What is it with The Courier Mail??

Donga said:

Every week, the Courier Mail (Brisbane) manages to run down cycling -
today on two counts

- firstly no mention of cycling as a sport, including in an article
speculating in which sports CG medals would be won, and no mention of
Alexis Rhodes's selection

- secondly this little gem from motoring editor Mark (get a life)
Hinchliffe (below). The fact that all this happened before 8am on
Australia Day, when there were few motorbikes and fewer cars out, has
escaped him. It would, of course, because he probably wasn't there and
the words sound very similar to those spoken by the freaked out
Irishman I mentioned in an earlier post. What are we going to do with
this donkey? There are any number of errors and fallacies in this
letter. And what are we going to do with this Bogan newspaper? Feel
free to email Get-a-Life on the email address shown. He asked for it!

Donga

MY TORQUE
SOME of the complaints about hoons terrorising Mt Glorious, west of
Brisbane, are justified.
This is one of the best roads in Australia for motoring enthusiasts. It
is scenic and challenging.
However, there is a minority element of motorcyclists and car
enthusiasts who treat it as their personal racetrack. They spoil it for
everyone.
However, cyclists are also to blame for making the mountain dangerous.
They ride two abreast and more, they wobble around on the steep
inclines and they often ride out near the centre line.
If you meet one coming around one of the many blind corners you had
better be ready to swerve and pray there is not a car coming in the
opposite direction.
Cyclists are an endangered species on any road because of the speed
differential to the rest of the traffic. But that differential is even
higher on this steep 80kmih road where they crawl along.
On Australia Day, hundreds of cyclists hit the mountain in what was
referred to by one of the cyclists as an "unofficial race".
They were all over the place, oblivious to the danger they caused other
road users.
Even if it was "unofficial", the participants should have informed the
police, obtained the necessary permits and provided support vehicles
with appropriate warning signs.
The police occasionally harass bikers on the mountain, but they never
seem to be available when cyclists are causing mayhem for other
motorists.
- Mark Hinchliffe
What do you think? Write to car@ qnp.newsltd.com.au

he's a troll!

Donga said:

Every week, the Courier Mail (Brisbane) manages to run down cycling - today on two counts

- firstly no mention of cycling as a sport, including in an article
speculating in which sports CG medals would be won, and no mention of
Alexis Rhodes's selection

- secondly this little gem from motoring editor Mark (get a life)
Hinchliffe (below).

First point: overlooking Alexis Rhodes CG selection after the terrible events in Germany is unexcusable ignorance.

Second point: Mark Hinchliffe. This 'journalist', yes I'll use the term lightly, has a long and ignoble history of trotting out the same tired [censored]. You're correct in challenging his stupidity, but there maybe issues surrounding the Mt Glorious ride.

Another tactic - why find out more about this event, possibly work towards a longterm goal of making this ride safer for all road users? Trolls like Hinchcliffe love the attention they receive, so why not completely out outmanoeuvre him & potentially do something beneficial for the greater cycling community who enjoy riding up & down Mt Glorious?

Then next Australia Day, invite Mark along for a ride, on a bike of course. Ok I'll get off the soapbox now. 🙂

cfsmtb:

Quoted message said:

Another tactic...

Good advice, ta.

Donga

cfsmtb said:

Quoted message said:

- firstly no mention of cycling as a sport, including in an article
speculating in which sports CG medals would be won, and no mention of
Alexis Rhodes's selection

Obviously they don't think cycling is of interest to their readers, it
won't be to the vast majority of them. If you want to read about
cycling then find a cycling magazine and don't read the Courier Mail.

Quoted message said:

First point: overlooking Alexis Rhodes CG selection after the terrible
events in Germany is unexcusable ignorance.

So again everybody has to agree with you view of what is important,
and you get to decide how the paper should be written and edited.

Quoted message said:

Second point: Mark Hinchliffe. This 'journalist', yes I'll use the term
lightly, has a long and ignoble history of trotting out the same tired
[censored]. You're correct in challenging his stupidity, but there maybe
issues surrounding the Mt Glorious ride.

