Email: Motorcyclist Telling Drivers Off.

[StygiaN]

I recieved this in an email yesterday. I thought it was interesting enough to post up here, seeing there is a fair few two wheel monkey's on these forums.

To My Dear Car Driving Brethren,

Seven years ago I ridded myself of the tin top and became a motorcyclist. On occasions when Her Kia-Rio-ness allows me to drive Her Precious, I am struck by what a disconnected environment a car really is: air con, radio, mobile phone et al. to fiddle with or cause distraction.
I?m not without sympathy for you when you aren?t at your absolute best on the road because I know you are not setting out to kill me, but folks?it sure can look that way.
Rather than road rage you, kick your doors or frighten you as some of my leather-clad brothers and sisters are wont to do, I will instead take this special time to offer you some handy DIY hints:

Don't creep.
When you are turning out of a side street, whether left or right, don't creep out as I ride towards you. It makes me sweat blood. Blood I?ll need if you do pull out. You might have seen me, but creeping sure makes it look like you haven't.

Use your indicators.
My late father was guilty of selective indicator use. It was a value judgement he made. If he thought no one was around he'd "do a drift". He's not here for me to yell at, so you, gentle reader, must cop this: I AM AROUND, AND LANE DRIFTS ARE SCARY AND DANGEROUS! In return, I will position myself in your mirrors as best I can. I know we motorcyclists have a knack for getting in your blind spot. Sorry ?bout that.

I need my own lane.
I?m a caring, sharing kinda guy, but when it comes to my lane, I demand all of it. I need to move left and right to get in other drivers? mirrors, avoid cavernous potholes, oil and gravel etc., so I don?t appreciate it when you pop two wheels (or more) into my lane. And that also applies when you want to go around a parked car. You can?t just indicate and pull into my lane. It upsets and saddens me. A lot.

Don't turn in front of me.
One problem too many people have (and pedestrians?I am including you in this) is judging the distance and speed of an oncoming motorbike. This is a daily source of worry for motorcyclists and represents a high proportion of overall motorcycle/car ?get togethers?. I hate approaching an intersection when I am on my own and cars are looking to turn right in front of me. Once again?no creeping as I approach. Give me eye contact, as I need to stare into your soul to see if you are all set to launch me over your bonnet. DON'T stare at my headlight to help you judge my speed. It's an established fact that it can hypnotize you into thinking you can make it when you can?t. And when the lights go red and you are back in the queue, don?t try to sneak through on the red. In my experience, you are too focused on ?going the sneak?, and as a result you might find me face first through your windscreen, where I?ll make an appalling mess of your upholstery.

Let me split at the lights.
Yes, I know it is annoying when I sneak through the gap between cars at red lights and then go all the way to pole position. As I risk my life with every journey, the least you can do is make room for me to get to the front at the lights. I need to get away first. It's important. In return, I won't lane split once we are in motion, won?t take off your mirrors, and I certainly won't split at 150km/h on the freeway just to freak you out.

Never, ever talk on your mobile.
This is the only time you will boil my blood. When I am doing my daily commute, the person driving for 5 kms with a flashing indicator, lane drifting, and generally making a nuisance of themselves is all too often on their mobile phone. If I catch up to you when you do this, words will be exchanged. Harsh words. Perhaps the odd expletive. You will not have an excuse. And no, the hands-free unit just makes it look like you are not on the phone, but your mind is NOT on the job. Pull over and talk to your caller and you won?t have to talk to me.

Don?t drive a four-wheel drive.
Nothing to add there. Just don?t. Ever.

Get a bike yourself.
If you really want to improve your driving, ride a bike of any description. It will do you good to Get The Fear. Might stop you inadvertently dishing it out. As an added bonus, you will join a world where rising fuel prices are no big deal and tolls are a bother that other people pay on your behalf.
Til next we meet on them there roads, take care.
It?s rather important to me.

