OK, who dunnit now?

Peter Signorini said:

Going by the description some night-riding, LED-equipped MTB rider may
have lost something. Anyone from a.b. responsible?

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=481795&category=general&m=5&y=2006

Another one of those bicycle terrorists...

Cheers,

Vince

Peter Signorini said:

Going by the description some night-riding, LED-equipped MTB rider may have
lost something. Anyone from a.b. responsible?
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=481795&category=general&m=5&y=2006

"A home-made lamp left in a toilet cubicle by accident sparked the
dramatic evacuation of the Westfield Woden shopping centre earlier this
week."

Lucky, back home you can get shot just for carrying a table leg. :-/

Graeme

Quoted message said:

Peter Signorini said:

Going by the description some night-riding, LED-equipped MTB rider may have
lost something. Anyone from a.b. responsible?
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=481795&category=general&m=5&y=2006

"A home-made lamp left in a toilet cubicle by accident sparked the
dramatic evacuation of the Westfield Woden shopping centre earlier this
week."

Lucky, back home you can get shot just for carrying a table leg. :-/

Graeme

Well it weren't I. I have to applaud the police though who made a point
on the news of reassuring the public that they can act swiftly to such
matters and be on top of the situation quickly. Well, der, the cop-shop
is just over the road from Woden Plaza. If it took them any more than
two minutes I'd be a bit miffed!

In other local news, however, did anyone hear about local (and brand
new) opposition leader in the ACT LA, Bill Stefaniak??

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=481818&category=General&m=5&y=2006

The idiot ought to be strung up!
--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

Bean Long said:

In other local news, however, did anyone hear about local (and brand
new) opposition leader in the ACT LA, Bill Stefaniak??

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=481818&category=General&m=5&y=2006

The idiot ought to be strung up!

Errm, I don't think that is the prescribed penalty for using a mobile
phone whilst driving! ;-)
Meanwhile, did you see the rag headline (not sure which paper - just
glanced at it in a shop) about Dana Vale fighting a speeding fine, for
exceeding 40 kmh outside a school and saying speed zones were too
complex?

Donga

Donga said:

Bean Long said:

In other local news, however, did anyone hear about local (and brand
new) opposition leader in the ACT LA, Bill Stefaniak??

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=481818&category=General&m=5&y=2006

The idiot ought to be strung up!

Errm, I don't think that is the prescribed penalty for using a mobile
phone whilst driving! ;-)
Meanwhile, did you see the rag headline (not sure which paper - just
glanced at it in a shop) about Dana Vale fighting a speeding fine, for
exceeding 40 kmh outside a school and saying speed zones were too
complex?

Donga

Good to see we have people with our safety in mind running our
country... NOT!

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

In aus.bicycle on 21 May 2006 16:33:24 -0700

Donga said:

glanced at it in a shop) about Dana Vale fighting a speeding fine, for
exceeding 40 kmh outside a school and saying speed zones were too
complex?

To be fair, in NSW it isn't obvious when school zones are in force.
You have to have a watch easily available *and* know if it is a school
day or not.

If you don't have kids then knowing if it's a school day isn't easy.
It is quite possible to not see any kids about and still be in the time
the 40 zone is in force.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

To be fair, in NSW it isn't obvious when school zones are in force.
You have to have a watch easily available *and* know if it is a school
day or not.

If you don't have kids then knowing if it's a school day isn't easy.
It is quite possible to not see any kids about and still be in the time
the 40 zone is in force.

It's the same in WA, but all that happens (in the majority of cases) is
that for the first few days of school holidays you'll see people
slowing down anyway until they realise, then at the end of the holiday
you'll see some frantic braking when they notice everyone else has
slowed down. That said, you still see plenty people getting pulled over
when they put the speed guns there (maybe once or twice a month at the
school I go past).

Graeme

Zebee Johnstone said:

To be fair, in NSW it isn't obvious when school zones are in force.
You have to have a watch easily available *and* know if it is a school
day or not.

We have the exact same problem in Vic. A number of zones now have
variable speed limit signs that light up at the appropriate times, which
is a Good Thing. I am happy with the goal of the reduced speed limit,
and have no particular problem with the idea as such, but without those
variable signs, I have definite problems with the idea of enforcing
them.

--
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".

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on 21 May 2006 16:33:24 -0700

Donga said:

glanced at it in a shop) about Dana Vale fighting a speeding fine, for
exceeding 40 kmh outside a school and saying speed zones were too
complex?

To be fair, in NSW it isn't obvious when school zones are in force.
You have to have a watch easily available *and* know if it is a school
day or not.

If you don't have kids then knowing if it's a school day isn't easy.
It is quite possible to not see any kids about and still be in the time
the 40 zone is in force.

Zebee

Ummm... it's not really that hard to slow down to 40 if you're not sure
of the time or day. Better safe than sorry.

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 22 May 2006 12:43:48 +1000

Bean Long said:

Ummm... it's not really that hard to slow down to 40 if you're not sure
of the time or day. Better safe than sorry.

It's not just time of day, it's day anyway.

Doing 2/3 of the limit is sometimes a problem, but if the damn things
were "every weekday" I'd not quibble.

Saying "only sometimes" is stupid design. I don't think people should
be penalised for stupid design.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

Saying "only sometimes" is stupid design. I don't think people should
be penalised for stupid design.

??

Saying "40kmh" on a wide secondary road at 11.30pm during school holidays
seems like pretty stupid design to me. This on a road that 5 years ago was
60kmh with no accident problems. The problem was people doing 70-80kmh at
night. For god's sake then enforce the existing law, but instead all locals
passing through have to crawl along at 40kmh for no good reason.

