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Video: Australian cyclist grabs hold of truck to get a tow

Footage captured by following driver’s dashcam

Remember the Manchester cyclist who tailgated a tipper truck at 40mph or the Brazilian cyclist who filmed himself doing 124km/h behind a lorry? This cyclist in Perth, Australia, took the more direct route of simply grabbing hold of a truck and hitching a ride.

The West Australian reports that the incident took place on the Great Eastern Highway in Ascot at around 2.30pm on Wednesday.

Motorist John Richards said the cyclist also caught up with the truck at lights for a second attempt.

“The guy comes out of nowhere on his bike… then he hangs on to the back of a lorry, it’s like something out of a video game.

“He started weaving about and I started thinking about the consequences – that truck’s got 18 wheels on it and there’s all this traffic around us.”

Richards said that traffic backed up behind the cyclist as drivers were reluctant to pass.

“They couldn’t overtake the lorry because they weren’t sure what the guy on the back was going to do. Potentially I could have hit him,” he said.

Road Safety Commission acting Commissioner Chris Adams said:

“At the end of the day, it’s incredibly dangerous for a number of reasons – including unexpected braking or acceleration – but in this case the danger is exacerbated by the fact that the bloke doesn’t even appear to be wearing a helmet.”

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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17 comments

Avatar
waldner71 | 8 years ago
0 likes

There's a bike lane this nonce could/should have used. 

Avatar
kwi replied to waldner71 | 8 years ago
2 likes

waldner71 wrote:

There's a bike lane this nonce could/should have used. 

How, when the truck isn't allowed in the bike lane? 

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harrybav | 8 years ago
1 like

Most dangerous thing in that still pic is the diesel particulates bellowing out of the truck exhausts. Scary stuff. That'd knock you out of the breathing game if you got a lungful of that.

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riotgibbon | 8 years ago
1 like

"he came out of nowhere" ... 

Avatar
PaulBox replied to riotgibbon | 8 years ago
1 like

riotgibbon wrote:

"he came out of nowhere" ... 

Lol, that's the bit that made me smile.

He came out of nowhere, wtf, is the guy with the dashcam high?

I think 50% + of people must have done this at some time, I certainly did when younger. And i drafted a bus this very morning.

Avatar
brooksby replied to riotgibbon | 8 years ago
1 like

riotgibbon wrote:

"he came out of nowhere" ... 

Wow - so Australian bikes come with a special teleporter fitted?  Nice 

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to brooksby | 8 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

riotgibbon wrote:

"he came out of nowhere" ... 

Wow - so Australian bikes come with a special teleporter fitted?  Nice 

cloaking device, all cyclists have cloaking devices, but no control over when they are on and when they are off.

Must be the case is despite what you wear and where you position yourself it seems random whether drivers will notice you.

Avatar
brooksby replied to wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
0 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

brooksby wrote:

riotgibbon wrote:

"he came out of nowhere" ... 

Wow - so Australian bikes come with a special teleporter fitted?  Nice 

cloaking device, all cyclists have cloaking devices, but no control over when they are on and when they are off.

Must be the case is despite what you wear and where you position yourself it seems random whether drivers will notice you.

Cloaking devices, eh? Can a vehicle that small have a cloaking device?

(Would explain a lot, mind...)

Avatar
flathunt | 8 years ago
2 likes

Maybe it's time Australia started being a dick to cyclists.

 

Oh wait, whut?

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Wilts Cyclist | 8 years ago
0 likes

There's a Darwin Award set aside for this guy.

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Poptart242 | 8 years ago
1 like

The trams in Edinburgh are so slow as to negate the benefit of holding on to them, which is a shame.

 

We all draft the odd bus or lorry but I don't think I'd be holding on!

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DrJDog | 8 years ago
2 likes

I used to do this sometimes when I was much younger, until once I got a sudden tug and nearly fell off. I realised then that it was quite dangerous.

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wycombewheeler replied to DrJDog | 8 years ago
4 likes

DrJDog wrote:

I used to do this sometimes when I was much younger, until once I got a sudden tug and nearly fell off. I realised then that it was quite dangerous.

my tow of choice was the handle on the platform of a routemaster bus when i was a teenager, until the driver tried to squeeze me against the kerb one time.

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CygnusX1 | 8 years ago
2 likes

Been going on since at least the fifties - here's the proof (at 1m:11s in)  1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZJ7cq6T3v4 

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atlaz | 8 years ago
1 like

I saw two blokes in Marrakech doing this on rollerskates. Their hopping between buses, vans, cars and trucks got them into town ahead of me in a taxi.

Skitching (that's the proper name) is fairly common as far as I know.

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a1white | 8 years ago
9 likes

Quote:

"...but in this case the danger is exacerbated by the fact that the bloke doesn’t even appear to be wearing a helmet.”

Because a polystyrene helmet would make so much difference when you're under the wheels of 18 Wheel HGV.

Avatar
Gus T replied to a1white | 8 years ago
5 likes

a1white wrote:

Quote:

"...but in this case the danger is exacerbated by the fact that the bloke doesn’t even appear to be wearing a helmet.”

Because a polystyrene helmet would make so much difference when you're under the wheels of 18 Wheel HGV.

 

No because something about a helmet means you always act sensibly, which is why you never see a politician wearing one whilst making a totally irrelevant statement <sarcasm>

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