In defence of Bikers

Quorum

Gran Hermano wrote: »

or to kidney donors in general.

mikemac1 wrote: »

Kidney donars, jaysus

And you talk about understanding GH........

Ah yes, rather grimly, many doctors refer to motorcyclists as organ doners.

Gbear

Motorist wrote: »

Would you ban pedestrians and cyclists from the roads too? And how about buses and larger vehicles given how dangerous they are to cars.

Well, yes on pedestrians, but then again, for the most part, they don't walk along roads.
And yes, I think cycling lanes should all be on footpaths rather than on roads.
Roads are dangerous places where giant metal cages hurtle about the place.

On buses and other large vehicles - although I can't find any data after literally minutes of searching I would imagine that cars are an order of magnitude safer per mile than motorbikes. Whether buses make the roads less safe or not doesn't seem to have a great effect on overall road safety for car drivers.

dj jarvis wrote: »

go bite the butt end of my hairy biker balls

Alliteration champion 2011/2012.

Motorist wrote: »

In two-thirds of motorcycle accidents involving another vehicle, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle rider's right of way and caused the accident. Motorcyclists are about 26 times more likely to die in a crash than someone riding in a passenger car, and are 5 times as likely to be injured. Per mile travelled, motorcyclists were about 16 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die, and about 3 times as likely to be injured, in a motor vehicle crash.

70% per cent of collisions occur at intersections.

This is my point. I made no comment on the competency of motorcyclists.
They put themselves in danger every time they drive (ride/cycle/whateverthe****). It's not about what they do - it's about being in a transportation system where accidents are going to happen and they're the most at risk by the inherent lack of safety in their mode of transport.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma because generally speaking, if they cause no harm to others, I'd like for people to do what they want. Largely speaking, motorcyclists are mostly putting themselves in danger when they head out on to a road system (that will always be unsafe to those without proper protection so long as humans are the ones directly controlling the transportation) but it's demanding a higher quality of driver than I believe it's possible for the general population to be to function properly with them.

Incidentally, virtually every motorcyclist I've ever seen on a motorway was speeding. I drive the speed limit and there's a conspicuous lack of motorcyclists who drive at the same speed.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

I am not a biker in fact I have not sat on a bike since I was 18 and I am an awful lot older now. Though I am thinking of buying one.
But I feel for bikers at times the crap they have to put up from motorists at times amazes me,don't get me wrong though I know there are idiots on bikes out there but most have been nothing but courteous to me on the road

Syllabus

@gbear

What is this 'speed limit' you make reference to?


:rolleyes:;):p

rubadub

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Filtering is not weaving and its actually a part of the Garda safe pass course.

Any more info on this? preferably with a full definition of filtering?

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

they are forced to filter through traffic with idiots opening doors

By forced, do you mean they are actually legally obliged to filter?

pixiebean22 wrote: »

filtering is legal. Filtering also known as "skipping ahead", "skipping the queue", "weaving dangerously" etc.

Many actions which happen to be legal are not recommended by the rules of the road (or common sense).
http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-pedestrians-cyclists-motorcyclists/motorcyclists/motorcycle_riding.html

Always make sure that the road space that you intend to enter is completely safe

Avoid riding between traffic lanes.

Keep well clear of other vehicles when passing them. Remember that drivers might not always see you in their "blind spots".

opti0nal

Irish Independent July 2, 2012

A MOTORCYCLIST has been given a suspended sentence for leaving a pedestrian severely brain damaged after a judge noted "we all make mistakes."
...

Lukas Krycia (29) was going over the speed limit and travelling in the cycle lane when he hit mother-of-two, Anne Marie Campbell as she was crossing the road.
...

Ms Campbell (40) was left severely brain damaged and is now unable to live independently. She can no longer work in her previous role as a home carer and is unable to care for her children without supervision.
...

