DRIVER ATTITUDES

These have been cold but dry days in the Tirol recently but normally at this time of year cycling is all but over unless you wish to soak up the rain or more likely the snow . Tomorrow , Saturday there is a likelihood of Snow so about a month of unexpected extra cycling has been very welcome .

What has been apparent is that being one of the few prepared to extend their cycling season I have noticed increasingly difficult drivers . Fact is some of the moronic behaviour on the roads have caused me concern . Had it been seen by the “ boys in blue ” the drivers would have had lighter wallets and some may have collected “ points ” that would have reduced them to other forms of transport whilst their license was suspended . Several Blogs and Forums have seen my comments in recent weeks and I have followed those causing me grief onto their destination to point out their shortcomings . That I am able to follow the short distance in many cases demonstrates that the manoeuvre causing me alarm was down to their careless and thoughtless behaviour , could be they have always driven in this manner without penalty .

Interestingly the “London Cyclist ” has posted about driver attitudes this week and here is the link :

http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/secure/what-to-do-when-you-encounter-behaviour-like-this-on-the-road/

The article is fairly brief with Video but the comments are numerous and many have valid points even though “ Gaz ”gets an unfair amount of Stick !

Samples of my recent comments :

London Cyclist :

“ @helen at 7.36am , i too follow people where i can with the aim of embarassing them by reminding them of their ” faulty Driving “! So often it means a bit of a detour from my original route or destination but unless these people are confronted they will think there are no consequences for bad behaviour .
Just yesterday on a narrow Austrian country lane i was bowling along at 40+kph and saw a car wait at the corner up ahead . Knew it was not for me and saw that a ” Sprinter type Tray truck ” was following , after it rounded the corner with screeching tyres it honked to let me know it was coming . This Truck width lane does not allow a truck to pass a cycle safely so continued on with more honking from behind . As the road turned left and uphill i had enough so pulled up in the middle of the road stopping the inconsiderate driver ! truck was marked with his employer’s logo so i wenr to the window and told him that in the morning he could expect me at their office .
His attitude was so what , and was no better this morning when i saw him in their transport yard . His boss was there and he had another employee translate what i had already reported in their office . One point i made to the translater was ” How do you feel about a colleague behaving in this way and making you and your company look bad “? His reply was that the driver was ” Stupid and needed education ” !
As the offending driver was driving out of their yard he was holding the Mobile telephone to his ear , an offence in Austria also , and contrary to the company’s policy sine they provide ” ear pieces” !
What will the company do , possibly nothing , but before arriving in the yard i was passed by another of their Rubbish collection trucks that had signalled overtaking me and then signalled returning to the kerb lane as is required by Austrian Law . Seems this company has a few Good Drivers but suffers ” Smart alecs ” driving their smaller vehicles .
Lets hope that they sort out the idiot that is damaging their good name ! “


Comment on road.cc

“ Driver attitude is the major problem everywhere ! Consider the fact that I am pedalling at 35kph in a 30kph zone and can’t go faster as the car & trailer in front of me are limiting my speed , so for safety I am about 5m behind drafting and a car comes up alongside me on this narrow winding lane . Of course I ease the pace and the next car barrels into this gap for about 50m then takes a right hand turn following the other car . Followed both up the driveway to their houses . First of the cars was slowest getting out so approached him and asked for an explanation . Attitude was F…Off , you are on private property , went next door and the young woman admitted she thought it safe since the other car had passed me .

Apologised that she didn’t see me in time and was very concerned that I planned to call the Polizei since she hadn’t meant any harm as she was hurrying to get to the family lunch . Lost for words when I reminded her that in hitting me she would have not reached her lunch let alone been able to eat when the ambulance or mortuary vehicle departed .

Would the Polizei do anything ? No injury , no interest ! ”

Time to invest in a Helmet Camera ! Any advice welcomed !

DRIVER ATTITUDES

INNSBRUCK VISIT

Inspiration comes from many directions thus motivating us to achieve better results in our everyday life ! Over several years I have enjoyed visiting “ Fatcyclist.com ”

whose blog started whilst his life was in turmoil and after the loss of his wife Susan in the recent years has turned into an inspirational journey that has raised an estimated $us 3 m for a variety of causes !

Today he has followed through on a commitment made in march with the pre release of his first of three books . Released in good humour it offers various options in price relating to a person’s budget and desire to personalise the book .

Judging by the quality of the Blog posts over the years it will be a sellout ! Pre order by 10th November or get trampled in the rush ! These two photos would fit in well with some of the topics that he has raised in the blogs I have recently read .

In my early life I never contemplated the possibility that I would arrive in my 67th year in good health but with no income . Along the way I have had both success and failures so it will come as no surprise to hear that like so many I got horribly burnt by the collapse of the “ financial markets ” in 2008 ! So I am happy to see the “#OWS ” movement flourish in all parts of the world . Dismayed to see so many countries forget the “ Right of Free Speech “ that democracies afford us .

Friday I was driving some Polish visitors from Innsbruck Airport to their destination in Hintertux where they will spend the week skiing . Their desire to visit the centre of Innsbruck to have a look around brought us to the square where the “ Occupy Innsbruck ” was a few Saturdays before . Being a paved area I was not surprised to find no tents in view .

Parking on a street adjacent to this square , the visitors went walkabout whilst I waited with the vehicle . Not knowing how long these people would be I stayed with the vehicle . When a traffic warden ( not sure what you would call these subcontract employees ) came by she said nothing but looked the vehicle over . Later she returned and said I need a ticket . Not having coins I was unable to feed the section ticket dispenser and so I showed her the Euro50 note that was all I had with me . Having been out on the bike earlier I had left my coins and small notes in the cycle jacket . She then pointed to the bank so off I went and returned to find that this miserable baggage had put a ticket on the vehicle .

Normally I drive a UK registered car so as the vehicle was sign written by the owners with Austrian reg plates I chased down the road and confronted her . Being a small untidy looking woman she went to “ Nicht Verstehen ( don‘t understand)” several times with an ugly grin on her untidy visage . Several passersby told me that she was known locally for this sneaky behaviour . They said that she is responsible for local motorists avoiding doing business in that area and so those businesses have suffered .

After these comments I spoke with the owners of several empty shops and they also were of the opinion that this behaviour has impacted their shops . At 1500hrs of a Friday afternoon you would expect to see the street busy with passersby and people in those shops . Guess there must have been a reason for there being few people in the street on a bright sunny afternoon in the centre of this thriving City ?

Tirol Tourism spends large amounts of money to attract people to Innsbruck and the surrounds but this Euro21 ticket will guarantee that they get publicity ! Guess they are desperate to keep vehicles out of the city so I will not be carting people there any time soon . As regards the Junior Olympics in January I will not now attend and if the ticket is not cancelled I will regrettably recover the bike on loan to an Austrian Para Athlete ! Living on my savings is hard enough without “legalised Pickpocketing ”!

INNSBRUCK VISIT