Anyone Else Feeling Invisible?

[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.

[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 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.

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.

[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.