Gda Geary said there was no bad weather or poor road conditions which may have contributed to the accident. He said motorcyclists are not allowed in cycle lanes and the lane was clearly signposted.
Krycia was later arrested and admitted in interview that he knew he was breaking the law.

It can happen to the most confident.

dj jarvis

rubadub wrote: »

Any more info on this? preferably with a full definition of filtering?

By forced, do you mean they are actually legally obliged to filter?


Many actions which happen to be legal are not recommended by the rules of the road (or common sense).
http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-pedestrians-cyclists-motorcyclists/motorcyclists/motorcycle_riding.html

its says avoid , its not illegal
its common practice to filter in almost every nation i have been in
it is not dangerous AT ALL - if other road users abide by the rules of the road

so if cars did not change lane's with out checking and indicating , or open doors with out checking no bikers would be killed or injured
same goes for pedestrians - they are like lemmings when zipping in and out of traffic - the worst are the dopes with headphones on

so tell me again how is it the bikes fault if these other road users dont abide by the rules of the road ?

dj jarvis

Gbear wrote: »

Well, yes on pedestrians, but then again, for the most part, they don't walk along roads.
And yes, I think cycling lanes should all be on footpaths rather than on roads.
Roads are dangerous places where giant metal cages hurtle about the place.

On buses and other large vehicles - although I can't find any data after literally minutes of searching I would imagine that cars are an order of magnitude safer per mile than motorbikes. Whether buses make the roads less safe or not doesn't seem to have a great effect on overall road safety for car drivers.



Alliteration champion 2011/2012.



This is my point. I made no comment on the competency of motorcyclists.
They put themselves in danger every time they drive (ride/cycle/whateverthe****). It's not about what they do - it's about being in a transportation system where accidents are going to happen and they're the most at risk by the inherent lack of safety in their mode of transport.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma because generally speaking, if they cause no harm to others, I'd like for people to do what they want. Largely speaking, motorcyclists are mostly putting themselves in danger when they head out on to a road system (that will always be unsafe to those without proper protection so long as humans are the ones directly controlling the transportation) but it's demanding a higher quality of driver than I believe it's possible for the general population to be to function properly with them.

Incidentally, virtually every motorcyclist I've ever seen on a motorway was speeding. I drive the speed limit and there's a conspicuous lack of motorcyclists who drive at the same speed.

why thank you

dj jarvis

Gbear wrote: »

Well, yes on pedestrians, but then again, for the most part, they don't walk along roads.
And yes, I think cycling lanes should all be on footpaths rather than on roads.
Roads are dangerous places where giant metal cages hurtle about the place.

On buses and other large vehicles - although I can't find any data after literally minutes of searching I would imagine that cars are an order of magnitude safer per mile than motorbikes. Whether buses make the roads less safe or not doesn't seem to have a great effect on overall road safety for car drivers.



Alliteration champion 2011/2012.



This is my point. I made no comment on the competency of motorcyclists.
They put themselves in danger every time they drive (ride/cycle/whateverthe****). It's not about what they do - it's about being in a transportation system where accidents are going to happen and they're the most at risk by the inherent lack of safety in their mode of transport.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma because generally speaking, if they cause no harm to others, I'd like for people to do what they want. Largely speaking, motorcyclists are mostly putting themselves in danger when they head out on to a road system (that will always be unsafe to those without proper protection so long as humans are the ones directly controlling the transportation) but it's demanding a higher quality of driver than I believe it's possible for the general population to be to function properly with them.

Incidentally, virtually every motorcyclist I've ever seen on a motorway was speeding. I drive the speed limit and there's a conspicuous lack of motorcyclists who drive at the same speed.

incidentally , virtually every car i've seen on the motorway was speeding , and reading , and eating , and on the mobile , and drunk , and doing makeup , and turning around to talk to kids , i drive the speed limit and there's a conspicuous lack of car drivers who drive at the same speed

you cant argue with the statistical facts - other road users cause more biker deaths than bikers - so who should be more careful ? who needs to pay more attention ? now let me guess

Pottler

My favorite kind are the Outlaw Bikers. Lovely people, not too adverse to resorting to violence when prodded with sticks etc, but otherwise great lads all together:)(says the fella who lives surrounded by the headerballs)

dMaN24

Gbear wrote: »

Well, yes on pedestrians, but then again, for the most part, they don't walk along roads.
And yes, I think cycling lanes should all be on footpaths rather than on roads.
Roads are dangerous places where giant metal cages hurtle about the place.

