To the loser on the brown STP...

[Techno Destructo]

You were riding across the Darling Harbour walkway and bridge this morning (Friday, Oct. 14th) at 8:20am. You were riding a brown STP with Pikes up front, and wearing a baseball cap and those really big Chanel sunglasses (y'know, big gold emblems on the side, that all the trendy, bandwagon fashion tragics are wearing nowadays... well, you're the first person who wasn't a woman I saw wearing them... whoops... getting off-topic here...)

Have I got your attention? Our conversation was really short, and you didn't seem to want to talk about it, so I was hoping we could expand the conversation here... I'm hoping you'll speak up and we could finish the conversation here...

I'll just bring everyone else up to speed here...

8:15am... riding to work as per usual. Went in with the wife on the ferry this morning so I'm riding from the CBD to Newtown, going across Darling Harbour. There's LOTS of pedestrians on the first overpass (that connects with the bridge, and has that elevator and those two escalators that never work...). I'm riding slowly... about 5km with the pedestrians, and as I approached a bottleneck, with a pedestrian coming the other way, you came from behind, at about 25 km/h, threaded the needle between me, the concrete pole and the pedestrian coming the other way, causing that person to jump out of the way.

You then, practically sprinting, played human slalom with the pedestrians before reaching the steps beside the elevator, where you did a skidding stop with people all around you, just inches away, and instead of picking up your bike and carrying it down the stairs... this part is great, btw.... while the stairs are PACKED with people on both sides walking up and down, you RIDE your bike down the stairs! You're completely boxed in on all sides, moving at a walking pace, trying to maintain your balance and control, with your front wheel right behind people's butts! (To your credit, you somehow held it together).

Dumbest thing I've seen a cyclist do in years, really. You saved no time (since I was walking down the stairs the whole way behind you), risked hitting pedestrians in an area where we legally aren't supposed to be riding in the first place, and made pedestrians hate cyclists all that much more.

So when I caught up to you, I had to say something...

Me: "Hey! Some sharp riding there! But don't you think we shouldn't be riding like that in the middle of all those pedestrians?"

You: "Whuh? It's just like cars, man..." (What did you mean by that?:confused: )

Me: "Uh... yeah... Y'see, when you blitz around pedestrians like that, it really freaks them out..."

You: "Yeah, so what?"

Me: "It stuff like that, that gets cyclists banned from areas."

You: "It's not your problem."

Me: "You're stabbing us in the back..." (BTW... when I mean US, I meant ALL cyclists... that's YOU and ME... since it seems you didn't get it) "because they'll..."

You: "Get a life, mate", and you tried sprinting away.


Anyway... I guess you were too much in a rush to get to that sale on other Chanel items at the jewelery store or something, so I'm hoping we could finish the conversation here...

The rest of my statement was, you're stabbing us (as in you, me and all other cyclists) in the back by riding like a moron in the middle of pedestrians, because:
1. Pedestrians complain to police.
2. Bikes are banned from areas (there's several in the city already, and believe it or not, we aren't allowed on that overpass part before the Darling Harbour Bridge either... hence why we have to tread so lightly there...)
3. They put cops there for spot checks, and nab cyclists and give them fines. I know. I've been caught and fined once myself.

So yeah, it IS my problem. YOU, by riding like an asshole, are threatening to take away areas that I can legally ride in the city. I've been riding to work for YEARS. I don't want you to make it any harder for me, just so you can get your little thrills which don't get you to work ANY faster ('cause I found it pretty easy to catch up with you...). You are going to ruin it for EVERYBODY.

Just TRY thinking about the situation. And an answer like "So what, not my problem", "They won't do anything", or "They won't catch me" is bullshit.

I'm curious to see what you think about it all.

[johnny]

I think I ride the same areas around the same time as you Techno.

I think I will keep my eye out and say hi if happen by our new friend too ;)

[scblack]

I ride there a bit now too, will keep an eye out.

Just note that mine's a GREEN STPZero.:p

[Oddjob]

Chances are you will never hear from the c*ck jockey here.

Although I'll make sure to mug him and wreck his sunnnies if I see him. ;) Big Chanel sunnies are up there with pink shirts for fashion crimes committed by men.

[Atomizer]

Chanel sunglasses...nah....no one is that sad surely.

Tell me you could be wrong about this bit.

