My Bicycle Commuting - Is this a norm of taxi drivers? (2)

Here is the first two accounts: Is this a norm of taxi drivers? (1)

 (on 2 Apr 2014)

Feedbacks on some other installations near the Aljunied BWR

Zigzag blockage
Not exactly zigzag as bicycle just need to be ridden through it diagonally. It has some use in slowing down but I still think the potential hazards it creates are much more than its benefits. Anyway, I guess some would still use the cement covered drain portion (on the west side) and the grass patch (on the east side).

The blue/white bollards and chain

As the PCN hit Merpati Road, there is a pair of alternating blue/white painted bollards with chain blocking off. This is new to me. Older Google Streetview show it was black/yellow previously. I'm not sure why and the meaning of blue/white paint. Here, I find the chain is too thin and might be missed out as some may not notice the bollards as the opening is quite wide.

The distance markings

I like the distance markings. Previously it wasn't clear the direction relevant to the distance labelled. This one is quite clear to me.

Sheltered walk way
The roof of sheltered walk way are not very heavy, and I think just have support on only one side should suffice. Especially on narrow pavement like the one along Aljunied Road here. Yes, cycling on pavement is [still] not legal, but the crowdedness would be worse if bicycle users obediently dismount and push on pavements.

Aljunied Road Pedestrian Overhead Bridge Bicycle Wheeling Ramp

My feedbacks after a recce ride to the bridge along Aljunied Raod with BWR

Channel

Photo credit: Danny Juriah Chay

I find the channel is quite redundant, regardless of its width. Anyway, it should be more about the depth rather than the width. I have seen such add-on in some European countries, and those are like 5 cm deep [protruded] trench, or 5cm tall wall besides the "channel" (I think like there is a similar one at Yio Chu Kang Shell station, Punggol PCN). 

The current shallow channel cannot guide the front wheel, while I don't think there is a need for it on the rear wheel. If in case this was to tackle the infamous curvy ramp on the now demolished bridge across Braddell road, then I think no need, as that problem was due to the curving down inward ramp.

Actually, I find those (I think there is one along Serangoon Road near Kallang River) with the slanting surface, where the current railings are mounted, is extended inwards nice, no need the groove/channel. The main issue is the tilting and the steepness, and I think tilting can be solved by redesigning the railings (see Qn 2).

Slope

The slope is ok for my current fitness and the foldable bike I was pushing, but I don't think the weaker/older one can manage well.

Surface

Although the painted surface looks slippery, but I tested a little and it was good when dry. Not sure how would it be when wet.

Tilt

Tilt of bicycle is ok, BUT why should there be a tilt. I noticed the lowered hand rail to a height below the height of most bicycle handle bars. I wonder is it feasible to have the railings mounted outside, at the side or underneath the stairs, and if need to curve outwards? This way, I believe the bike can be much more upright. 

Another issue is with the "flatness" of the railings. Currently, although for the most part the paddle is not touching the railings, but one will need to take care to tilt the bike more to avoid the main supports of the railing, that are protruding inwards.

Will I use the BWR?

In this particular case, no. Because it is easier and smoother to use the pedestrian crossing a short distance north of the bridge.

In general, no. Because for this design the bicycle easily knock on the railing, and at this angle the strength I need to use is not much lesser than if I were to just carry it up or down. Also because it is quite easy/convenient to carry foldable bicycles by resting the saddle on the shoulder.

Also, if it was intended to have the ramp on only one side, then I will only use it when it is on my right side. Because I (and I think most people) dismount to the left of the bicycle, and to use a ramp on the left is inconvenient.

From slope to flat

I think the connecting between ramp and flat ground can be improved. I would suggest a wider mouth or curve route at the turning part to remove the need to position the bicycle before the next stairs. 

Another little suggestion is to have a curve up instead of the current angled design where an impact is felt when pushing up from the ground on to the ramp.

Other wheel users

However, even if this works perfectly for bicycle, the other wheel users are still being neglected. Thus, why not just add a traffic light crossing here, synchronized to the two at both sides. This way I don't think it will delay the traffic.

What is the vision?

