Cager reaction to L-plated rider

**jono035** · 15th June 2009, 17:18

Had a scare on Saturday afternoon :

Was sitting behind a car along Mt Eden road at 55km/hr or thereabouts and had a car move up behind me, pull out and overtake then just about merge back over me to avoid a pedestrian island... Looked at the occupants as they went past, 50+ guy driving with 50+ woman in the passenger seat, both staring straight ahead... I sat behind him at the same speed I had been doing for another few hundred metres before he sedately pulled up to a set of lights and then ambled off to the right.

Is this the normal kind of thing to expect or is it more an L-plate thing?

My boss suggested sticking a massive black mohawk on my helmet and wearing a chain as a bandolier... any other suggestions?

**98tls** · 15th June 2009, 17:22

Pretty much normal,expect the unexpected and try and leave room for it.

**jono035** · 15th June 2009, 17:23

Stoked... ridden a total of 200kms and already going WTF...

**Ixion** · 15th June 2009, 17:23

It's "normal". Happens a few times a week to me. Keep your finger on the horn button and always ride in a low enough gear to nip ahead smartish. Remember, they are not of your world. They cannot see you. Like humans cannot see elves.

**mattian** · 15th June 2009, 17:29

Par for the course buddy. Get used to it, and don't let it rattle you. Honestly, you could be doing 70 in a 50 zone and the car behind you would still be determined to get in front of an L plate rider.

**slofox** · 15th June 2009, 17:33

Put a Stebel horn on your bike. Next time you can scare them to death...just try to avoid the car when the driver dies at the wheel...works for me.

**caseye** · 15th June 2009, 17:35

Like the guys have said, watch out for it, avoid IT and carry on, not worth the agro nor the time.
As you get older this becomes the accepted method of coping with dickheads in cars.

**p.dath** · 15th June 2009, 17:41

Pretty normal. Next time try and remember to toot the horn once you are safe. It might give them a scare.

Also consider how visible you are in your gear.

**Mom** · 15th June 2009, 17:46

Sadly your L plate does not single you out for this kind of car driver blindness to bikes. As others have said, be aware of them all the time, they will try to get you

When you have been riding a little while you tend to develop what is commonly known as spidey sense. A little feeling that something is going to happen, and you will learn to react to it. Good for you staying out of this blind wankers way on Saturday too!

**White Boots** · 15th June 2009, 18:09

Yeah dude it sucks but to many cage drivers dont think about anything else other then themselves. This is where i feel an air horn works really well and also the old after market exhaust seems to scar them off.

**YellowDog** · 15th June 2009, 18:15

Hey look, this really shouldn't happen to you and you shouldn't allow it to.

If you were not too far over to the left then the car couldn't have made this manouevre.

You need to give yourself more respect on the road and then others will do so also.

You need to OWN your lane on the road and don't let anyone take it from you.

Give yourslf an imaginary safety bubble and don't let anything burst it.

Good luck.

**sunhuntin** · 15th June 2009, 18:23

agreed with yellow... own your road, but dont go being a cock about it like another rider mentioned a few weeks ago. the rider in question was riding at 70k on the open road with a truck up his arse and refused to let the truck pass. following the letter of the law aint worth earning yourself a roadside cross.
youll find that such drivers as you encountered are common as muck. seems to be a condition of aquiring a license these days.

**GOONR** · 15th June 2009, 18:27

Originally Posted by slofox

Put a Stebel horn on your bike. Next time you can scare them to death...just try to avoid the car when the driver dies at the wheel...works for me.

I'd never heard of these, I'm gonna get one. Cheers.

**Blackshear** · 15th June 2009, 19:05

Originally Posted by GOONR

I'd never heard of these, I'm gonna get one. Cheers.

Make sure to get the Nautilus...
Been hankering for one ever since my musical horns were 10x louder than the stocker, bah ha ha ha.

As someone said before, try to make room for the impossible, but try even harder to eliminate the threat. No killing though, 'tis Natural selections job.

Even though I'm sure it's on a holiday as of late...