Article extract taken from the local free for all complaints forum known as Stomp
In his email to STOMP today (January 8), the STOMPer wrote:
“I'm writing in to highlight an encounter with a TIBS bus plate no TIB873E, service no 180 this morning at 7.10am, January 7.
“I was cycling with two friends along Boon Lay Way opposite Chinese garden MRT, going towards the direction of Clementi when the above mentioned TIBS bus forced me and another friend into the bus bay outside Parc Oasis condominium.
“The third rider happened to be behind the bus when that happened and managed to slow down in time.
“Although I was already in the bus bay, the bus was close enough for me to knock on the door to warn the driver that there were two cyclists inside the bus bay.
“The cyclist behind and the two of us rode out of the bus bay and subsequently stopped at the traffic lights.
“The bus driver stopped before the zebra crossing at the left filter lane to Jurong Town Hall road and started gesturing wildly.
“He then stopped the bus, got off the bus and in a very aggressive manner say these very words, ‘What do you want? Why did you knock on my door?’.
“When we explained that we were forced into the bay and it was for our safety that we knocked to let him know someone was there, he continued his verbal abuse on us.
“We decided to ask for his name, to which he responded in an even more rowdy manner, challenging us to produce our NRIC instead and to call the police if we wanted to.
“I then whipped out my camera and managed to take a picture of the number plate and the bus driver.
“Our roads can certainly do with more courteous drivers around.”
Its disappointing that despite being branded as a courteous and kind ( Courteous and kind my fucking ass, what kind of rose tinted glasses are you looking through? Gucci? Ferragamo?) society, we still have drivers like these.
I fully empathise with the cyclist: Cycling on Singapore roads is a real horror. Reading the comments posted up, its appalling and it really reflects the true self-centred 'me-me-me-its-all-about-me' mentality of a typical Singaporean. They don't give way. They never do! Not even if it concerns the safety of the involved party would they even bother to; say, slow down for a moment to let the cyclist pass the bus bay before he pulls in.
Some of the comments posted up:
ABER7776 said on 08 Jan, 2009
seriouscyclist
if i m the bus driver .... u r already in the icu.....
i tell u , if i saw u again in the road that u mention just now....
u better be careful....
many_many said on 08 Jan, 2009
'knock on bus door and warn bus driver', U tink u own the road. Cyclist shld watch out for traffic when u cycle on the road.
Lucky the bus driver scold u. I would have let u eat tyre when i drive this bus.
Prick head.
PoorMan1 said on 08 Jan, 2009
cyclists are nothing but just a pest on the road to many ppl and at most a slap on the wrist by the government in the event of running someone over.. it's time to enforce stricter penalties for killing someone via the use of vehicles.. you rape someone you get jailed and caned, you kill someone on a bicycle with a car, all you get is suspension of driving license and a paltry fine and that "i'm very sorry for my actions and i regret it thoroughly" reaction.. But what has been lost is a human life.. Cyclists have parents, children, spouses like everyone else.. Go think about it..
Aren't you appalled? For every flame comment there's one or two who tries to reason and make the people see the other side of the coin. There's truly too many comments for me to quote so I shan't bother. You can go read it yourself if you're free.
I'm a cyclist myself. Seeing these comments make me worry. Sometimes we've no choice but to take the road as its less cluttered but there's a higher risk of accidents. Sidewalks are filled with pedestrians going about their daily business and sometimes its too narrow to cycle past.
Cyclists are somewhat stuck inbetween.
When we cycle on the sidewalks we get dirty looks and tsks.
( A self-righteous uncle even waved his rolled up copy of newspaper aggressively at me when I excused myself past him on bike. Saying loudly and indignantly while still waving the papers at me: PAVEMENT NOT FOR CYCLING LA STUPID!)
So fine I cycle on the roads.
I've had my fair share of considerate drivers and downright nasty assholes (morons I hope you'll be stuck in a predicament where you have to cycle one day because your car died on you and there's a mass strike from the public transportation.)
On my cross country trip from Yishun to Pasir Ris to leave my bike at my friend's house, I've had really nice considerate drivers who slowed down and waved me to proceed on; and my fair share of downright nasty drivers who deliberately honk and holler and sometimes drive so close to me that I had to swerve and risk hitting the kerb and go flying. But acrobatics aside, Singaporean cyclists don't seem to get much rights on the roads as compared to other motorists.
Its going to be another one of those
We're-not-gonna-take-the-initiative-to-implement-new-laws-for-the-benefit-of-cyclists-until-more-die-from-it syndrome.
They would probably introduce new laws only when some famous cyclist or politician is affected or dead from it.
Sod this.
Singaporean cyclists don't have much rights.
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