Not arriving at the Memorial Ride today , meant that i watched the TV Reports , to see HOW they reported the Event !This RIDE was brought about by the UNTIMELY DEATH/MURDER of Gitta Scheenhouwer , a Dutch Lady , recently moved to Melbourne and about to start work as a Graduate Architect .
My email to a variety of TV Stations follows :
Congrats on your TV Reporters getting out & about so early on Tuesday 28th Aug 2018 , so as to cover the Bike Ride ( https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/newsroom/2018/08/14/memorial-in-south-yarra ) Event !
Whilst that Ride was about the PEOPLE that have been KILLED , when riding a BIKE , MISSED was the opportunity to SOLVE some of the associated Myths , surrounding every day Cycling ?
Those watching TV Footage shown , will have noted that there were a few " Posties " , amongst the many People on their Bikes , in ORDINARY CLOTHING ! YES , there were a few #LycraClad Cyclists , BUT , the majority were EVERYDAY People that use BIKES for TRANSPORT !
Most People are under the impression that People on BIKES , are generally the #LycraLouts , that the #ClickBaitingMedia seek to DENIGRATE , each & Every time that they have an opportunityy to mention the word BIKE !
YES , there are many that choose to ride in Lycra , i ONLY RIDE my Bike in Lycra , BUT , that is MY CHOICE ! Regardless of Clothing , I and other Bike Riders , are HUMAN BEINGS ! Each of us use the BIKE for OUR OWN Purposes , be it Sport , Commuting , OR , to go to the neighbourhood Shops !
With the TOXIC atmosphere CREATED by the #ClickBaiting Minority & those that run off at the mouth in the Media , as they seek to build their #Ratings , it is NO JOY for ANY Age Group or Sex to leave their Abode , knowing that they RISK a visit to A & E , during that Bike Ride , even if it is ONLY around the corner !
WHAT is it about a Person on a BIKE , that even when , the other vehicle is across the road , travelling in the other direction , causes SO MANY Vehicle Drivers to hurl Comment/Abuse , AND , even objects ! THIS , is not restricted to Oz ! I have seen the same behaviour in Europe , principally in the UK ! Days before the Tour de France , i was visiting in the Manchester region of the UK , and by chance , found myself ridingg with 3 Men , that due to their achievements at Rio2016 , were PRESENTED to the Queeen ! As we rodee the area known as " The Lanes " , we heard several comments cLEARLY ABUSIVE , as well as saw as soft drink bottle pass nearby ! Probably those people were #CouchPotatoes , that were CHEERING as a Cyling Medal was WON by a Man in the GB Uniform ? BUT it goes even further , when you hear Ladies speaking of the same behaviours !
Whilst the bulk of my riding is with #LycraClad People , THEY have a life outside of Cycling . Many off these People speak of the FEAR for their Young Families !
WHAT is so different about Australian City Roads ?
Nothing !
It is the DRIVERS that Use them !
Not ALL European Drivers are " Angels " , BUT , the Situation in Australia , is so PATHETIC , that it is ALMOST 100% certain , that the only time that they CONCENTRATE & OBEY THE RULES of the ROAD , was when they presented for THEIR DRIVING TEST ! NOBODY PASSES the Driving Test without 100% concentration ? SO , having DEMONSTRATED that Ability , WHY , is it IMPOSSIBLE to do this Each & Every time that they get into a vehicle and behind the Wheel ?
EGO ?
The sense of ENTITLEMENT ?
Every so often , we hear of a CHILD being KILLED in their OWN HOME Premises ! It demonstrates , that even the Family is AT RISK , when a Person gets into that Box on Wheels ! Surely , NOBODY , expects to be able to DRIVE A VHICLE , with LESS than 100% Concentration ?
Road Statistics PROVE OTHERWISE !
