Cyclist Memorials

powinc

I was driving through the Hunter Region recently and quickly saw a bike
frame with (I think) two crosses displayed above it.

This is obviously a memorial to one (or two) cycles that died on that
part of the road. It was erected just before a bridge, where the
emergency lane/bike lane narrows to cross the bridge.

I believe as a group we make a effort to memorialize, or pay tribute
to all cyclists that have died on our roads. Either by erecting a
memorial where they have been killed or in a memorial park in each
capital city or both.

powinc



--

Marty Wallace

"powinc" <powinc@deakin.edu.au> wrote in message
news:GCYkc.8287$qa5.6311@fe22.usenetserver.com...
> I was driving through the Hunter Region recently and quickly saw a bike
> frame with (I think) two crosses displayed above it.
>
> This is obviously a memorial to one (or two) cycles that died on that
> part of the road. It was erected just before a bridge, where the
> emergency lane/bike lane narrows to cross the bridge.
>
> I believe as a group we make a effort to memorialize, or pay tribute
> to all cyclists that have died on our roads. Either by erecting a
> memorial where they have been killed or in a memorial park in each
> capital city or both.
>
> powinc

About 10 km south of where I live (Smiths Hill near Collie, Western
Australia) there is a small memorial dedicated to two cyclists who's ashes
were scattered at the hill. They died of natural causes but the memorial is
dedicated to them for their cycling feats.
We also have a long tiled snake that represents the Wagyl set into the
footpath of the main street. Tiles set into the snakes form have the names
of the winners of the Collie -Donnybrook cycle race which extends back about
77 years. At the end is a large tiled apple which represents Donnybrook, the
home of the Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples. The snake is about 100 metres
long.

Marty

L'acrobat

"powinc" <powinc@deakin.edu.au> wrote in message
news:GCYkc.8287$qa5.6311@fe22.usenetserver.com...
> I was driving through the Hunter Region recently and quickly saw a bike
> frame with (I think) two crosses displayed above it.
>
> This is obviously a memorial to one (or two) cycles that died on that
> part of the road. It was erected just before a bridge, where the
> emergency lane/bike lane narrows to cross the bridge.
>
> I believe as a group we make a effort to memorialize, or pay tribute
> to all cyclists that have died on our roads. Either by erecting a
> memorial where they have been killed or in a memorial park in each
> capital city or both.


I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done right, may make
drivers more aware of cyclists (if only in the general area of the
memorial).

But a memorial park in each capital city is absurd, do we need a memorial
park in each capital for those killed in toaster accidents? drowned in the
bath park? died of bee stings? snakebite? medical negligence? abseiling
accidents? rock fishing accidents?

We don't need a park for every trivial (percentage of deaths wise) case -
who would be expected to pay for this country wide network of 'dead cyclist'
parks? the local rate payer?, state govt? or would it be a federal
responsibility? in every single case the one who actually pays is the
taxpayer, and I for one would be bloody angry if my tax money was diverted
to such a cause (yes I know it already goes to equally stupid ideas, but why
come up with more?).

wassupdawg

L'Acrobat wrote:
> I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done right, may make
> drivers more aware of cyclists (if only in the general area of the
> memorial).
> But a memorial park in each capital city is absurd, do we need a
> memorial park in each capital for those killed in toaster accidents?
> drowned in the bath park? died of bee stings? snakebite? medical
> negligence? abseiling accidents? rock fishing accidents?
> We don't need a park for every trivial (percentage of deaths wise) case
> - who would be expected to pay for this country wide network of 'dead
> cyclist' parks? the local rate payer?, state govt? or would it be a
> federal responsibility? in every single case the one who actually pays
> is the taxpayer, and I for one would be bloody angry if my tax money was
> diverted to such a cause (yes I know it already goes to equally stupid
> ideas, but why come up with more?).



If, as pointed out by cfsmtb (quoting Phil Crohn) that more people have
died on our roads last century than in all wars combined, then perhaps
the park/memorial idea has legs. After all, how many shrines, memorial
plaques etc does every town, city, location have? could incoroporate
them into those naff Lion's club parks in every town



--

L'acrobat

"wassupdawg" <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote in message
newsjdlc.38201$qa5.14051@fe22.usenetserver.com...
> L'Acrobat wrote:
> > I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done right, may make
> > drivers more aware of cyclists (if only in the general area of the
> > memorial).
> > But a memorial park in each capital city is absurd, do we need a
> > memorial park in each capital for those killed in toaster accidents?
> > drowned in the bath park? died of bee stings? snakebite? medical
> > negligence? abseiling accidents? rock fishing accidents?
> > We don't need a park for every trivial (percentage of deaths wise)
case
> > - who would be expected to pay for this country wide network of 'dead
> > cyclist' parks? the local rate payer?, state govt? or would it be a
> > federal responsibility? in every single case the one who actually pays
> > is the taxpayer, and I for one would be bloody angry if my tax money
was
> > diverted to such a cause (yes I know it already goes to equally stupid
> > ideas, but why come up with more?).
>
>
>
> If, as pointed out by cfsmtb (quoting Phil Crohn) that more people have
> died on our roads last century than in all wars combined, then perhaps
> the park/memorial idea has legs. After all, how many shrines, memorial
> plaques etc does every town, city, location have? could incoroporate
> them into those naff Lion's club parks in every town

A few problems with that justification.