Regards,
Tom Reynolds



StygiaN says: I thought it was a great article/piece of writing, some awesome points there (except for the last one) but I wasn't a huge fan of the way the author gets his point across. Are all motorcyclists this elitist and holier than thou or is Tom Reynolds an oddity? It's not an us vs them thing, we all share the road together.

Anyhoo
Dave

[dwarfthrower]

Originally Posted by StygiaN Are all motorcyclists this elitist and holier than thou

I think most of them share the "Only motorcyclists know what they're doing on the roads, therefore all the stupid stuff that motorcyclists do is OK because we can handle it, but all the stupid stuff that car drivers do is up there with kiddy-fiddling and voting liberal in the list of sins." attitude.

The stupid stuff that car drivers do is more apparent because there are 10 - 50 times more cars than motorcycles on any given stretch of road at any point in time. If you break down the numbers, the ratio of stupid motorcyclists to stupid car drivers is probably around the same.

[repeat]

I aggree with what tony said just not the way he got the point across. There are some car drivers that just don't care about us bike riders. At the Toy Run last Sunday I saw several cars trying to cut into our lane, obviously they did not see the 10 thousand bikes, police escorts, red lights, tv cameras and the channel 9 chopper filming us.

Some have the mentality that cars have the right of way and bikes don't.

[DumHed]

the fact is that a large number of motorcyclists are idiots, and they certainly don't invoke feelings of respect in drivers on the road.

Motorcylists are always sitting in peoples' blind spots, or cruising slowly past cars while in heavy traffic - when the drivers are all wanting to change lanes to get ahead slightly. Bikes are hard to see when there's a lot going on around the car, so I can't understand why riders place themselves in positions of such high risk.
The same goes for tailgating. The only space a rider has control of is the gap between them and the vehicle in front. Since that space has to be the safely zone for anything that happens beside or behind as well, it has to be a large space! Why then do riders insist on riding a metre behind the rear corner of a car, giving themselves no room to move in an emergency, and unsettling the driver in front - which reduces their concentration and increases the likelihood of them doing something unexpected when they realise they're about to run into something, accidentally gone a few k's over the speed limit, or are about to miss their turn.
When it comes to lane splitting, I often see a rider wobbling through the rows of cars, coming very close to damaging vehicles, bumping mirrors, and generally looking very unstable, only to be stuck in the middle of two rows of cars taking off because the light has gone green before they get to the front.
Then there are the ones who make it to the front, but take off really slowly when the light goes green, or do a big wobble on take off that scares the hell out of the driver who thinks a motorcyclist is about to fall straight under their car.

The problem with motorcyclists is that they think that cars are the problem, when really there are fundamental reasons why bikes are less visible, less predictable, less safe, and generally harder to deal with on the road. Couple that with the majority of bike riders (at least the noticed majority) being complete morons on the road, and it's easy to see why there's a personality clash between drivers and riders.
I've been both, does that make me skitzo? :P

[Juice Biscuit]

Originally Posted by StygiaN Don't creep. When you are turning out of a side street, whether left or right, don't creep out as I ride towards you. It makes me sweat blood. Blood I?ll need if you do pull out. You might have seen me, but creeping sure makes it look like you haven't.

When I become Prime Minister, this shall be punishable by being tied up on public display, with electrodes attached to your genetalia, while a bull dyke points at you with a smoke hanging out of her mouth.

[thingy]

Originally Posted by StygiaN StygiaN says: I thought it was a great article/piece of writing, some awesome points there (except for the last one) but I wasn't a huge fan of the way the author gets his point across. Are all motorcyclists this elitist and holier than thou or is Tom Reynolds an oddity? It's not an us vs them thing, we all share the road together.

It is hard not to get as elitist and holier than thou due to what is required to ride a bike. Let me try to explain.