Whilst The Road Killed & Seriously Injured Statistics , have been REDUCED over the Decades , through a variety of methods , the RECENT Cycling DEATH Stats have INCREASED Dramatically ! Y/e 30 June 2017 saw 25 Cycling Deaths , BUT , the same period to 30th June 2018 , saw 45 Families with LOST Family Members ! This DRAMATIC INCREASE has passed without very much MEDIA Attention , indeed , even most ProRacers are UNAWARE of this SERIOUS DANGER to their Career and well being !
Cycling Australia are responsible for the Well Being of Most of OUR Professional Cycle Racers , and , as such are a menber of the UCI , based in Aigle , Switzerland . Union Cyclist International are the Governing Body of Cycle Racing of ALL Varieties , and as such has 190+National Cycling Federations attend their Annual Congress during the World Road Race Championships , which will take place this year in Innsbruck , Austria , towards the end of September 2018 .
Distracted Driving is a WORLD WIDE Problem , which could be EASILY Solved , if this petition is CORRECT ... https://www.change.org/p/google-apple-stop-road-deaths-and-injury-from-mobile-phones
As a Minority of ONE , i have visited Aigle on many occasions to raise the #CyclistSafetyIssues , even had @briancooksonobe ( Past President of UCI ), tell me that they will run a Campaign similar to the " RESPECT " Campaign of FIFA ! May 2014 was when i sar down with him , then i reinforced this at Ponferrado World Congress in Sept. 2014 , then at the Giro d'ITALIA & Tour de FRANCE , each Year since ! This year 70+ Male Racers & 30+ Lady Racers have posed with Placards & the Eire Gillet , demonstrating their Desire for SAFETY , whilst training on the WorldWide roads ! Most of these Photoss can be found on https://www.facebook.com/stayinaliveat1.5 and on https://www.facebook.com/SafeCyclingAustralia . Whilst taking these Photos , i rarely had the opportunity to note ALL the Names of those Racers , so asked the Readers of those webPages to HELP with Naming those appearing in those photos ! So far NOBODY has assisted !
My personal opinion of this mornings ride , is that a HUGE Opportunity was SQUANDERED ! I failed to arrive , as i punctured near my home , so went back to change Bikes !
WHEN in February 2016 , there was an Italian Visitor , Alberto Paulon , KILLED by #Dooring , nearly 10000+ People on BIKES took to the roads to demonstrate their CONCERN for THEIR WELFARE ! This was a WEEKEND Event , NOT , at an inconvenient time for ALL but those that set aside their OTHER DAILY EVENTS !Early 2017 , there was the trauma of the Indian Pacific Race , being Terminated , due to the Unlawful KILLING of Mike Hall , who was leading the race , near Canberra ! Within DAYS , on the Sunday , there was a Memorial Ride , involving nigh on 1000 People on BIKES !
IT IS CLEAR that there are Thousands that are WILLING to give up there Valuable Free Time , to mark the Passing of a STRANGER , albeit a member of the Cycling Community ! Every Capital City in Australia , had their Own Gathering that numbered into the Thousands , in manyy Cities 1Clearly , the ONLY TIME that a Memorial Event , should be called , is at the Weekend When the WHOLE FAMILY are able to attend ?
Even when before Christmas Break 2017 , a Member of the Qatar2016 , Under 23 Cycling Australia Squad , Jason Lowndes , was KILLED by a Distracted driver ( Charges in Progress ) near Bendigo , there were MANY More attending the Funeral at a weekend , than were at the EARLY MORNING RIDE around the course of the National Road Race at Bunninyong ! Unless a person was Staying in Ballarat area , then 0730 of a weekday , was TOO DIFFICULT , certainly for myself coming from the Mornington Peninsula for the day !London Cyclists have solved the Problem of Cyclist Deaths , by running #DieIN Events https://www.facebook.com/groups/stopkillingcyclists ! This involves mostly Monday Evening Visits to the DEATH SITE , then amongst other Eveents , LYING IN THE STREET , thus CLosing the area for Minutes ! THIS is done in Cooperation with the Policing Authorities , AND , though Several Prominent Members of the Queen's Household , have been amongst those KILLED , Whilst Riding to their Work Premises , the ANNUAL CYCLIS DEATH TOLL has tumbled ! With this success , brought about by cOPYING the tactics used in the Mid 1970s , by the People of the Netherlands , MORE Cities in Europe are NOW following this path , to HIGHLIGHT the Dangers to People on BIKES in their Localities !