[Techno Destructo]

Yeah, Johnny, SCBlack, you STP riders take care of your own, eh? ;)

As for the Chanel glasses... I KNOW! How embarrassing! But, chances are, people that are that pathetically trendy... he probably bought that bike simple because it was the latest cool thing to do he read about in Vogue magazine, or something. He obviously doesn't have years of riding to work under his belt, because he would've actually THOUGHT more about his actions and their repercussions on is ability to ride everywhere in the city.

The best part was the big gold emblem on the side! Usually I see women in their 40+ sporting those! He's probably got a Louis Vitton bag too! LOL!

[johnny]

Johnny, STP rider??!!

BLASPHEMER!! :mad:

You'll have to pay closer attention next time we ride mate ;)

[Techno Destructo]

Johnny, STP rider??!!

BLASPHEMER!! :mad:

You'll have to pay closer attention next time we ride mate ;)

Whoops! Was it a Chase?
:o

[scblack]

Yeah, Johnny, SCBlack, you STP riders take care of your own, eh? ;)

No, Johnny doesn't have an STP, he just wishes he had one!:p

[johnny]

Whoops! Was it a Chase?
:o
It's not A chase, it's THE Chase :p

scblack, come and talk to me when your HT only has 1 gear :p

[miko]

Yeah, I haven't seen riding that dumb, well, probably ever! It's certainly making me think about where I ride and pedestrians. I generally am quite polite, but I think I've scared a few in my time.

[McBain]

That's a pretty crap situation - particularly in light of this: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/woman-hit-by-skateboarder-in-critical-condition/2005/10/13/1128796619370.html

I'm not blaming the skater neccessarily, but putting others in danger is crap. Hurt yourselves as much as you want (heck, I do!), but leave the innocent alone.

[Atomizer]

As for the Chanel glasses... I KNOW! How embarrassing! But, chances are, people that are that pathetically trendy...

I've got it down to two people using my renowned powers of deduction. It could only be these two given the sheer audacity of wearing Chanel sunglasses..and in public.

Elton John or Daffyd Beckham.

But seriously, I'm with T.D. This guy(?) had it all wrong, right up to the arrogance. Consideration for others isn't an unique skill requiring much practice or talent.

[hasta muerta]

That's a pretty crap situation - particularly in light of this: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/woman-hit-by-skateboarder-in-critical-condition/2005/10/13/1128796619370.html

I'm not blaming the skater neccessarily, but putting others in danger is crap. Hurt yourselves as much as you want (heck, I do!), but leave the innocent alone.


dude, maybe it was an accident?? its not like he would of aimed at her and lowered his shoulder.
by the description, finding him is going to be shit hard. the description fits almost every emo kid skater there is.

you guys should start a farkin police thing. the pigs i've seen on bikes wouldn't be able to chase down a rolling donut on the steeds they get issued.
u guys could be like the crack super bike troopers or somethin, actually police this thing properly. u'd probably be able to chase most offenders down.

the guy did sound like a complete twat though...i mean, trendy sunnies can be alright, but chanel? thats so tacky it got stuck in last week

[Drizz]

You: "Whuh? It's just like cars, man..." (What did you mean by that?:confused: )


Thats totally fucked up! Its things like this that makes people wanted to coat-hanger cyclists. Hell, even I wanted to coat-hanger him if I see him! :mad: Was he wearing a lid at the time? Maybe you should told him that he doesn't need one cause theres not much up there needs protecting.

Props to Techno for confronting him. It probably didn't do much good for him, but at least you let him know that we cyclists are not happy!

[bb7 rider]

haha the sunnies are hilarious, but come on couriers bust these moves day in day out its alot bigger then one guy showing off a bit.

[Techno Destructo]

haha the sunnies are hilarious, but come on couriers bust these moves day in day out its alot bigger then one guy showing off a bit.

Yeah, except that this guy looks NOTHING like a courier, except for an average person on a bike. Pedestrians, in general, hate bike couriers. But at least it's confined to them (guys wearing courier jerseys, with radios), so we don't catch animosity from the general public by simply being on bikes.

And I gotta say, I've never seen a courier ride down a packed set of stairs boxed in by pedestrians. That's completely stupid and un-necessary.

