Miranda Devine has a few new entries for her list of things that annoy her:
- Cyclists who think they have any right at all to use the roads (can’t they just use the occasional bike paths I sometimes whisk past, and walk the rest of the way?), and therefore inconvenience drivers like her.
- Non-productive, “frivolous” stunts, such as the picnic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge last weekend, that shut roads and inconvenience drivers like her. (Awesome photos of the event by Daniel Boud here.)
Why are all these people so inconsiderate of Miranda Devine and her fast car?
I think I can guess who’s next on her list:
62 Comments
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“Okay, we would need more public transport and better roads if people stopped, but riding bikes is what you do as a child, before you grow up and learn to drive.”
What a childish response!
“If you are not getting enough exercise, then why waste your energy on a bike, ”
Errr because it’s superb low impact aerobic exercise!
“use it to plant a garden for food ”
And, mind your back, cycling is superior exercise and it helps you avoid doing what you’d normally pay to do, like errrr drive a car!
“(like a grown up) ” – You mean someone unlike you
youngcraig
I ride so I don’t pay someone else to do something I can do for myself, like all those grown ups in Paris, London, Amsterdam etc.
Grow up? Why?
“because it’s superb low impact aerobic exercise”
For inner city types who don’t do anything physically useful with their lives.
Seriously, our bodies only last so long, look at most elite sports people, their bodies fall apart once they are too old to train. Same goes for tradies, but at least they actually make things that people can use.
Riding a bike to work (impossible for me as I commute from the country) is just a waste of energy and it will shorten your productive life.
Cars have been around for a long time. I remember getting my first one, what a great feeling, I was able to go out and do things and not be physically stuffed from riding my bike around all over the place. What a relief it was to sit in warmth and comfort in a civilised motor vehicle. To suggest that I go back to riding around again like I did when I was 16 is just plane silly.
But not spending hours each day wearing my self out in order to hold on to my youth (which is impossible, without a lobotomy) allows me to spend time growing healthy fresh vegetables, in the fresh air, saving me (and Medicare) money and doing much more to help the environment than risking your life on a bike.
Still, I have no problem with those that choose bikes to make themselves feel like they are helping, even if the are just some banker trying to look hip…..oh and I don’t have a problem with sharing the road at all, I am happy to take the extra 10 minutes or so it takes me to get to the station if a rider is on the road, even though I burn more fuel and create more pollution so he can feel good about saving the planet.
Riding a bike to work (impossible for me as I commute from the country) is just a waste of energy and it will shorten your productive life.
How so? Keeping fit tends to lengthen people’s lives. {Snip – Play the ball not the man – Dave}
I was able to go out and do things and not be physically stuffed from riding my bike around all over the place.
My word you must have been an incredibly unfit teenager. When I was in my teens, I’d happily ride 20km, spend the entire day playing cricket and then ride back home.
But not spending hours each day wearing my self out in order to hold on to my youth (which is impossible, without a lobotomy)
At first I thought that your posts were intended as irony but it seems that you may well actually have had that lobotomy, which explains why you appear to be dead serious.
“Cars have been around for a long time.” Only if you were born yesterday, Bicycles have been around longer, so obviously they are better, come to think of it Horses have been around even longer still.
“Cars have been around for a long time.”
Errr so! Horses and bicycles have been around longer.
“To suggest that I go back to riding around again like I did when I was 16 is just plane silly.”
Who is suggesting that you must ride a bicycle to work? All I read is you saying that cycling is childish and a waste of energy, needless to say I disagree.
“Still, I have no problem with those that choose bikes to make themselves feel like they are helping”
Oh, so you’ve changed your tune? good on you.
“I burn more fuel and create more pollution ”
That’s your choice!
awwgh, come on folks, I’m only having a chat, no need to get personal.
I’m not suggesting banning bikes or any sort of violence against cyclists, I’m just putting up my view on the current bike fad.
Bringing horses into it? I was just saying that there is no need to ride a bike since cars have been around a long time. If you choose to ride then that is fine with me, it won’t hurt you….much, unless you fall off in the rain.
My point is that I think it is sad, with so much concern for the environment and human health, that people think that riding bikes is they answer.
