Things that make you go hmmm

[p.dath]

I was riding on the southern motorway this morning on the North Shore of Auckland. The congestion wasn't too bad, as the traffic was going 50km/h. I was riding in the middle of my lane, and I was wearing a high-viz vest I got from ACC.

Then the cage on my right hand side started changing into my lane. I gave the throttle a quick tweak to move ahead and get out of the way, and as I did I turned my head so I could look the driver squarely in the eyes.
It was obvious they had seen me at this point in time, yet they continued to move into my lane.

I looked down and saw the front fender of their car just miss clipping my rear tyre. If I hadn't of given the throttle a little blip they would definitely have knocked me off.


And I thought "hmmm". Anything made you go "hmmm" recently?

[vifferman]

That sounds more like a "WTF?!?!?!!!" moment than a "Hmmm" one. :blink:

[p.dath]

I was too stunned for a WTF moment after I looked them in the eyes and they continued to move into "my" space.

[DMNTD]

That sounds more like a "WTF?!?!?!!!" moment than a "Hmmm" one. :blink:

Or even a MDK one :mellow:

[slofox]

Nah - those are "TWANG!" moments....

[pzkpfw]

A driver like that probably thought the gap was always there, and that you blipped the throttle to "beat him". They don't learn.

Good on you for avoiding.

[Ragingrob]

Hmmm... Yesterday going along Green Lane East at night in the rain, headlights check. Come up to a green light, oncoming car waiting to turn right, waiting, waiting, waiting, 20m till I reach them they decide to turn. Well that was my wet emergency braking practice for the night that's for sure!

[hospitalfood]

when I'm in a car I always try to hit people wearing high viz vests.
I can't help it.

[Mschvs]

I was riding on the southern motorway this morning on the North Shore of Auckland. The congestion wasn't too bad, as the traffic was going 50km/h. I was riding in the middle of my lane, and I was wearing a high-viz vest I got from ACC.

Then the cage on my right hand side started changing into my lane. I gave the throttle a quick tweak to move ahead and get out of the way, and as I did I turned my head so I could look the driver squarely in the eyes.
It was obvious they had seen me at this point in time, yet they continued to move into my lane.

I looked down and saw the front fender of their car just miss clipping my rear tyre. If I hadn't of given the throttle a little blip they would definitely have knocked me off.


And I thought "hmmm". Anything made you go "hmmm" recently?

Get their number plate, track them down and let down their tyres in the middle of the night ... leaving a message on the window "LOOK OUT FOR BIKES/OTHER VEHICLES YOU PRICK" every night for like a week. Then you won't have to contend with them on the motorway for at least that time, if that doesn't teach them a lesson!!

[crazyhorse]

Maybe he thought you were challenging him when you had time to turn and look him in the eye......

Surprised you had time to do that even :shit:

[Mikkel]

when I'm in a car I always try to hit people wearing high viz vests.
I can't help it.

Yep, might as well paint a target on your forehead.

If you ride like everyone is out to get you, then drawing attention to yourself is the not the smartest thing.

[CookMySock]

I doubt that any car driver would just "knock a biker off" on purpose. Anyway, whats wrong with using the middle lane?

Steve

[Harvd]

Had a car pull out in front of me, I knew he was going to do it, and was well slowed down in time, gave him a wee beep to let him know i was there and a nice freindly wave to say fuck you.

You could see him blush.

[MIXONE]

Get used to it because it'll happen to you for the rest of your biking life.It isn't deliberate or personal,just a matter of "shit mate I didn't even see you"
Treat every other road user like they are trying to kill you and you will live longer.

[Mr Merde]

I was riding on the southern motorway this morning on the North Shore of Auckland. The congestion wasn't too bad, as the traffic was going 50km/h. I was riding in the middle of my lane, and I was wearing a high-viz vest I got from ACC.

Then the cage on my right hand side started changing into my lane. I gave the throttle a quick tweak to move ahead and get out of the way, and as I did I turned my head so I could look the driver squarely in the eyes.
It was obvious they had seen me at this point in time, yet they continued to move into my lane.

I looked down and saw the front fender of their car just miss clipping my rear tyre. If I hadn't of given the throttle a little blip they would definitely have knocked me off.


And I thought "hmmm". Anything made you go "hmmm" recently?

Happened to me and I finished up taking a slide down the Southern Motorway, 6pm on a wet Friday night.

Shit myself watching headlights rushing towards me.

[bogan]

smash his mirror off bro!

[caseye]

Best advice, leave em too it.Get well away from them and try settling down again in a bigger space.
The pity is that these jerks will always claim they "didn't see you" even when turning into you while looking you directly in the eye.

[denefoster]

Ya know, everyone posts things like this. Saw me and kept moving over.. and I've seen it myself.