Also, it's rare (for me anyway, and I bike everywhere) to see couriers blitzing pedestrians in pedestrian only areas. On the road is something completely different, but I can't remember the last time I've seen a courier blasting down a sidewalk, and I've NEVER seen one on the Darling Harbour overpass. I think most couriers understand where the line is and not to cross it, since the cops come down hard on them and their companies.

What does couriers have to do with anything, anyway? What difference does it make?

[Dozer]

It really sucks when some blow in who read about a cool bike (and women's sunglasses) makes us good guys look like fuckwits.
I say we wait for him, jam an umbrella in his front wheel, watch him as his head hits the deck and scratches the crapper out his "lovely" sunnies, take his bike to cash converters and throw him and his favorite glasses over the bridge edge. What a tool, I would've chased him and smacked him with his handbag. Hope you find him man.
He'd have balls to be a member here and wear shit like that whilst riding a pushi.

[bb7 rider]

i understand what your saying techno couriers are more defined to the public and i can see how people will differentiate the too. However i have seen alot worse (plus done alot worse) when i was couriering. Might be the hours you work limiting what you see but when you are there in the industry you see it plus the bragging and for some reason it seems fine. As for cops cracking down on couriers cmon you cant be serious, i used to jump up and down gutters just toying with them till i wanted to get away. One guy could drop the gutter but had to get off his bike to get up or would give it a go and give the rear wheel a smashing ahhh fun times.

Either way im not defending this guy and his attitude is crap ( wont even go onto his style) but just pointing out it goes alot worse, i had one run of stairs near the RTA i used to gap with ppl everywhere.. ok i will shut up b4 i get flamed.

[McBain]

dude, maybe it was an accident?? its not like he would of aimed at her and lowered his shoulder.I'm not saying it isn't. Who knows, the poor skater might be sitting at home absolutely devastated about what's happened since (remember, when he left them, the woman seemed ok).

[Ruckus_Lord]

Thats a story that just makes you shake your head in shame...

I don't mind if a cyclist is going fast, but, in packed walkways, he could hurt himself, or worse, others (and break those 600 doller sunnies).

I bet he'd be shitting himself the moment he see's Techno Destructo was the one who told him off, and then he arrogantly shook him off....

That's the cause people don't let us ride our bikes:mad: , its surly doesn't take that much common sense too slow down and save and form of injurys and keep our privalages to ride in public areas.

Hopefully one of you guys run into him and give him a word or two....

Sad to say my mate also does that, but not in FULLY packed conditions, i continually tell him to slow down or stop, pedestrians can sue you or anything if you give them 1 slight tap...

Hope he reads this and learns a lesson.

-drew

[JimT]

I'll keep an eye out.
I walk that stretch every morning and afternoon to and from work at about that time.
I see alot of cyclists blitzing through that area like it was a stage in the Tour de France, and it really pisses me off. That area gets really crowded, and it's only a matter of time before some commuting punter wipes out a pedestrian.

[johnny]

i understand what your saying techno couriers are more defined to the public and i can see how people will differentiate the too. However i have seen alot worse (plus done alot worse) when i was couriering. Might be the hours you work limiting what you see but when you are there in the industry you see it plus the bragging and for some reason it seems fine.

Either way im not defending this guy and his attitude is crap ( wont even go onto his style) but just pointing out it goes alot worse, i had one run of stairs near the RTA i used to gap with ppl everywhere.. ok i will shut up b4 i get flamed.
Yeah I agree with that. Sometimes it's a fine line. I've riden down stairs with people on them before ( at walking pace mind you), they were 3 meters away with a handrail in between us and they still freak out and yell abuse. I'm not entirelly sure what they thought could happen to them but they can certainly over react. Of course I draw the line at having to dodge or make room for people on the same set of stairs as me.

Although I have to admit that my road riding has dropped in consideration lately. I find it hard not too. I commute pretty much every day through the city. I started doing this at the start of the year and did my utmost to follow all the rules and be as accomodating as I could. Yet I found this encouraged both drivers and pedestrians to take advantage of me, to the point that they would walk/pull straight out in front of me when doing a good 35kph, after we'd made eye contact!!!

Now I ride very aggressively and take care of myself before I obey all the rules. Not to mention the fact that even though I do wear a lid, use lights and tried to be courteous, we still get bad publicity and abiuse from almost every corner of the community. It seems to have fostered a mindeset within me of "Well fuckem, if I'm gonna be labled, I may as well bloody earn it". I know that it is wrong to think this way, but it's been bloody hard not too lately!

opinions on this?

