Is it just me or are cagers getting worse?

[Hurrie]

lol yeah you also get the people who think that its alright to share a lane with you going 50km/h and when you're turning right at traffic lights.

[Banditbandit]

In the last 2 days I've had 3 very near misses. One on the way to mission bay in town where a car changed lanes right in front of me without indicating or looking to see if it was clear, one up one of the side streets after St Heliers where a car went through a give way and almost collected me and then one this morning going into Newmarket. I was in the transit lane and this car decided to pull out inches in front of me without warning. That last one really was a brown undies moment because the road was wet and he was so close to hitting me.
Before these three incidents it had been quite a while since I've had anything like that happen to me. I'm used to the changing lanes without indicating on the motorway and all that, but these three really scared me.

Has anyone else noticed cagers getting worse, or am I getting complacent in my old age? I make a concious effort to pay attention to what cars nearby might or might not do.

I don't think cagers are getting worse - or better - they've always been bad ...

I think that the ACC arguments have heightened our awareness of cagers' behaviour on the roads ...

And possibly you've had a run of bad luck .. I can go for weeks without any dickhead cagers annoying me .. then suddenly run into a string of near misses and idiocy from them ...

[Spazman727]

Same here, yesterday had a guy cut across from the right lane into the left, right across the front of me. Had to really get on the brakes to not get hit, then he carried on doing it for the next 500 metres or so, jumping in and out of traffic without looking. Pulled up next to him at the next set of lights and gave him a firm fucking word or two.

I'm no angel, but fuck, at least *LOOK*

I find that knocking on the window puts the shits up them. I usually try to tell them what they did wrong in no uncertain terms. At least maybe the one I talk to won't do it again and, best case scenario, they will tell their mates that they almost killed a biker and maybe they will also pay a bit more attention for a while.
I live in hope.

[Bounce001]

I think the stadard of driving has steadily got worse. School buses are shocking for just pulling out in front of whatever and recently I have had a few cars pull out in front of me at the same interesection - at least one per day. They seem to forget that it is a 100km zone. And that is when I have been in the car. I find getting right up their ass at speed and a long honk on the horn tends to make them wake up a bit and hopefully they wont be in such a hurry again. Otherwise:

Get a stebel!

[Gremlin]

standard of driving varies... I tend to do over 1000km a month just around the city (live 12km from office) and yes. You get people merging onto the motorway at 40kph (if they can figure out how the onramp lights work) through to those equally frustrated as me by the idiots doing 80kph in the fast lane.

Someone has already said, Christmas, its going to get worse. Always does. Try to relax, give yourself time to get anywhere, and don't get too worked up by the close misses etc, just accept its going to happen and stay focussed.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Hell yeah, there's nothing like having a close call, getting steamed up about it and thinking about that, then having ANOTHER one cos you're not paying attention.....

You just have to ride (or drive) with the mindset that every other road user is a homicidal maniac who WANTS to kill you. not just negligent, or doesnt care, WANTS you dead then to back over your corpse to make sure you stay dead.... because you're not actually paranoid if they really are trying to get you.....

[chasio]

School buses are shocking for just pulling out in front of whatever

You're probably right, but since you are only overtaking a stopped school bus at 20kmh or less, you can easily stop in time, right...?

[duckonin]

Mirrors in cars and some bikes make you look like you are in the distance but you are or they are right on the doorstep, Half the problem is there, the rest is the idjet driving the thing...always take care assume the worst...

[gazmascelle]

running red lights seems to be all the rage here in palmy.

Also ive noticed a lot of people here get upset about filtering traffic at lights, i always make sure i dont get in anyones way or hold anyone up but theres always someone (usually in a big 4wd) that decides he has to thrash the fuck out of his/her truck, blowing smoke and shit everywhere, probably doing some crazy speed to catch up to me, and follow 2 inches from my arse as if im holding them up lol.. yeah right.

I want a tank

[duckonin]

I think the stadard of driving has steadily got worse. School buses are shocking for just pulling out in front of whatever and recently I have had a few cars pull out in front of me at the same interesection - at least one per day. They seem to forget that it is a 100km zone. And that is when I have been in the car. I find getting right up their ass at speed and a long honk on the horn tends to make them wake up a bit and hopefully they wont be in such a hurry again. Otherwise:

Get a stebel!

Buses are buses and always have the right of way as far as the driver is concerned, now you are not going to tangle with a BUS are u ? That's the way the it has been since buses were invented...

[Tunahunter]

Before these three incidents it had been quite a while since I've had anything like that happen to me. I'm used to the changing lanes without indicating on the motorway and all that, but these three really scared me.

Have you reviewed your visibility recently?

[Spazman727]

Have you reviewed your visibility recently?

I'm not doing anything differently from what I normally do as far as visibility is concerned (or anything else for that matter as far as I can see). I'm gonna try pay extra attention to everything from now on (more so than I already do)

[Gremlin]

Looking at it brutally... it doesn't really matter how much they are in the wrong anyway. You're still the one that comes off worst in any incident...

Don't ride like a maniac, but also don't ride in a timid fashion. It might allow the cars to think they can push you about as such. I make sure cars keep their distance, don't share my lane or get too close in front or behind etc. I call it "assertive" riding.

[James Deuce]

Whenever I start having near misses I start looking at my riding and usually find that it's me at fault.

Whenever I start hitting things it's always my fault.

[bogan]

running red lights seems to be all the rage here in palmy.

Also ive noticed a lot of people here get upset about filtering traffic at lights, i always make sure i dont get in anyones way or hold anyone up but theres always someone (usually in a big 4wd) that decides he has to thrash the fuck out of his/her truck, blowing smoke and shit everywhere, probably doing some crazy speed to catch up to me, and follow 2 inches from my arse as if im holding them up lol.. yeah right.

I want a tank

fuck yeh, I'll sometimes feel a bit guilty bout running a late-ish orange, then look in the mirrors and find the two cars after me came through as well! Never had lane-splitting issues though, maybe I just look like a guy not to be fucked with

but nah, haven't noticed overall driving getting any worse