Anyone Else Feeling Invisible?

[BM-GS]

Start of rant:

Filled up last night on the way home (about 5:10pm, still light). Pulling out of the gas stn (Shell Forrest Hill, on Auckland's leafy North Shore) I wanted to turn right, so I pulled to the right-hand side of the exit, arranged myself so that I could see past the signs & lamp-posts along the road and waited for gaps in the traffic (both ways) to appear. It took a while, with everyone rushing home.

I ride a BMW 1150GS, not noted for being a small bike. It's also bright yellow. I admit that the yellow bits on my leathers are the same yellow as the bike, so I look like a bumble bee, but the combination (with lights on and an indicator going) should be hard to miss.

Not for Mrs Integra, who wanted to perform the same manouevre as me. She pulls up 2m to my left, indicating right. The gas stn is sort-of opposite a side-road, so I thought maybe she was going down there. She'd still probably take me out if we both went together, but I'd be a bit in front of her so she might at least see me. The trouble is that I still have to get through the gutter, etc, so I edge forward a bit, a bit more, a bit more, and suddenly she sees me - her face just lit up in surprise and "where the f*ck did that come from?"-type confusion, as if I'd been dropped there by aliens. Very scary, but not as bad as what nearly happened next. An appropriate gap appeared, and she hooned off without waiting to see if I was going or anything. If I hadn't already appreciated the presence of only half-a-brain, and waited to see what might happen, I'd have spent the night in N Shore hospital. Funny how some vehicles seem to have a big neon Watch What Happens Next sign on them. It can be handy though.

I went off after her, made sure she knew I was there without being aggressive, and longed for the good old days, when people half expected bikers to beat them up. Maybe I should trade the BM for a Hardley Ableson and wear some old denim?

The best bit is that I saw her again this morning, so it looks like she'll be a regular hazard to add to the list.

I'm not sure if she was being a bit thick, or genuinely didn't see that I was there first (forgot her specs, maybe?), or if she thinks that bikes have to give way to cars (don't laugh, it's been documented in post-crash police interviews) or had a load of more important things (than my life) on her mind. Or maybe she's just a psychopath?

Everyone has the odd lapse and it's probably best not to take it personally (unless it's you doing the lapsing) as life is too short. No need to make it shorter...

That's it, rant mode off,
Bumble Beemer

[zeRax]

sux dude, yeaap, every day, people on the out of town roads in blenheim dont look, constantly having cars go out infront of me at giveways.

just 2 days ago a mate at work driving a fucking big white van tboned some girl cause she just didnt stop for the giveway and went straight through. happens all the time on out of blenheim roads :\

[crashe]

awwww mate, that happens all the time...
If I get the chance I do let them know...hehehe.

But at least you survived to tell the story.

And now you know what car to look out for now....
Wave to her, until she see's you... then cut her off...hehehhee. No don't.

Keep riding safe. :ride: :ride: :ride: :ride:

[zadok]

Yep. Twice in particular I've had a car turn right in front of me and had to come to a sudden heart-thumping stop. Fortunately I was traveling and legal speeds both times and managed to pull up just in time. I even had the headlight on, so what does that say!?

[Jeremy]

All the time. Expect that everyone else is driving blind.

As Dad said during the three driving lessons I had.

Look out for: Anyone who couldn't afford the car they're in, anyone with dents especially those in the front or sides of the car, anyone who can't drive in a straight line or get in the right lane, anyone who didn't indicate before, anyone who's driving too fast, anyone who only relies on their brakes to stop, anyone who doesn't use their mirrors and most importantly anyone who is ONLY using their mirrors rather than turning their head. If you don't see a head turn stay far far away.

Which basically boils down to your better off trusting the boy racer who has to work to afford his car than the stay at home mum in the cockroach carrier to notice you.

[pritch]

In my bus driving days "geriatrics" were regarded with great suspicion.
(God, now I almost am one. Almost?)

Scariest story I heard in years concerned the kid of a guy I know.
The local Boy's High is on top of a hill so at 3:30PM or whenever there is a stream of pushbikes coming down there at warp speed. Not a snowball-in-Hell's chance of stopping or taking any other avoiding action.

