ttbn, I don't mind the idea of totally banning bikes, although with all these "Tour-de France" aspirants, I would not hold my breath.
Have you noticed the increase in cyclists every year about the time the "Tour" is on.
What a bunch of morons.
Anyway, if pedestrians feel insecure with these morons playing Russian roulette with them I can understand and empathise.
The authorities must be made to understand that the three mediums are incompatible with each other.
The only logical solution is to remove the bikes from major arteries and making them use secondary roads.
To take a very simplistic view, need I remind the lawmakers that it is called a FOOT-PATH, not a foot and bike path.
But given the choice of life and death, I would imagine that any incident between a person and a bike, compared to a bike and a car, I know which is the lesser of the two evils.
So let's at least, start by getting the bikes off the main roads and onto the back streets, they can still travel at their optimum speed, but much safer as back streets are not frequented by as many cars as main roads.

"The good old blood and guts brigade are beside themselves. They are STUFFING everything insight, except the Xmas Turkey!"

I liked your turkey jokes.
The best thing about being Aussie is being able to have a joke and a laugh, and take the mickey out of others in a nice friendly Aussie way.
This 'taking the piss' takes precedence in real Australian culture, which is slowly fading.
It put an end to all the endless silly squabbles and put us all back on an even footing.
I sometimes wonder whether the 'taking the piss' culture was far better and more well-refined a system than all of this PC crap.
Whether our racist hazing of foreigners was really any more than an initiation to Australian culture and becoming an Aussie.

And as for being an Aussie:
- It's not until you tell everyone to go and get stuffed, and then give them all the finger that you truly become one.
(thongs and t-shirt also required)

Bazz,

I always stand my ground and make them walk around me. However, the last time it occurred, when an Asian woman got between me and a wall on my left and I stopped and she stopped and ushered me past (she was polite, just didn’t know the rule) I couldn’t very well say anything as my own wife was intently plodding along on the right! She doesn’t take much notice of me, either.

ALTRAV,

Yeah. It’s a nightmare when all the tragics get out the bikes that they haven’t ridden for 12 months when the Tour Down Under is on in SA

Dan, most sensible thing you have said !

Hi Mr O,

Not to sure what planet the usual suspects are on, as they tend to be up in the clouds most of the time. I do suspect they hitched a ride to Earth on a passing space ship from the planet Grump, which orbits out there in the cosmos somewhere to the far right of Pluto, that was about 100 years ago for most of them. The planet Grump is populated by Grumps, crusty old white male Anglo farts, they band sheila's farts, and young farts (anyone under 80) about 150 years ago, and wound back the clock to the permanent date and time of 11am 25th July 1897, where it has remained ever since, hence the Grumps are caught in a perpetual time warp. The Grumps did away with education, as they decided they knew everything there was to know, and intelligent people are just dummies, hence their string of "intelligent" post on the forum, everything from climate change to speed limits.
The good news Mr O is we were able to confine these space aligns to the 'Shady Rest Retirement Village' where they while away their hours playing Parcheesi,Bingo and take turns posting nonsense on OLO with Nursies computer when she's not looking.

Paul, time to wake up.
You have been dreaming and decided to post your dream, right?
It appears that your dream was really about yourself, because how could you know what any old farts would be doing inside The Shady Rest Retirement Village.
Especially when you describe in such detail, the Parcheesi and bingo.
Ah well at least we now know where your getting a lot of your info from.
It's OK Paul, we understand, I suggest we all go a little easier on you in future, you sound a little frail.
Stiff upper lip, old chap, onward and upward, there's a good lad.