On buses and other large vehicles - although I can't find any data after literally minutes of searching I would imagine that cars are an order of magnitude safer per mile than motorbikes. Whether buses make the roads less safe or not doesn't seem to have a great effect on overall road safety for car drivers.



Alliteration champion 2011/2012.



This is my point. I made no comment on the competency of motorcyclists.
They put themselves in danger every time they drive (ride/cycle/whateverthe****). It's not about what they do - it's about being in a transportation system where accidents are going to happen and they're the most at risk by the inherent lack of safety in their mode of transport.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma because generally speaking, if they cause no harm to others, I'd like for people to do what they want. Largely speaking, motorcyclists are mostly putting themselves in danger when they head out on to a road system (that will always be unsafe to those without proper protection so long as humans are the ones directly controlling the transportation) but it's demanding a higher quality of driver than I believe it's possible for the general population to be to function properly with them.

Incidentally, virtually every motorcyclist I've ever seen on a motorway was speeding. I drive the speed limit and there's a conspicuous lack of motorcyclists who drive at the same speed.

Please tell me this is an poor attempt in trolling.

Pushbikers yell at me for being in their way. On the FOOTPATH!

rubadub

dj jarvis wrote: »

its says avoid , its not illegal

Yeah, that was my point, many legal things are not advisable. I wondered if the garda course possibly contradicted the rules of the road.

dj jarvis wrote: »

its common practice to filter in almost every nation i have been in
it is not dangerous AT ALL - if other road users abide by the rules of the road

I am still left looking for a clear definition of filtering is and is not.

all I have is this so far

Filtering also known as "skipping ahead", "skipping the queue", "weaving dangerously" etc

if this was actually true you could paraphrase your statement as "not abiding by the rules of the road is not dangerous AT ALL - if other road users abide by the rules of the road"!

opti0nal wrote: »

Irish Independent July 2, 2012

A motorist saw Ms Campbell at the roadside and stopped to let her across.

As she crossed the road Ms Campbell’s view of the opposite cycle lane was obscured by a van.

This sounds like she was possibly illegally crossing. If she was jaywalking I wonder if the tables were turned and she came off unharmed and had caused the motorcyclist to crash -would she have been prosecuted in a similar manner?

Gbear

dMaN24 wrote: »

Please tell me this is an poor attempt in trolling.

Pushbikers yell at me for being in their way. On the FOOTPATH!

I mean, one part of the footpath is for people on foot. Another clearly marked part is for people on bicycles.
For example, there's one on the way into Tesco in Wilton in Cork.

dj jarvis

rubadub wrote: »

Yeah, that was my point, many legal things are not advisable. I wondered if the garda course possibly contradicted the rules of the road.

I am still left looking for a clear definition of filtering is and is not.

all I have is this so far
if this was actually true you could paraphrase your statement as "not abiding by the rules of the road is not dangerous AT ALL - if other road users abide by the rules of the road"!


This sounds like she was possibly illegally crossing. If she was jaywalking I wonder if the tables were turned and she came off unharmed and had caused the motorcyclist to crash -would she have been prosecuted in a similar manner?

no you could not - filtering is abiding by the rules of the road , pulling from one lane into another without looking or indicating and hitting a bike is not

if it was illeagal to filter then the cops would stop people from doing it , they never have and never will - becasue its not illegal

so to paraphrase your question with this answer - NO

minidazzler

Gbear wrote: »

I mean, one part of the footpath is for people on foot. Another clearly marked part is for people on bicycles.
For example, there's one on the way into Tesco in Wilton in Cork.

