Funny thing that.
Two weeks ago I ordered a new rear tyre for my bike, and prepaid half the cost. All good you would think, right ?
So yesterday arrives and I take the bike with it's now quite bald rear tyre down to the mechanics. He says the tyre hasn't shown up yet !!! And with that a van arrives in the driveway, we are both hoping the new tyre might have just arrived. So I leave the mechanic to his job and wait for the phone call to come pick the bike up.
No phone call came!
So I figure that means the tyres still didn't arrive yet (?) Heard nothing so far this morning, so I am hoping for a call before 5pm this arvo. Will not be a happy chap if I don't get a call today... but will have to be a patient chappy instead.
One thing about growing older is you have to learn patience.
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Road Safety, Motorcyclists and IDIOT car drivers.
Just emailed this off to the Qld Road Saftey section of the Transport Dept....
"Dear Sir/Madam,
I'm a returning motorcycle rider aged 52. I come back to riding in March this year after an 18 year period raising my daughter on my own.
As such I was very much aware of the dangers with the massive increase in road traffic, so I took my time to get my 'riding-legs', insured I did some emergency braking practice in wet and dry conditions, and put in the effort to keep a high focus on the vehicle movements around me while on the road.
But, all my efforts are almost in vain it would seem. Riders have a joke they like to share amongst themselves.. "Remember everyone else on the road is out to kill you!"
Sadly, this is very true in Queensland. In the 8 months that I have been riding again I have had over half a dozen instances of car/truck drivers doing things that endangered my life, causing me to take evasive manouvres in order to survive.
A few have been young Red P Platers not giving way at roundabouts, two were Police doing the same thing, two have been people braking very hard so as not to miss their highway turnoff, one was a person at a cross junction pulling into the furtherest lane on me and the rest have been idiots changing lanes on me with no indicators.
My bike is brightly painted with lots and lots of chrome, the exhaust has been opened up to a safer sound level and the headlight is constantly on.. so there is no excuse about not seeing me.
This is NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!
Please, Please, Please place Motorcycle Aware advertising on Television and in the Print Media in order to educate car drivers about Motorcycles sharing the roads with them in the hope that these IDIOTS might actually learn to drive safely. And so that I may LIVE beyond the next 8 months."
Probably some wheezer desk jockey will read the email and have a good giggle before deleting it.
"Dear Sir/Madam,
I'm a returning motorcycle rider aged 52. I come back to riding in March this year after an 18 year period raising my daughter on my own.
As such I was very much aware of the dangers with the massive increase in road traffic, so I took my time to get my 'riding-legs', insured I did some emergency braking practice in wet and dry conditions, and put in the effort to keep a high focus on the vehicle movements around me while on the road.
But, all my efforts are almost in vain it would seem. Riders have a joke they like to share amongst themselves.. "Remember everyone else on the road is out to kill you!"
Sadly, this is very true in Queensland. In the 8 months that I have been riding again I have had over half a dozen instances of car/truck drivers doing things that endangered my life, causing me to take evasive manouvres in order to survive.
A few have been young Red P Platers not giving way at roundabouts, two were Police doing the same thing, two have been people braking very hard so as not to miss their highway turnoff, one was a person at a cross junction pulling into the furtherest lane on me and the rest have been idiots changing lanes on me with no indicators.
My bike is brightly painted with lots and lots of chrome, the exhaust has been opened up to a safer sound level and the headlight is constantly on.. so there is no excuse about not seeing me.
This is NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!
Please, Please, Please place Motorcycle Aware advertising on Television and in the Print Media in order to educate car drivers about Motorcycles sharing the roads with them in the hope that these IDIOTS might actually learn to drive safely. And so that I may LIVE beyond the next 8 months."
Probably some wheezer desk jockey will read the email and have a good giggle before deleting it.
Monday, 12 November 2012
Awww Crap!! So much for a holiday!!
Grrrrrrr bhgffffuuuccchhhhwwllkdnuerst!!
Over 20 years since I last had a real holiday and with it all planned out, routes now mapped into the GPS, just enough dollars sorted and everyone informed... I have to cancel it.
Damn and blast... I was so looking forward to having a real time-out.. time in the wind riding interstate with no worries about anything.