[johnny]

I'll keep an eye out.
I walk that stretch every morning and afternoon to and from work at about that time.
I see alot of cyclists blitzing through that area like it was a stage in the Tour de France, and it really pisses me off. That area gets really crowded, and it's only a matter of time before some commuting punter wipes out a pedestrian.
Admitedly though, it is a designated shared zone and many of the pedestrians seem to ignore this and openly resent me riding there in the mornings and afternoons. (black Chase, red back pack, grey lid, say hi if you see me!)

[Pete J]

...and did my utmost to follow all the rules and be as accomodating as I could. Yet I found this encouraged both drivers and pedestrians to take advantage of me... Now I ride very aggressively and take care of myself before I obey all the rules.... opinions on this?

I found the same thing happened on my motorcycle too. I know they are quite different means of transport but the similarities in traffic behaviour towards both are unavoidable. I found riding to the letter of the law to be actually kind of dangerous! There just isn't that safety margin going for you like all the car drivers have. As a result i rode very aggressively and traffic in my immediate vicinity knew i was around because i made them realise i was there. However i wasn't that popular with some of my fellow motorcyclists simply because of the 'making us all look bad' philosophy. Now i'm not using this to justify the cyclist in question actions, i'm just saying that i have an aversion to being run over by cars so i don't let them get near me!! :D

Back on topic though, i must also agree with everyone else here that there is a time and place for everything and riding through such heavy pedestrian traffic is asking for trouble. This may seem like a bit of a contradiction compared to what i said above but the average car driver and the average pedestrian are two different animals imo! Pedestrians are very finicky about their perceived safety and this can be threatened greatly by anything moving faster than them (even more than car drivers who sort of expect or can accomodate faster traffic).

[nicho]

well i m gonna take a go at this and give my opinion as to what johnny just mentioned.bear in mind that i am not defending at any point the guys attitude or riding (as i wasn t there to give my judgement).

i hardly ride in the city of sydney, however i ve ridden in paris all my life in and ou of traffic, bus lanes (which are bike lanes too) footpaths to avoid one way streets etc...i just want to point out (and that s the feeling i had when riding in and out of work everyday in paris) that riding in a dense cbd street or pedestrian area has always been about being able to watch for your environment, you instinctively anticipate moves people make or swerves cars do out of the blue without even considering putting their blinkers on.
anyhow all this to say that whether your skateboarding, rollerblading, riding, scootering and even motor bike riding (in oz anyway) it s common knowledge that it s each to their own, of course courtesy is ones choice and as much as it s apreciated from time to time it s doesn t stop people from judging us and putting the outlaw sticker on our back when riding.
obviously what i just said can be done in a respectful way, and doesn t excuse the speed freak who just doesn t care about consequences for himself and others.
riding in the city in sydney or paris is just about watching for yourself on the streets that is, now with pedestrians it s another story especially when it means that the person your dodging can get hurt much more than you would if you ever came to hit them.
like johnny i ve ridden stairs with people walking up and down yet it seems no matter how cautious you are or seem to be, people will freak out .
obviously the guy was in a rebelious state of mind and probably wasn t smart enough to realise that he might be a little to fast for the type of environment he was in .
now to the label matter, to me it s a lost cause trying to prove that the riding community is respectful as it seems that any street toy of two or four wheeler put in a city environment is considered like a stunt to scare people off.
as for the fashion statement, i m sure some of you here have garments or accessories you are ashamed of...so to me the whole channel thing is just an excuse to pin him down(maybe he was going to a dress up party lol) and to satisfy your anger over his pathetic attitude, honestly let s stick to the riding part....

nicho

[tnankie]

Yeah I agree with that. Sometimes it's a fine line. I've riden down stairs with people on them before ( at walking pace mind you), they were 3 meters away with a handrail in between us and they still freak out and yell abuse. I'm not entirelly sure what they thought could happen to them but they can certainly over react. Of course I draw the line at having to dodge or make room for people on the same set of stairs as me.

Although I have to admit that my road riding has dropped in consideration lately. I find it hard not too. I commute pretty much every day through the city. I started doing this at the start of the year and did my utmost to follow all the rules and be as accomodating as I could. Yet I found this encouraged both drivers and pedestrians to take advantage of me, to the point that they would walk/pull straight out in front of me when doing a good 35kph, after we'd made eye contact!!!

