Police get heavy with Critical Mass

Marty Wallace said:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Cyclists-riding-in-tunnel-protest-face-jail/2004/11/22/1100972326355.html

Marty

Cool. Never been to jail. oh wait, there was that one time...

my take on this

Quoted message said:

original text

my text

Quoted message said:

original text

Subject: theAge article 23.11.04

Quoted message said:

Cyclists riding in tunnel protest face jail
By Dan Silkstone
Transport Reporter
November 23, 2004

http://tinyurl.com/4zuzw

Cyclists who ride through the Burnley tunnel with protest group Critical
Mass will face arrest and up to five years' jail under a police crackdown.

well only if they do dangerous acts
riding on the road as normal doesnt count.

Quoted message said:

Victoria Police have joined CityLink operator Transurban

ahhh Transurbane
so why are the police FOLLOWING what T say?
i thought there was a differece between police and politics
fool me.

Quoted message said:

in a new hardline stance against the civil disobedience group,

??? cd ?, no its cm

Quoted message said:

promising that a planned ride

planned by whom?

Quoted message said:

through the tunnel on Friday night will not go ahead.

what ride thru what tunnel?

Quoted message said:

"The community is sick of this and we are listening to what the community
is saying," said police Superintendent Mick Williams. "They will not be
allowed to go into the tunnel."

(on 3aw)

Quoted message said:

Critical Mass is a loose coalition of environmental activists, health
industry workers and cycling enthusiasts

and mums and dads, and professionals and many other centrelink job
descriptions. see below

Quoted message said:

who stage monthly rides through the CBD. Once a year they cycle through
CityLink's Burnley tunnel, closing it to car traffic.

come on get that bit right! its the 110th ride in Melbourne
it COULD be weekly

Quoted message said:

Friday's planned ride was to mark the ninth anniversary of Melbourne's
first Critical Mass protest. Previously, Victoria Police co-operated with
Critical Mass by > closing the tunnel to cars and allowing the protest to
proceed.

The ride through the tunnel in June last year reportedly cost Transurban
$40,000 in lost revenue.

$ is never black and white
T lose $$$. ho hum.....
the community loses parks, trees, their health

Quoted message said:

Transurban has been talking to police since February to prevent a
recurrence and extra officers have been rostered to stop Critical Mass
entering the tunnel.

who pay for these?
what if the ride doesnt go thru?

where did the intelligence regarding the route come from?
how many sources?
3aw news? jees i hope they got the right info!

Quoted message said:

Superintendent Williams said many of the demonstrators were people who
should know better. "It's not all students, unemployed people and
rent-a-crowd types . . . there are a number of professional people from
the corporate sector, a number of public servants and people from local
government. We don't want them to risk prosecution."

hang on you already said "Critical Mass is a loose coalition of
environmental activists, health industry workers and cycling enthusiasts "

Quoted message said:

He said riders could be prosecuted for disobeying a traffic sign or
disobeying a police officer (both punishable by a fine).

wheres the 5 years jail?????

Quoted message said:

If they joined fast-moving traffic on the Monash freeway they could be
charged with reckless conduct and punished by up to five years' jail, he
said.

ahh. so if i put myself into fast traffic* i can be jailed
but citylink is mostly 60kmh or less thru the tunnel.
*it's faster on my local street EVERYDAY

Quoted message said:

CityLink spokeswoman Jane Calvert said Transurban expected business as
usual on Friday night. "We have been working closely with the police on
this matter and are confident they will do their job," she said.

because we paid them

Quoted message said:

Critical Mass targets CityLink because they say it is a symbol of the
privatisation of public space. "Ian" is a member of the group and will
join hundreds of cyclists on Friday evening, leaving from the State
Library.

hi again Ian

Quoted message said:

He said the movement comprised both "spikies" and "fluffies" - radical
activists as well as moderate ones. It also drew attention to cyclists as
road users, he said.

Ian believes the claims of massive traffic disruption are grossly
overstated. "On the ground people who go to Critical Mass see that the
hype is disproportionate to the actual impact."

and they see the ride as FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!
where's all the fun gone today?

Quoted message said:

He worries that the new hardline stance will end a period of unofficial
co-operation with the police.

next time they DON'T get told
every month will see a plan to go thru that may or may not happen

what's theAge's, theHun's solution?????