Old lady turns across the path of "the kid" and inevitably he T bones her. Ambulance and Police attend.
Her explanation to the Police was, "I had given way to three of them, it was my turn".

I bet you didn't know that rule...

[Lou Girardin]

North Shore women drivers, just as bad as hat wearers in Volvo's. Be afraid, be very afraid.

[thehollowmen]

I could swear I saw Ray Charles driving yesterday. Pulled out infrount of me and I came to a rubber-squealing halt.

I kid you not:

Sunglasses

White dog in the frount seat

And a thin white cane with a red handle.


Generally people in SUVs, people wearing hats (you can see they are old afterwards), White halos (old ladies hair), anything with a ding in it. Anything drifting to one side of the lane (and will do a unsignaled / short signal change without a shoulder check) .. those are things I watch out for.

The boy racers are pretty good around here, and usually have more than one set of eyes watching the road.

[Wolf]

If you're not expected anywhere in a hurry, following the SoB everywhere they go is rewarding. I had one bitch wind up stopping outside the police station, shaking uncontrollably - and all I had done was follow her... no threatening gestures or anything.

She knew she'd cut me off and nearly caused an accdent and she picked up quickly enough that I was tailing her so she was rather scared. She headed directly to the police station once she twigged what I was up to.

I just rode on past.

Do I feel stink intimidating some chick? Not if it makes her think about boneheaded driving twice next time. I felt kind of intimidated nearly getting flattened by almost a ton of cage, good to be able reciprocate in some way.

[vifferman]

My problem area (probably everyone's) is intersections. The last road I go down on the way to work has 7 intersections on it, and for all but one of those I have right of way, with Stop signs on the intersections. But every day, there are cars on several of those that don't loook like they're going to stop. If I slow down to ensure they've seen me and that I'm not going to get crunched, every so often there'll be some eejit that will take this as meaning I'm going to let them go, or some other eejit that starts to go before I'm safely through.

I've had many near-misses (and three crashes) from people not seeing me, and I nearly crashed into a scooter myself because I didn't see it! And I was on my bike at the time, in SuperVigilantMode, AND the scooter's headlight was on. It's very easy to not be seen.

[vifferman]

If you're not expected anywhere in a hurry, following the SoB everywhere they go is rewarding. I had one bitch wind up stopping outside the police station, shaking uncontrollably - and all I had done was follow her... no threatening gestures or anything.

She knew she'd cut me off and nearly caused an accdent and she picked up quickly enough that I was tailing her so she was rather scared. She headed directly to the police station once she twigged what I was up to.

I was cut off by some eejit woman one morning, so I followed her to her destination (a primary school), pulled up alongside her, waited till she wound the window down, and told her what she'd done, that she was an idiot, and that she shouldn't have a licence. She just nodded dumbly.

[pritch]

I just received this from a mate in the USA:

A strange news item: Yesterday, at a local Richmond Hospital, one of the employees { a nurse I believe} was taking a break in an alley that was only used for trucks backing up making deliveries. A big tractor-trailer unit delivering bottled oxygen backed over her killing her. She was standing in the middle of the alley with fellow employees yelling at her to watch out.

She was looking the other way talking on a cell phone with her spare hand covering her other ear because the warning beeper from the truck was making so much noise she couldn't hear the cell phone…

[Wolf]

My uncle is a "geriatric" (hell, I practiaclly am) but he's also a rally driver, been involved with cars, trucks, bikes, planes all his life etc - so he's the one getting pissed at all the dickheads on the roads. He's also my "measuring stick" l- "Look, you dumb old fart, my uncle's older than you and he can drive, what's your real excuse for being a wanker?"

Pissed as I get with the boi racers making a racket and hooning around, I have to admit that at least they know they're behaving recklessly and tend to be on the look-out - it's the "Joe Random Citizen" types who don't realise they're a rolling (or stationary, even) hazard that really suck... they drive around with their heads up their arses and don't realise how close they come to having serious accidents every day.

[Wolf]

I just received this from a mate in the USA:

A strange news item: Yesterday, at a local Richmond Hospital, one of the employees { a nurse I believe} was taking a break in an alley that was only used for trucks backing up making deliveries. A big tractor-trailer unit delivering bottled oxygen backed over her killing her. She was standing in the middle of the alley with fellow employees yelling at her to watch out.

