Southerly: One Hundred and Thirty-one Million Reasons to Copenhagenize Christchurch
389 Responses
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basic pothole and surface repair will continue to deteriorate unless voters wise up or ratepayers pick up the slack in your area.
I've noticed that, actually. Big potholes appearing in roads in Auckland, and not being repaired. (Although it may be that I was looking for it, in the knowledge of cuts). Roads that fall apart are a pretty good visual indicator of the state of public spending in a country.
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Lilith __, in reply to
Roads that fall apart
Not to undermine your point about public spending at all, but it you want roads that fall apart, come to Otautahi!
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I for one want those vicious cycles
off the roads, now!how about those well-oiled viscous ones?
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
But at the high extreme of traffic density (e.g. urban Japan) the same amount of ‘selfish’ driving by each person would manifest itself in (almost) constant incidents, and the traffic would quickly become snarled. The only way that traffic can flow in a reasonable manner is for all participants to have an unspoken agreement to act (apparently) ‘unselfishly’.
Also the case in London. I found it strange when I first arrived here that drivers would not let cars out of side streets, even when in a traffic light queue. It may be the most annoying trait of NZ drivers that they seem to think they own any bit of the road that they can squeeze their car onto.
Islander, most of what you say about Kiwi social behaviour is true, until they get behind a wheel, then it's F**K you Mate... -
My own theory is that it’s not something that changes slowly, but can actually switch around on public mood, and certain ideas that make traffic better or worse can spread virally in feedback loops. It only takes a few people being rude to you, and you’re much more likely to be rude to someone else. Similarly, if a few people let you in here or there, you feel more inclined to give back. A small amount of constant pressure in the right direction can make a massive difference, turns a vicious cycle into a virtuous one.
This is exactly my hypothesis on the subject! (You may or may not be pleased to hear this)
Which is itself a good thing to promulgate- that every small courtesy on the road counts. Let's keep up- and increase- our own good behaviour :)
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
Let’s keep up- and increase- our own good behaviour :)
+1
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Lilith __, in reply to
how about those viscous ones?
If Dali had painted bikes, not watches ;-)
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Also the case in London.
Very much the case in Indonesia. The hive-mind is at play there, and it's completely unsurprising to see someone driving down the wrong side of a street. There are no lanes in practical terms. The expectation is that they'll make room for you, and you'll make room for them. It works, apart from the small percentage of the time when it goes disasterously wrong.
If everyone drove there like they do here (assertively, giving nothing), the roads would be clogged with accidents.
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
If Dali had painted bikes…
like this? *
I think this was called “Someone’s pinched me wheels!”
here he is casually painting a chopper
- Harley working up a sweat…perhaps some his anonymous street work??
*from this Game Blog
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
It may be the most annoying trait of NZ drivers that they seem to think they own any bit of the road that they can squeeze their car onto.
Islander, most of what you say about Kiwi social behaviour is true, until they get behind a wheel, then it's F**K you Mate...This still rings true, 60 years on...
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
putting the Catalan amongst the...
not watches
yet watches lead to bikes, spooky...
...and to an interesting site that posits the question (27.7.09 entry)
...what do Dalí & Hitler have in common?
answer:Salvador Dalí was a real freaky bike freak.
...had an Italian Bianchi cycle in his studio and said he would have liked "the whole of France" to cycle: "The Tour de France on bicycles produces in me such a persistent satisfaction that my saliva flows in imperceptible but stubborn streams."Bike lanes had Hitler's blessings.
...Germany pioneered the creation of cycle paths in the 1930s - because the Nazi party wanted cyclists off the roads.
By 1936 they had outlawed cycling groups. -
Rich Lock, in reply to
Big potholes appearing in roads in Auckland, and not being repaired. (Although it may be that I was looking for it, in the knowledge of cuts). Roads that fall apart are a pretty good visual indicator of the state of public spending in a country.
There has been a lot of work put in to Lake Road, Quay Street and the Newmarket viaduct, though, to name three big road I can think of off the top of my head. Although that may all be accounted for in last years budget.
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reinventing the wheel...
Australian John Keogh, of Dandenong, Victoria, applied for a patent on the wheel in 2001; the Australian patent office, IP Australia, granted him Innovation Patent #2001100012. Keogh's 'circular transportation facilitation device' is described as having a "wide applicability in the transport of goods and persons from one point to another", particularly with further refinements, such as a rubber tire and inflatable tube. Keogh and IP Australia were jointly awarded the 2001 technology Ig Nobel for this novel contraption.
from Cosmos mag
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Unlike standard patents, innovation patents in Australia don't get seriously examined until they are challenged, though. And that one did get revoked.....
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Matthew Reid, in reply to
David Haywood wrote:
At 84 cm it’s not *much* wider than my existing handlebars and would certainly fit on the skinny CHCH bike lanes – and it looks oh so useful for carting round the little ‘uns. Beautiful! Er, would I have to sell my kidneys to be able to afford one?
It does fit on the skinny bike lanes, but we're a bit slow when fully loaded, so not so good when other cyclists want to pass. They also have a fairly wide turning circle. I can imagine them being used around town if CCC were keen (as they are south of here).
As for your kidneys, the exchange rate has improved with the Kroner since we bought it, I'd imagine, so you'd probably only have to sell one. The great value is in being able to talk to and see the kids while going places, and avoiding needing to use the car at all to take the kids to school/care or to do the shopping. When we looked into trikes there were cheaper options but the quality was not so certain.
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Lilith __, in reply to
Jesus Christ...on a bicycle.
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James Green, in reply to
If Dali had painted bikes…
He also painted a Vespa that some students were taking on a trip to see the Pope (on display at the Piaggio Museum near Pisa, along with the gyrocopter vespa, the rocket launcher vespa, the fire engine vespa, the stretched (think limo) vespa, and all manner of Piaggio madness...
(to be honest, the Dali vespa is not at all exciting compared to the other stuff)
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
Jesus Christ...on a bicycle
with, or without, a cross-bar?
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Lilith __, in reply to
with, or without, a cross-bar?
:-)
Unless, o'course, you're Waiting for Godwin... -
Lilith __, in reply to
with, or without, a cross-bar?
...and there should be no stigmata in being a cyclist.
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There has been a lot of work put in to Lake Road, Quay Street and the Newmarket viaduct, though, to name three big road I can think of off the top of my head. Although that may all be accounted for in last years budget.
The Government is throwing billions at new mega-projects, but they've actually significantly cut road maintenence budgets.
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
It’s the drivers who don’t see me that worry me
Bicycles are invisible, when you get on a bike you are invisible. David is the physics geek who can provide you with the math to prove it.
If you ride as if you are invisible you become much much safer. The moment you presume anyone in a car (or even on foot) can see you is the moment when you are most at danger.
Of course this doesn't mean you can ride naked without consequences :).
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
I can’t help thinking that if you ride sitting up (a la Copenhagen video) then the chance of heading south onto your head may be reduced.
No
But some very basic training in Judo or similar, where you are taught how to control a fall so that less important bits get damaged first, definitely will help.
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Lilith __, in reply to
The moment you presume anyone in a car (or even on foot) can see you is the moment when you are most at danger.
Agreed. I've found making eye contact with motorists and using a horn* are two good methods for de-cloaking when necessary.
*those old-fashioned ones with a rubber ball that you squeeze are GREAT, they make a good loud noise without being deafening. -
If you ride as if you are invisible you become much much safer
Up to a point, totally. But please: hand signals, indicate indicate indicate. Sometimes we can see you, sometimes we are happy to share the road- but almost never can we read your minds :)
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