have died on our roads.
Either by erecting a memorial where they have been killed
or in a memorial park in each capital city or both.

I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done
right, may make drivers more aware of cyclists (if only in
the general area of the memorial).

But a memorial park in each capital city is absurd, do we
need a memorial park in each capital for those killed in
toaster accidents? drowned in the bath park? died of bee
stings? snakebite? medical negligence? abseiling accidents?
rock fishing accidents?

We don't need a park for every trivial (percentage of deaths
wise) case - who would be expected to pay for this country
wide network of 'dead cyclist' parks? the local rate payer?,
state govt? or would it be a federal responsibility? in
every single case the one who actually pays is the taxpayer,
and I for one would be bloody angry if my tax money was
diverted to such a cause (yes I know it already goes to
equally stupid ideas, but why come up with more?).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by L'Acrobat
I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done
right, may make drivers more aware of cyclists (if only in
the general area of the memorial).

But a memorial park in each capital city is absurd, do we
need a memorial park in each capital for those killed in
toaster accidents? drowned in the bath park? died of bee
stings? snakebite? medical negligence? abseiling accidents?
rock fishing accidents?

We don't need a park for every trivial (percentage of deaths
wise) case - who would be expected to pay for this country
wide network of 'dead cyclist' parks? the local rate payer?,
state govt? or would it be a federal responsibility? in
every single case the one who actually pays is the taxpayer,
and I for one would be bloody angry if my tax money was
diverted to such a cause (yes I know it already goes to
equally stupid ideas, but why come up with more?).

If, as pointed out by cfsmtb (quoting Phil Crohn) that more people have died on our roads last century than in all wars combined, then perhaps the park/memorial idea has legs. After all, how many shrines, memorial plaques etc does every town, city, location have?
could incoroporate them into those naff Lion's club parks in every town

"wassupdawg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

L'Acrobat said:

I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done
right, may make drivers more aware of cyclists (if
only in the general area of the memorial). But a
memorial park in each capital city is absurd, do we
need a memorial park in each capital for those killed
in toaster accidents? drowned in the bath park? died
of bee stings? snakebite? medical negligence?
abseiling accidents? rock fishing accidents? We don't
need a park for every trivial (percentage of deaths
wise)

case

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

- who would be expected to pay for this country wide
network of 'dead cyclist' parks? the local rate
payer?, state govt? or would it be a federal
responsibility? in every single case the one who
actually pays is the taxpayer, and I for one would
be bloody angry if my tax money

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

diverted to such a cause (yes I know it already goes
to equally stupid ideas, but why come up with more?).

If, as pointed out by cfsmtb (quoting Phil Crohn) that
more people have died on our roads last century than in
all wars combined, then perhaps the park/memorial idea has
legs. After all, how many shrines, memorial plaques etc
does every town, city, location have? could incoroporate
them into those naff Lion's club parks in every town

A few problems with that justification.

1. That road toll figure is frankly an abuse of statistics,
look at the amount of troops we've sent to war and the
amount of time they were in a war zone, then compare it
to the fact that all of us are road users and we use the
roads to one extent or another virtually every day and
suddenly that 'shocking road statistic' is pretty
inconsequential.

2. Those road users didn't choose to put their lives at
additional risk to protect the rest of us, so a
specific memorial seems no more needed than any other
cause of death.

3. I have no problem with people choosing to put up a
memorial to almost anything, just don't ask me to
pay for it.

On Mon, 3 May 2004 00:22:38 +1000, L'acrobat said (and I quote):

Quoted message said:

I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done
right, may make drivers more aware of cyclists (if only in
the general area of the memorial).

I think the main message these memorials would send is that
cycling is a terribly dangerous thing to do, and that if you
are stupid enough to get on a bike, there's a good chance
you'll get run over.

Seeing as a greater number of cyclists leads to better
driving behaviour and therefore increased cyclist safety,
anything that tends to discourage cycling serves to reduce
the safety of those remaining cyclists.

