Invisible cloaking devices and anal sex.

[madbikeboy]

I've been on this kick of riding sensibly, not speeding, not riding normally - that is to say, in a manner kinda sorta consistent with the road code.

It's just not working.

This morning, I had nine, count 'em, 9! cagers pull out on me, cut me off, or just about rear end me when another cage cuts me off.

I feel like my halo of invincibility has been swapped for an invisible cloaking device.

So, kind of like admitting a bad relationship is over, this is not working for me.

I've given it a good nudge, in the last month I've had more close calls than in the last 5 years.

Now, I'm not suggesting that I'm going to ride like Carver, pulling wheelstands in traffic and being a moron - plus I could never be a Moron Few as I don't ever want to experience anal sex with other "men" - but I am going to become my normal self, cheeky, a little obnoxious, and more aggressive. Aggressive, meaning taking an assertive approach to traffic management, not beating people with clenched fists.

Keith Code writes about having presence, and sitting quietly in traffic and filtering quietly lacks that ability to project presence. So instead, it's back to more noise and rev's, and pushiness. :done:

[007XX]

Keith Code writes about having presence, and sitting quietly in traffic and filtering quietly lacks that ability to project presence. So instead, it's back to more noise and rev's, and pushiness. :done:

Interesting! I think you're onto something here...However, I think that you may find it might be about balance, perhaps.

What my point is: being too pushy will bring you strife with the law...and as you found out, being too mousy will get you stepped on by cagers!

There is definitely a middle between the two where you can be assertive enough to stay out of trouble with both sides (cagers and boys in blue)...

Go forth and find your inner Zen...the Dalai Lama would be proud!

[buellbabe]

damned if ya do...damned if ya don't...

:mellow:

[madbikeboy]

007XX - ARE YOU PREGNANT!?!??! How incredibly exciting!!!!! Congratulations, you must be totally stoked (can you tell I'm clucky?). :love:

Yes, it's a really fine balance, sensibility and reason balanced against the dim view of the law. I'd rather be alive with regular payments to the Helen Nazi Party coffers than roadkill under a bus.

[007XX]

007XX - ARE YOU PREGNANT!?!??! How incredibly exciting!!!!! Congratulations, you must be totally stoked (can you tell I'm clucky?). :love:

Yes, indeed I am :D and ecstatic about it too! Still early days yet, but hopefully everything will go smoothly and my current little grain of rice will turn into pineapple size in no time...


Yes, it's a really fine balance, sensibility and reason balanced against the dim view of the law. I'd rather be alive with regular payments to the Helen Nazi Party coffers than roadkill under a bus.

We'd rather you'd be alive too dear :love:...it'd be a crying shame seeing such good brains splattered on the asphalt.

[Fatjim]

"There's nothing new under the sun" comes to mind here.

Old wisdom, learned again almost the hard way.

Good to see you learned it early, not too late.

[vgcspares]

Go-karting at Rainbow's End gives a clue to what's needed to drive a cage - no sense of balance and no concern for anything outside the forward field of view - on our roads with 50kph speed limits there's nothing exciting going on to occupy the senses so getting a cager's attention often requires flashing lights, prominent signage, or two tones, loud exhaust and in your face positioning. Take your pick or ride where there aren't any

[vifferman]

I think if you're intending to be sensible, or at least stay alive, then you need to be aggressively defensive, if you know what I mean.
Assert your position on the road, and remember that Joe Average is at worst trying to kill you, and at best, perhaps so brain-dead as to not care/give a crap about who he/she is sharing the road with.

But you knew all that. :yes:

[madbikeboy]

I think if you're intending to be sensible, or at least stay alive, then you need to be aggressively defensive, if you know what I mean.
Assert your position on the road, and remember that Joe Average is at worst trying to kill you, and at best, perhaps so brain-dead as to not care/give a crap about who he/she is sharing the road with.

But you knew all that. :yes:

Yeah, basic tenat for the last 20 odd years, but there's a level beyond that as well in terms of spatial reasoning, time and distance, and presence. I was trying to do the right thing, and it proves that no good deed ever goes unpunished...

Cheers mate, and apologies for plagarising the VifferBabe thing.

[vifferman]

Cheers mate, and apologies for plagarising the VifferBabe thing.
Plagiarising.
vifferbabe.
No worries (ignore me - I'm just grumpy and suffering from BikeWithdrawalSymptoms).:doh:

[madbikeboy]

Yes, indeed I am :D and ecstatic about it too! Still early days yet, but hopefully everything will go smoothly and my current little grain of rice will turn into pineapple size in no time...



We'd rather you'd be alive too dear :love:...it'd be a crying shame seeing such good brains splattered on the asphalt.

I'm so very happy for you both, and everything will go smoothly, your kharma is good!

And as for the brains bit, my evil ex would pay to see exactly that happen - LOL!

[madbikeboy]

Plagiarising.
vifferbabe.
No worries (ignore me - I'm just grumpy and suffering from BikeWithdrawalSymptoms).:doh:

Why are you off the bike??

[vifferman]

Why are you off the bike??
See my "Woohoo! etc." thread.
Blardy #2 Son.
Blardy mumblegrumble...wee taste of riding... back to farkn car.... grumblemumblefark... blardy need a fix....

[007XX]

And as for the brains bit, my evil ex would pay to see exactly that happen - LOL!

Meh...women! Who listens to them eh? ;)

[Fatjim]

We all have to, whether we like it or not. Although I find earplugs help heaps.

[madbikeboy]

Meh...women! Who listens to them eh? ;)

I listen to my partner now, she has wisdom and insight that is staggering. It's really great to be with someone that you respect so much. :love:

[jrandom]

Meh...women! Who listens to them eh?