There's a lot of those in Cork. And just like putting metal grates in the centerline on a road to fcuk with motorbikes, the city council love putting sign posts right in the cycle lane.

AgileMyth

Gbear wrote: »

Incidentally, virtually every motorcyclist I've ever seen on a motorway was speeding. I drive the speed limit and there's a conspicuous lack of motorcyclists who drive at the same speed.

I saw a guy throw litter out his car window last week. We should ban cars.

opti0nal

rubadub wrote: »

This sounds like she was possibly illegally crossing. If she was jaywalking

It's only illegal crossing if done against a red pedestrian signal or at a place other than a pedestrian crossing which is within 15 metres of a pedestrian crossing (about the length of an artic trailer and cab). Crossing anywhere else is not 'jay-walking' and once the pedestrian has commenced crossing, drivers must yield to them.

The motorcyclist was speeding and driving in a cycle track, he was found guilty.

Anyone who drives any kind of a vehicle has a heavy burden of care towards others, unfortunately, many don't realise this until something happens.

brynne

Gbear wrote: »

.. Largely speaking, motorcyclists are mostly putting themselves in danger when they head out on to a road system (that will always be unsafe to those without proper protection so long as humans are the ones directly controlling the transportation) but it's demanding a higher quality of driver than I believe it's possible for the general population to be to function properly with them.

As a biker and recent Irish resident, I find this comment to be, by far, the most depressing. Although I have long held the belief that a certain generation of driver isn't comfortable with anything that moves faster than a horse and cart , I find it mildly insulting to the population as a whole that Gbear thinks they lack the capability to be better drivers.

Shame on you. Other countries have exactly the same issues but changes to the training and licensing systems for both car drivers and motorcyclists have significantly reduced bike deaths (without resorting to compulsory day-glow clothing). Why do you suppose that it isn't possible for the Irish population, in particular, to improve the quality of their driving? It is driver training, rather than safety clothing or technology that will, in the end, have the greater impact on road safety.

Pottler

brynne wrote: »

As a biker and recent Irish resident, unfamiliar with how crap the standard of driving is here, I find this comment to be, by far, the most depressing. Although I have long held the belief that a certain generation of driver isn't comfortable with anything that moves faster than a horse and cart , I find it mildly insulting to the population as a whole (if totally realistic)that Gbear thinks they lack the capability to be better drivers.

Shame on you. Other countries have exactly the same issues but changes to the training and licensing systems for both car drivers and motorcyclists have significantly reduced bike deaths (without resorting to compulsory day-glow clothing). Why do you suppose that it isn't possible for the Irish population, in particular, to improve the quality of their driving? It is driving a motorcycle, rather than safety clothing or technology that will, in the end, ensure you have a greater impact on the road, eventually.

:)My version of it. It's tricky texting, lighting a cigarette, looking at the fine women and driving, without expecting us to also notice the lad doing 90 on a rice burner.

opti0nal

brynne wrote: »

Why do you suppose that it isn't possible for the Irish population, in particular, to improve the quality of their driving? It is driver training.

But is the problem with skill or attitude?

daenerysstormborn3

rubadub wrote: »

Any more info on this? preferably with a full definition of filtering?

By forced, do you mean they are actually legally obliged to filter?


Many actions which happen to be legal are not recommended by the rules of the road (or common sense).
http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-pedestrians-cyclists-motorcyclists/motorcyclists/motorcycle_riding.html

ROTR are not legislation. Just because it is not recommended doesn't mean it is illegal. There's plenty of things "not recommended" that all road users do.

rubadub wrote: »

Yeah, that was my point, many legal things are not advisable. I wondered if the garda course possibly contradicted the rules of the road.

I am still left looking for a clear definition of filtering is and is not.

all I have is this so far
if this was actually true you could paraphrase your statement as "not abiding by the rules of the road is not dangerous AT ALL - if other road users abide by the rules of the road"!