She was looking the other way talking on a cell phone with her spare hand covering her other ear because the warning beeper from the truck was making so much noise she couldn't hear the cell phone…
I love watching evolution at work. (Sorry, Zed...)

[Wolf]

I was cut off by some eejit woman one morning, so I followed her to her destination (a primary school), pulled up alongside her, waited till she wound the window down, and told her what she'd done, that she was an idiot, and that she shouldn't have a licence. She just nodded dumbly.
Years ago, when I felt energetic/suicidal/too-poor-to-afford-a-motorbike and was riding a pushbike down Victoria Street, I went past a bus. As I approached it was not signalling to turn out, I got past the rear end so I couldn't see the tail lights any more and then suddenly it started to swing out into the traffic, forcing me to swerve out further into the lane. I presume he did indicate after I had gone past his tail lights - but obviously did not check his side mirror properly.

I caught up at the lights, they changed as I appropached so I was able to speed past, shaking my fist, next I know I have this bus beside me forcing me into the curb. I stop and dismount, the bus stops and the door opens, driver gets out of his seat.

"You got an issue with me?" he roars.

"Fuckin' oath" says I in a voice that carries beyond the back of the bus and down to the intersection. "When you pulled out back there you didn't check your mirror and fucking near hit me."

"Oh, you're just a fuckin' arsehole," he says hastily, jumps back into his seat and takes off as fast as possible.

I don't think he liked all his passengers hearing that I'd had a reason to be pissed. Especially after they'd just seen him crowd me off the road.

Always hated pushbikes - at least on a motorbike I can make it past a bus in less than the required three seconds of indication.

[Coyote]

80% of people believe they are above average drivers

[Ixion]

My problem area (probably everyone's) is intersections. The last road I go down on the way to work has 7 intersections on it, and for all but one of those I have right of way, with Stop signs on the intersections. But every day, there are cars on several of those that don't loook like they're going to stop. If I slow down to ensure they've seen me and that I'm not going to get crunched, every so often there'll be some eejit that will take this as meaning I'm going to let them go, or some other eejit that starts to go before I'm safely through.

I've had many near-misses (and three crashes) from people not seeing me, and I nearly crashed into a scooter myself because I didn't see it! And I was on my bike at the time, in SuperVigilantMode, AND the scooter's headlight was on. It's very easy to not be seen.

I find I have some success at intersections and such by using hand signals. If dubious about an approaching vehicle (that SHOULD give way), I'll toot (yes my horn gets a LOT of use - it's recommended in the road code too) flash lights , and hold up my hand toward them , arms length , palm forward. As in "You, STOP. NOW!" and make a shoving back motion. Works pretty well. Of course if they still ignore that and cruise happily through the stop sign (as they do [sigh] ) , I stop, having kept that much in reserve.

[XP@]

Agree, I can understand if you are behind them and all you are is a little blip in the mirror.
What TOTALLY amazes me is when you are in front, lights on, orange reflective vest and they still don't see you.

Just pretend all cars are Ostriches.

[2_SL0]

As I climb on my bike, I always put my invisible cap and mask on. :yes: :whistle: :devil2:

[vifferman]

I find I have some success at intersections and such by using hand signals. If dubious about an approaching vehicle (that SHOULD give way), I'll toot (yes my horn gets a LOT of use - it's recommended in the road code too) flash lights , and hold up my hand toward them , arms length , palm forward. As in "You, STOP. NOW!" and make a shoving back motion. Works pretty well. Of course if they still ignore that and cruise happily through the stop sign (as they do [sigh] ) , I stop, having kept that much in reserve.
Ha ha! You too?

I've also tooted errant drivers and mimed the "gun to the head" thing.
Or :weird: would do nicely too.

I've been careful with the flashing lights thing, as some eejits will go, "Thanx for motioning me to go!"

[Slim]

I ride SH2 every day, saying over & over in my head ... "I am NOT a gap in the traffic, I am NOT a gap in the traffic...."

Seems to have worked so far.

[Ixion]

..

I've been careful with the flashing lights thing, as some eejits will go, "Thanx for motioning me to go!"