Quoted message said:

----------------------------------------------------------
Dallas

When in doubt, jiggle the cable.
----------------------------------------------------------

and theHun

and this is what I think after wiping my bum with it

Quoted message said:

Subject: Re: theHun article 23.11.04

Police vow to stop cycle of protests
Shelley Hodgson
23nov04

http://tinyurl.com/5ypcr

RADICAL cyclists planning to clog the Burnley tunnel on Friday face fines
or even jail.

as opposed to normal road users who suffer road rage from motorists
free road use, no rego, no tolls of roads already built.

Quoted message said:

In a tough new stance, police say they will stop cyclists from action
group Critical Mass entering the tunnel for a planned pro-bike, anti-car
demonstration. And > police say they plan to prosecute those flouting the
law.
The underground movement disrupted traffic in June 2003, when about 500
cyclists took over the Burnley tunnel.

and MANY other times
CityStink didn't act upon it and the media didn't report it

Quoted message said:

In February this year, 200 cyclists caused peak-hour chaos when they
forced
the closure of the Bolte Bridge.

um numbers anyone?
google?
400-500????
---------------------------
quote http://melbimc.nomasters.org/news/2004/02/63423.php
Over 500 cyclists attended the 100th Melbourne Critical Mass, and rode over
the Bolte Bridge, which cyclists are forbidden to ride normally as it is
part of the City Stink tollway system.
It was announced at the end of the ride in Royal Park that one of the police
officers counted 530 cyclists on the ride. This makes this ride one of the 5
biggest critical mass in Melbourne.

Attendance was helped by the route details being leaked to the media, with
radio shock jock Neil Mitchell in a lather about critical mass taking over
the roads and riding over the Bolte Bridge. ABC radio 3LO 774 also gave
coverage to the pending event.

----------------------------

Quoted message said:

Superintendent Mick Williams said enough was enough.

(speaking on behalf of CityStink)

Quoted message said:

Supt Williams said yesterday that cyclists would not be taking their bikes
through the tunnel for a protest to affect Friday night's peak-hour
traffic.

Those attempting to do so could be slapped with fines or even a jail term,
he said.

yep, riding on the road does lead to fines or goal
WTF???

Quoted message said:

"Our objective will be to keep traffic flowing on CityLink and prevent any
cyclists from entering the tunnel," he said.

and profit$ high

Quoted message said:

"I can give no guarantees we will be able to prevent someone who goes to
great lengths to enter the infrastructure, but we have done considerable
planning to prevent that."

yep, downloaded the CityStink map too
http://www.citylink.com.au/resources/file/356_3092004165012.PDF

Quoted message said:

Supt Williams said all access points to CityLink had signs declaring that
cyclists were prohibited.

yes BUT it also says UNLESS WITH AUTHORITY
a police escort and a cordoned* off roadway signifies 'with authority'
look for yourself next time your coughing up to drive thru

Quoted message said:

He warned that there was a $50 fine for disobeying traffic signs and a
$300 fine for disobeying the direction of a police officer.

but dont the police LEAD the ride???

if they to the tunnel first they can get a $50 fine for not reading the
sign,
but can ride thru the tunnel as they haven't been directed to stop there.
almost cheaper than the cheapest yearly CityStink account ($25/year, use it
or not)

Quoted message said:

Cyclists behaving dangerously on the CityLink system -- potentially
putting others at risk -- could even be charged with the serious
indictable offence
of reckless conduct endangering persons, Supt Williams said.

thats why its called Critical Mass. they CAN do it safely as a group
the numbers provide a reversal of the car vs bike road equation

Quoted message said:

It carries a prison term of up to six years. Even harsher penalties could
apply.

no i think he said 5, yep definitely 5. what's a year to hippies?
and where are all the bikes going to go?

Quoted message said:

"If someone did cause a serious collision, if someone was injured or even
killed, they could be deemed as possibly contributing to the cause of the
accident."

so police will come out to incidents reported by cyclists every time they
call 000 for assistance?
rarely do they attend if called even after being knocked off or being doored

Quoted message said:

RACV manager of government relations David Cumming said the clampdown was
"a long time coming".

and RACV dont offer any services to 'other' road users only smokey single
passenger car owners.

Quoted message said:

"It's just totally unacceptable to block that piece of road, particularly
on a Friday night," Mr Cumming said. "Police should use their powers to
ensure
these people don't block the flow of traffic, and if it means prosecution,
so be it."