DOES AUSTRALIAN CYCLISTS have to adopt these TACTICS to have the Motoring Public UNDERSTAND ?
Every State has a LAW , which REQUIRES Vehicles to pass BIKES , WITH THE SAME SPACE THEY GIVE OTHER VEHICLES ! Does ANY Driver pass a Metal Vehicle within a few MilliMetres ? Yet this is a DAILY Occurence , for the Majority of People on BIKES , wearing Lycra or Even Day to Day Clothes !
ASK People to STOP getting out of Bed in Auto Pilot Mode , THEN , getting into a Vehicle with the SAME ATTITUDE !
DEMAND that they treat EACH Driving occasion , as IF , THEY ARE DOING THEIR DRIVING TEST !
Starting with the Emergency Services , ALL of these People are TRAINED to a HIGHER LEVEL than Jo Public , then , the Armed Forces , then those working in Federal Government Jobs , using a work Vehicle , THEN , continue onto the State & Local Authorities Personnel !
With ALL THESE PEOPLE setting an example , NO MEMBER of the General Public , will have ANY EXCUSE for NOT COMPLYING with the Current Road Rules & Regulations ! FAILING to drive in the manner required to PASS the Driving Test DESERVES the Points & Monetary Penalties that will follow !
Since those Media Personalities that i have seen at the Various Cycling Grand Tours , FAIL to drive in an Exemplery manner whilst in Europe , i doubt that they remember WHAT Good Driving Skills HELPED them PASS their Driving Test ?
Having been the VICTIM of several RTI s , even received compensation EVENTUALLY , i hope that this article will SAVE at LEAST ONE LIFE !
Even my OWN ?
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Additional Info from a report on the Memorial Ride :
Selected comments made by those attending :
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Bicycle Network chief executive Craig Richards comment :
“This has hit the community so hard. Cycling is a fun, healthy activity and to lose a life in such terrible circumstances is horrible,” he said.
“It’s not good enough … Chapel Street really needs to see a change.”
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Mayor of Stonnington Steven Stefanopoulos
"This luxury that we have to park on the High Street is a bygone era and you guys are most important."
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Greens MP Sam Hibbins, the member for Prahan,
"The death of Gitta was a tragedy and I really think it hit hard not just because it happened in our backyard but because it could have been any of us or our loved ones,"
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Martin Wells, 48, Hampton
"I’m gutted at every tragedy. It strikes at the heart every single time because it's so unnecessary. I’m out here every day and one day I don’t want it to be me," Mr Wells said.
"I have a 14-year-old son and he rides every day as well ... It's such a great way to get around but it’s just so unsafe, sadly.
"Today's memorial service is a testament to that."
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Areej Weyman with her husband Steve and son Ramih, 6
“I had a small connection to Gitta. We interviewed her for a job at our architecture firm.
"She had the biggest smile ever, she was bubbly and alive. It was like a shot of caffeine talking to her.
“[Cyclist safety] is very important. We have an office team that cycles as well and so do my children.
People not fit to be on the road should not be there.”
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Ingrid Piepereit, 44, Prahan
"I would avoid Chapel Street at all costs actually, because I think anything built up like this is too dangerous, with all the trams and doors,"
"It’s really sad. It’s just awful. It’s so close to home. "There should be no parked cars and a bike lane instead."
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Glen Allure, Gitta's housemate
“[On Chapel Street] you’ve got the tram, you've got the cars. The cyclists are in and out of the traffic. Getting rid of all these car spots would be perfect and having it free for cyclists. If cars hadn’t been parked here maybe it would have been different."
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