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why is this cyclist being prosecuted?

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  1. #1

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    why is this cyclist being prosecuted?

    SCMP today says Martin Turner is being prosecuted for careless cycling since a former assistant police commissioner drove into him when he waited at a red light in front of Cheung Kong Center

    doesn't make sense to me or is the government saying that cycling in Central is per-se careless cycling?

    dear giant likes this.

  2. #2

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    What is he doing riding a bike in central anyway? People who do that eventually get hit. Last year some dummy got hit by the tram in sheung wan. Motorists are not looking out for bicycles.

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  3. #3

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    Not much information provided in the SMCP online, so hard to understand what's really going on, but I note that he was previously prosecuted for not riding "near the kerb", which appears to have been the Highway Code recommendation. In a blog post he indicated that he has been campaigning to change the cycling rules in HK to allow a more sensible way of riding--sounds good to me--but that this is currently (arguably) against the law, which could explain some of what has happened and why he is now being prosecuted. Authority figures (and former ones) may not take kindly to individual protest campaigns...

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  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by packy_crusher:
    What is he doing riding a bike in central anyway? People who do that eventually get hit.
    makes sense...no bike lanes and reckless drivers result in bikers getting hit and prosecuted for being in the wrong. well done.

    Quote Originally Posted by packy_crusher:
    Motorists are not looking out for bicycles.
    Perhaps they teach Driving Ed. different here vs back in states, but I could have sworn they teach drivers to be cautious of everything on the road, not just other cars. You know, pesky little things that can dent your beamer...like cyclists, pedestrians, etc.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Lootoo:
    Authority figures (and former ones) may not take kindly to individual protest campaigns...
    And so they dealt with it in a fitting way.... run him down
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  6. #6

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    Lack of spacial awareness is a HK trait though

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  7. #7

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    I have known Martin for a while. Very (I'd say intensely) passionate... but misdirected passion. There are bigger problems in life in my opinion than being able to ride a bike around town with equal rights as drivers.

    Here's a gem from the Cyclists Alliance Facebook page.

    Martin Turner There is a worrying campaign to make bike helmets mandatory, and it's gaining momentum. Now the DAB have joined in, and next month the Cycle for Millions event will support it.

    Most of these people don't understand the strong arguments against enforcing helmet wearing - basically it stops people cycling because of the hassle and scare factor, so they sit around and get diabetes and heart problems instead.

  8. #8

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    I don't see why this is a gem... There are plenty of arguments against cycling helmet laws with statistics to back them up. It has been shown to decrease growth in cycling.
    Bike riding helmets: public health research studies, facts

    There's even data pointing to higher rates of injuries after laws were passed:
    Bike helmet compulsory laws for cycling in Western Australia

    In Israel and Mexico, laws were repelled as they have been deemed mistakes and the Swiss declined to pass laws after studying data.

    Personally, I'll continue to wear a helmet however I can see that helmet laws can be counterproductive in some cases.

    As to Turner, it often takes radical, passionate people to bring issues to the forefront. It's not surprising nor particularly troubling to see authorities clamping down on such individuals. It's not a bad message to send to the general population that if you want to be a troublemaker, there's a price to be paid. Knowing the kind of individual he is, I certainly would not pass judgment on the incident without knowing all of the details. However commenting with very little knowledge is a popular hobby around here and it's not going to stop...


  9. #9

    Martin's a bit naive. If they allowed cycling on the road here it would surely look like this.

    shafiq likes this.

  10. #10

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    That is far better than choking on car and bus fumes... If one wants to look on how to make a city pleasant and livable. Look at Melbourne and Vienna(ranked in the top livable cities in the world)... Electric trams, trains, loads of bike paths and an excellent and very cheap bike sharing program. It works even though Melbourne can be crazy hot in the summer and rainy in the winter(often excuses from whiny wimps in HK). Make it safe, cheap and convenient and a good number of people will cycle.

    Skyhook, dear giant and kittyctc like this.

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