How many car drivers try to keep a constant eye on the position of every car around them similar to a radar screen in your mind. How many car drivers try to analise the faces of every single person around them whose face can be seen to try and determine threat factor? How many car drivers try to constantly predict what every car around them is going to do? How many car drivers try to keep a constant list of all possible escape routes should someone try to "share your lane" or do something you did not predict (We do not have a protective cage, so we have to use someone elses)? How many car drivers try to do the afore mentioned two things and combine them to find the best place in their lane to ride, constantly moving from one side to the other, backwards and forwards in the flow of the traffic for maximum safety? How many car drivers are constantly scanning for cracks, bumps, oil, pebbles etc on the road so they can try to avoid it (you have four wheels, you lose traction in one, you continue driving. You lose traction in two, you continue driving. We only have two wheels, we lose one, we crash)? How many car drivers have any concern what so ever as to whether the vehicles around you even know you are there, and have to ponder whether they need to do something to make themself visible or not?

It is IMPOSSIBLE to do all these things constantly, hence why I kept saying "try to constantly". I would say it is a safe bet that the above describes about 95% of motorcycle riders, and only 40% of car drivers at most.

Before you cagers come back at me saying you pay this much attention to these things when driving, stop and think about it for a few minutes. Is it ALL the time, or only when you want to change lanes or turn that you look around and try to figure out the cars around you, your safety levels etc. When driving along in traffic, is it more than just the cars ahead of you (or to the side, but ahead) that you pay any attention to, or is it those behind and behind to the sides as well?

After having to do all this all the time, and constantly dealing with cars that "didn't see you, mate" due to either looking but not registering in their mind you were there, or simply not looking at all, is it any wonder we tend to get a little elitist about our piloting abilities?

... of course, then we go and screw it all up by being smartarses and lanesplitting or doing other such stupid things, making you all think as badly of us as we do of you. It is a no-win situation. [sigh]

Originally Posted by StygiaN Let me split at the lights. Yes, I know it is annoying when I sneak through the gap between cars at red lights and then go all the way to pole position. As I risk my life with every journey, the least you can do is make room for me to get to the front at the lights. I need to get away first. It's important. In return, I won't lane split once we are in motion, won?t take off your mirrors, and I certainly won't split at 150km/h on the freeway just to freak you out.

I thought I would elaborate on this point, he does not explain why. Let us past, because we have to concentrate so much harder, it is EASIER for us to be at the front as there are less cars around us, less threats, it gives our minds a bit of a well earned brake so we can concentrate as hard as we need to again once the traffic is surrounding us once more.

Originally Posted by DumHed Couple that with the majority of bike riders (at least the noticed majority) being complete morons on the road, and it's easy to see why there's a personality clash between drivers and riders.

This is precisely where the "holier than thou" attitude comes crashing down. Too many bike riders are hoons. Hell, just look at the power to weight ratio, the acceleration, the top speeds, and how thrilling bikes must be cornering. Even your standard 250cc bikes can out-accelerate most cars, let alone the 600cc, 750cc and 1L bikes. There are too many wankers out there on bikes who are nothing more than hoons, just like the majority of those in high powered cars, except these are on high powered bikes. Complete and utter wankers, darwin candidates, the difference being you get a MUCH higher percentage of people like this on bikes so it is easier for them to make us look bad.

[chip256]

/offtopic

hmmm, wonder if he's a relation of mine.

/ontopic

Well, thankfully i'm not a cyclist (motor or otherwise). Car drivers are inconsiderate of wheel-challenged people .

As a driver of a slow car (rarely exceeding 90), I would like to add one more.

Please refrain from overtaking
There's nothing more annoying (or dangerous) in my oppinion than spotting someone flying up in the other lane when you're on the 'merge right' arrows. Trucks are particularly bad with this, although many idiots don't realise that if they don't have to overtake me when they were planning on turning off anyway.

This is particularly evident on the turnoff to Bellingen from the Pacific highway. I am regularly run off the road by idiots who don't realise that there's a an overtaking lane in the 80 zone just around the corner.

Also, idiots speed up to overtake me just so they can get 5m in front of me by the time they turn off on the other side of the bridge. Sure, you may want to get in front of me so I don't slow you down, but if you have to nearly wipe my nose off with your tailgate, is it really worth it?

