Coward punch of the road
A GOOD majority of my Facebook and Instagram posts lately have been in reference to the cycling community and the response to the incident that saw the husband of my good friend knocked from his bike.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Not only is the incident sickening, but so too is the mindset that exists towards cyclists.
Over the last few years, we've seen uproar over the king-hit; aptly now referred to as a "coward's punch", thanks to tougher penalties, increased media coverage, zero tolerance approaches and greater community awareness.
The "cowards punch" is a punch made without warning, allowing no time for preparation or defence on the part of the recipient (Wikipedia). When a cyclist is purposely tormented, threatened, provoked or struck by a car, I consider it the "coward's punch of the road".
Getting angry at a cyclist for the way he or she maneuvers around traffic or hazards on the road, and using your car as a way to frighten, shock, send a message or make your point, is bullying and cowardly.
We wouldn't accept trucks tailgating, overtaking at close range, throwing rubbish or hurling abuse, sounding the horn abruptly or over a long distance, or leaving so little space at an intersection that cars have to jump up on to the sidewalk. It happens, I'm sure, but we don't accept it.
So why is it any different when it's car versus bike? Just like motorists, cyclists have endless quick-thinking decisions to make on the road. Sometimes cyclists do make bad judgement calls. But so do other road users. The only difference between cyclists and those drivers, is that on the road, cyclists have no time for preparation or defence against a road rage attack.
There is nothing between them and the brunt of a vehicle. They are vulnerable, defenceless and will undoubtedly come off second best.
It's time this behaviour received the same attention as the coward's punch, which can carry a maximum jail sentence of 20 years, but driving dangerously causing serious injury; 10 years.
- Naomi Irvin, Alfredton
Remember the kindness too
YESTERDAY, members of the Catholic community remembered Bishop Ronald Mulkearns.
There was a gathering for his funeral in Ballarat. There were also gatherings for prayer and reflection in other parts of the Ballarat diocese. In all these gatherings, there were very mixed emotions.
We were painfully aware of the criticisms of Bishop Mulkearns for his failings. At the same time, we recalled the good he did. His friends were sad that the good has generally been forgotten. As one of those friends wrote in The Courier on Friday: “He is not famous for the many things he did well; only for the one thing he did badly”.
His family remember a devoted brother and uncle. His friends recall a shy man who liked to share quiet times. Over the past few days a number of people have spoken to me of his kindness. And this was not only people from the diocese of Ballarat. I received an email from a priest in Peru who recalled with gratitude the kindness Bishop Mulkearns showed when he visited a local parish there in the 1980s. He wrote: “I only ever met Bishop Ronald once, and that was in the 80s when he came to Lima and visited our parish. Many years back, but I never forgot his kindness to us.”
Some recall the contribution Bishop Mulkearns made to fostering social welfare services in our region, services that grew into what is now Centacare. Others recall how he promoted opportunities for people to study at university level.
As people remember Bishop Mulkearns, there will indeed be grounds for bitter lament at the crimes that were committed on his watch. And yet, there will also be grounds for gratitude among those who recall the good that he did.
- Paul Bird, Bishop of Ballarat