Thursday 17 May 2007

Trusting cyclist


This is an unusual sight in Sydney, where not too many people cycle to work, and where those who do usually wear much more casual clothing. Last time I saw such a well-dressed woman riding a bike to work was in Paris. But in Paris they place their handbags in a basket over the handlebars. I am sure opportunist bag-snatchers are at work in Sydney too!

Must add (adopt best school teacher voice): she was breaking 3 laws at the time. Can anyone tell me what they were? One you can quite plainly see, one there is a clue in the photo, and one you probably need to guess.

23 comments:

  1. Love this photo; makes me resolve to do more biking around the neighborthood. Never occurred to me that light fingers could relieve items from behind the cyclist. Naive, I guess!

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  2. Good on her!

    Thought you had a helmet law in Oz though?

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  3. A new fashion, maybe? Good for the planet and for health!

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  4. Good for her...and us!
    (Elegant lady - looks like a cashmere pashmina around her neck!)

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  5. mountainboy: you've got Broken Law # 1: yes, it is illegal to ride without a helmet.

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  6. I like this photo very much. I like this lady too.

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  7. thats right, the legs for bag can grow easily:)

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  8. She is doing her part to help Mother Earth. I walked to the grocery today instead of driving. It seems we'd all better do whatever we can to save resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

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  9. Hmm it is also against the law to cross the road on while riding a bike - for personal and pedestrian safety. The right way to do it is to hop off your bike and walk it across. You're not allowed to ride bikes on footpaths either. Was she also crossing when the pedestrian light was red?

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  10. Okay, I'll give it a whirl: no helmet, no license on the bike, and perhaps some traffic law? How about lights and reflectors, even if it's during the day the bike should be equipped with them. Let us know later!!

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  11. G'day:

    Was this photo taken near the Central Station?

    I do love Sydney, hope to visit again soon.

    Thanks for the photos

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  12. I've just (thanks to Katherine) thought of a fourth and fifth! And if the reflector / light law is still in place (thanks kate!) and I think it is, that would be a sixth.

    So, to recap:
    1.No helmet
    2.Katherine is correct - she rode across against a red light.
    3.
    4. Correct again Katherine, she rode across a pedestrian crossing instead of walking it.
    5. And, again - she rode on the footpath
    6. No Headlamp (not sure if you have to have one at all times - no bikes are sold WITH one! Maybe just have to have one on at night - so arguably she could have one in her bag to whip on when it gets dark)

    One to go!

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  13. She's riding on the wrong side of the road?

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  14. two&2 : bingo. The street she came down is a one way street....in the opposite direction, and anyway, even if it were 2 way, she would be on the wrong side! She stopped at the intersection, the rode across the pedestrian crossing against the lights, and up on to the footpath on the other side.

    But I still like her guts in riding in Sydney traffic! And being so stylish about it.

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  15. c'est bien d'aller au travail en velo (avant je le faisais, maintenant c'est devenu trop dangereux) mais souvent les couloirs pour les velos sont trop petits et trop à côté des voitures.
    La dame est tres elegante pour faire du velo, cela ne doit pas etre facile


    it is well of going to work in the bicycle (before I did it, maintaining it became too dangerous) but often the corridors for the bicycles are too small and too beside the cars. The lady is very elegant to make bicycle, that should not be easy

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  16. Hello, I present my blog photographs to you on a small city : Martel. in the Quercy (the black perigord in France), the area of the foie gras and the omelette to boletus.

    mon blog of photographs on the town of Martel.

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  17. I like your photograph. I can imagine all sorts of things. We should all ride more often.

    I see others have already made comments and robbed me of mine.

    Abraham Lincoln
    Brookville Daily Photo
    Today—My house and FAQ photo information.

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  18. I'm not sure whether I'd want to ride a bike around Sydney. Besides the danger, there's the heat. Who want's to arrive at work wet through with sweat.

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  19. Oh Sally you do the teacher voice so well, I can almost hear you!

    Riding a bike with that skirt... how does she do it?

    My, she could have been fined on a good number of counts if I read your account! Tut tut!

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  20. yay! more people ride bikes! healthy free and fun! yes i love my bike! but you should see how smart japanese can look on their bikes, whilst holding an umbrella and talking on the phone! must try and get a picture of that!

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  21. Her car was on holiday so she tried her old bike from high-school.
    Nice legs.

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  22. I haven't read anyone's answer:

    1. She's not wearing a helmet.

    2. She's going in the wrong direction.

    3. She's wearing a dress and riding a bike.

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  23. Good quiz. This person is not alone, what about those courier guys on bikes who do just as they please with ease!

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