Sorry, what was that again? You're mumbling.

[jrandom]

It's really great to be with someone that you respect so much. :love:

I'm sure my girlfriend would agree with you.

:lol:

[007XX]

Sorry, what was that again? You're mumbling.

No, your hearing aid is down again...ya can't fool me y'know!

[Subike]

We all have to, whether we like it or not. Although I find earplugs help heaps.

no we dont ALL have too listen to women , whether we like it or not,
I dont listen to them unless I want to. my choice, exersize your right of choice dailey

[Katman]

Instead of looking at it though the eyes of 'cager pulls out on me - rise in blood pressure', 'second cager pulls out on me - rise in blood pressure and steam from ears' look at it as 'cager pulls out on me, hazard avoided - pat on back', second cager pulls out on me, hazard avoided - double pat on back'.

By the time you get home who knows what wealth of reward you might have coming to you. :msn-wink:



In other words, avoid dwelling on the ineptitude of others.

[Dare]

That and find your own style that works, I think bikers have to be a bit more agressive than cagers to get noticed, but not so much that its taking needless risk/pissing off the law. Its a balance but theres no reason you can't have fun! Especially leaving agressive drivers in their fast cars behind in the queue as I quietly filter to the front without fuss... And then end up getting on the motorway before they have even made a dent in the traffic obscenity that is aucklands bridge onramps at 4pm :scooter:

[Spyke]

I reckon tinted visors help get bikers noticed, I get comments about looking like an alien! I think it's because it takes away the humanity and personality not being able to see your face.

[Katman]

The only way to cope long term with the mental stress of couriering in London was to not get worked up about car drivers becoming hazards but rather to simply congratulate yourself on avoiding the hazards that were constantly appearing. Pretty soon you were avoiding hazards without it actually registering.

[Katman]

And it's not aggression that's needed - it's assertiveness.

[jafar]

[QUOTE=007XX;1763724]Yes, indeed I am :D and ecstatic about it too! Still early days yet, but hopefully everything will go smoothly and my current little grain of rice will turn into pineapple size in no time...QUOTE]


:woohoo: bun in the oven :jerry:

:cold: Kiwi :scooter: :corn::corn:

[madbikeboy]

I reckon tinted visors help get bikers noticed, I get comments about looking like an alien! I think it's because it takes away the humanity and personality not being able to see your face.

Yeah, been riding with tinted visors for many years, and I agree with the notice, and the resultant respect... After all, I might be a really scary fellow...

[madbikeboy]

[QUOTE=007XX;1763724]Yes, indeed I am :D and ecstatic about it too! Still early days yet, but hopefully everything will go smoothly and my current little grain of rice will turn into pineapple size in no time...QUOTE]


:woohoo: bun in the oven :jerry:

:cold: Kiwi :scooter: :corn::corn:

Hopefully the kiwi genes will overpower the French bits... :Oops:

[madbikeboy]

The only way to cope long term with the mental stress of couriering in London was to not get worked up about car drivers becoming hazards but rather to simply congratulate yourself on avoiding the hazards that were constantly appearing. Pretty soon you were avoiding hazards without it actually registering.

Yeah, buddy, I agree. My point wasn't that I was irritated and had steam coming out my ears, it was that riding more in line with the road code was putting me in more perilous situations, and as a result, I'm going back to riding with a more aggressive stance on projecting my presence. That means bike in a higher gear, making more noise, more assertive lane placements and passing, and so on.

I recall in the Early 90's, I was in the UK, and I looked at despatching, and what put me off was talking with an insurance agent - the two most dangerous professions were either working as a squadie in Northern Ireland, or ... dispatching in London. Guess which was more dangerous? You must be an awesome rider to have survived for the length of time you despatched...

I spent the afternoon on the bike, back to the old ways, making noise and creating an impression - no pull outs, and no incidents.

[jafar]

Yeah, been riding with tinted visors for many years, and I agree with the notice, and the resultant respect... After all, I might be a really scary fellow...

If I wear dayglo they think they can push me around. But if I'm on a cruiser & wearing dark or black gear the cages move out of the way pretty damn fast.


[QUOTE=jafar;1764903]

Hopefully the kiwi genes will overpower the French bits... :Oops:

Sounds like they already did :laugh:

[madbikeboy]

That and find your own style that works, I think bikers have to be a bit more agressive than cagers to get noticed, but not so much that its taking needless risk/pissing off the law. Its a balance but theres no reason you can't have fun! Especially leaving agressive drivers in their fast cars behind in the queue as I quietly filter to the front without fuss... And then end up getting on the motorway before they have even made a dent in the traffic obscenity that is aucklands bridge onramps at 4pm :scooter:

I had to laugh yesterday, one of the guys from our private parking thingee ran to his Audi RS, didn't give it time to warm up, then screeched out of the building. I warmed up scoot, pulled on my lid and gloves, then readjusted my back protector, then pulled my gloves and lid off, answered the phone, chatted for a few minutes, then got myself sorted, and on my way. Audi RS had made it about 400 meters down Parnell road - I gave him a cheery wave as I rolled by... :Punk::Punk: $10,000 Gixer vs $290,000 Audi... No contest.

[Insanity_rules]

I understand this trip completely. Everytime I go through a license stage I find myself trying to ride defensively and within legal boundaries, It lasts about long enough for the ink on the new license to dry.

Then I get some kiddy in a subbie or grandad in a jag cut me off, lane change into me or some other general stupidity and the old agressive IR comes roaring back (Anyone who's ridden with me can share the war stories).

Rubber side down and lets do it to them before they do it to us.