Now I ride very aggressively and take care of myself before I obey all the rules. Not to mention the fact that even though I do wear a lid, use lights and tried to be courteous, we still get bad publicity and abiuse from almost every corner of the community. It seems to have fostered a mindeset within me of "Well fuckem, if I'm gonna be labled, I may as well bloody earn it". I know that it is wrong to think this way, but it's been bloody hard not too lately!

opinions on this?


I know I have started to let drivers know when they cut me off. soccer mum in her torago turned straight infront of me the other day, I think she almost died when I slapped her back window. No damage and no attempt to make any, I just wanted to let her know how pissed off I was, and how close she came to messing me up.

[GoingDHfast]

I found the same thing happened on my motorcycle too. I know they are quite different means of transport but the similarities in traffic behaviour towards both are unavoidable. I found riding to the letter of the law to be actually kind of dangerous! There just isn't that safety margin going for you like all the car drivers have. As a result i rode very aggressively and traffic in my immediate vicinity knew i was around because i made them realise i was there. However i wasn't that popular with some of my fellow motorcyclists simply because of the 'making us all look bad' philosophy.

I definitely agree with you there Roy! When I'm in the city on my motorbike I ride very very differently to the suburbs/country.. I take up as much space in the lane as possible, weave from left to right if I think people haven't seen me, keep the engine at 10,000+ revs (250) so people hear me behind them etc...

Slow speed riding is where I'm most cautious - I have less balance and less time to react when I'm crawling along in traffic at 20 kays... It might sound strange but on a motorbike, speed is your friend in a lot of situations. Very different to riding the pushy!!

[hasta muerta]

It really sucks when some blow in who read about a cool bike (and women's sunglasses) makes us good guys look like fuckwits.
I say we wait for him, jam an umbrella in his front wheel, watch him as his head hits the deck and scratches the crapper out his "lovely" sunnies, take his bike to cash converters and throw him and his favorite glasses over the bridge edge. What a tool, I would've chased him and smacked him with his handbag. Hope you find him man.
He'd have balls to be a member here and wear shit like that whilst riding a pushi.


yeh, that guys a total tool, unlike you or anything.

[Dicky]

I know that it is wrong to think this way, but it's been bloody hard not to lately!

opinions on this?I'm in a similar situation.
The eye contact while driving across your path sh*ts me more than anything else... especially when they're on the phone as well...
Which between about Dee Why and Narrabeen is 3-4 cars per trip.

Riding past a line of parked cars the other night. Some fool in a beaten up 90s model Excel, last car in the line, decides to floor it from the kerb, no lights/ indicator/mirror check/clue - just as I come up alongside him.
I am now wedged between two cars doing about 40.
At least I got the chance to tell him to Wake Up through the open window, before pulling in front of him...
and his girlfriend whacked him for the one fingered salute after he overtook me.

I'm surprised and a little uncomfortable with the self-preserving anger I seem to have developed recently...

as for the fool on the STP playing pedestrian slalom,
(or the young fella (with no helmet!) on an On-One Gimp with baby blue Bombers on the city ride last week, doing the same thing,)

grow up.

oh and nice sunnies :D Your mum probably wants them back now.

[Drizz]

I agree with Johnny, sometimes no matter what you do, you can't win......

2 Weeks ago I got told off by 2 geriatrics for "riding" my bike through the train station pedestrian tunnel. I was more like sitting on my saddle "walking" the bike than "riding", and I still got told off. Piss me off to no ends.

We cyclists have an image problem in the public eyes. They view us as a bunch of hooligans living on the fringe of the soceity and there are a few bad apples amongst us that deserves that tag. Sadly the rest of us also has to wear that tag with them. Going aggressive just confirm what they think about us.

Alternatively we can adopt road rules - Shanghai style: Everybody for themselves and anyone go on any part of the road as long as it fits.

[Dozer]

yeh, that guys a total tool, unlike you or anything.

Joke (you wanker). If someone pissed you off one day, would you do something about it there and then or put a post up here so you can get "intelligent" replies. As if, knob. What would you do? Moron.

[hasta muerta]

yeh, "i'd bash the c*nt then throw him and his F*G sunnies off the bridge hahaha" LOL
your not making sense, and don't go cheapening your reply with knob, wanker and moron.. its terribly childish/bogan of you.

