One of the most environmentally-friendly forms of transport, apart from walking, is the bicycle.
It’s a wonderful device that lets you go farther and faster than you could have just by walking alone and has the added benefit of being a form of exercise as well.
Bike messengers and delivery persons are becoming more common and there are employees who actually take the bike on the way to work. A lot of cities have realized the benefits of this mode of transport and have set up more bicycle lanes so that all manner of cyclists, not just recreational ones, can enjoy the added convenience.
But however popular cycling may become, the stark reality is that motor vehicles are unlikely to be replaced any time soon. They’re just too convenient and have a valuable role in society (ambulances, trucking, mass transport, etc.), after all. But when bikes and motor vehicles share a small piece of road real estate, things can get pretty harrowing for the cyclist.
Which is why one cyclist’s attempt to keep drivers at a safe distance has caught the attention of social media users. Alfred Botha, who owns a building design company, came upon a bizarre sight in Bardon in north-west Brisbane where he saw a cyclist stopped at a red traffic light at 10 am on Monday. What caught Botha’s attention was the fact that a swimming pool noddle was strapped to the back of the cyclist’s bike.
Presumably, the contraption was meant to force drivers to pass the cyclist at a safe distance by giving a physical reference. Botha took a picture of the cyclist and posted it on social media.
He wrote on Facebook: “Got to hand it to the folks in Bardon. They do know their rights.”
Social media users were duly impressed and one even called it an “amazing” idea. Another one even promised to “visualize noodles” whenever they overtook a cyclist.
Botha was quick to dispel people’s expectations, though, saying the device was more “an obstruction” than a help.
He told Daily Mail Australia: “Unfortunately for the bloke [the noodle] didn’t work.
“The noodle stuck out too far to the right and if he tried to turn [a corner] he’d end up blocking the vehicles trying to drive straight on.
“It was more of an obstruction than anything else.”
But Botha admitted that the cyclist looked “determined” to do things his way and likely wouldn’t have been bothered if someone questioned what he was doing.