More fundamentally, the problem here is that what is the problem/issue that is being targeted, and is it the correct issue to be focused on? I guess NParks concern is to connect the PCNs, which are meant for recreation. Thus, from the perspective of recreation, maybe there is no strong need to ensure everyone (old, weak and kids) to cross over to the next PCN. LTA's concern is to have smooth (and moving) traffic, thus, getting as much non-motorized objects away from the roads has been their approach. Thus, adding a traffic light crossing that is on-demand based or synchronized to the existing traffic lights is quite unlikely although this will help the old/weak/young while not slowing down traffic much. Basically, whoever, if any, is taking care of bicycle commute is not doing their job or has no power/resources to do it.

My Bicycle Commuting - Is this a norm of taxi drivers?

On the next morning after I watched a video of an accident involving a taxi that was making a right turn, I encountered two taxi drivers who expect me to slow down or stop as they force their way out to make a turn.

 (on 20140123)

My Bicycle Commuting - A week after NParks enforcement act

Last Friday I saw NParks enforcing the "No Cycling" rule besides Toa Payoh Garden but there are still many who ride across this bridge. Obviously such enforcement is ineffective, waste of resources, and targeting at the wrong people.

(on 20140122)

I understand that there are complaints and maybe even incidents/collisions between bicycle and pedestrians. However, there are also many bicycles passed by pedestrians without any issues. Probably there are less than 1% incidents/collisions verses more than 99% safe passing. And for the fault of those minority cases, probably by reckless bicycle users, the other 99% suffer.

How about NParks follow LTA's style? I notice in many places, when it is deemed dangerous to cross a road, railings and obstacles were put in place to forbid pedestrians from crossings. However, I hope LTA does what NParks is doing, to conduct more enforcements to catch reckless drivers, while NParks redesign the bridge and ramp to send out matching signal. Don't build something so inviting, conducive and safe for cycling but legally disallow it. I wish they allow it legally since even speed limits is based on the 85 percentile rule, and I am sure much more than 85% bicycle users find it safe to ride across here.

My Bicycle Commuting - USB rechargeable rear lights

Recently decided to switch to USB rechargeable lights as this would remove the worry of battery running out and keeping enough but not over stocks at home. However, the rear light failed to work properly after a couple of days.

The light will either dimmed or off after awhile without any triggering event.

Meddled with it for another two weeks and identified the issue that a connection on the circuit board is broken. By clamping a small wire on the board, I have, at least temporarily, solved the problem. It has been working for half a day, though only a short ride to buy dinner during this time.

My Bicycle Commuting - Isn't there a better pickup point?

Along Dunearn Road at the bus stop outside Singapore Chinese Girls Primary School, a car wanted to stop but tried to overtake and last moment stopped after the car in front moved off, blocking a lane of the road. What's the difference stopping here and further into the bus stop? Again, being legal is more important than being safe? (22 Oct 2013)

My Bicycle Commuting - Dangerous crossing, but why?

An elderly with a teen pillion rode across this junction when, I guess, red man is on since it was already 40s after red light for my direction. Of course, this is a dangerous act. However, what's the reason?

This is the junction between Chancery Lane and Dunearn Road. Note that this junction stops for 2 minutes before green, but I think only about 30 s for pedestrian crossings. Also note that not too many cars turned into Chancery Lane. Thus, why is it that pedestrians cannot cross for 90 s plus when it is relatively safe to cross, and if missed the 30 s, need to wait for 90 s plus the time until the next green man?

I think the current settings and environment is dangerous as it is inducive for people to take risks. (22 Oct 2013)

Part 2

Majority penalized for the minority

Today my family had an experience with a failure of the Distance Fare system.

The bus we took somehow had its fare system not working after a couple of stops. So, all existing passengers could not tap out. After quite some time trying to reset it, and later more time spent trying to resolve the problem by talking to their technical support, still cannot make it work. In the end, almost all alighted and took another bus because we didn't want to waste time waiting for the issue to resolve, which seemed unlikely. Thus, all will be charged the maximum fare, and need to make claim in the following week. Then other bus captain told us that without a ticket from the first bus, we will have to tap in again.

Now, is $ the only issue here?

A simple idea for forgetful people like me

What's this?

Toilet roll lamp?

Somebody asked Is riding a bicycle on the main road...