Are we sure it's actually malicious/stupidity.. and not just target fixation from a cager ? The bike goes where you look, so does the car. Catching their eyes means they're looking at you, ergo they'll drive towards you.

Perhaps it's better to just blip ahead and not catch their eye ?

Says he that just had it happen 10mins ago as well, though I didn't have to move away, the open throttle + clutch woke the other guy up a bit.

[scootnz]

On my regular commute I turn left from Tory St on to Wakefield St in Wellington. It's a "turn into nearest lane" intersection, and oncoming traffic turning ALWAYS tries to get into my nearest lane (the leftmost lane on Wakefield St - which is a one way street for those who don't know, and has three lanes).

This morning got my pulse rate up as I saw a taxi in my peripheral vision right alongside me, obviously intent on occupying my lane. I knew he was there but concentrated on maintaining my speed, and eventually he was forced to slow down and pull in behind me. Many drivers HAVE to get in to the left lane to turn left into the carpark behind the Reading, but this taxi went all the way to the next traffic lights, and could simply have slowed down to pull in behind me, especially because my vespa is very quick (though not particularly fast), and I am away at the green light well before the cars behind me, often leaving a large gap. Of course many drivers feel the need to speed up and try and pull in front of me instead.

But it happens every day, so I'm used to it.

[sondela]

I negotiate a few roundabouts on the way in to town, and at almost every one there has to be some doofus who will try to impale me on their driver door, generally whilst watching me head directly at them..hmmm indeed..

[stify]

I was riding on the southern motorway this morning on the North Shore of Auckland.

that was your first mistake......

[Rayray401]

ohhh tailgaters on the motorway when you know youre not going too slow....youre going 110 and theyre probably 2m behind you....hmmm..i pretend to emergency brake...sure does wake them up and give them the msg to fuck off :2thumbsup:

[devnull]

See... this is why bikers need handguns. :2guns:

If cagers had reason to fear for their own safety, they'd be more careful.
Don't see them pulling this shit with trucks, do you? :laugh:

[stify]

ohhh tailgaters on the motorway when you know youre not going too slow....youre going 110 and theyre probably 2m behind you....hmmm..i pretend to emergency brake...sure does wake them up and give them the msg to fuck off :2thumbsup:

why don't you just pull over?...110 isn't fast

[Rayray401]

why don't you just pull over?...110 isn't fast

cos theres traffic in front of me...my point wasnt saying that 110 was fast..but the fact that i wasnt going 80 in a 100...id pull over if i was

[stify]

cos theres traffic in front of me...my point wasnt saying that 110 was fast..but the fact that i wasnt going 80 in a 100...id pull over if i was

no need to get pissed with the numb nut's behind ya, drive/ride ya own ride at all times...life is mucho bettera if ya do

[Rayray401]

no need to get pissed with the numb nut's behind ya, drive/ride ya own ride at all times...life is mucho bettera if ya do

true true..just dont want to have a car up my arse if i brake too hard...:mellow:

[mstriumph]

Maybe he thought you were challenging him w

..........

yeah - it's dangerous to make eye contact with a mad dog ...

[Squid]

ohhh tailgaters on the motorway when you know youre not going too slow....youre going 110 and theyre probably 2m behind you....hmmm..i pretend to emergency brake...sure does wake them up and give them the msg to fuck off :2thumbsup:

Times like that is when I like having a bike with carbies and a stright through pipe, the gixxa does real good backfires with a good puff of smoke and a neat little flame when you flick the kill switch off for a few seconds. :lol:

[stify]

just dont want to have a car up my arse if i brake too hard...:mellow:

part of life I'm afraid, make your own space or just gap it...who do you need to look after when all's said and done?

[Blackshear]

I've had that once on the motorway, and it's not like my bike isn't loud :blink:
Luckily the lane to the right was ampty and I tooted fiercely as he crossed the line and gave him a fright. He held up his hand in a 'sorry' gesture, which isn't good enough. Wandered over leftways on my lane, leaned over and did the whole tough guy finger eyes thing. (Tinted visors just MAKE you tough :lol:)

The tailgating thing irritates me the most when they just don't get the message. Shift around on my bike and arm on hip stare at them and give the shuffle back hand flick. Sometimes works, sometimes I pull over if they're that adamant. Who knows?

[mctshirt]

... and I was wearing a high-viz vest I got from ACC.

Did it not give you a magic cloak of invincibility like the Safety Police promised it would?

I had a similar incident on Ponsonby Road a few months ago - Saturday morning, two lanes, me in right lane, car in left, bit of space in the traffic. Travelling along playing nice with each other I spy a concrete mixer parked on the side of the road blocking left lane and congratulate myself on good lane choice because the car will have to slow down and merge in behind me. I can now concentrate on keeping the other two out-of-towners I'm following within sight as we keep the faith we're heading where we want to go. Not in Auckland apparently as smug glow gives way to survival instinct as car promptly swings across into my lane to occupy the very space I'm in as we close on the concrete mixer. Self preservation dictates discretion will be the better part of valour on this occasion (better to be lost alone than hurt) and I dropped back out of the way. Is it an Auckland thing?