[banga]

most bikers treat other drivers real good , they seem to know that them verses 2 ton car = pain , however just the other day (yeah i know same old story) i was driving to brissie to start work , when i got to oxley flats just after the merging lane about 100 meters after i was in right lane and saw this dude on a big arse road bike that sounded like a v8 lol maybe a ducati come screaming up the inside of the left hand lane between the crash barrier and the cars (3 feet max safe distance ) he then kicked it in the balls and had that fucker up on one wheel ..still bettween barrier and traffic and took off till he found a gap , i have to say that was so fucking dangerous it wasnt funny , some people on bikes need a head on to wake them up

[dwarfthrower]

I had a good compare and contrast experience during last night's drive home. I was behind Bike #1... the rider was doing all the right things (IMHO). Sitting a reasonable distance behind the car in front, positioned steadily in the middle of the lane where he could be seen. Wasn't splitting lanes even when traffic was at a standstill. Bike #2 came screaming up behind me courtesy of the two cars behind having left 3 feet between them and the footpath, sat 2 feet off my rear bumper jumping from side to side like he couldn't decide whether he liked my left-hand or right-hand blind spot better. He stayed there for about thirty seconds before impatience got the better of him and he decided to split between myself and the car on my right, race up and cut back in, in front of Bike #1 who was then forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

[lowededwookie]

Originally Posted by StygiaN I thought it was a great article/piece of writing, some awesome points there (except for the last one) but I wasn't a huge fan of the way the author gets his point across. Are all motorcyclists this elitist and holier than thou or is Tom Reynolds an oddity? It's not an us vs them thing, we all share the road together.

It's not that we're elitist but instead this is actually a valid point.

If a car driver was forced to ride a motorcycle for a while then their whole perception of the road and its environment will change.

When I ride I ride with the idea that all drivers are out there to kill me. I don't say this in some form of elitist pride but if I think that this is the case then I do everything in my power to remain seen by the driver but more than that I force myself to be more aware of my surroundings.

A rider who rides often can develop a sort of sense that allows them to react quicker. It's not a sixth sense thing but due to the fact that they are more aware of their surroundings simply because they are keeping an eye out for stupid drivers who have the potential to make things extremely nasty for riders.

I've had many a close call with dillholes who can't seem to think about what they're doing on the road.

One example I have is I saw a ute in the opposite lane to me indicating to come into my lane (a couple of cars in front). I in turn decided to take his spot to which I did, however this prat must have seen me in his mirror and must have thought I was driving up the middle so he pulls back into his original lane. Unfortunately I was now sitting in this lane and I was forced into the verge which was actually only about a bike width in size.

Had he just carried on doing what he was originally going to do then there would never have been a problem.

If it seems that we are trying to be elitist in our views of drivers then please understand that it's an attitude that can save our lives. We need to act this way because there are some very shocking drivers out there. I've seen drivers change lanes right in front of a bloody truck. They simply do not look in their mirrors.

BTW, a blind spot can be reduced if you just look over your shoulder.

[petesh]

so, you were wanting to occupy a piece of road that still had a car there?

[dwarfthrower]

Originally Posted by lowededwookie If a car driver was forced to ride a motorcycle for a while then their whole perception of the road and its environment will change.

Probably... but, truth be told... no-one is "forced" to ride a motorcycle. Motorcyclists "choose" to ride motorcycles.

Originally Posted by lowededwookie When I ride I ride with the idea that all drivers are out there to kill me. I don't say this in some form of elitist pride but if I think that this is the case then I do everything in my power to remain seen by the driver but more than that I force myself to be more aware of my surroundings.

Which is a good and healthy attitude to take, given that you've made the choice to put yourself on an unenclosed, unprotected and much smaller vehicle compared to the majority of road users.

Originally Posted by lowededwookie A rider who rides often can develop a sort of sense that allows them to react quicker. It's not a sixth sense thing but due to the fact that they are more aware of their surroundings simply because they are keeping an eye out for stupid drivers who have the potential to make things extremely nasty for riders.