I think that depends on the flash. A quick flash or flash flash sends a "OK , after you " message. A lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng flassssssssssssssssssh , on full beam ,prolonged until they take notice , they react differently. Especially with the horn blarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring at the same time.

[Sutage]

The people I hate are the ones who have to go like 10ks over speedbumps because their COOL LOWEERD HONDA CIVIC cant go over any faster without scratching their home-done paint job. Fucking morons. THey dont realise that theres people behind them.. other ppl are the ones who slow down before they start indication, how the hell are others meant to know theyre gonna slow down? Bastards.

[Eurygnomes]

other ppl are the ones who slow down before they start indication, how the hell are others meant to know theyre gonna slow down? Bastards.

Uh-oh...I may be guilty of this one. Do you think that being a biker makes you safer on the road in a cage (here's presuming you do all at some point have to get inside a four-wheeled object - preferably not one with blaring sirens and flashing lights on it)?

Today on the way to work, I kept my eyes peeled for motorcyclists. I saw three - two on the way TO town, one going to Porirua/Tawa like me. Is it the weather keeping you inside?

[vifferman]

The people I hate are the ones who have to go like 10ks over speedbumps because their COOL LOWEERD HONDA CIVIC cant go over any faster without scratching their home-done paint job.
No worries - I just zap past (if I'm on my bike). The really annoying ones are the ones who go diagonally across the speed bumps, even if their car isn't particularly low. Dunno who thought that up, but it's doubly annoying, because you can't pass them, due to their unpredictable, road-hogging manoeuvres.
If I can't pass them, I just hit the "Pass" switch as I go over the speed bump behind them. :whistle:

And if someone cuts me off on the bridge, or is otherwise a deeeek, somehow it causes my bike to develop an intermittently-flashing highbeam disorder.

Oh, for RPG launchers on the VFR - one accessory it doesn't have. :no:

[Sutage]

I have to get myself a cage next month or the one after, need to get a friend to teach me how to drive one, dont see many plumbers on motorbikes unfortunately and its a requirement of my apprenticeship to have one. So bring on the Honda Integras ! Hoping my tax return is gonna come through so i dont have to sell the bike but meh may have to :(

[Waylander]

Hate the busses here. They never check thier mirrors when pulling out of a stop. Pushbike, bike, car, big fuck off truck, they don't care. If they are bigger than it, it doesn't exist. That's why I will never again ride a bus.

Cagers sometimes don't notice busses though. Saw a guy in a little white miata run a red light in front of a bus that was moving. Figured he was all kinds of stupid and then changed my route so that I wouldn't be going the same direction.

[Wolf]

Yep, three seconds before you begin your manoeuvre = three seconds before you have to slow down and/or apply brakes (for those who use only their brakes to shed speed), not three-seconds-@20km/h away from the actual turn after you've already slammed on the brakes in the middle of the lane.

People must think I'm nuts. I indicate ages away from the corner then - three seconds later - I throttle off, go down some gears and then turn - indicator is usually running for a large number of seconds by the time I'm in a position to actually turn.

Most people I see, their indicator is redundant - after they've slammed on the brakes and veered all over the road I've already determined that either they are turning down that side road or they've suffered a heart attack at the wheel. Probability rests on the side of the turn, so they could have saved wear and tear on the indicator switch. The time when I needed that warning is already long gone and I've already used up a quarter of my "2 seconds" responding to its lack and I'm now riding with some kind of composure again.

[SPORK]

80% of people believe they are above average drivers
26% of americans think they are in the top 1% of earners.

That's a REAL statistic!

[XP@]

other ppl are the ones who slow down before they start indication, how the hell are others meant to know theyre gonna slow down? Bastards.

I've started to treat indicators as a "Maybe". You often get more indication from subtle movements just before a turn.

Change in road position
speed approaching another vehicle
head movement
approaching a junction

I find that from these signals I get as much warning as from the flashing orange things.

On the other hand, we bikers can be exceptionally misleading by forgetting to cancel our indicators. This is incredibly dangerous in nz if you leave your left one on, I've nearly been nailed a couple of times with the give way rules.

[vifferman]

I've started to treat indicators as a "Maybe". You often get more indication from subtle movements just before a turn.

