SMIDSY by an RAF pilot

[george formby]

Very interesting reading. I know similar articules have already been posted but......

http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-p...each-cyclists/

[Ocean1]

Yes. Is not at least the basics of how that works a part of licence training nowadays?

The old gent that taught me to drive almost certainly didn't know the first thing about human perceptual mechanisms, but he was a pilot, and he did beat me on the ear if I didn't look the way he told me to.

[James Deuce]

Been repeated ad nauseum. Doesn't bear repeating because most forum members deny that they fall victim to this and would never not see a motorcycle.

Plus the other other response I've had is that the article is wrong, there's no way human eyes work like that, then you get the creationists who take issue with our eyes evolving in response to specifc threats when it is obvious that their invisible friend designed eyes, because they're just so complex.

So the same 12 people who read it before, nodded, then modified their behaviour will nod, silently thank the OP for reminding them to keep these practices up and continue on their way, avoiding saccading road users as best they can.

[SuperMac]

he did beat me on the ear if I didn't look the way he told me to.

Fierce? Sad? What expression did you have to portray?

[Ocean1]

Fierce? Sad? What expression did you have to portray?

Attentive. As in: *Smack* Pay attention, boy, 'Er majesty don't pay you for your beauty, *whap* and elegance of deportment alone *Smack*.

A more voluable and effective tutor one couldn't wish to meet. Although one certainly wished for a tad less punctuation.

[wysper]

Wow, kinda scary what we 'don't' see ay!

[Bald Eagle]

Attentive. As in: *Smack* Pay attention, boy, 'Er majesty don't pay you for your beauty, *whap* and elegance of deportment alone *Smack*.

A more voluable and effective tutor one couldn't wish to meet. Although one certainly wished for a tad less punctuation.

sounds like my old driving instructor frm the day the polis had a proper driving school only he used a wooden clipboard yo the knuckles

[Maha]

Didn't see this poor bastard either....been posted before but....its apt for the thread.

[SuperMac]

It's because of drivers' visual limitations that it is essential for riders to make themselves as conspicuous as possible . . .

[oneofsix]

It's because of drivers' visual limitations that it is essential for riders to make themselves as conspicuous as possible . . .

Yep arh huh. Would be nice for someone to run an education campaign on how to look at intersections, would help more than motorcyclists it appears.

[jrandom]

Good article.

You can't 'educate' car drivers. Good luck with that. It's a doomed approach. The common denominator is and always will be too low. Bring on the computer-driven cars, I say.

Personally, I'm paranoid enough that whenever on two wheels, if a vehicle's approaching an intersection from my left, I inevitably slow, crane my head toward them and give the driver the "I'm looking at you, cunt" gimlet eyeballs of doom. Not until I get definite eye contact and acknowledgement do I stop making sure that I can brake or turn out of the way if they happen to proceed.

Every single time.

And every so often, the eye contact doesn't happen and they do proceed, my existence obviously not having registered in their conscious mind. At which point I simply do whatever 'stay out of the way' maneuver is appropriate. And then, based on how much of a hurry I'm in, I either make rude and aggressive gestures and carry on, or hook a U-turn, follow them until they stop, and have a little chat. I like a little chat.

It saves me from a bike vs car bin three or four times a year, I reckon. If you're riding in traffic and you don't do that, you're gonna have a bad time.

[Str8 Jacket]

Personally, I'm paranoid enough that whenever on two wheels, if a vehicle's approaching an intersection from my left, I inevitably slow, crane my head toward them and give the driver the "I'm looking at you, cunt" gimlet eyeballs of doom. Not until I get definite eye contact and acknowledgement do I stop making sure that I can brake or turn out of the way if they happen to proceed.

Yep, I do the same from whichever side they're coming but I have also found that when it looks like they aint gonna stop at all that standing up on your bike makes them suddenly see u and stop. Not always of course which is why you still want to be on the brakes or finding a way to avoid them......

[p.dath]

That's a great article with a good explanation.

[jrandom]

standing up on your bike

Yeah, not being able to do that is the main problem with the Nightster's forward controls.

[Str8 Jacket]

Yeah, not being able to do that is the main problem with the Nightster's forward controls.

Ah yes! I find That it can also be very easy to drop the throttle if not thinking right and / or panicking. Prob not a good look to fling your self over the handle bars into the path of the vehicle.....