What cheeses me off

[JessicaTam]

<snip>
PS - don't know about Sydney/NSW but in Tas emergency service vehicles turn off their sirens when stationary or slow, so as not to produce ear damage in those around.

It isn’t for ear damage. If traffic is banked back or stopped at a red light etc we turn the sirens off to stop the cars at the front from trying to get out of the way and doing something stupid/unsafe. Once traffic starts flowing then back on it goes.

My new car has an upgraded siren system. If I toot the horn for more than half a second a rather loud air horn kicks in. About the only thing that cuts through their bloody doof-doof music.

 

[Pushka]

I was not suggesting they do. I was just pointing out that in NSW it is technically illegal for almost anyone over the age of 16 to ride a bicycle on a footpath. Despite the law the police take no notice and until there are more pedestrians killed or injured from collisions with bicycles, nothing will change. It's up to the governments in SA and WA to also pass legislation, that is ignored.

It’s new legislation here that allows bikes on footpaths.

Actually people on electric scooters are far more dangerous.

 

[Lynda2475]

Actually people on electric scooters are far more dangerous.

But we dont have those in NSW at the moment

E-scooters | Transport for NSW

Personal e-scooters remain illegal on NSW roads and road-related areas, including footpaths, shared paths and bicycle lanes.

roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au

Personal e-scooters remain illegal on NSW roads and road-related areas, including footpaths, shared paths and bicycle lanes. T

 

[Forg]

I disagree, and do not think cyclist should be on suburban footpaths. Cyclists can use the road since their speeds are closer to that of the cars and buses than those on foot.

On the Sydney Harbour Bridge cyclists and Pedestrians uses the footpaths on opposite sides of the road way - it works well. It is crazy when they built the Anzac Bridge they didnt do the same thing.

On the bay walk where they are shared paths (that council thankfully spent years widening) the pedestrian and cyclist lanes are clearly marked and generally people stay in their lane - if anything its impatient cyclist veering into the pedestrian side to overtake other cyclists that causes the very rare issue (and the odd dog not on a lead).

A footpath isn’t a shared path, though. A shared path isn’t solely for pedestrians to stand around & get in the way, in fact there are regular signs saying to get off the shared path when stopped.

Cyclists can use the roads, sure, but the roads aren’t very wide around here. If pedestrians would behave themselves on the shared paths, it would be safer for cyclists & motorists if cyclists used the shared paths rather than the cyclists zig-zagging around parked cars & motorists needing to navigate past the cyclists when they’re already needing to navigate past those same parked cars & avoid the buses etc.

Having separate footpaths & bike paths would of course be better, but there’s not room for that beside most of the creeks. And where it’s been done, you see pedestrians just dawdling along the bike-paths & ignoring the nearby footpath …

 

[tdimdad]

As a pedestrian who tried cycling to work thrice … I can say that The Problem is pedestrians rather than cyclists.

The problem is everyone, perhaps including the legislation.

When I lived in Europe, bicycle was my main mode of commute, often including ferrying a kid in the child seat at the back to day care or wherever we were going to.

After moving to Australia, I read through the QLD Road Rules and came out of it shaking my head. Essentially, the tone was that bikes are seen as recreational toys instead of vehicles. --> That's where I would start the change. Bikes need to be elevated to the status of vehicles, including the relevant obligations and proper conduct on road.

At the same time, I tried commuting to our local suburban train station (Wynnum North or Lyndum, at the time) but stopped it after a few months. Even with "bike lanes" sandwiched between parked cars and car lanes, it felt too dangerous. Car drivers cutting onto bike lanes or doing other bizarre moves which are risky for bike riders. Or just being clueless around bikes and acting in illogical and unpredictable ways. One needs to get back home safely to the family, after all...

There are too many bike riders, too, who disregard both the rules and any notion of decent behaviour on road and using a bit of an eye for traffic / situational awareness. This group includes even the "MAMIL"s who you'd think spend so much time in traffic that they'd develop some exemplary habits over time.

And clueless pedestrians top this all off. It's super simple: you walk on the left, you ride on the left, and if you need to change "lanes" or direction, look around first and then move if clear. Or, at least, try to be predictable.

All in all, this all would be heaps easier if people cared to act like there'd perhaps be also other people out and about, each on their own chosen method of movement.

 

[tdimdad]

And on the topic of cheesing off and bicycles: dismounting when crossing a road. What nonsense is that? Where's that come from and why? You wouldn't ask a car driver to stop their car, step out of it to watch the other traffic before crossing the road until the next similar stop. But someone's thought it a great idea and safer to disrupt the bike journey every 200 m and require the rider to "step out of their vehicle". Even after all these years, it makes me laugh in disbelief.

 

[Pushka]

But we dont have those in NSW at the moment

E-scooters | Transport for NSW

Personal e-scooters remain illegal on NSW roads and road-related areas, including footpaths, shared paths and bicycle lanes.

roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au

Personal e-scooters remain illegal on NSW roads and road-related areas, including footpaths, shared paths and bicycle lanes. T

They are only legal in SA if they are the hired or rental ones. Makes no sense.

Most parts of Australian cities aren’t designed well for cycles.

 

[Julesmac]

Ditto
Think I am also ahead
.. just cannot stand their (lack of) customer service
Also - as I used to work with them years ago I had a policy they dont sell to the public and every time I try to compare to move nothing comes close. When I show my card they pick it up as if it gives off some form of gold dust.

Lack of customer service? That should have hardened you up to deal with Qantas

 

[RooFlyer]

It isn’t for ear damage. If traffic is banked back or stopped at a red light etc we turn the sirens off to stop the cars at the front from trying to get out of the way and doing something stupid/unsafe. Once traffic starts flowing then back on it goes.

