From “Uneasy Riders”, The Straits Times, Life! section, Page E22
(Note: Views expressed here are entirely my personal opinion and have nothing to do with my employers.)
“The photograph in the report spoke a thousand words. Two lanes were occupied by cyclists. The good behaviour of two cyclists giving clear hand signals was beside the point. The traffic for the entire road slowed down to a crawl.”
Is Mr Soo reading a different paper? How does he know the speed of the vehicles and cyclists on the road? Gee, my newspaper doesn’t seem to be showing moving images…
“People such as myself are always in a rush… We rush because others are depending on us for their lives or livelihood.”
Wake up earlier, Mr Jin (or is it Mr Chong). Doctor, definitely no problem with you rushing to save a life in the ER, but seriously, “Others may be rushing for business appointments or social engagements”??? WAKE UP EARLIER. PLAN YOUR TIME BETTER. SORT YOUR LIFE OUT.
“Cyclists think they can cycle on the road without caring about traffic rules… We are expected to look out for them knowing that their lives are in our hands. This burden is not something I signed up for when I started driving.”
Roxy, you’re our burden. Don’t drive.
“Motorists have to pass driving tests before they are allowed to drive on the road while cyclists do not have to. Why are they allowed to ride on the roads?… Make it compulsory for every cyclist to get a licence first he is allowed to be on the road, and then talk about cyclists sharing the road with other metal machines zooming past at 70km/h.”
Mr Toh, Mr Toh, Mr Toh, seriously, have driving tests been able to filter lousy drivers from getting on the road? Surely it hasn’t, given the number of idiots driving around. Second, who is going to decide if a cyclist is fit for the road? You? The Police? Lance? And finally, 70km/h my ass. I get beeped and flashed when I drive within speed limit on the middle lane. Most drivers in Singapore just don’t follow traffic rules/speed limits, so, your driving highness, what were you saying about these tests again??
Damn, these people make my blood boil.
4 Comments
Totally agree with u Jeanette!
It’s drivers like these who force us cyclists to wake up @ 4am/5am so that we can ride “safer”.
What’s giving 5 sec to cyclist on the road?!
amen.
While I don’t quite agree with most of the opinions expressed in the article, I do agree that sometime the behavior of cyclists really get to me. Just drive along Changi Coast or Thomson Rd in the early morning and you will see many instances of blatant recklessness and violation of traffic rules and safety by the many cyclists riding in pack. Maybe it is the pack instinct - I really don’t know but there have been 2 instances (yes I am counting) where I was forced to go onto the grass verge along Old Upp Thomson Rd while running up to Upp Pierce Res by group of cyclists occupying the whole lane and not slowing down for anybody human or car.
I think the issue here is that all 3 parties, human (runner or pedestrian; cyclists and motorists must learn to share the road and behave responsibly but that I feel is going to be a pipe dream.
Hey Tekko,
Totally agree with you. It may be a pipe dream but if just a few change their ways, there may be a snowball effect as (hopefully) kindness, understanding and consideration will be reciprocated.
Take care out there!
Jeanette