Is riding a bicycle on the main road dangerous to themselves and other fast moving vehicles?

and made the following comments:

I can understand that bicycle is very eco-friendly. But SG main roads are always very heavy around the clock. Even though there are special roads dedicated to bicycle riders but many riders still prefer to use the main roads and compete with the fast moving motor vehicles.

All the vehicle holders on the road must pay the road tax, why should there be an exception to the bicycle riders?

All motor-vehicle drivers who hug on the road will be summoned, but why should there be an exception given to the bicycle riders?

All the vehicle holders on the road have to go through high-way code and training before using the road, why should there be an exception given to the bicycle riders?

Do bicycle riders care about they are obstructing the traffic most of the time? Do they know that it is not only dangerous to the themselves but also to other motor vehicles trying to avoid them on the roads which are already very heavy?

My response:

Firstly, the question is not good

Mind and body age mismatch

Just heard from wife some days ago that son's classmate is a boy who was abandoned by both his father and mother. We know of another boy in our neighborhood whose young parents were separated less than a year after married and he is raised by his paternal grandparents.

We are not social workers. I believe social workers have more to tell.

Physical body grows according to natural laws, while [spiritual] mind grows from life experiences and guidance from parents and elders. There is too much academic education for the brain, yet virtually no proper education for the mind.

Strange problem with Omnia II

I had an experience where the USB data cable cannot charge up the phone. The charging animation disappeared before completing a cycle, appeared again and this keeps repeating. I think what happened was as it started charging, it also started the connection to the PC, which then drew down the battery or disconnected it due to battery too low, and later reconnected again and this repeats.

However, I also have experiences some how different

Wifi missing or disappeared from Omnia II

This seems to be a common problem that many have encountered since some months ago. Lucky and unlucky for me to have experienced it last night. Nowadays we don't call support to listen to a non-technical person reading out standard scripts that don't help. As usual, I went googling for a while, but still need to browse through discussions on this problem but with issues not related to my case, such as due to SKTools. Finally, found someone with the same problem and solved it

How to learn to ride a bicycle?

I have an untested idea. It started with the question "Did the inventor of bicycle know how to ride a bicycle before his invention?" It sounds like a chicken and egg problem. Without a bicycle being invented, how would the inventor know he could ride one? If the inventor fell from his first invented bicycle, could he have abandoned the invention?

I did a search and found

KPI

Recently I have some thoughts about KPI. KPI is a quantifiable measure to reflect progress. To progress is the real objective. To have a nice KPI is not. If there is progress but KPI doesn't reflect, the KPI needs to be tuned or changed. On the other hand, if there is no progress or even regress but KPI suggests progress, then more important to correct the KPI.

However, very often, attaining a nice KPI became ...
the objective instead, while the real objective was forgotten. I am seeing this happening all over the places, in different fields, from education (test/exams), management, and etc. Here, lets just look at fever.

Fever in itself is not bad.

The so called western medicine is also termed as evidence based medicine. It has its strength as drugs are tested. The problem is the limitation of tests. Usually, they are targeted at a single symptom. Furthermore, may even only based on one or very limited quantitative measures of the symptom. A typical example is body temperature. As time passes, the measure is being seen as the problem. Instead of focusing on restoring health, it became focusing on restoring these measurements.

By the way, 37 degree Celcius, the so called normal body temperature is actually the average temperature. Each individual probably has his/her own normal body temperature.

How can it be that easy, to abandon babies?

Just learnt about a the shelter for babies in Singapore, Sanctuary House, which was set up since 2005 in this news. Their "business" has grown, sadly.

Not that I don't pity these abandoned babies, but adopting them is not the way.

Ideally, the parents must ... still be fully, or as much as they could to be responsible for them. Yes, the abandoned ones should be taken care of, but I think it is very unwise to directly or indirectly excuse their parents of their responsibilities.

Shouldn't it be considered a crime for one to not want to raise his/her children? Thus, they should be tracked down, and made to be responsible as much as possible. Similar to bankruptcy, but more than it, at the very minimal, a portion of their income/assets must be given to the child indefinitely.