So I think these memorials are a bad idea. It's better to
promote cycling as a safe thing to do rather than a
dangerous thing to do.
--
What was I thinking?

Seeing as a greater number of cyclists leads to better
driving behaviour and therefore increased cyclist safety,
anything that tends to discourage cycling serves to reduce
the safety of those remaining cyclists.

I disagree with the above point, with my reference being that on occasions where a mass of cyclists interfere the car driver's 'god given right' to the open road, there is negative feedback, mostly though the tabloid press. Critical Mass for example gets over 95% of car drivers irate.

powinc

On Tue, 04 May 2004 11:42:12 GMT, powinc said (and I quote):

Quoted message said:

I disagree with the above point, with my reference
being that on occasions where a mass of cyclists
interfere the car driver's 'god given right' to the
open road, there is negative feedback, mostly though
the tabloid press. Critical Mass for example gets over
95% of car drivers irate.

I wasn't referring to group rides or Critical Mass (not that
I have anything against them), but simply to overall numbers
of individual cyclists. If encountering a cyclist on the
road is a frequent occurrence for drivers, they naturally
get better at dealing with it. If they only encounter
cyclists rarely, they stop looking out for you.

This leads to some perverse results, for example, mandatory
helmet laws making cycling less safe by causing a large
reduction in cycling numbers.

The widely-held view that cycling on the road is very
dangerous is self-fulfilling. If you can get people to
believe that cycling on the road is safe, it will become so.
--
What was I thinking?

Marty Wallace said:

We also have a long tiled snake that represents the Wagyl
set into the footpath of the main street. Tiles set into
the snakes form have the names of the winners of the
Collie -Donnybrook cycle race which extends back about 77
years. At the end is a large tiled apple which represents
Donnybrook, the home of the Granny Smith and Pink Lady
apples. The snake is about 100 metres long.

The home of the Granny Smith apple is Eastwood in Sydney.

"Ken Oaf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 2 May 2004 18:10:28 +0800, "Marty Wallace"
<[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

We also have a long tiled snake that represents the
Wagyl set into the footpath of the main street. Tiles
set into the snakes form have the

names

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of the winners of the Collie -Donnybrook cycle race
which extends back

about

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

77 years. At the end is a large tiled apple which
represents Donnybrook,

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

home of the Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples. The snake
is about 100

metres

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

long.

The home of the Granny Smith apple is Eastwood in Sydney.

Hmmm You're right! Even though Donnybrook calls itself the
Home of the Granny Smith apple it seems it WAS discovered in
Sydney. Donnybrook developed the Lady Williams and Pink Lady
varieties.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Marty Wallace
"Ken Oaf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 2 May 2004 18:10:28 +0800, "Marty Wallace"
<[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

We also have a long tiled snake that represents the
Wagyl set into the footpath of the main street. Tiles
set into the snakes form have the

names

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of the winners of the Collie -Donnybrook cycle race
which extends back

about

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

77 years. At the end is a large tiled apple which
represents Donnybrook,

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

home of the Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples. The snake
is about 100

metres

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

long.

The home of the Granny Smith apple is Eastwood in Sydney.

Hmmm You're right! Even though Donnybrook calls itself the
Home of the Granny Smith apple it seems it WAS discovered in
Sydney. Donnybrook developed the Lady Williams and Pink Lady
varieties.

Most definitely the home of the "Granny Smith Apple" is Eastwood Sydney, I am a 7th generation descendant of "Granny Smith"

The variety grew from seeds which grew near Threlfall Street Eastwood

Mike

powinc said:

or in a memorial park in each capital city or both.

Rather then a memorial park, why not a memorial bike path.

--
Please excuse my spelling as I suffer from agraphia. See
dformosa.zeta.org.auSpelling.htmlOpen ↗ to find
out more. Free the Memes.