[scblack]

yeh, "i'd bash the c*nt then throw him and his F*G sunnies off the bridge hahaha" LOL
your not making sense, and don't go cheapening your reply with knob, wanker and moron.. its terribly childish/bogan of you.

As far as I can see, YOU are making no sense.

You are calling him a total tool, then when he is replying in kind, you're calling it bogan.

Do you enjoy calling yourself a bogan?

[Dozer]

yeh, "i'd bash the c*nt then throw him and his F*G sunnies off the bridge hahaha" LOL
your not making sense, and don't go cheapening your reply with knob, wanker and moron.. its terribly childish/bogan of you.

Cheap is what this whole argument is about. People need to grow some balls and fix a problem while it is in front of them, not get on here and whinge. The bloke in Darling Harbour doesn't know he did the wrong thing and he won't know until he gets told. Unless he reads this thread he'll keep doing it. I couldn't give a stuff what he does, he's a typical Sydney wanna be. Learn to take a joke bucko, it isn't me against you. You might even know the bloke....

[Binaural]

Cheap is what this whole argument is about. People need to grow some balls and fix a problem while it is in front of them, not get on here and whinge. The bloke in Darling Harbour doesn't know he did the wrong thing and he won't know until he gets told. Unless he reads this thread he'll keep doing it. I couldn't give a stuff what he does, he's a typical Sydney wanna be. Learn to take a joke bucko, it isn't me against you. You might even know the bloke....

Er, Techno Destructo did say something to him, and said it again here, so you're completely off the ball. Read before you post next time.

PS Watch what you say about Sydney bannana-boy :)

[Dozer]

Er, Techno Destructo did say something to him, and said it again here, so you're completely off the ball. Read before you post next time.

PS Watch what you say about Sydney bannana-boy :)

Yeah I know, sorry about that. The piss ant with the sunnies obviously has no idea and never will. Sydney isn't that bad i suppose, only once or twice a year is enough when you live in God's country.

[TIMOH]

To the loser on the brown STP, you are now famous. :cool:
On a serious note, it seems like he didn't care at all. If he got a fine, he would be whinging about how he hasn't done anything wrong.. complete loser. :eek:

[MadeInAustralia]

I work in the city quite a bit, constantly see people riding like this, it really shocks me, I did however see a guy one day dodging pedestrians near town hall station on the foot path, clipped a no parking sign and threw him self out in front of a bus, needles to say these people will learn the hard way, on another note was this bloke wearing a pink shirt as well haha

[Registered Nutcase]

I work in the city quite a bit, constantly see people riding like this, it really shocks me, I did however see a guy one day dodging pedestrians near town hall station on the foot path, clipped a no parking sign and threw him self out in front of a bus, needles to say these people will learn the hard way, on another note was this bloke wearing a pink shirt as well haha

fuck man was he fine or like dead?

[Christo]

Can the mods tell us how many people have searched 'stp+brown' since this started? I know I did..

[wdshiver]

Hey guys, GUESS WHATS FREAKY, i read the article which was put up about the skateboarder who had hit the old lady, on the same day which was said to have happened I saw a guy from that description at the station near grovsener street. FREAKY. Any way i think it is farely dodgy that people have no consideration for pedestrians or have the manners to stay there and talk.

[hasta muerta]

As far as I can see, YOU are making no sense.

You are calling him a total tool, then when he is replying in kind, you're calling it bogan.

Do you enjoy calling yourself a bogan?

u don't get it..the speech marks might be an indication that i was mimicking what he said and the LOL meant it was a joke. i did that deliberately so no one would be mistaken. i was taking the piss.
i called him a tool because he suggested bashing this person. even if it was a 'joke' its lame.... up to speed now?
.... anyway, if the dude was on this forum, which i doubt, he probably wouldn't own up to it, probably because he's seen how many responsible citizens want to 'bash' him, and also he'd get completely flamed by all the law-abiders here.

[Daddio]

I have an Stp.
hehehe:D
But the guy riding wasn't me.

[Speedy]

I have an Stp.
hehehe:D
But the guy riding wasn't me.

Sure it wasn't you;)

I'de laugh if the guy was reading this, whether he is or not doubt he will do it again, atleast in the same place unless he's a real dick which he would be to do what he did in the first place. Techno big ups for telling him off so calmly (it seemed that way anyway) gives the rest of us a good name:)

[Octane_Matty]

The moral of this story should be "Dont ride in public places when its crowded"

If the place is empty GO FOR YOUR LIFE
If its peak hour crazy pedestrians everywhere, walk because 5km will be the speed limit no matter how fast you can pedal.