Anybody who does the same thing on a regular basis tends to get better at it. Whether they are riding a bike or driving a car. Most of the stupid things that car drivers do, affect car drivers as well. It's just that the consequences for motorcyclists tend to be far greater than for motorists. Which is one of the trade-offs you make when you choose to ride.

Originally Posted by lowededwookie If it seems that we are trying to be elitist in our views of drivers then please understand that it's an attitude that can save our lives. We need to act this way because there are some very shocking drivers out there. I've seen drivers change lanes right in front of a bloody truck. They simply do not look in their mirrors.

Don't disagree at all... It's the notion that _only_ motorcyclists are capable of developing proper awareness on the roads, _only_ motorcyclists that are affected by people's shitty driving, and that _only_ car drivers are the problem, which comes across (albeit most likely unintentionally) that gets the goat of a lot of drivers out there.

Originally Posted by lowededwookie BTW, a blind spot can be reduced if you just look over your shoulder.

Which I do whenever I need to change lanes - twice - more often than not. However it's not feasible to look over both shoulders as often as I check my mirrors when not merging or changing lanes. And If I need to move across the lane I'm in to avoid a pothole or somesuch then any motorcyclist using a quarter of my lane as their own personal express lane is going to pretty much get what's coming to them.

[lowededwookie]

Originally Posted by petesh so, you were wanting to occupy a piece of road that still had a car there?

Nope, he had started moving into the other lane before turning back in.

[petesh]

Understandable, but I bet you never make the same move again.

I learnt early not to rely on other drivers. When I first started driving I rear ended a car. I was turning left into one of those 'turn at an time' corners. The car ahead of me took off, I looked right to check for traffic, nothing was there, so I accelerated. While my head was turned (for maybe 3/4 of a second), the car in front of me had come to a complete stop, and I hit it. I still don't know why it stopped, as the road was completely empty.

So I'm now always waiting for the unexpected, and haven't made the same mistake since.

[lowededwookie]

Originally Posted by dwarfthrower Probably... but, truth be told... no-one is "forced" to ride a motorcycle. Motorcyclists "choose" to ride motorcycles.

True that is. What I'm getting at is that most drivers don't think about other people on the road.

If they're prepared to do some dumbass manouvre in front of a truck which is many times bigger than them, then what chance do we riders have?

Originally Posted by dwarfthrower Which is a good and healthy attitude to take, given that you've made the choice to put yourself on an unenclosed, unprotected and much smaller vehicle compared to the majority of road users.

I don't deny that I've made the choice but people should respect my choice.

The thing that pisses me off about drivers is that they look down on us as though we are some insane freaks who deserve to die.

When you're on the road you should respect ALL road users and not just those that are bigger than you and can mess you up.

Originally Posted by dwarfthrower Don't disagree at all... It's the notion that _only_ motorcyclists are capable of developing proper awareness on the roads, _only_ motorcyclists that are affected by people's shitty driving, and that _only_ car drivers are the problem, which comes across (albeit most likely unintentionally) that gets the goat of a lot of drivers out there.

I didn't really mean it that way, it's more that we're forced into it and we are the only ones that seem to develop the awareness because we KNOW that our lives are in danger and awareness is the key to our safety.

Drivers seem to be complacent and that's where the danger lies, not in whether or not you're in a box or in nothing more than leather/Cordura.

I'm a firm believer in safety being 100% state of mind and therefore I actually feel safer on the bike than in a car. Simply because when I'm riding my full attention is on the road in front of me, not with things like the radio et al.

Originally Posted by dwarfthrower Which I do whenever I need to change lanes - twice - more often than not. However it's not feasible to look over both shoulders as often as I check my mirrors when not merging or changing lanes.

Thank you. You only need to check over your shoulder when changing lanes otherwise the mirrors are fine. Most people don't look in the mirrors let alone over their shoulder. But looking over the shoulder allows you to see anyone beside you. Everyone should do this but they don't.

Luckily I can generally predict what people are going to do, all because of that awareness thing.