Well! I made it to Parliament House with all the Sydney buses, taxis and regular rush hour traffic - and when we were all stopped at traffic lights, so many people talked to me - I can't tell you how many taxi drivers pointed out to me that I wasn't wearing a helmet(!) and did I know that there was a fine in this country(?) - loved the way they didn't think I knew that!!! Interestingly, the fine varied enormously from $50 at traffic lights near the 'Liverpool Street end of Elizabeth Street' through to $500 at traffic lights near the 'St James' station part of Elizabeth Street'.
But all in all it was an exhilarating experience and one that I plan to repeat as soon as I get back to Sydney, which will be this coming weekend because I'm doing a radio interview about bicycles & helmets & lack thereof & bike-share & everything wonderful about bicycles in anybody's life!
...and I was running late so I ended up tying up my bicycle to one of the bike hoops in Macquarie Street. I really fretted that it wouldn't be there when I came out of Parliament House - but big relief! it was. However next time I will ask them all inside where their bike shed is - they'd have to have one, wouldn't they?
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I am very impressed with the following you have gathered Sue. Please post a link to the podcast of your radio interview if possible.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely ask where their bike shed is at Parliament House. I do the same al the time with local businesses, especially those that pretend to cater to children and young people.
How very hippy! Good to see you're shaking a stick at authority. I always thought there was too much bureaucracy in Austrlia!! I used to be an avid "No helmet" man but Tommy changed all that when he ran into me in Kingdon Street! The science says helmets don't make much of a difference so I think freedom of choice is probably justified here. I'll stick with mine! Roddy
ReplyDeleteThanks, guys, for your comments!
ReplyDeleteEdward, I will post the podcast!
...and Roddy, it definitely should be freedom of choice and that's what I'm chasing!
I'm really fed-up at being the focus of everyone's anger out there if I were to display lets say, less than perfect cycling manners. Instead of calling them bad manners, I tend to think of them as common sense actions that have been misinterpreted by non-cyclists.
ReplyDeleteSome people get so uptight if I ring my bike bell on a shared path but equally so if I don't so I can't win there either. Whilst cycling the wrong way down a quiet one-way street I was reminded of the traffic laws by a pedestrian who was hardly in danger.
Isn't it wonderful how drivers and pedestrians care so much about rules and regulation. As a cyclist I hardly go around mouthing-off to others if their car lights are faulty or when a pedestrian crosses in front of me on a red light - I simply pass behind them and carry on my way. I'd see it as expedition and common sense for both parties because we spend too much of our life waiting at red lights anyway.
Keep the posts coming!