The other option, which I could happily live, with would be a blanket 40kmh
limit on all residential streets. Out in the suburb I live in there are just
as many kids on the streets generally as there are around the schools ie.
none - everyone reckons they have to drive the car!!

--
Cheers
Peter

~~~ ~ _@
~~ ~ _- \,
~~ (*)/ (*)

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

Quoted message said:

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 22 May 2006 12:43:48 +1000

Bean Long said:

Ummm... it's not really that hard to slow down to 40 if you're not sure
of the time or day. Better safe than sorry.

It's not just time of day, it's day anyway.

Doing 2/3 of the limit is sometimes a problem, but if the damn things
were "every weekday" I'd not quibble.

Saying "only sometimes" is stupid design. I don't think people should
be penalised for stupid design.

Zebee

Oh, I thought *everyone* knew when school days were. I mean, they're
consistent across Oz, and consistent across the world (so tourists will also
know), they're consistent across public/private schools, and they're
extremely well publicised. How could you possibly not know? And as for
times - well all vehicles have clocks these days, and if they don't, their
owners should update and help the economy. And breed more school kiddies
while they're at it!

Oh yeah, in case anyone hasn't got it, I agree with Zebee. Limits/penalties
apply sometimes, but we won't tell you when, that's your problem. Stupid,
stupid, STOOPID!

Tony F

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 22 May 2006 15:11:46 +1000

Peter Signorini said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

Saying "only sometimes" is stupid design. I don't think people should
be penalised for stupid design.

??

Saying "40kmh" on a wide secondary road at 11.30pm during school holidays
seems like pretty stupid design to me. This on a road that 5 years ago was

yes. So saying "only sometimes" with no other info is silly.

The design that's broken is requireing the road user to determine the
speed with no other cues. Like say flashing lights...

Zebee

tony f said:

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

Quoted message said:

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 22 May 2006 12:43:48 +1000

Bean Long said:

Ummm... it's not really that hard to slow down to 40 if you're not sure
of the time or day. Better safe than sorry.

It's not just time of day, it's day anyway.

Doing 2/3 of the limit is sometimes a problem, but if the damn things
were "every weekday" I'd not quibble.

Saying "only sometimes" is stupid design. I don't think people should
be penalised for stupid design.

Zebee

Oh, I thought *everyone* knew when school days were. I mean, they're
consistent across Oz, and consistent across the world (so tourists will also
know), they're consistent across public/private schools, and they're
extremely well publicised. How could you possibly not know? And as for
times - well all vehicles have clocks these days, and if they don't, their
owners should update and help the economy

OK so find me a motorcycle with a clock? Probably someone makes one
and its probably a BMW but its one I havnt ever riden.
Actually my Austin Healey has no clock.. maybe I should buy a new one.

🙂

Dave

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 22 May 2006 22:26:59 +1000

dave said:

OK so find me a motorcycle with a clock? Probably someone makes one
and its probably a BMW but its one I havnt ever riden.
Actually my Austin Healey has no clock.. maybe I should buy a new one.

My pushbike speedo has a clock, but I usually have the display on
cadence, so in order to find the time I'd have to remember which
button to press and take a hand off the bars and eyes off the road to
do it.

Of course it would have to be a school zone at the bottom of a
hill....

Zebee

dave said:

OK so find me a motorcycle with a clock? Probably someone makes one
and its probably a BMW but its one I havnt ever riden.
Actually my Austin Healey has no clock.. maybe I should buy a new one.

No need, Dave. You get a pretty good feel for time after a hard fine.
;-)

I must have this wrong. Don't the signs say something like "from 7.30
to 9.00 etc."? Surely if you haven't got a clock and it's around that
time, you exercise care? For some, this might be about rules and
limits, for others, it's about lives. So if you don't like speeding
fines and are still speeding, I say jack 'em up.

Donga

In aus.bicycle on 22 May 2006 14:10:05 -0700

Donga said:

I must have this wrong. Don't the signs say something like "from 7.30
to 9.00 etc."? Surely if you haven't got a clock and it's around that

It's somewhere around 9am. There are no kids anywhere. Not one.

Is doing 52 kmh at that point dangerous when the usual road limit is
70?

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on 21 May 2006 16:33:24 -0700

Donga said:

glanced at it in a shop) about Dana Vale fighting a speeding fine, for
exceeding 40 kmh outside a school and saying speed zones were too
complex?

To be fair, in NSW it isn't obvious when school zones are in force.
You have to have a watch easily available *and* know if it is a school
day or not.

If you don't have kids then knowing if it's a school day isn't easy.
It is quite possible to not see any kids about and still be in the time
the 40 zone is in force.

Zebee

Unless it is a *really* small school, just watching the road, traffic and activity around the area should be enough to alert riders and drivers that it is the start and finish of the school day. It's not really rocket science... Thinking about where I am (inner city Melb) a cyclist or motorist wouldn't even have to have prior knowledge of the school's existence given the amount of people piling off trams, cycling along, and the inevitable fleet of cars vying for that one park right outside the gates.

I agree that some consistency would be helpful though - I'd be happy with the reduced speed throughout built up areas.

ali

Zebee Johnstone said:

Is doing 52 kmh at that point dangerous when the usual road limit is
70?

If a kid/adult/cyclist/driver comes along and expects the cars to be
doing 39, then perhaps yes.
What will it cost you to go a little slower?
Extend your argument to every other zone and add 12 kmh.

The last time I got a speeding fine was in 1985, from a Victorian
highway patrolman. He told me it was his job to hose down the crash
scene. I don't speed now (except on a pushie).

Donga