And this stp rider...god if i lived round that area im pretty sure id find a good use for all those STP parts :mad:


Think twice before riding near pedestrians.

[Elbo]

all i can say is, what an absolute idiot. The more people you have interacting (i.e. in a city) the more conflict you have. People like this stp rider are just pulling people's tolerance down for all the other riders who do the right thing.

[Techno Destructo]

The moral of this story should be "Dont ride in public places when its crowded"

If the place is empty GO FOR YOUR LIFE
If its peak hour crazy pedestrians everywhere, walk because 5km will be the speed limit no matter how fast you can pedal.


And this stp rider...god if i lived round that area im pretty sure id find a good use for all those STP parts :mad:


Think twice before riding near pedestrians.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Making use of the city environment is great! I remember doing stairgaps with Squidly Didly at Hyde Park in the centre of Sydney (before I got washed up), and had a blast! But we ALWAYS had the run-in, stairgap and runout CLEARED before we did anything. If there were pedestrians or cars close-by, we'd hold off or abort the run.

In general, when we're on the road, try to follow the road rules as much as you can, but since we're at a huge disadvantage on our bikes with everybody else in their cars/trucks/etc... sometimes it makes more sense to take advantage of safe opportunities in order for us to get ahead of the traffic, get out of a hostile area, or just simply get home faster. I know... I take "safe opportunities" all the time (stopped at a red light... no traffic coming from either side, and then riding through the intersection, for example).

But with bikes and pedestrians? Pedestrians are, by far, at a disadvantage to bikes. Plus, pedestrians are far more likely to get pissed off at cyclists acting like idiots around them than cars are, simply because they feel their safety is threatened more than when they're in their car. Pedestrians are the people who talk to the authorities who shut down areas for cyclists to ride!

Like Octane_Matty said, when there's nobody around, rip it up! But when you've got pedestrians around you (that could get startled, inimidated or threatened by you riding your bike), either WAIT until they're out of the area, or WALK your bike! At the very least, RIDE SLOW!

DON'T FUCK WITH PEDESTRIANS!

[R33F]

Well done for saying something to him Techno, hopefully it will be enough of a deterrent to stop him doing it again.

Its a pity the minority has to "fuck it" for the majority.

[DIGITALPIMP]

haha the sunnies are hilarious, but come on couriers bust these moves day in day out its alot bigger then one guy showing off a bit.
Dont slag couriers too much, atleast they show a bit of skill around pedestrians,(Except the peanuts who are peckers!) unlike tools wearing channel sunnies, I live near Darling harbour and If I see him, Ill slow him down;)

[Hüp]

Sure it wasn't you;)

I'de laugh if the guy was reading this, whether he is or not doubt he will do it again, atleast in the same place unless he's a real dick which he would be to do what he did in the first place. Techno big ups for telling him off so calmly (it seemed that way anyway) gives the rest of us a good name:)

What would be even funnier was if he had already posted here- jumping on the bandwagon once again (Channelle, anyone?) because he figures that's the best solution- to clear his pseudonym.

[I-AM-TEH-FASTEST-11]

I used to do that EXACT thing everyday. I was a courier for a few companies and going across there I was always playing slalom, its kinda unavoidable, and hell, its bloody fun. Work as a courier for a while and then tell me it's irresponsible and you wouldnt do it.
Of course this guy aint no courier, he was just doing it for kicks, but once I got a taste for it I did it everywhere, I even singled out places where traffic or people were spread out for this type of thing (martin place at about 4:30 to 6 in the rain!!!!) seriously its a rush.
considering the way people treat riders you lose a lot of respect for pedestrians pretty fast.
I'm not supporting this guy, he sounds like a twat, i'm just saying 10-1 the next guy you see doing it, is likely to be me.:)

[Pete J]

I was always playing slalom, its kinda unavoidable, and hell, its bloody fun.

I gotta say that i sure do miss playing slalom with cars in traffic! :(
Haven't ridden a motorbike for nearly a year and i feel like i will soon have to change my middle name from 'Danger' to something more normal. ;)
I was a motorcycle courier for a little while and pedestrians were constantly trying to get themselves run over. In the Sydney cbd it was actually quite ridiculous how few people could safely cross a road or predict traffic lights.
However the footpath is their domain!