This sounds like she was possibly illegally crossing. If she was jaywalking I wonder if the tables were turned and she came off unharmed and had caused the motorcyclist to crash -would she have been prosecuted in a similar manner?

When I typed this - "Filtering also known as "skipping ahead", "skipping the queue", "weaving dangerously" etc" - I was referencing earlier posts. People seem to view the road as a big competition and that seems to be the biggest problem other road users have when bikers filter, we're skipping the queue etc.

Filtering: moving between lanes of traffic that are moving in the same direction. Filtering normally consists of passing stopped or slow moving vehicles in built up traffic. Also known as lane splitting. It is legal, ask any garda, ask any biker have they ever been stopped and cautioned for filtering legally.

Gbear seems to think that if something is risky then it should be eliminated completely. Nice idealism.

brynne

opti0nal wrote: »

But is the problem with skill or attitude?

What do you mean by attitude? Attitude towards other road users, or attitude towards the activity of driving? I imagine few drivers actually set out to deliberately cause harm to other road users. Even given the examples of aggressive behaviour already mentioned, I doubt the perpetrators actually thought through the possible consequences of their actions.

On the other hand, what causes the most accidents? Inattention, distraction, indecision, and hesitancy, are all indicators of either a lack of confidence or a lack of care - both of which could be addressed by better training.

somefeen

AgileMyth wrote: »

Never understood that myself. Every single day someone deliberately pulls over to try to stop me getting passed them in stationary traffic.

Few weeks ago a twat in a Subaru (I knew it was a subaru cause it was written on it about 50 times) pulled over to the edge of his lane to block me and continued to pull over on top of me when I was alongside him. Actually could have killed me and was well aware of what he was doing.

I love it when someone next to me in two lanes of traffic does that, I make some extra space to let the bike through and piss them off. Its generally boy racer types aswell. Its stupid and dangerous carry on altogether.

Motorist

Gbear wrote: »

Well, yes on pedestrians, but then again, for the most part, they don't walk along roads.
And yes, I think cycling lanes should all be on footpaths rather than on roads.
Roads are dangerous places where giant metal cages hurtle about the place.
.

You may have a point but pedestrians and cyclists outside of urban areas have no protected lanes or spaces. Perhaps if the motorcycle was invented tomorrow, it would never be allowed, but a bit like tobacco and alcohol there is a tradition of long-standing use which no government would move to outlaw unless there was significant political will. And where would such banning of dangerous activities stop - outlaw boxing, scuba diving, sky-diving, etc?

Better driver education is the key along with better enforcement of existing laws and improvement in technology. Given the appalling driving behaviour one can witness every day on any Irish road, it's hard to believe that there has been significant steady improvement - but in the 1970's the annual fatality rate on Irish roads was more than 3,000 people every year, and the amount of motorised traffic was around a third of what it is now. Hopefully such significant and steady improvement can continue.

Lorgach

As with Cyclists.... Motorcyclists are a law onto themselves and as CynicalDub says in his Blog 'The Rules of the Road Irish Style' the normal Rules of the Road don't apply to them

Motorist

Lorgach wrote: »

As with Cyclists.... Motorcyclists are a law onto themselves and as CynicalDub says in his Blog 'The Rules of the Road Irish Style' the normal Rules of the Road don't apply to them

In fairness, they hardly apply to car users either. The only people I really see who obey the Rules of the Road are truck drivers and bus drivers.

johnr1

I couldn't give a fcuk what happens any gobshyte stupid enough to get on a bike, - Yes, that's me pulling over to prevent you scraping up between me and the other car, and I'll continue to do it. I'd open my drivers door if I didn't think you'd come in on top of me.

Oh, and don't bother with the abuse, because I really don't care what any biker thinks of me. Ciao.

