The continued attempt by the media to villify cycling is only surpassed by the deafening silence from Australia's cycling organisations. Columnists have imperiously claimed that roads are for cars, and consequently support the notion of a motorists's 'no-fault' default should a collision with a cyclist arise.
We are on our own with this ignorant stance - and meanwhile the rest of the world is busily planning their little hearts out for their cyclists and their citizens and their future.
(I'm embarrassed, but if you can stomach the rant below, it is typical of the australian press and their blatant preference for motorists over cyclists):
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/roads-are-for-cars-not-lycra-louts-20091028-hkwr.html
...hey Miranda! the roads are for me too!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Utterly, utterly depressing stuff - it makes my blood boil that the pro-car attitude is so prevalent in Australia (and very much coming to the fore in the news at the moment) So a cyclist gets angry and remonstrates with a driver - big deal - why the fuss? How many pedestrians have been killed by cars recently? Who is the real monster here?
ReplyDeleteMy much-loved Australia has an awfully long way to come before it catches up with the rest of the world on the cycling issue - once again it comes out on top for being 10-years behind :o( Big boo to the press for their lazy attitudes and a big thumbs up to people like you Sue who are single-handedly pushing the envelope whilst the cycling campaigns are slumbering. Shame on them.
thanks for your words of encouragement and you're right it is utterly depressing! However I refuse to be helmeted and I refuse to cease cycling - could get...expensive!!!
ReplyDeleteI have written to Bicycle NSW and others to ask them their views on mandatory helmet laws - have not heard but perhaps they're busy writing new proposals to persuade government to support my choice of deciding whether to helmet or not - anyway one of us will get back to the other soon - oh! ok it will probably be me getting back to them again and again...but I'm in this for the long haul and will not be easily deterred or defeated!!