Radicalising Cyclists
I think that Bicycle Victoria is an excellent organisation that does some fantastic and effective lobbying work and generally does a very good job of encouraging cycling in Victoria.
However, they are an inherently conservative organisation – they have to be – and I think that increasingly it is time there was an alternative, more radical voice.
This morning The Age reported that fines for cyclists went up in November quite dramatically. Frankly, I think that is utter bullshit and symptomatic of a nanny state (I need to find another phrase for that) that is hooked on the revenue gleamed from fines. Australia must have one of the most punitive fining regimes in the world.
I’ve no problem with it being illegal to ride a bike without a helmet, but a $149 fine is utter utter bullshit and it is time that we had a more radical voice for cyclists out there.
What alarms me is that BV are supportive of this move:
But the lobby group … says it is right that cyclists now face serious fines.
I’m a big believer in democracy and that there must be many voices in a society clamouring to be heard. What we need is a more radical bicycle lobby group that works hard to get a high profile and advocate for a relaxing of the laws for cyclists.
Many of my cyclist brothers and sisters out there will disagree with me. I think that’s a good thing. What we’re lacking at the moment is alternative voices, ones saying that a $292 fine for going past a tram at walking speed is utter crap, that there needs to be some flexibility in the law. Of course cyclists shouldn’t be going past trams at 30km/h – most cyclists are very pro-public transport – but to interpret the law so dogmatically is going too far.
So cyclists, let’s radicalise! Let’s build a city that is genuinely pro-cycling.
…I’ll build the website for you.
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I’m with you ham. What pisses me off is the relative cost for a bicycle specific fine compared to radically more dangerous car driving misdemeanors.
But, when it comes down to the basics, I still continue doing what ever i like. But I’ll do it with respect to everyone around me.
Victorian laws do not do enough to protect cyclists. Until they do, then the laws might get broken here and there.
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Count me in! (Preferably with a platform of ditching helmet laws altogether or at least having a debate about them.)
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My feeling is that cyclists probably need to be made more accountable and brought into line with motorists in order to legitimise them as road users before we’re going to start getting special allowances (like being able to treat a stop sign as a give way, turn left on red when safe).
BV are shit. We need an alternative.
They were all for allowing motorbikes to travel in bike lanes as a way of expanding their membership base (by including motorcyclists). If that’s not totally misguided, I don’t know what is