In addition, since a child is related by lineage to his family members and relatives, as long as can track down any of them, they also be somehow made to bare the financial burden. The objective here is not so much as to reduce number of abandoned, but to make everyone aware of the consequence of irresponsible (aka extra-marrital) sex.

The above is really at the bare minimum because financial is just one of the many aspects in raising up children.

Thus, think about it, at present the society/nation/community is baring the burden, i.e. all of us are bearing such increasing burden. If people are concern enough to tell people off because they let kids step on MRT seats, then shouldn't we be more concern to scold [young] people who gets too intimate, regardless in public or in private.

Poor smokers

They are under bombardment. Increasing price/tax, uglier packaging, more non-smoking areas, etc. However, without similar efforts to encourage them to quit smoking, they end up smoking more in new places.

I noticed more of them are smoking while ... walking. By the logic why many places disallow smoking, when walking behind someone smoking along a narrow walkway, especially one with shelter, it is difficult to escape from the second hand smokes.

Recently, there is also second smokes in my bedroom late at night. Very likely it is from some smoker neighbor one or two floors down who smoke heavily.

Can we enforce smoker to use a filter, both for the exhale and the cigarette? Or wear a mask?

I most dislike are those who holds a lighted cigarette but not smoking it. This is pure pollution to environment, burning of money, and irritation to non-smokers.

Wanna be asked 4 questions per week?

I was "cheated" about S$20 by this, and many others were being cheated too! Beware! Here are their "fine" print:

*This is a Wixawin trivia game promoted by TMG B.V. Wixawin is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of the listed products or retailers. Trademarks, service marks, logos, (including, without limitation, the individual names of products and retailers) are the property of their respective owners. | This is an ongoing subscription quiz service until user quits. | This service operates according to the Singapore code of practice for SMS services. | By sending an SMS to 72233, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the ‘Terms & Conditions’ and agree to be bound by these 'Terms & Conditions'. | To stop service? text STOP to 72233. | Subscription: you will receive 3 SMS questions per week, S$4 per SMS question received. | Competition ends 31-12-'08. | Age: 18+ only – obtain bill payer's permission. | Helpdesk: 6571 3999 | Technical Service Provider: Sybase 365 Pte Ltd.

Who with a right mind in the universe would ... want to pay S$4 to receive SMS??? Regardless did you participate in their quiz or not. Might as well go and buy ToTo! Betting S$16 per week.

Thus, if this is according to the Singapore code of practice for SMS services, then there is a serious flaw in the code of practice!!!

Not in your backyard, then in whose backyard?

Recently, there are voices against converting an unused school into dormitory for foreign workers. It is a real concern. However, by voicing against it won't do the whole situation better. I think some of the more fundamental issues are:

• Uneven prosperity among nations.
• Employees wholesome care is not catered for.
• Reluctant to embrace changes and others.

First one is very ... fundamental, and everyone recognizes it. However, because of its unlikelihood to be achieved withing one career lifetime, most office bearers would not spend much efforts and resources into it. It is a typical case of important but not urgent tasks that people tend to ignore.

The second point is about the current employment arrangement. I think the concept of employee is quite modern, around the time of the industrial revolution. Traditionally, family as a unit is very important, and I notice it in the Oriental culture that I am from. For e.g., it is crucial for maid to made public that she does not intend to get married because it is obvious that being a maid means one cannot afford to be a wife and a mother. The recent developments in the past few decades gave the illusion that it could be done, but it couldn't. Another example, in some Korean drama I watched, stories depict that in the last generations, the boss will house the whole family of the domestic helper within their own house. Basically, to view a person as just a person is fundamentally wrong. Family should be the unit within employment arrangement. Thus, the foreign workers' families must be taken into consideration when arranging for one or some of them to work here.

The third point can also be termed as plain selfishness. By pushing a problem away doesn't solve or make it better, but only make those who managed to push it away better. Especially here, the government have policies to ensure a mix of races in each public housing block. Now, if we ignore the importance of mixing foreign workers into our community, then those conflicts we only watch in the news in other neighboring countries will soon start to appear here.

Nevertheless, there are real concerns that triggered the petition against the move by the residents. However, the concerns should trigger solutions and ways to improve or manage the new arrangement instead of just simply asking for the problem to go to somebody else backyard.