Gees a motoring journalist doesn't like cyclists. Funny that, many
cyclists don't like motorists. Fortunately we live in a country where
people can write different stuff and don't have to all agree with a
bunch of cyclists causing traffic problems.

dewatf.

Hey dewatf

One fact not checked by Mark is that this all unfolded while motorists
were still in bed. The person who complained to Mark was a cafe owner
who wasn't prepared for lots of potential customers and couldn't handle
the pace. What traffic problems?

Donga

dewatf said:

So again everybody has to agree with you view of what is important,
and you get to decide how the paper should be written and edited.

True to form, dewatf yet again is being a tiresome irrelevant troll. yawnnnn. The Herald Sun, "Australia's largest-selling daily newspaper" had this on their front page yesterday. Apologies I don't have a scan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035538080@N01/95641468

Glory for a mate:
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18031951%255E2862,00.html

So Donga is correct, WTF is wrong with the Courier Mail? Should either Rupert or Lachlan have a polite chat to the editorial staff? Ok that was tongue in cheek, they're *not supposed* to do that... 😄

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

Quoted message said:

Every week, the Courier Mail (Brisbane) manages to run down cycling -
today on two counts

- firstly no mention of cycling as a sport, including in an article
speculating in which sports CG medals would be won, and no mention of
Alexis Rhodes's selection

- secondly this little gem from motoring editor Mark (get a life)
Hinchliffe (below). The fact that all this happened before 8am on
Australia Day, when there were few motorbikes and fewer cars out, has
escaped him. It would, of course, because he probably wasn't there and
the words sound very similar to those spoken by the freaked out
Irishman I mentioned in an earlier post. What are we going to do with
this donkey? There are any number of errors and fallacies in this
letter. And what are we going to do with this Bogan newspaper? Feel
free to email Get-a-Life on the email address shown. He asked for it!

Donga

Yeah what a load of [censored]! He's just [censored] he couldn't go for a fang up
the mountain early on Australia Day! Poor diddums...but it's hardly mayhem
for the possibly 5 cars who were up there at that time of the morning.

After passing 20 or 30 cyclists already, the total shock and horror it must
have been to unexpectedly find more cyclists using his road legally riding
two abreast!

Anyway I thought Mark Hinchcliffe was a motorcyclist? He should know that
there is often gravel, water runoff or tree branches right across the lane
up there.
If you go fast, prepared to be surprised. If his survival tactics involve
swerving
into the opposite lane when he encounters an obstacle he's going to be one
of
the guys that are carted away in an ambo up there every single weekend.
Let's
just hope he doesn't take someone else out going the other way. I get the
impression our journo friend is not exactly a Valentino Rossi or Michael
Shumacher!

As a motorcyclist I'm also surprised to hear him bring out the "endangered
species" line too. I'm sure he's been called a "temporary australian" more
than once by ignorant people.

Ah fuggit he's just a [censored] stirrer.

Adam

On 2006-02-05, adam85 (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

- secondly this little gem from motoring editor Mark (get a life)
Hinchliffe (below). The fact that all this happened before 8am on
Australia Day, when there were few motorbikes and fewer cars out, has
escaped him. It would, of course, because he probably wasn't there and
the words sound very similar to those spoken by the freaked out
Irishman I mentioned in an earlier post. What are we going to do with
this donkey? There are any number of errors and fallacies in this
letter. And what are we going to do with this Bogan newspaper? Feel
free to email Get-a-Life on the email address shown. He asked for it!

Yeah what a load of [censored]! He's just [censored] he couldn't go for a fang up
the mountain early on Australia Day! Poor diddums...but it's hardly mayhem
for the possibly 5 cars who were up there at that time of the morning.

After passing 20 or 30 cyclists already, the total shock and horror it must
have been to unexpectedly find more cyclists using his road legally riding
two abreast!

