HELP ME TO SUPPORT THE PARALYMPIC ATHLETES

PARRABUDDY.BLOGSPOT was started to help find a way for “Adaptive / Physically Challenged / Paralympic Cyclists ” to enjoy riding their bikes on the Daily Route of the famous Pro Tour Race Routes such as the “ Giro d’Italia " and the " Tour de France " !


Through lack of support i have been unable to achieve that goal and unless people decide to assist there is little chance that my 22nd season will be any more successful !


Tokyo2020 Paralympics was amazing for ALL , not just those participating but those who followed via the Media !


Since 2009 several other Blogs have been created to cover various other subjects !

Below is a guide to their separate purposes :

In the main Parrabuddy is about “Adaptive / Physically Challenged Sport” and Health Issues.


Skippi-cyclist is about personal issues and Road Safety Issues.


SkippyAus is about matters relating to Oz and some personal memories from my life there.


Tourdafarce & Tourdafrance are about matters relating to the Pro Tour , Racers and some personal experiences during my various visits to ride the Pro Tour routes .


Skippy (blogging) is about a variety of issues on the Internet .


NOT ALL postings arrive in their correct area but I will generally try to separate my views on Doping and Sporting Fraud from Road Safety Issues .



Comments ARE WELCOMED since this shows that those reading are interested in the subject matter ! Enjoy comments made to other blogs so wonder why only " anonymous " posts here !

Over the period of these "Blogs" I have had visibility on Twitter as “Skippydetour” and on Facebook as “Skippy Mc Carthy” where Google usually advise postings on the Blogs as they occur .

When any of you visit these Blogs I hope I am able to add value to your day and provide a source of information if not inspiration . Please consider asking your friends and contacts to add their support as many of the Para Athletes are struggling to find the resources to compete in Events at regional Levels let alone National Levels .


You the reader have the possibility to help these Amazing Athletes in your own way and contacting your National Paralympic Internet Site for relevant info is a good start !

Feb 18, 2014

You're bigger than me , so you do what you like ?

Heading home on the Tuesday Shopping trip , i am coming into the 50kph zone
, when i happen on a " 30kph Worker on Road Sign ". Knowing i have to slow from 40+kph and that there is a vehicle behind me , i signal the " Keep right behind sweep " as a courtesy gesture . Hr VIP , pulls alongside me and edges towards the kerb then speeds up to pass the " Geminde Vehicle " working on cleaning the RHS kerb area . Not totally inconvenienced , as the approaching vehicle had turned off before the parked work truck and mobile dumpster , i had never the less been caused to lose my right of way , by the selfish attitude of the van shown here !

This peasant has a shop in the Dorf of Munster , home of the Austrian Ski Star Anna Marie Brem , who like her Mother , uses a Bike for Cross Training ! Having gone the 1km to the shop , i arrived in his parking area as he was walking into the shop . Having taken several photoss of the van . I went in seeking the Manager , speaking to the Lady at the office desk and asking if she spoke English . I explained to her what had taken place and then Hr VIP/shop owner interrupted . He started by speaking Dialect to me , i asked for English since i thought he was intelligent enough to oblige , but he persevered with his vocals , none of which i understood , so i wrote down the Facebook pages he could read , so as to understand what i had to say . With this i moved over to speak to the Lady once more at which point he started to pull at my Plastic Wind Jacket , then pushed me in the general direction of the door . By this time it was clear that he understood all that i had said and even threatened to call the Polizei ,
which could have resulted in his having to explain his assault on me .  This was not the first time that he had passed me on the road , since his shop is on one of the routes West that i have to use on a regular basis . At a guess he is old enough to have obtained his Driver Permit , in the days that you could ask your " mates " to help you out ? These days there are Driving chools such as " Wallner " who teach their Pupils , to ease off behind a Cyclist , signal overtake , pass with more than a metre clearance , then signal return to lane when sufficiently clear of the Cyclist ! How many years have they being doing this ?

Problem is though , that as soon as the Pupil starts travelling alone , behaving correctly towards Cyclists , their perceptions of other Vehicles , such as Emergency Services Vehicles FAILING to Signal , OR , pass sufficiently wide , could cause them to fail to practice the procedures taught and required by Austrian Law ?

ONLY when the Austrian Emergency Services Vehicles ( Polizei ,Ambulance & Fire & Rescue Services ) , when NOT IN Emergency Mode , practice the manoevres they were TRAINED to perform , will the general Austrian Public resume those REQUIRED Habits ! Meanwhile the Austrian Public are busy congratulating their Winter Athletes for their bringing Home the Medals , i wonder how those Athletes will feel the next time they are Cross Training on the Austrian Roads and have grief caused by poor driving behaviour ?  Being in the Countryside , i am able to avoid many of the difficulties that those living in Cities ENDURE on EACH Bike Ride !


Another example of poor behaviour , took place last week . The truck depicted , no doubt exited the Autobahn , travelled along the link road to the Trading Estate road , that i was more than 150m along  . About 100m before a 90° right hand he was wide and alongside me whilst i was still doing 35+kph . In the truck deaccelerating to sweep around the corner , i was forced to brake and then he doglegged left and then to the right , so as to turn onto the property he was visiting . I went directly to the Office and was busy explaining the situation to the receptionist when the driver finally made his way to the office to make himself known .

Not much the people of the business were willing to do , since they did not see what had taken place on the road , nor were they willing to relay my complaint to the employer . Having left a placard with the " 1 1/2M safe pass " depicted , i took my leave , leaving the driver with his " Nothing you can do " attitude !

Seems that he could not give me the courtesy of the road for the corners , which i would have ridden through quicker than he could drive that semi HGV , but he lost considerable time whilst the people he was visiting heard me out . Not sure if there was anything gained , but i will be advising " Links " to this post , to various Authorities ! Will they act ? Doubt that anything i report here ,will keep them from falling asleep !