Danish adventurer Thomas Andersen – who has cycled more than 18,500 miles through 25 countries over the last four years – was wheelie upset when three different drivers in Sydney wound down their car windows to shout ‘f**king cyclist’ at him.
“Australia has wonderful people, but some just don’t like cyclists,” he told news.com.au. “In Denmark, everyone cycles to work and school. Hating cyclists would be like hating walkers.”
The Copenhagen-based peddler spoke out after growing sick and tyred of the regular abuse from Aussie drivers, which reached new heights during the final few miles of his year-long stay Down Under.
“Sydney was the only place in the world that people would wind down the window and shout ‘f**king cyclist!’,” complained the 31-year-old. “It happened about three times. It was quite strange.”
Andersen – who travelled to Sydney through Alice Springs, Adelaide and Melbourne – also told Guardian Australia: “You don’t see that many cyclists in Sydney – there are cycling lanes but then they go back on to the street and don’t continue. It’s about the infrastructure and also the culture. Australia is a big country and people like to drive cars, but there could be more cyclists in Sydney. It’s a good place to cycle – it has beautiful places with the harbour and ocean.”
Andersen’s experience could spark a chain reaction to improve road conditions for cyclists in Sydney following a spate of deaths in the city. Meanwhile the Dane is currently in Ecuador and expects to spend another year on the road.