Now I have to replace the rear tyre on the bike before I can go anywhere.. so there goes three quarters of my dollars for the road trip. Bloody cops.. couldn't just let it go since it's only almost bald right in the centre and has a shitload of tread left everywhere else.
Grrrr... not a happy Oldie at the moment.
Over 20 years since I last had a real holiday and with it all planned out, routes now mapped into the GPS, just enough dollars sorted and everyone informed... I have to cancel it.
Damn and blast... I was so looking forward to having a real time-out.. time in the wind riding interstate with no worries about anything.
Now I have to replace the rear tyre on the bike before I can go anywhere.. so there goes three quarters of my dollars for the road trip. Bloody cops.. couldn't just let it go since it's only almost bald right in the centre and has a shitload of tread left everywhere else.
Grrrr... not a happy Oldie at the moment.
Friday, 9 November 2012
Road Trip !!!
About bloody time with my Gap Year flying past way too fast for my liking. Started the GY in March and these past 8 months I've hardly ridden anywhere and done next to nothing.. so now that is about to change.
Two weeks, about 3,000km, lots of fuel and food, a sore butt, getting lost around Sydney.. yep.. sounds like a great adventure to me.
Can't wait to see what has changed in almost 40 years since I was last down that way. I expect traffic and housing to have multiplied by some gigantic factor, roads going everywhere and little signage to show me the way before I hit the place to turn, so much going on that it will be hard to focus purely on going where I want to go.. and all on a super-tight budget.
I prefer to camp out at night, so will be looking for rivers and camping areas nearby, maybe roadside caravan and camping parks for the facilities.. hot showers, phone recharging and a camp site far enough away from everyone else that my snoring disturbs no one. lol
The highlight I am looking forward to will be in the last week where I get to ride out to Bathurst, do a slow lap or three and visit the Motor Racing Museum near The Chase. Haven't been to Bathurst since the mid 70's and the Easter Bike Races that were on each year until the COPS screwed it up for everyone with their heavy-handed tactics.. the BASTARDS!!
But, I digress.
Will be heading into Canberra for a couple of days, have a good look around there too as I was last there in 1977.. so do expect to see a lot of change.. except those bloody big roundabouts will still be there.
For preparations i've only put a set of highway pegs on the bike, ordered some pullback risers for the handlebars that should be here next week from the States.. and a tent coming next week. Will be able to load up the bike and sit on her like she is a big armchair.. soooo comfy.
I figure one saddle-bag will be my food fridge, the other will carry a couple of days worth of clothing.. extra jackets and stuff for if it rains or gets colder. Spare full face helmet on the sissy bar and everything else tied on to the two small luggage racks.. woohoo.. did I yell ROADTRIP yet ?
Can you tell I'm getting excited about now ? I can. It's been far too many years since I rode a bike interstate on a roadtrip.
The days of easy rider are not over !!
Two weeks, about 3,000km, lots of fuel and food, a sore butt, getting lost around Sydney.. yep.. sounds like a great adventure to me.
Can't wait to see what has changed in almost 40 years since I was last down that way. I expect traffic and housing to have multiplied by some gigantic factor, roads going everywhere and little signage to show me the way before I hit the place to turn, so much going on that it will be hard to focus purely on going where I want to go.. and all on a super-tight budget.
I prefer to camp out at night, so will be looking for rivers and camping areas nearby, maybe roadside caravan and camping parks for the facilities.. hot showers, phone recharging and a camp site far enough away from everyone else that my snoring disturbs no one. lol
The highlight I am looking forward to will be in the last week where I get to ride out to Bathurst, do a slow lap or three and visit the Motor Racing Museum near The Chase. Haven't been to Bathurst since the mid 70's and the Easter Bike Races that were on each year until the COPS screwed it up for everyone with their heavy-handed tactics.. the BASTARDS!!
But, I digress.
Will be heading into Canberra for a couple of days, have a good look around there too as I was last there in 1977.. so do expect to see a lot of change.. except those bloody big roundabouts will still be there.