[censored] me! CityStink and traffic flow in the same story!!!!!!!!!!
come on, the tunnel had 1 lane closed and traffic at 60kmh at ..... 5.30
yesterday (from 3yAWn traffic report)
the traffic DOESNT flow!

plus its fun (apparently)

D
----------------------------------------------------------
Dallas

When in doubt, jiggle the cable.
----------------------------------------------------------

* = 4. (Mil.) A line or series of sentinels, or of military posts,
inclosing or guarding any place or thing.
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=cordon

--

----------------------------------------------------------
Dallas

When in doubt, jiggle the cable.
----------------------------------------------------------

Quoted message said:

my take on this

Quoted message said:

original text

my text

Quoted message said:

original text

Subject: theAge article 23.11.04

Quoted message said:

Cyclists riding in tunnel protest face jail
By Dan Silkstone

$40,000 in lost revenue??

I can't see why any Melbourne motorists should not expect congestion on a Friday evening through transurban's motorways, happens every friday I'm stuck in a car on it.

Don't get me started on CM...

I hate the thought of these fruit loops representing myself and all the other cyclists, who *actually* ride serious K's, when they carry on like a flock of fools.

I agree with what these people are trying to do, which is ultimately trying to gain some space and respect on the roads... however, pissing motorists off isn't going to do this.

It's hardly any different to the downhill yobbos here in Qld who think that riding illegal tracks is going to gain them access in the future...

What a right joke the cycling community has become as a result of a minority group who feel that the only way to improve the situation is by rebelling, protesting and being a general nuisance.

That's my rant for the day....

LotteBum said:

Don't get me started on CM...

I hate the thought of these fruit loops representing myself and all the other cyclists, who *actually* ride serious K's, when they carry on like a flock of fools.

I agree with what these people are trying to do, which is ultimately trying to gain some space and respect on the roads... however, pissing motorists off isn't going to do this.

It's hardly any different to the downhill yobbos here in Qld who think that riding illegal tracks is going to gain them access in the future...

What a right joke the cycling community has become as a result of a minority group who feel that the only way to improve the situation is by rebelling, protesting and being a general nuisance.

That's my rant for the day....

I agree. I think it's the wrong way to do things. The only way that we're going to get respect from motorists is through education via TV ads, newspapers, etc. They could be advising the public that cyclists are rightful road users, that rego's don't pay for roads, etc. Other ways of doing it are to get more cyclists commuting so that there is more of a presence of cyclists and motorists just begin to accept that bike riders use roads too.

"jazmo" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I agree. I think it's the wrong way to do things. The only way that
we're going to get respect from motorists is through education via TV
ads, newspapers, etc. They could be advising the public that cyclists

Who is "they"? Who pays for this?

Quoted message said:

are rightful road users, that rego's don't pay for roads, etc. Other
ways of doing it are to get more cyclists commuting so that there is
more of a presence of cyclists and motorists just begin to accept that
bike riders use roads too.

Monthly 'ride to work' days? How?
It's all too easy for people to jump in their cars.. any laws introduced
to encourage cycling are canned by the general public
"compulsory showers at work.. i'm not gonna pay for them!"
"increased fuel costs to pay for cycling [censored].. i'm not voting for him!"

How do you alter something so ingrained when there's
no interest from pollies or the public in said change?

hippy

Exactly.

My partner only started road riding just over a year ago, whereas I've been doing it for 12 years (since I was only 11 years old). I've learnt, over the years, that when someone cuts you off, abuses you or generally does something stupid, to ignore them. Paul has finally cottoned on and no longer chases people and threatens them (although this does work from time to time with young teenage boys who really aren't the big tough blokes they think they are).

There are times where I'll pull up next to someone who has just cut me off at a set of lights and ask them if they were trying to kill me, or just give me a quick trip to hospital... 99% of the time they say "oohhhh I'm sooo sorry I didn't see you" to which I reply "Just keep your eyes open mate, you'll kill someone if you're not careful", then "Have a nice day, drive safely". How can that make anyone angry? If anything, they feel like a bit of a dik, and keep their eyes open, at least until they get home.

I live in Queensland, home to the worst drivers in the world, and I can say right now that over the past 12 years, driver attitudes and behaviour has changed dramatically...

"LotteBum" <[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Don't get me started on CM...

