I was waiting for the pedestrian lights on the corner of Larapinta Drive and Stuart Highway.
I crossed when they went green, as I always do, ever since my life as a Single Female Bicycle Rider began.
The last part, there where traffic from Larapinta turns onto Stuart Highway is not regulated by a light, so I crossed, as I usually do, in my arrogant Dutch Single Female Bicycle Rider style, and just did not cut off a blue ute.
In spite of the fact that I had safely crossed and the ute did not have to slow down considerably, I could see that the driver was furious. It was a little before eight in the morning and he had to be someplace urgently, that much was clear.
He stopped his ute in the middle of the road, stepped out of it and began screaming at me at the top of his voice: “Get off the street, you, get off the f*ing street.”
I waved at him in my calm Single Female Bicycle Rider style. This made him almost explode.
Other cars had stopped now and were watching the spectacle with interest. If you were there, watching the insane outburst, call me and you can have a free five (5) minute ride on my Kronan.
Friday, April 19, 2024
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Was it a grey / charcoal coloured ute? In March 2009 I was deliberately cut off by such a ute along Larapinta Drive.
He kept going and I fractured various bones including both arms.
I then walked two kilometers to the hospital. He was a local and did it deliberately as he was looking at me and laughing.
I hope there is such a thing as karma for these Bogans.
A worrying aspect is that the driver, and many others like him, clearly does not know the road laws.
Page 81 of the NT Road Users Handbook clearly states: “You must also give way to a pedestrian crossing the road at a slip lane if you are turning left at the slip lane.”
No, it was a bright blue oldish ute, Phil. Sorry to hear of your injuries. I am quite amazed how drivers get outrages by bicycle riders.
How they roll down their window and shout insults, just because you slow them down for a few seconds. It’s usually young men doing this.
Yes, from their airconned 4WDs they shout abuse to a 56 year old woman on a bicycle. I think this is hilarious.
I always wave politely and move in slow motion when that happens, but I do not move out of the way. This outrages them even more.
Walking across the crossing as a pedestrian or riding across as a road user? One gives you right away, the other requires you to yield. Either way there is no call for abuse.
Alas this happens all over the country. I’ve had several instances of this kind of behaviour happen to me in several places around Australia. In all cases it is those motorists who think they have right of way (even when the cyclist gets the green man) and they have a red arrow, but the cars travelling straight get the green.
Worse part is the ones who have personalised plates with easy to remember names are complete fools. I still recall the ute’s rego plates to this very day that cut me off seven years ago.
Then there are the drivers who (most likely) forget they are in a company car (with their logo and phone number advertised) all over their vehicle are also not helping the situation either.
If they are just a company employee it does not give that company a good look and it easier for them to be recognised later on.