For preparations i've only put a set of highway pegs on the bike, ordered some pullback risers for the handlebars that should be here next week from the States.. and a tent coming next week. Will be able to load up the bike and sit on her like she is a big armchair.. soooo comfy.
I figure one saddle-bag will be my food fridge, the other will carry a couple of days worth of clothing.. extra jackets and stuff for if it rains or gets colder. Spare full face helmet on the sissy bar and everything else tied on to the two small luggage racks.. woohoo.. did I yell ROADTRIP yet ?
Can you tell I'm getting excited about now ? I can. It's been far too many years since I rode a bike interstate on a roadtrip.
The days of easy rider are not over !!
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
The insanity of Shared Zones in Warwick.
Once again our town planners and decision makers have shown they don't have an ounce of brain between them by inflicting us all with the use of Shared Zones.
Now, in a sensible world the Shared Zone is not a bad idea as long as people are sensible and use it correctly.
Unfortunately that's not what is happening in Warwick with it. After a small trial in the main CBD area, we found idiots would just walk out in front of oncoming cars then abuse the driver for not stopping quickly enough. We saw people not using the pedestrian crossings only 10 to 20 feet away from them because they can now walk out across the street at any time.. and car driver's MUST give way to them.
So council in it's apparent wisdom decided to extend the Zone all the way along the main street right up to the end of the high school where it then becomes a School Zone with an even higher speed limit!! Sheer madness.
My problem with Shared Zones in Warwick is the sad fact that now instead of low-IQ'ers having to learn to be responsible for their safety.. nay... use the Road Safety learning they had all through their primary school years... their safety is now MY responsibility!!
So the whole Shared Zone thing goes against the road rules in this state and it panders to the least intelligent so that they do not have to take responsibility for themselves.
We had this same problem for years at the high school, where kids would flood out into the busiest street at the busiest time of day.. and council had not even put Pedestrian Crossings in for them to use!! Next council allowed a bottleshop to go in across from the highschool.. and then an IGA across as well for good measure. All of which meant that the few carparks in the street available to pick up your kids were now used by people shopping and buying alcohol... the street was now filled to over-capacity with cars zooming into the bottleshop and IGA.
Instead of fixing the problems that already existed, council instead took the easy path.. save the dumbarses from themselves by making their safety the concern of everyone who drives a car in town.
Did I say the Shared Zone speed limit is only 25km/h ??
How stupid?? My bike struggles to chug along at 25km/h in 2nd gear.. first gear is far too low and revs the engine too high.. so I chug along around engine idle to stay in the speed limit while idiots walk out in front of me, left, right and centre.
If there is a God.. I hope he saves idiots from themselves coz I am fed up with this Nanny State taking self-direction and self-responsiblity off the agenda.
Bastards need to wake the hell up.
Now, in a sensible world the Shared Zone is not a bad idea as long as people are sensible and use it correctly.
Unfortunately that's not what is happening in Warwick with it. After a small trial in the main CBD area, we found idiots would just walk out in front of oncoming cars then abuse the driver for not stopping quickly enough. We saw people not using the pedestrian crossings only 10 to 20 feet away from them because they can now walk out across the street at any time.. and car driver's MUST give way to them.
So council in it's apparent wisdom decided to extend the Zone all the way along the main street right up to the end of the high school where it then becomes a School Zone with an even higher speed limit!! Sheer madness.
My problem with Shared Zones in Warwick is the sad fact that now instead of low-IQ'ers having to learn to be responsible for their safety.. nay... use the Road Safety learning they had all through their primary school years... their safety is now MY responsibility!!
So the whole Shared Zone thing goes against the road rules in this state and it panders to the least intelligent so that they do not have to take responsibility for themselves.
We had this same problem for years at the high school, where kids would flood out into the busiest street at the busiest time of day.. and council had not even put Pedestrian Crossings in for them to use!! Next council allowed a bottleshop to go in across from the highschool.. and then an IGA across as well for good measure. All of which meant that the few carparks in the street available to pick up your kids were now used by people shopping and buying alcohol... the street was now filled to over-capacity with cars zooming into the bottleshop and IGA.
Instead of fixing the problems that already existed, council instead took the easy path.. save the dumbarses from themselves by making their safety the concern of everyone who drives a car in town.