[Inverted]

I have noticed on city rides how scared pedestrians get when a group of riders or rider, ride past them (slow or fast). It seems like a total over reaction because we are so used to our bikes and how we ride, but pedestrians have now idea, especially if they dont ride.
As for this guy, he should be punished for those poxy sunnies more so than the riding itself.

[NeBoS]

I really dont give a toss what this dude was wearing - we are all fashion slaves in one way or another - and its completely insignificant to the main matter.


What i do care about is the rider-pedestrian relationship. As the urban environment becomes more popular with mtbers, i think we all must consider our walking friends, particularly because the law in is their favour too.


I would hate to see signs like, "Mountain Biking Prohibited", as has been the case with skateboarding - i would skate in Mona Vale before they made it a skate free zone - if your caught skating there you now get a nice fine, which is pretty farked-up - your rights have been taken away cause your rolling along on a plank. I would be very pissed if some half-nut mtber badly injured someone thus creating a precedent against mtbing.

[johnny]

I used to do that EXACT thing everyday. I even singled out places where traffic or people were spread out for this type of thing (martin place at about 4:30 to 6 in the rain!!!!) seriously its a rush.
considering the way people treat riders you lose a lot of respect for pedestrians pretty fast. I'm not supporting this guy, he sounds like a twat, i'm just saying 10-1 the next guy you see doing it, is likely to be me.:)
I love pedestrian slalom too, but:

I would hate to see signs like, "Mountain Biking Prohibited", as has been the case with skateboarding - i would skate in Mona Vale before they made it a skate free zone - if your caught skating there you now get a nice fine, which is pretty farked-up - your rights have been taken away cause your rolling along on a plank. I would be very pissed if some half-nut mtber badly injured someone thus creating a precedent against mtbing.

I agree with this, I'd love to say "Fark you all, I'm cutting sick!" But the bottom line to this is we'll get barred from everywhere. And then instead of just being yelled at we''ll be grabbed and fined.....as a few have already discovered in Darling Harbour. Somethimes it's unavoidable, that's life. But I don't think we have the upper hand here, if we knowingly piss people off, they will win and we'll lose in the end.

[S.P.G.]

Im a big chanel fan.. ill do some looking and some shopping at the same time whooohooo!!! His bad luck he chose to wear one of my fav brands :rolleyes:

[Karlos_B]

Responsibility is what's needed. IMHO brown stp guy is yet another product of what happens when you don't smack your children when they misbehave. And yes, there is a difference between smacking and abusing.

Sorry y'all, I realise we're getting a little off the topic here, but I agree with all who have been couriers or defend their actions. Let's face it, unless you were working for a lame company, it's all comission pay, and you're not likely to risk f**king yourself up too much and losing money. When the wheels aren't turning, you aren't earning as the saying goes. So based on that, courier - pedestian gauntlet runs aren't actually that bad, especially if you've ever done an XC race and know the calls (ie "on your right / left" or "up the middle") and can actually use them. Also, a little "sorry" under the breath if I got too close never went astray. For all I knew, that person could've booked one of the jobs in my pack. If they cancel the contract because they get a first hand experience of me bein a tool, then I lose out on future work and money. Despite all that though, I was still good for a mean turn of speed and my share of insane ridin (no hands aero tuck doin bout 40 between two lanes parked up at lights or takin the lip at Albert & Vic to gap the footpath and head down to mean carve left on to Queen). Road cranks on a steel XC frame are where its at for couriering!!

Back to the original topic though of fashion crime boy, agreed WHAT A TOOLBAG! I'm not in the city anymore so don't see much of that sort of behaviour, only knob ends in cars but they're bad enough. Had too many thugby mums (they love displaying the school sport stickers) cut me off. I have a general rule that punters get a tap (like knocking on someone's front door) down all the windows as I ride past them at lights, taxi's get a hoik of spit. They're supposed to be professional and should know better! Off track again!

[johnny]

Before anyone posts, if you want to start discussing punishment towards kids, start a new thread on it for it will only overtake this one.

[Inverted]

Before anyone posts, if you want to start discussing punishment towards kids, start a new thread on it for it will only overtake this one.

Hey if we catch him we can put him in the naughty corner.