That reminds me of a story:

[news.bbc.co.uk]
->
-> Trolleys torn apart for one-pound coins
->
-> Vandals took apart dozens of supermarket trolleys in the
-> mistaken belief they contained one-pound coins.
->
-> The would-be thieves targeted 83 shopping carts at Lidl's
-> supermarket on Essington Way in Peterlee, County Durham, in the
-> early hours of Tuesday.
->
-> They took apart the handles of each trolley before stacking them
-> in a neat pile in a black bin bag left nearby.
->
-> Police believe they did not realise the one-pound coins are
-> returned when shoppers take the trolleys back.
->
-> [...]
->
-> A Durham Police spokesman said: "We can only guess that those
-> responsible have never used a supermarket trolley before,
-> otherwise they would know where the money goes."

You know what's worse than taking apart 82 trolleys with refundable
coin deposits to steal the non-existant dollar coin? Deciding there
must be a coin in the 83rd.

--
TimC
If it weren't for C, we'd be writing programs in BASI, PASAL, and OBOL.

dewatf said:

Fortunately we live in a country where
people can write different stuff and don't have to all agree with a
bunch of cyclists causing traffic problems.

A journalist is supposed to get the facts right, this one doesn't and neither do you.

Cars require eight times the road space that bicycles do, funny how in peak hour it's the cars that queue up behind each other while the cyclists carry on as normal.

Hinchliffe provided the following gem to one of the comments received.
It's good to see a declaration of position. I'm sure that one of our
BikeQld list members will follow up with comments on the law. By Mr
Hinchliffe's interpretation, the only way a cyclist can be legal at any
time is when going full tilt downhill!

Donga

"Thank you for your comments. A selection of cyclists' views will be
published over the next few weeks.
By the way, 80km/h is not just the limit, but also the speed at which
traffic should travel. Anyone who travels substantially below that
limit can be fined, except it seems for cyclists who appear beyond or
above the law. Even 50cc scooters are not allowed to travel on roads
zoned higher than
60km/h.

Mark Hinchliffe,
Motoring Editor,
The Courier-Mail,
GPO Box 130 Brisbane 4001
07 3666 6322
0400 366620"

Queensland road rules:

See rule 125

SNIP>
"Unreasonably obstructing drivers or pedestrians
(1) A driver must not unreasonably obstruct the path of another driver
or a pedestrian.

Maximum penalty-20 penalty units.

(2) For this section, a driver does not unreasonably obstruct the path
of another driver or a pedestrian only because-

(a) the driver is stopped in traffic; or

(b) the driver is driving more slowly than other vehicles (unless the
driver is driving abnormally slowly in the circumstances).

Example of a driver driving abnormally slowly-A driver driving at a
speed of 20 km/h on a length of road to which a speed limit of 80 km/h
applies when there is no reason for the driver to drive at that speed
on the length of road."
<UNSNIP

A bicycle travelling at normal bicycle speeds can hardly be considered
to be driving 'unreasonably' slowly.
A bicyclist riding as 'far left as practicable' as specified in rule
129 can hardly be 'unreasonably obstructing' traffic.

So yes, Hinchliffe is a flaming git!

Donga

On 2006-02-07, Donga (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Hinchliffe provided the following gem to one of the comments received.
It's good to see a declaration of position. I'm sure that one of our
BikeQld list members will follow up with comments on the law. By Mr
Hinchliffe's interpretation, the only way a cyclist can be legal at any
time is when going full tilt downhill!

Donga

"Thank you for your comments. A selection of cyclists' views will be
published over the next few weeks.
By the way, 80km/h is not just the limit, but also the speed at which
traffic should travel. Anyone who travels substantially below that
limit can be fined, except it seems for cyclists who appear beyond or
above the law. Even 50cc scooters are not allowed to travel on roads
zoned higher than
60km/h.

Seems he is not familiar with the law, and the meanings of
"unreasonably".

And I haven't yet come across the supposed law forbidding 50cc
scooters from >60km/h roads, but I wouldn't completely discount that
until I see the proof either way.

--
TimC
"I will never let my schooling get in the way of my education." --Mark Twain

I thought motorists have to pass a theory & skill test before they’re allow out on the roads.
Why don’t they use this instead of bleating about having to be ‘on the ball’ when driving around.
Geez, a slow travelling [by car standards] bicycle is just like a slow travelling car/truck/horse drawn vehicle. Just slow down & go ‘round when you can. Afterall it’s what I have to do when I’m caught up in peak hour traffic on my bike – I slow down & go ‘round.