Wan tew

This is why car drivers never see bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

NegativeCreep

Wan tew wrote: »

This is why car drivers never see bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

But how can anyone not see that? :eek: :pac:

Motorist

johnr1 wrote: »

I couldn't give a fcuk what happens any gobshyte stupid enough to get on a bike, - Yes, that's me pulling over to prevent you scraping up between me and the other car, and I'll continue to do it. I'd open my drivers door if I didn't think you'd come in on top of me.

Oh, and don't bother with the abuse, because I really don't care what any biker thinks of me. Ciao.

How many wing mirrors have you replaced in the last year? :pac:

Cienciano

Motorist wrote: »

How many wing mirrors have you replaced in the last year? :pac:

Don't feed the trolls!

chasm

Gbear wrote: »

Well, yes on pedestrians, but then again, for the most part, they don't walk along roads.
And yes, I think cycling lanes should all be on footpaths rather than on roads.
Roads are dangerous places where giant metal cages hurtle about the place.

This is my point. I made no comment on the competency of motorcyclists.
They put themselves in danger every time they drive (ride/cycle/whateverthe****). It's not about what they do - it's about being in a transportation system where accidents are going to happen and they're the most at risk by the inherent lack of safety in their mode of transport.

Going by stats on the RSA site on road deaths and injuries it would appear that riding a motorcycle is safer than being a pedestrian in this country, so perhaps we should ban those first.

2010: The 212 who died consisted of 44 pedestrians, 5 cyclists, 91 drivers, 55 passengers and 17 bikers.
All casualties classified by road user types: 967 pedestrians, 404 cyclists, 408 motorcyclists, 5944 car users,759 other road users (PSV,goods vehicles and other or unknown road users)

2009: The 239 who died consisted of 40 pedestrians, 7 cyclists, 128 drivers, 38 passengers and 27 bikers.

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Road%20Safety/Crash%20Stats/Road_Collision_fact_book_2010.pdf

Faolchu

Great bunch of lads especially the one that felt it was ok to be "forced" ointo filtering between my car and another and took my wing mirror off. I mean there's two lanes I'm in one other car in another but sure to hell with it let's invent a new middle lane for bikes only

Motorist

Faolchu wrote: »

Great bunch of lads especially the one that felt it was ok to be "forced" ointo filtering between my car and another and took my wing mirror off. I mean there's two lanes I'm in one other car in another but sure to hell with it let's invent a new middle lane for bikes only

Yes but bike can fit in between the two lanes, that's the whole point of them to beat traffic. Try to maintain better lane discipline in future, if in a car you should be in between the two lines.

johnr1

^^^^^^ Now who's trolling ?

At least I was clear in my opinion even if it's not a popular one.

Mark Tapley

johnr1 wrote: »

I couldn't give a fcuk what happens any gobshyte stupid enough to get on a bike, - Yes, that's me pulling over to prevent you scraping up between me and the other car, and I'll continue to do it. I'd open my drivers door if I didn't think you'd come in on top of me.

Oh, and don't bother with the abuse, because I really don't care what any biker thinks of me. Ciao.

In the spirit of attack the post not the poster , that post is clearly a twat.

pab_lowe

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I absolutely love blocking off their cycle lane when I get stuck in traffic and they have to actually obey traffic lights for a change.

Hypocrit much? I would love to know where you qualified for your 'Lord of the Road' role. A bit of respect from all angles wouldn't go astray. Two wrongs don't make a right and all that. Certainly, taking the law into your own hands demonstrates a scary 'I know much better than you attitude'

johnr1

Mark Tapley wrote: »

In the spirit of attack the post not the poster , that post is clearly a twat.

If you had enough posts to attack then I'd attack them back

dj jarvis

johnr1 wrote: »

If you had enough posts to attack then I'd attack them back

well i have double your posts, and your posts still look like a twat to me :eek:

statistic prove car drivers are at fault more than 75% of time when involved with a bike - so boo feckin hoo about your mirrors - dont be so close to the adjoining car the next time

oh the joy of knowing in the morning i can do the 14 miles to the city center in just over 15 miniutes and it takes a car driver over a hour

ciao twat ( post :-( )

Cienciano

johnr1 wrote: »

^^^^^^ Now who's trolling ?