It may help a bit, but it is far better for the planet and your long, healthy life prospects, if more people grew their own food and didn’t wear themselves out doing unnecessary exercise. This won’t suit everyone and fair enough, but I think it sad that we need to invent exercise when there is so much you could do to benefit your health, without getting into the latest Gym or Bike fad.
We have the internet so we don’t need to send post that much anymore, we have cars, trains and other comfortable, safe forms of transport, why go back to your childhood and risk you health and safety on a bike…..
“I burn more fuel and create more pollution ”
That’s your choice!
No it isn’t, I live too far from work, unless you are sayin’ that I should move to the city, into a crappy apartment in Docklands with all the rich kids….Sorry can’t afford that and I wouldn’t choose to live in the city.
Cars are moving to become carbon neutral, so why burn yourself out before your time – What is wrong with comfort and speed?
“No it isn’t,”
yes it is…
sorry, couldn’t resist.
“I wouldn’t choose to live in the city.”
See. told ya
youngcraig… I’m a little confused by your posts. Or perhaps the confusion is within the posts themselves. Perhaps if you’d allow me to clarify…
“why waste your energy on a bike, use it to plant a garden for food or do something you normally pay someone to do yourself, like mow the lawn or wash your car”
This seems to be the gist of your argument, so let me see if I understand it correctly. You’re saying that exercise for its own sake, without any productive output – such as a tended garden, or a clean car, is silly. That you could exercise by producing something rather than exercising for its own sake.
I don’t necessarily agree, but let’s just run with it for a moment (so to speak). This is where I’m not following you… yes, gardening gives you a nicely tended garden, washing the car gives you a clean car… but cycling also gets you transport. If you don’t do the gardening, you pay someone to do it for you (assuming you want the garden to live). If you don’t cycle, you pay for petrol and car upkeep (or pay for public transport; such as a bus driver, which is what I do).
So what exactly is the distinction?
Oh I know… driving a car is a lot more expensive? Cycling instead doesn’t seem silly to me.
But of course there’s nothing wrong with comfort and speed either… everyone gets their exercise in their preferred way. So you don’t cycle, and that is perfectly fine. But your labelling of cyclists as “silly” seems a little unnecessary, don’t you think?
I also like this:
“No it isn’t [my choice], I live too far from work, unless you are sayin’ that I should move to the city, into a crappy apartment in Docklands with all the rich kids….Sorry can’t afford that and I wouldn’t choose to live in the city.”
But it is your choice… you chose to live in the country and work in the city, right? You said it yourself… where is it? Ah yes: “I wouldn’t choose to live in the city.” You contradict yourself within the space of one paragraph. Very impressive. So yes, it is entirely your choice. And that is fine, but don’t be silly and deny it.
“people think that riding bikes is they answer. It may help a bit” Well, I’m not sure where anyone here said that cycling was “the answer”. Perhaps they agree with you that it will help a bit. That’s nice, isn’t it?
I won’t bother addressing your other points, which are mere trolling.
youngcraig
You miss the most important reason for riding in the city, it faster than both cars and public transport (without even having to break the law like drivers do). Everytime they have a commuter race in nearly every city the bike wins. and let me tell you I’d much rather ride my bike than waste time waiting for a train, or looking for a parking space.
So you enjoy your car and train ride but I will be home before you.
Having ridden to work today for the first time, I’d like to make a few personal (and highly non representative) observations:
1 I travelled the entire trip (about 30kms) on bike paths, apart from two short sections. During the first of these, from my front door to the bike trail, I saw one car. Unfortunately it didn’t see me and nearly killed me. I should clarify – when I say he didn’t see me I should say – he didn’t look for me – he just pulled out of the side street and missed me my centimeters. Having just come down a very steep hill I was going about 50Kmh and if he’d clipped me I’m pretty sure I was a goner. In his defence he did apologise profusely and was genuinely sorry.
2 I got a puncture. I was cursing my luck when another cyclist stopped to see if I had everything – I did apart from a repair kit – he gave me his spare tube. I offered to pay him but his reply was – ‘just think good thoughts and stop and help me if I’ve got a puncture. I send this guy good thoughts eternally. Another guy stopped and told me I needed a different pump and then used his to pump up my tyre. More good thoughts
I arrive at work today filled with fellow feeling toward humanity. Even the guy who almost killed me.
Cheers guys
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