That's interesting, thanks. Although I'm pretty sure (down here), ambulances still keep the lights going, still implying a bit of "I need to come through".

I think, if I was the only vehicle between an ambulance with lights on, and it being able to progress through a red light (if they chose), I would creep in front of the vehicle to my left or right, assuming I wouldn't get hit! Dunno if its legal, or appreciated, but it would be hard to just sit there with the lights going in the rear vision mirror.

 

[Forg]

It's super simple: you walk on the left, you ride on the left, and if you need to change "lanes" or direction, look around first and then move if clear.

I reckon 25% of 40yo’s in this country that’ve lived here since birth aren’t aware that in this country we walk on the left, and on escalators/travelators when we stand we stand to the left.

 

[Vic]

It isn’t for ear damage. If traffic is banked back or stopped at a red light etc we turn the sirens off to stop the cars at the front from trying to get out of the way and doing something stupid/unsafe. Once traffic starts flowing then back on it goes.

My new car has an upgraded siren system. If I toot the horn for more than half a second a rather loud air horn kicks in. About the only thing that cuts through their bloody doof-doof music.

Well except you're allowed to go on red for emergency vehicles. Completely acknowledge the safety aspect, so be careful.
Having a dear friend die of a heart attack, I get angry at dumb F$%^s who do not clear the way as best possible.*

*edit: I'm not stupid enough to think a quick ambulance would've have changed the outcome. Just my animal brain in action.

 

[Quickstatus]

This WCMO thread has come alive.
Cycling, it must be up there with Politics, religion, Rona for what cheeses everyone off

What would be the 5th in the top 5?

...

PS - don't know about Sydney/NSW but in Tas emergency service vehicles turn off their sirens when stationary or slow,

They turn the sirens off when driving down the highway at speed, when stationary, slow, at night - when safe

escalators/travelators when we stand we stand to the left.

WCMO is that in the UK, the bastion of being proper, where they drive on the left , that on the London Tube you keep to the right. Everywhere else in UK you keep to the left

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Well except you're allowed to go on red for emergency vehicles. Completely acknowledge the safety aspect, so be careful.
Having a dear friend die of a heart attack, I get angry at dumb F$%^s who do not clear the way as best possible.

There are drivers who will not change lane, ie, veer the left when they see an ambulance with sirens coming up behind them, they just stop their car in the middle of the road, so the ambulance has to veer, and ergo, its not the car that has to give way, its just stopped there, so the ambulance driver has to veer.
Or the ambulance has to veer onto oncoming traffic!

 

[Seat0B]

People with no spatial awareness. particularly those walking with their head down reading their mobile phone in a busy area such as an airport without ever looking up.

People responding to all the dings and beeps on their Apple Watch - whilst driving . How is that allowed?

 

[Forg]

WCMO is that in the UK, the bastion of being proper, where they drive on the left , that on the London Tube you keep to the right. Everywhere else in UK you keep to the left

From observation, that confuses the carp out of ‘em … they appear to be pretty organised on the tube escalators, but they’re worse than Strayans on all others.

I’ve never seen the reason for standing on the wrong side on tube escalators. I’ve seen it stated as being because of the shoulder people sling bags over most commonly, but backpacks didn’t exist when tube escalators were first installed … and from memory the escalators themselves are on the correct side … ie. if there are one up & one down, you approach on the left (but maybe that’s an incorrect recollection - or maybe they reverse them frequently).

 

[Vic]

From observation, that confuses the carp out of ‘em … they appear to be pretty organised on the tube escalators, but they’re worse than Strayans on all others.

I’ve never seen the reason for standing on the wrong side on tube escalators. I’ve seen it stated as being because of the shoulder people sling bags over most commonly, but backpacks didn’t exist when tube escalators were first installed … and from memory the escalators themselves are on the correct side … ie. if there are one up & one down, you approach on the left (but maybe that’s an incorrect recollection - or maybe they reverse them frequently).

Hmm, apparently first escalator was installed in the tube in 1911 in Earls Court
Apparently their was a knapsack patent given in the US in 1878... Pretty sure I've seen pictures of ww1 soldiers with backpacks.

I think the real reason is to just conform to the continent. Maybe with Brexit that will change

 

[tgh]

In Qld , the ambo's run their sirens right through the intersection melee.
Folks mostly try very hard and work together to facilitate passage and I have not seen an accident as a result
A police car is different , the fuzz may just want to get back in to the office for coffee .. they can wait..

 

[dajop]

I think the real reason is to just conform to the continent. Maybe with Brexit that will change

The escalators things is a well established rule, but which side do you pass people on in London when walking? In most of the UK, like here, it tends to be that you stay left. I've found that in London, there are so many tourists and foreigners present that it's entirely random, some stay left, some stay right ...

 

[TheRealTMA]

From observation, that confuses the carp out of ‘em … they appear to be pretty organised on the tube escalators, but they’re worse than Strayans on all others.

I’ve never seen the reason for standing on the wrong side on tube escalators. I’ve seen it stated as being because of the shoulder people sling bags over most commonly, but backpacks didn’t exist when tube escalators were first installed … and from memory the escalators themselves are on the correct side … ie. if there are one up & one down, you approach on the left (but maybe that’s an incorrect recollection - or maybe they reverse them frequently).

The curious reason behind why we stand on the right on escalators

If you’re a Londoner who likes to walk on escalators, it’s likely that you will be frustrated weekly, if not daily, by a fellow passenger who just hasn’t got the memo:

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[kookaburra75]

The curious reason behind why we stand on the right on escalators

If you’re a Londoner who likes to walk on escalators, it’s likely that you will be frustrated weekly, if not daily, by a fellow passenger who just hasn’t got the memo:

www.telegraph.co.uk

Well, at least I'm glad to know that there is no sensible reason for that....