Too late ;-)

Quoted message said:

I hate the thought of these fruit loops representing myself and all the
other cyclists, who *actually* ride serious K's, when they carry on like
a flock of fools.

I'm not a cmasser as such.. did a couple ages ago and wasn't so
sure it was helping cycling so I stopped. But, there ARE many
massers who do serious kays - racing, working, commuting.
Don't believe everything you read in the papers.

Quoted message said:

I agree with what these people are trying to do, which is ultimately
trying to gain some space and respect on the roads... however, pissing
motorists off isn't going to do this.

I tend to agree, hence my non-participation, but is anything else
working? I see bugger all bikes on my commute, compared to
cars. Most people seem more content to waste away in front
of the footy than pedal somewhere..

Quoted message said:

It's hardly any different to the downhill yobbos here in Qld who think
that riding illegal tracks is going to gain them access in the
future...

I doubt they think it will gain them access. I imagine it would be more
of a case of "I'll ride it while I can.. stuff everyone else" - the same
"me me me" a lot of drivers exhibit..

Quoted message said:

What a right joke the cycling community has become as a result of a
minority group who feel that the only way to improve the situation is
by rebelling, protesting and being a general nuisance.

I don't know.. I think I'd still cop the same amount of [censored] from drivers
with or without CM. I've yet to notice an increase in abuse on the road
when CM gets press, but drivers at work certainly talk more about
cyclists when there's a CM "uproar". Good or bad? Dunno.

hippy

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 at 00:23 GMT, LotteBum (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Don't get me started on CM...

I hate the thought of these fruit loops representing myself and all the
other cyclists, who *actually* ride serious K's, when they carry on like
a flock of fools.

I agree with what these people are trying to do, which is ultimately
trying to gain some space and respect on the roads... however, pissing
motorists off isn't going to do this.

I am of the opinion that motorists that get [censored] at such an
event and come back later to get revenge on any cyclist (consiously or
not) are precisely the kind of people that should not be allowed on
the road at all.

They're the kind of person who would get [censored] regardless of
whether it was one cyclist being in the left hand lane, or 100 taking
up the entire road.

I honestly don't know what to do about them, or motorists in
general. Maybe when the media publicises that these CM guys are doing
n kms in the few hours it takes them riding at a slow pace, where n is
greater than the amount of kms that the average luser in a car does,
then maybe we'll get a few converts?

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
Look - a diversion! It's shiny! -- Daniel Stone

TimC said:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 at 00:23 GMT, LotteBum (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

I agree with what these people are trying to do, which is ultimately
trying to gain some space and respect on the roads... however, pissing
motorists off isn't going to do this.

I am of the opinion that motorists that get [censored] at such an
event and come back later to get revenge on any cyclist (consiously or
not) are precisely the kind of people that should not be allowed on
the road at all.

Yes and no. It's not about the fact that the cyclists are faster than
the motorists. It's about the _perception_ that the cyclists are causing
the motorists to be delayed (rightly or wrongly).

I fully agree with the aims -- that of educating motorists that cyclists
exist, and that we have just as much right (if not more!) to the road as
anybody in a car -- but not the methods. I rather liked the description
from one of our esteemed State Members of Parliament (the name of whom
escapes me): it was pouring with rain, and he noticed somebody outside,
jogging along merrily. He was thinking to himself, "Poor guy, jogging in
weather like this..." -- until he got to where he was going, and
realised that the jogger had got there just as quickly (if not faster).

That's the sort of thing we need to teach drivers: that the time taken
in a car, on a _five lane freeway_ of all things (Eastern) is just as
much during peak hour as if the car driver were on a bicycle. Don't make
them mad -- make them _jealous_!

Quoted message said:

I honestly don't know what to do about them, or motorists in
general. Maybe when the media publicises that these CM guys are doing
n kms in the few hours it takes them riding at a slow pace, where n is
greater than the amount of kms that the average luser in a car does,
then maybe we'll get a few converts?

As I said: if motorists perceive that cyclists are causing the delay,
the motorists will get irate about it, and the consequence will be that
cyclists suffer. If, on the other hand, motorists perceive that cyclists
are getting to where they're going _faster_, in a manner that _doesn't_
result in such a perception ...