1. That road toll figure is frankly an abuse of statistics, look at the
amount of troops we've sent to war and the amount of time they were in a war
zone, then compare it to the fact that all of us are road users and we use
the roads to one extent or another virtually every day and suddenly that
'shocking road statistic' is pretty inconsequential.

2. Those road users didn't choose to put their lives at additional risk to
protect the rest of us, so a specific memorial seems no more needed than any
other cause of death.

3. I have no problem with people choosing to put up a memorial to almost
anything, just don't ask me to pay for it.

Baka Dasai

On Mon, 3 May 2004 00:22:38 +1000, L'acrobat said (and I quote):
> I can see the point to a roadside memorial as, if done right, may make
> drivers more aware of cyclists (if only in the general area of the
> memorial).

I think the main message these memorials would send is that cycling is a
terribly dangerous thing to do, and that if you are stupid enough to get
on a bike, there's a good chance you'll get run over.

Seeing as a greater number of cyclists leads to better driving behaviour
and therefore increased cyclist safety, anything that tends to
discourage cycling serves to reduce the safety of those remaining
cyclists.

So I think these memorials are a bad idea. It's better to promote
cycling as a safe thing to do rather than a dangerous thing to do.
--
What was I thinking?

powinc

Seeing as a greater number of cyclists leads to better driving
behaviour and therefore increased cyclist safety, anything that
tends to discourage cycling serves to reduce the safety of those
remaining cyclists.

I disagree with the above point, with my reference being that on
occasions where a mass of cyclists interfere the car driver's 'god
given right' to the open road, there is negative feedback, mostly
though the tabloid press. Critical Mass for example gets over 95% of
car drivers irate.

powinc



--

Baka Dasai

On Tue, 04 May 2004 11:42:12 GMT, powinc said (and I quote):
> I disagree with the above point, with my reference being that on
> occasions where a mass of cyclists interfere the car driver's 'god
> given right' to the open road, there is negative feedback, mostly
> though the tabloid press. Critical Mass for example gets over 95% of
> car drivers irate.

I wasn't referring to group rides or Critical Mass (not that I have
anything against them), but simply to overall numbers of individual
cyclists. If encountering a cyclist on the road is a frequent
occurrence for drivers, they naturally get better at dealing with it.
If they only encounter cyclists rarely, they stop looking out for you.

This leads to some perverse results, for example, mandatory helmet laws
making cycling less safe by causing a large reduction in cycling
numbers.

The widely-held view that cycling on the road is very dangerous is
self-fulfilling. If you can get people to believe that cycling on the
road is safe, it will become so.
--
What was I thinking?

Ken Oaf

On Sun, 2 May 2004 18:10:28 +0800, "Marty Wallace" <mart@geo.net.au> wrote:

>
> We also have a long tiled snake that represents the Wagyl set into the
> footpath of the main street. Tiles set into the snakes form have the names
> of the winners of the Collie -Donnybrook cycle race which extends back about
> 77 years. At the end is a large tiled apple which represents Donnybrook, the
> home of the Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples. The snake is about 100 metres
> long.

The home of the Granny Smith apple is Eastwood in Sydney.

Marty Wallace

"Ken Oaf" <fisho@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
news:2q1g90t7i50vlq6miki04ngu3vjf0ldt4e@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 2 May 2004 18:10:28 +0800, "Marty Wallace" <mart@geo.net.au>
wrote:
>
> >
> > We also have a long tiled snake that represents the Wagyl set into the
> > footpath of the main street. Tiles set into the snakes form have the
names
> > of the winners of the Collie -Donnybrook cycle race which extends back
about
> > 77 years. At the end is a large tiled apple which represents Donnybrook,
the
> > home of the Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples. The snake is about 100
metres
> > long.
>
> The home of the Granny Smith apple is Eastwood in Sydney.
>
>

Hmmm
You're right!
Even though Donnybrook calls itself the Home of the Granny Smith apple it
seems it WAS discovered in Sydney.
Donnybrook developed the Lady Williams and Pink Lady varieties.

mikeg

Marty Wallace wrote:
> "Ken Oaf" <fisho@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message news:2q1g90t7i50vl-
> q6miki04ngu3vjf0ldt4e@4ax.comnews:2q1g90t7i50vlq6miki04ngu3vjf0ldt4e-
> @4ax.com...
> > On Sun, 2 May 2004 18:10:28 +0800, "Marty Wallace" <mart@geo.net.au>
> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > We also have a long tiled snake that represents the Wagyl set into
> > > the footpath of the main street. Tiles set into the snakes form
> > > have the
> names
> > > of the winners of the Collie -Donnybrook cycle race which
> > > extends back
> about
> > > 77 years. At the end is a large tiled apple which represents
> > > Donnybrook,
> the
> > > home of the Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples. The snake is
> > > about 100
> metres
> > > long.
> >
> > The home of the Granny Smith apple is Eastwood in Sydney.
> >
> >
> Hmmm You're right! Even though Donnybrook calls itself the Home of the
> Granny Smith apple it seems it WAS discovered in Sydney. Donnybrook
> developed the Lady Williams and Pink Lady varieties.



Most definitely the home of the "Granny Smith Apple" is Eastwood Sydney,
I am a 7th generation descendant of "Granny Smith"

The variety grew from seeds which grew near Threlfall Street Eastwood

Mike



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