TimC said:

And I haven't yet come across the supposed law forbidding 50cc
scooters from >60km/h roads, but I wouldn't completely discount that
until I see the proof either way.

Aren't 50cc motor bikes more commonly know as Pee Wees and such?, aka
those noisy two stroke, unregisterable "toys" that are suppossedly sold
for children to ride on private property.

Sort of engine I'm thinking of adding to the bicycle trailer when I need
to carry 200kg around {:-).

I had a 100cc quakka (Kawasaki motor bike) that kept up to the speed
limit (<=80kms), but not the traffic once {:-).

Normal speed was 40kms per hour because at anything over,the spark plug
tended to break down. {:-(.

Donga wrote:
Donga

Quoted message said:

"Thank you for your comments. A selection of cyclists' views will be
published over the next few weeks.
By the way, 80km/h is not just the limit, but also the speed at which
traffic should travel. Anyone who travels substantially below that
limit can be fined, except it seems for cyclists who appear beyond or
above the law. Even 50cc scooters are not allowed to travel on roads
zoned higher than
60km/h.

Mark Hinchliffe,
Motoring Editor,
The Courier-Mail,
GPO Box 130 Brisbane 4001
07 3666 6322
0400 366620"

I wonder if this load of drivel can be referred to the Qld Commissioner
of Police,with a suggestion that someone call him and educate him as to
the correct road rules.

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

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

And I haven't yet come across the supposed law forbidding 50cc
scooters from >60km/h roads, but I wouldn't completely discount that
until I see the proof either way.

Aren't 50cc motor bikes more commonly know as Pee Wees and such?, aka
those noisy two stroke, unregisterable "toys" that are suppossedly sold
for children to ride on private property.

No. They can also be scooters. I think QLD has a law that allows anyone with
a car licence to drive a 50cc or less motorbike without a specific bike
licence. Popular with tourists in, umm... tourist spots! ;^) PeeWees and the
like still can't be registered for on road, AFAIK.

I actually passed my moto licence test on a Honda Dax - 70cc of power that
would struggle to pull the skin off custard. Not quite a scooter, not quite
a minibike, but had all the bad features of each - great on fuel though.

Tony F
http://www.thefathippy.com

On 2006-02-07, Terry Collins (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Donga wrote:

<snip horseshit>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Mark Hinchliffe,
Motoring Editor,
The Courier-Mail,
GPO Box 130 Brisbane 4001
07 3666 6322
0400 366620"

I wonder if this load of drivel can be referred to the Qld Commissioner
of Police,with a suggestion that someone call him and educate him as to
the correct road rules.

Tam, adam, lotte, ect whoever live in Qld? Mind doing us a favour? Ta.

--
TimC
If a train station is a place where a train stops, what's a workstation?

On 2006-02-07, Terry Collins (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

I wonder if this load of drivel can be referred to the Qld Commissioner
of Police,with a suggestion that someone call him and educate him as to
the correct road rules.

http://www.qgd.qld.gov.au/qldpolice/pol002.html#1

I can't find any email, not that email would have any effect.

--
TimC
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little
Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
-- Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, 1760

tony f said:

"Terry Collins" wrote

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

And I haven't yet come across the supposed law forbidding 50cc
scooters from >60km/h roads, but I wouldn't completely discount that
until I see the proof either way.

Aren't 50cc motor bikes more commonly know as Pee Wees and such?, aka
those noisy two stroke, unregisterable "toys" that are suppossedly
sold for children to ride on private property.

No. They can also be scooters. I think QLD has a law that allows
anyone with a car licence to drive a 50cc or less motorbike without a
specific bike licence.

I have a 50cc V-Moto Milan. In WA anyone with any class of licence can ride
one as in QLD. There is a rule that you can't ride it on Freeways but
otherwise you can ride it on any other road, same as bicycles. The rules for
this type of vehicle restricts the design speed to 60km/h and mine won't go
any faster than that. I use it locally and to go and get the papers on
Sunday, which includes a section of 100 km/h zone.

Theo