At least I was clear in my opinion even if it's not a popular one.

It's either the stupidest post ever, or a troll. To be a good troll its better if you don't come across looking like an idiot

rubadub

dj jarvis wrote: »

no you could not - filtering is abiding by the rules of the road ,

wow, way to miss the point...

Not a fan of bikers myself.
Most of them think car drivers should bow to their mortality, even if they are driving like pricks.
Different story with female bikers, i've yet to come across a female biker that drives like a twat.

Faolchu

Motorist wrote: »

Try to maintain better lane discipline in future, if in a car you should be in between the two lines.

really i hadnt realised after 20 + years of driving that i should be between the white lines, well i never I'll try remember that in teh future any more hints and tips on good driving? maybe as a car driver i can also try squeeze between lanes just because i want to get some place faster, i mean if its ok for a bike to ignore lanes, solid white lines and actually side of the road they travel on why shhouldnt everyone. just so they can get there faster :rolleyes:

Honest opinion

Bam Bam Mickey wrote: »

Not a fan of bikers myself.
Most of them think car drivers should bow to their mortality, even if they are driving like pricks.
Different story with female bikers, i've yet to come across a female biker that drives like a twat.

Yep totally agree i wonder why that is considering the opposite holds true to driving actual road vehicles

Dartz

The oulfella is big into it...

Borrowed his old Zr-7 once when I was in school.... sort of figured out how to make it go. Took it to school to look 'cool'. Dropped it at the school gate.

Snuck it back into the shed before he came home and place some planking down on top of it to make it look like an accident.

He never found out where those dents and scratches really came from. (Thank you crash mushrooms)


Otherwise, I try to move over if someone's coming up behind.... or at least not do anything stupid.

positron

Joining this thread too late, so I don't hope anyone would read this comment, but here goes:

I am a biker, and I filter. A lot. I filter between lanes of cars at a stand-still, I filter when they are moving at a reasonable pace. Sometimes I even filter on the motorways, when some cars block the overtaking lane by just sitting there. I do it with maximum attention and care - because if something - anything - goes wrong, I would be totally f*cked, while it might be just a minor annoyance to the car driver, I would be done. For good..!!

I often notice that I catch majority of the car drivers by surprise. Sometimes they get such a fright and I would see the car being flung away from me to the other border of their lane. This worries me - A LOT. You see I have a fairly noisy motorcycle, by car standards. It's not small. I also have powerful double headlights - which I always leave ON (normal beam, not high beam). I am more often than not would also have high-viz vest on too. Despite all this, despite riding behind a car for a 20-30 seconds, and despite approaching them with intention to overtake - they still don't seem me until I pull up level to their front wheels or further up. Well, I can't change them - so I will just have to be even more careful and assume NO car driver can see me, and ride accordingly. And I hope car drivers can thank me for one less car on the road that day, and just continue driving as they would normally, so bikers can continue riding they like - without getting in each others way.

hobochris

The other side of biking that people who aren't bikers probably don't know about is the amount of charity work and fund raising done by alot of bikers in this country(DSI run, Christmas toy run, various charity burger runs).

There is a strong sense of communitythat doesn't come with any other form of transport, bikers tend look out for each other and those in need.

To me this is one of the big attractions to biking, to be part of this great community who do many great things for other less fortunate.

It is something with the celtic tiger etc that has sadly died out a lot in this country, I am glad it is still a large part of the biking community.

positron

positron wrote: »

Well, I can't change them - so I will just have to be even more careful and assume NO car driver can see me, and ride accordingly. .

That would be the sensible thing to do, whilst i agree people should be aware whats going on around them when driving, most don't give a ****, so you should, it is your life afterall.
That's not an excuse for bad car driving & awareness BTW.