Change in road position
speed approaching another vehicle
head movement
approaching a junction
I find that from these signals I get as much warning as from the flashing orange things.
True dat.
However, you still need to be careful. I got so good at reading what people were going to do by observing them, I got caught out by someone whose signals ('subtle movements') said he'd seen me, when in fact he hadn't. If I'd listened to that little voice that said, "Tootle him just in case", I wouldn't have crashed my VFR750.


On the other hand, we bikers can be exceptionally misleading by forgetting to cancel our indicators. This is incredibly dangerous in nz if you leave your left one on, I've nearly been nailed a couple of times with the give way rules.
Yeah.
I've done that a few times, and sometimes even got grumpy with other drivers for driving badly, when I'd forgotten to cancel the indicator. :weird: This was especially easy to do on the VTR, because the lights on the dash were in odd places.

[Ixion]

The people I hate are the ones who have to go like 10ks over speedbumps because their COOL LOWEERD HONDA CIVIC cant go over any faster without scratching their home-done paint job. Fucking morons. THey dont realise that theres people behind them.. other ppl are the ones who slow down before they start indication, how the hell are others meant to know theyre gonna slow down? Bastards.

Ah speedbumps. I like speedbumps. For some reason (trailie heritage I suppose) Li'l Ratty totally ignores speedbumps of all types. I've tried putting it over them faster and faster , up to over 140kph. Makes no difference to it at all. Gets airborne momentarily at really high speeds is all.

And, conveniently located as a short cut on my way to work is a road with 13 of them (yes, the local council went a bit mad. I gather the people living in the road asked for speedbumps to slow down all the dirvers and trucks using it as a short cut. The council didn't want to, the residents grumbled and the council finally relented "Okay then, you want speedbumps. Well we'll GIVE you speedbumps. And don't say you didn't ask for them". So now no-one uses it as a short cut). And some nice S bends between them.

Some mornings I get a clear run. And of course, because the cages go so slow there now, Mr Plod never bothers with it. Whee , Li'l Rat bike loves it.

Other mornings I seem to get stuck behind a procession of cages, all slowing to 10kph. Not just the boiracers either, everyone does. I no sooner get past one, and I'm behind another one. Tedious

(Oddly enough Mrs Ixion, who is in all other respects the worlds slowest most sedate and cautious driver, goes like a rally driver over speedbumps. She hurtles over them flat out, shock absorbers banging from full compression to full unload and me (as passenger) practically fracturing my skull on the roof . I don't understand it at all. And she denies it.)

[XP@]

True dat.
However, you still need to be careful. I got so good at reading what people were going to do by observing them, I got caught out by someone whose signals ('subtle movements') said he'd seen me, when in fact he hadn't. If I'd listened to that little voice that said, "Tootle him just in case", I wouldn't have crashed my VFR750.

One caveat...

NEVER ASS-U-ME they have seen you!

[vifferman]

Ah speedbumps. I like speedbumps. For some reason (trailie heritage I suppose) Li'l Ratty totally ignores speedbumps of all types.
The execrable Volty I had for a day as a loaner had one redeeming feature: it loved speed bumps. Oweing to a soggy and bouncy suspension, and low weight, you could pogo it over speedbumps very nicely. Bounce down immediatley before the hump, then pull up going over it, and there was no impact at all.

I'm glad we didn't get speedbumps in our street in response to our neighbour's bleating about "all the accidents". Well, I guess 18 in less than a year is rather a lot... But we got pedestrian islands and no parking outside our house, instead. Bit of a bugger, seeing as we've no off-street parking. But at least I can still ride/drive as fast as I like around the sweeping curves (and 'traffic-calming measures' :weird: ).

[Gremlin]

I gotta say that doing tons of k's on a bicycle can really teach you about cars.

You are constantly being overtaken, or overtaking (depending on the size of the hill) and it really teaches you about car behaviour.

Can't say what I actually look for (could only describe it as being indecisive, slow, weaving or something) but all I know is that car x is wrong. Dunno how wrong, just wrong, something doesn't add up.

Even if you are proved wrong, doesn't matter, better than not adjusting and the car is wrong... Even then, you can still totally miss one...

Best one today was an SUV (why are they always crap??) who was halfway into another lane, then tried out the flashy thingie

[DingDong]

This is why we hate them... cages not women (i love women)