It comes down to laziness. It's easier for people to sit in a car, even
if it's only crawling at 5 kph for a couple of hours, than it is to jump
on a bicycle. Me, I reckon it's easier for me to jump on a bike, travel
just as fast as (if not faster than) the cars around me, and save time
on exercising to keep myself in shape, because I get it for free as part
of my daily commute.

Talk about preaching to the converted...

--
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".

Stuart Lamble said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

It comes down to laziness. It's easier for people to sit in a car, even
if it's only crawling at 5 kph for a couple of hours, than it is to jump
on a bicycle. Me, I reckon it's easier for me to jump on a bike, travel
just as fast as (if not faster than) the cars around me, and save time
on exercising to keep myself in shape, because I get it for free as part
of my daily commute.

Talk about preaching to the converted...

<snip>

amen to that

hippy said:

"jazmo" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I agree. I think it's the wrong way to do things. The only way that
we're going to get respect from motorists is through education via TV
ads, newspapers, etc. They could be advising the public that cyclists

Who is "they"? Who pays for this?

Quoted message said:

are rightful road users, that rego's don't pay for roads, etc. Other
ways of doing it are to get more cyclists commuting so that there is
more of a presence of cyclists and motorists just begin to accept that
bike riders use roads too.

Monthly 'ride to work' days? How?
It's all too easy for people to jump in their cars.. any laws introduced
to encourage cycling are canned by the general public
"compulsory showers at work.. i'm not gonna pay for them!"
"increased fuel costs to pay for cycling [censored].. i'm not voting for him!"

How do you alter something so ingrained when there's
no interest from pollies or the public in said change?

hippy

Fair points. Various cycling organisations, including Bicycle Victoria are really the only group in a position to be able to do this sort of thing - but they probably wouldn't have the money to do it yet. They are already promoting cycling to some extent and that extent is growing. Maybe it's a matter of time (perhaps a long time) before they can start doing more visible advertising. The only one I've so far is the 'Share the Road' campaign. The only problem with this is that I've only seen this being promoted at the Bike Show in October and by leaflets sent to me by BV. The problem here, an obvious one, is that it's still not getting out to the drivers. RACV was one of the sponsors here. I'm not sure if they included the 'Share the Road' leaflets in their Royal Auto mags but I have seen some articles in Royal Auto on cycling lately. The problem here again is that the only people likely to read these articles are cyclists themselves.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 at 03:21 GMT, Stuart Lamble (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

I fully agree with the aims -- that of educating motorists that cyclists
exist, and that we have just as much right (if not more!) to the road as
anybody in a car -- but not the methods. I rather liked the description
from one of our esteemed State Members of Parliament (the name of whom
escapes me): it was pouring with rain, and he noticed somebody outside,
jogging along merrily. He was thinking to himself, "Poor guy, jogging in
weather like this..." -- until he got to where he was going, and
realised that the jogger had got there just as quickly (if not faster).

Peter Batchelor - our esteemed transport minister:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Jammed-one-day-a-car-park-the-next/2004/11/12/1100227575060.html

Quoted message said:

It comes down to laziness. It's easier for people to sit in a car, even
if it's only crawling at 5 kph for a couple of hours, than it is to jump
on a bicycle. Me, I reckon it's easier for me to jump on a bike, travel
just as fast as (if not faster than) the cars around me, and save time
on exercising to keep myself in shape, because I get it for free as part
of my daily commute.

And because of all the excercise, we are *allowed* to eat that packet
of 250g lollies in 15 minutes. Dammit. I'm not feeling sick... yet.

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
If I sit here and stare at nothing long enough, people might think
I'm an engineer working on something.
-- S.R. McElroy

TimC said:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 at 03:21 GMT, Stuart Lamble (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

I fully agree with the aims -- that of educating motorists that cyclists
exist, and that we have just as much right (if not more!) to the road as
anybody in a car -- but not the methods. I rather liked the description
from one of our esteemed State Members of Parliament (the name of whom
escapes me): it was pouring with rain, and he noticed somebody outside,
jogging along merrily. He was thinking to himself, "Poor guy, jogging in
weather like this..." -- until he got to where he was going, and
realised that the jogger had got there just as quickly (if not faster).