Jaysoose

Posted this before..i was sat on the bridge going through castleknock towards blanch waiting on the lights to change, this is a narrow spot and a biker was squeezing past the cars and apparently i wasnt far enough over for him even though i was stopped on the apex of the hill at an angle and didnt have much room myself.. The biker shoots me a filthy look and gestured to me to move over as if i had planned this all day to block him..as i was stopped in traffic there was no way im moving so gave him the fingers back.

what happenned next always makes me chuckle to myself..he gets beside me and asks "did you just give me the fingers" i replied "yep just like you did to me pal"..he says "pull over after the next set of lights and i will sort you out" .."sure" i says.

i gave him a Toot toot of the horn and the fingers again as i drove past his portly road raging ass...dont think he was impressed.

In fairness its only one biker and im sure 99.99% of the rest of the are sound but the self entitlement oozing off this one was scary.

I often wonder what would have happened if i had stopped to engage with him..would he have been able to move his arms enough to swing a punch at me even, or would i have had to wait till he peeled off his leathers.

FatherLen

johnr1 wrote: »

I couldn't give a fcuk what happens any gobshyte stupid enough to get on a bike, - Yes, that's me pulling over to prevent you scraping up between me and the other car, and I'll continue to do it. I'd open my drivers door if I didn't think you'd come in on top of me.

Oh, and don't bother with the abuse, because I really don't care what any biker thinks of me. Ciao.

you are everything that is wrong with road users today, an ignorant, mindless attitude that just oozes an air of hatred and idiocy. i can honestly say i am disgusted by your comment.

pixiebean22 wrote: »

Oh dear, this is going to end well.

One thing I will say that is going to come up probably every second post on this page, filtering is legal. Filtering also known as "skipping ahead", "skipping the queue", "weaving dangerously" etc.

It's funny that this thread should come up today. My boyfriend and I drove into town earlier and turned up a side street (narrow with a very narrow walk way either side, with those big black poles every few feet) behind a people carrier taxi. About half way up this side street the taxi driver stops, no indicator, no magical "I can park wherever I like" hazard lights, nothing, just stops dead and gets out of the taxi. He walked around the back of the taxi and before my boyfriend could even say anything, he said to my boyfriend "don't go getting narky now, I'm letting a family out here, you'll just have to wait". Would he have said that to a person driving a car? No way. We were able to squeeze by the taxi through the narrow walk way while the taxi driver shouted at us "****ing bikers, think you own the road". No idea who pissed is in his cornflakes but this is the typical attitude of other road users towards bikers. When they want you to filter they'll tell you (why thank you sir) but when they don't want you to filter they'll bitch about you on the internet or else take the usual action on the road and try to cut you off. Do other road users think it's safe to move out in front of a motorbike when they see it filtering legally? Because that's what I experience on the road everyday when I ride my bike and that's what my boyfriend has experienced for the last 20 years of riding bikes.

Anyone remember the ad campaign that was run in Australia encouraging car drivers to open car doors on bikers to stop them illegally filtering (filtering is illegal in Australia)? That is the attitude towards bikers. We're such a stain on society that you can injure us any way you please.

I was hit by a van 5 months ago. The driver looked in my direction and when I was 2-3 metres away from his van he pulled out of a side road while looking in the other direction. I was driving 40kms under the speed limit, the car ahead of me was taking a left turn. The van driver hit me and drove me and my bike over the centre wire barriers and down the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic. This is what it's like to drive a bike. Ask any biker on bikes a few years and unfortunately they will probably have a similar story to tell you.

Less than 1% of motorcycle accidents are caused by vehicle fault Gbear, get your facts straight. You'll also find that the majority of bikers take great pride in their bikes and the maintenance and upkeep of them, more so than other vehicle owners.

Kidney donors?? It's amazing that it's the year 2012 and people are still so clueless.

great post, if i could thank you twice, i would.