Did I say the Shared Zone speed limit is only 25km/h ??
How stupid?? My bike struggles to chug along at 25km/h in 2nd gear.. first gear is far too low and revs the engine too high.. so I chug along around engine idle to stay in the speed limit while idiots walk out in front of me, left, right and centre.
If there is a God.. I hope he saves idiots from themselves coz I am fed up with this Nanny State taking self-direction and self-responsiblity off the agenda.
Bastards need to wake the hell up.
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Heavenly Sounds Cathedral Tour... Cancelled!!!
After all these months of waiting to use my purchased ticket to see Karise Eden sing at St John's Cathedral in Brisvegas.. I find out late last night.. when the concert is this Tuesday.. that Karise has come down with a flu she got in Hobart, so all venues have been cancelled now.
Those thousands of people who got to see Karise in Melbourne and Sydney now have an experience they can call as a Life Highlight.
Those of us who are now missing out on such a unique performer in such a unique setting will never get to experience it exactly that way.. the sounds, the vibrations in a cathedral setting.
I feel a little cheated as I was looking forward to this as a real highlight.. something to savour for years afterwards.
Those thousands of people who got to see Karise in Melbourne and Sydney now have an experience they can call as a Life Highlight.
Those of us who are now missing out on such a unique performer in such a unique setting will never get to experience it exactly that way.. the sounds, the vibrations in a cathedral setting.
I feel a little cheated as I was looking forward to this as a real highlight.. something to savour for years afterwards.
Sunday, 14 October 2012
A first time for everything....
Yesterday dawned, and I went back to bed in the hope of a good sleep in before heading to Brissy for a day trip.. then the phone rang. Grrr!!
A couple I know who ride bikes asked if I wanted to ride along to a bike rally called "Bikes Through a Bar".. it sounded like a bit of fun so I canned my plans and took on this new outlook for the day.
We arrived after a 20 minute ride and parked up at the end of a row of nice looking bikes, only tobe told that parking was for the Show and Shine competitors bikes.... so I rode away to park elsewhere.. then changed my mind and parked again for the competition. Paid the $10 for charity and walked away to see what else was around to keep my entertained.
Spent a fair bit of time around the historic bikes, and some of the trade exhibits (sellers) before grabbing some lunch and coffee. Did the ride through the bar ($15 for charity) and parked her up again in the Show and Shine.. went off to watch the piglet racing.. a bit of fun for charity which raised a few hundred dollars just on that little bit of entertainment.
My friend found me and said they were about to call out the winners for the show and shine.. so we wandered over there to see. And that's when I got a big surprise!!!
My bike WON the category for Best Jap Bike out of 30 or so jap bikes in the competition !!
So I happily took my new trophy, had my piccy taken with a cute girly and promptly placed the trophy on my bike to show it off.. hahahahhhahahhaha.
It's funny how the universe offers up something different at times.. little opportunities to meet neww people and enjoy the day.
A couple I know who ride bikes asked if I wanted to ride along to a bike rally called "Bikes Through a Bar".. it sounded like a bit of fun so I canned my plans and took on this new outlook for the day.
We arrived after a 20 minute ride and parked up at the end of a row of nice looking bikes, only tobe told that parking was for the Show and Shine competitors bikes.... so I rode away to park elsewhere.. then changed my mind and parked again for the competition. Paid the $10 for charity and walked away to see what else was around to keep my entertained.
Spent a fair bit of time around the historic bikes, and some of the trade exhibits (sellers) before grabbing some lunch and coffee. Did the ride through the bar ($15 for charity) and parked her up again in the Show and Shine.. went off to watch the piglet racing.. a bit of fun for charity which raised a few hundred dollars just on that little bit of entertainment.
My friend found me and said they were about to call out the winners for the show and shine.. so we wandered over there to see. And that's when I got a big surprise!!!
My bike WON the category for Best Jap Bike out of 30 or so jap bikes in the competition !!
So I happily took my new trophy, had my piccy taken with a cute girly and promptly placed the trophy on my bike to show it off.. hahahahhhahahhaha.
It's funny how the universe offers up something different at times.. little opportunities to meet neww people and enjoy the day.
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