[Hans]

See... this is why bikers need handguns. :2guns:

If cagers had reason to fear for their own safety, they'd be more careful.
Don't see them pulling this shit with trucks, do you? :laugh:

Actually, you do. Just goes to show, how demented they are.

[Dare]

Is it an Auckland thing?

Proper indicating, selecting spaces and following distances are all alien concepts to Auckland drivers.

[balans]

Is it an Auckland thing?


No, unfortunately it's a worldwide phenomenon.

[pritch]

I doubt that any car driver would just "knock a biker off" on purpose.
Steve

Methinks you sadly under-estimate the psychoses of many Kiwi drivers...

[firefighter]

I was riding on the southern motorway this morning on the North Shore of Auckland. The congestion wasn't too bad, as the traffic was going 50km/h. I was riding in the middle of my lane, and I was wearing a high-viz vest I got from ACC.

Then the cage on my right hand side started changing into my lane. I gave the throttle a quick tweak to move ahead and get out of the way

lucky you had your high vis vest on..........

Moral of the story.......if they don't look they won't see you, high vis vest or not.......

[ajturbo]

THAT will teach you for wearing the Hi-viz....:grouphug:

now if you were wearing manly Black leathers....

you would have been thought of as a TRUE biker....

congering(sp?) up images of a hell's angel member and not to be fucked with and to give more space than a B-train

so in future... ditch the day-glow 70's disco look.. and wear something a MAN would

[fLaThEaD FreD]

Get their number plate, track them down and let down their tyres in the middle of the night ... leaving a message on the window "LOOK OUT FOR BIKES/OTHER VEHICLES YOU PRICK" every night for like a week. Then you won't have to contend with them on the motorway for at least that time, if that doesn't teach them a lesson!!

Can be carried in a plastic water pistol or syringe. Makes for a nice candid walk past and will eat through panel steel over night. Also goes good down the vents in front of the windscreen and a major to repair!

:wari: :Punk:

[firefighter]

Proper indicating, selecting spaces and following distances are all alien concepts to Auckland drivers.

Tried driving in Scowelronga? (Tauranga) EVERYONE seems grumpy there all the time......

I travel there a lot, man they love to force an unnecessary merge and gain ONE car length there....thus slowing traffic.......
the bridge is the worst for this, they're so aggressive that you'd think they were in thick Auck traffic, THE most uncourteous drivers are there I think.......

They also love stopping in the middle of roundabouts.......blocking ALL other traffic heaven forbid they get through!!!! And it's not the odd few it's 98% of them!

Never mind pootling past on the bike (splitting/well passing) they see you coming and move right to block you, that's my favourite.....anyone would think they were stuck there and more to get through than auck rush-hour commuters!!! In fact i'd rather spli the whole northwestern than just the MT bridge......

[Swoop]

There is a southern motorway on the North Shore?:scratch:

THAT will teach you for wearing the Hi-viz....:grouphug:

now if you were wearing manly Black leathers....

you would have been thought of as a TRUE biker....

congering(sp?) up images of a hell's angel member and not to be fucked with and to give more space than a B-train

so in future... ditch the day-glow 70's disco look.. and wear something a MAN would
Quoted for emphasis. Ditch the hi-vis crap. It makes you less of a threat.

[p.dath]

There is a southern motorway on the North Shore?:scratch:

Quoted for emphasis. Ditch the hi-vis crap. It makes you less of a threat.

Is the southern motorway when heading southbound. Northern motorway when heading north bound.

I think I'd prefer to go for safety than threatening. :yes:

[KelvinAng]

Few days ago while riding my little scoota along Riccarton Road here in Christchurch, a driver on the right-turning lane attempts to makes a right-turn and indicated, and then promptly turn back onto the left lane that is going straight ahead after discovering she didn't want to turn right after all. Of course, there are cars flowing along in that left lane and I had to speed up and get ahead to the left side of the car in front of me to avoid being hit. She stopped, right in the middle of the two lanes, hands covering her mouth and stared at me. Hmmm.

[Howsie]

I thought it interesting that you could be both on the Southern Motorway and in the North Shore at the same time :bleh:

[Swoop]

Is the southern motorway when heading southbound. Northern motorway when heading north bound.
*chortle..*

[MarkH]

Don't see them pulling this shit with trucks, do you? :laugh:

I've seen it! I saw this Toyota Landcruiser almost wear a large truck bumper when it changed lanes into the path of a large truck - I heard the blast of the truck's airhorns and thought the truck driver was probably not so happy, he probably had to use a lot of willpower to use his brakes at all.