Having lived and cycled in Sydney for 6 years, I’ve grown accustomed to occasional bad attitudes towards cycling in Sydney. And that’s from someone moving here from London. This is why when riding in Sydney I go out of my way to not offend people in any way possible, just to prevent the inevitable totally over the top reaction. By not offending I mean, trying to dissolve into thin air, which I’m sure we’ll have an app for soon. Sydney siders just don’t seem to like cyclists. photo: Shannon Morris
That is, unless they ride themselves. Then we ‘cyclists’ form huge pelotons of Lycra Nazis blocking Anzac Parade at 8.30 or blindly running their Fixie Without Lights into Oxford street while running the red lights. Thing is, I don’t identify with either side of this ‘discussion’.
I’m not a ‘cyclist’. I’m just someone who sometimes gets around on a bike, sometimes I use a car. Sometimes I walk, sometimes catch a train. Cyclists are just like real people!
But then the Greencliff people take this nonsense to an entirely different level. Check out the sign they put on my bike when I parked it on Alexandra Drive last week: Now it would be easy to laugh about this, because it is kinda ridiculous; obviously Greencliff agent drive their BMW’s with a stack of preprinted notices for cyclist in their booth.
There’s no way for me to check what Greencliff’s policies are apart from threatening to steal/damage other people’s property. Can I call them to ask:
Where does ‘this location’ start and end? Who is ‘building management/security’? Or are you just making this up as you go by making a generic flyer and plastering it all over place? I would have loved to sit in at the meeting when Greencliff decided this would be a good idea.
I don’t like being run over, so I do my best to be as considerate as humanly possible.
I highly doubt that Greenfield has the legal mandate to damage and confiscate bikes, so I’m going to do what any self respecting social video producer would:
I’m going to put a Gopro on my mate’s balcony and see if we can capture some Greenfield Cycling Hating Bolt Cutter Wielding ‘security and management’ types. Keep you posted! Do you have any experiences like this? I’d love to hear about it!