Peter Batchelor - our esteemed transport minister:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/
Jammed-one-day-a-car-park-the-next/2004/11/12/1100227575060.html

That's the one. Exactly the article I was thinking of. (I'm too lazy to
look up articles in the Age, especially since they moved to requiring
registration to read the articles online.)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It comes down to laziness. It's easier for people to sit in a car, even
if it's only crawling at 5 kph for a couple of hours, than it is to jump
on a bicycle. Me, I reckon it's easier for me to jump on a bike, travel
just as fast as (if not faster than) the cars around me, and save time
on exercising to keep myself in shape, because I get it for free as part
of my daily commute.

And because of all the excercise, we are *allowed* to eat that packet
of 250g lollies in 15 minutes. Dammit. I'm not feeling sick... yet.

250g? in 15 minutes? Mate, you need to take a few lessons from the
master.

Just one of the reasons why Monash is better than Swinburne. *ducks*

--
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".

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 at 04:14 GMT, Stuart Lamble (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

Peter Batchelor - our esteemed transport minister:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/
Jammed-one-day-a-car-park-the-next/2004/11/12/1100227575060.html

That's the one. Exactly the article I was thinking of. (I'm too lazy to
look up articles in the Age, especially since they moved to requiring
registration to read the articles online.)

I knew the search terms to put into google. Except I didn't know how
to speel his last name. Evidentally, he's not a bachelor.

Also: Jim Nonners. 49. From postcode 4312, Albania. Profession:
A Grade Cricket 🙂

Sounds familiar?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

And because of all the excercise, we are *allowed* to eat that packet
of 250g lollies in 15 minutes. Dammit. I'm not feeling sick... yet.

250g? in 15 minutes? Mate, you need to take a few lessons from the
master.

It's all I had! And I was saving them!

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
Center meeting at 4pm in 3C-273.

TimC said:

Also: Jim Nonners. 49. From postcode 4312, Albania. Profession:
A Grade Cricket 🙂

Sounds familiar?

Not in the slightest. Especially since 4312 isn't Albania; it's Bryden,
Caboonbah, Coal Creek, Crossdale, Esk, Eskdale, Glen Esk, Moombra, Mount
Byron[1], Mount Hallen, Murrumba, Redbank Creek, and Somerset Dam, in
Queensland. (gotta love the postcode search on Australia Post's website
😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

And because of all the excercise, we are *allowed* to eat that packet
of 250g lollies in 15 minutes. Dammit. I'm not feeling sick... yet.

250g? in 15 minutes? Mate, you need to take a few lessons from the
master.

It's all I had! And I was saving them!

Excuses, excuses. You need to work on that. It might pass muster when
you're dealing with the PHBs, but it certainly doesn't pass muster here,
m'boy!

[1] Hm. Wonder if there are any telepaths there.

Sorry.

--
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".

"jazmo" <[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Fair points. Various cycling organisations, including Bicycle Victoria
are really the only group in a position to be able to do this sort of
thing - but they probably wouldn't have the money to do it yet. They
are already promoting cycling to some extent and that extent is
growing. Maybe it's a matter of time (perhaps a long time) before they
can start doing more visible advertising.

I'm not a BV member and I reckon there's a lot of
racer-types that aren't either. I don't know anything
about BV's membership breakdown but wouldn't
most members be keen cyclists already (before they
joined)? It's not like a driver is going to join (and pay)
just because they are thinking riding might be cool? Or
are they? I don't know. Anyway, given cyclists are a
small group compared to cars - how can BV ever hope
to advertise like Holden, Ford, etc. can?

The cool 'Buy a car and go really fast everywhere,
picking up sexy guys/girls along the way' ads are surely
going to appeal to more people than low-budget BV's
ads.

Maybe we should hire santa for one night to steal all the
cars, melt them down, build bikes and replace the cars
with bikes.. hmm.. maybe I should lay off the cough
syrup?

hippy

hippy said:

Maybe we should hire santa for one night to steal all the
cars, melt them down, build bikes and replace the cars
with bikes.. hmm.. maybe I should lay off the cough
syrup?

Nah. Steal all the cars with an engine larger than 2 litres in size. 🙂
That gets the biggest cars off the road, and leaves the smaller, less
unfriendly ones. Do this enough times, and people might start getting
the message. (Me? Dislike 4WDs? Fsck yeah -- as a cyclist _and_ as a
motorist.)

On a tangential note: I realised a while ago that I, sitting on my
hybrid, was actually able to see over the top of the typical 4WD roof to
the road ahead. Mildly amusing.

--
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".