Should I complain?

**mstriumph** · 16th August 2005, 14:10

You did good!

it would have been wrong NOT to complain under those circumstances - silence equating to approbation in the minds of the miscreants and all that?

its great that you got a positive response, too

But the best thing is the learning experience a narrow escape like that is?

**Stroker Girl** · 16th August 2005, 14:12

Originally Posted by Deano

It never ceases to amaze me the gall of some arseholes who flip the bird or make threats when they are blatantly in the wrong.

Tell me about it! Pukekohe seems rife with these type of special people. Twice I've had cars pull out in front of me on the bike and as they go by they've pull the finger! Usually I'm in too much shock to even respond in like back

PF, glad to hear your close call didn't result in anything more serious and hope that arsehole in the van get a serious warning. Good on ya for complaining.

**Eurygnomes** · 16th August 2005, 14:19

Yay for you PF! I'm learning the 'accelerate through the potential incident' trip too...so many times, I'll get on the brakes and then realise that the brakes mean that I'm now SLOWLY approaching the hazard instead of peeling away from it as I'd feel more comfortable doing. It's a weird feeling - I know in teh car I'm a lot more likely to slam on the brakes.

I hate it when people follow really closely. On the way home on Thursday night (dark out) I had a car full of teenaged boys follow RIGHT up my back wheel (I could smell their breath...and it was rank). I was not impressed. I did the weave from side to side thing (as much as one can without drawing coppers attention to oneself) and yet they stayed there. It's like, "I don't want to speed, but neither do I feel the need to stay at risk from these pricks". I suppose I could have pulled over and let them pass. Idiots.

I'm SOO impressed you rang the company to complain. Good on ya chick!

**Gremlin** · 16th August 2005, 15:49

Well done for ringing the company, and good on the owner/manager for being a decent guy.

Have to ask tho, why does all this crap keep happening to you?? Bad luck? Is there something you are doing that might let the cars think they can do something?? It would be interesting to know because I have had very few problems. Perhaps you should get a little bike and look huge on it

Seems to be (mostly) working for me...

But I think I have seen you, and that would be a hard job finding a bike that small...

**placidfemme** · 16th August 2005, 15:54

I do have bad luck don't I?

Well not really, I've been riding legally now for over 8 months or more and I've never come off my bike, nor been hit or anything. Rather a near miss then a complete accident where I'm hurt.

Some of the things I've posted on here, in hindsight (sp) are small things that just seemed huge because of my lack of experience... but I'm getting better slowly. By no means do I think I'm a good rider, nor do I think I'm a bad rider either... I just like to share my experiences and get other peoples opinions on them... also by writting them out and discussing them helps me to see what I should or shouldn't be doing...

Thanks everyone

**James Deuce** · 16th August 2005, 16:13

Originally Posted by placidfemme

I do have bad luck don't I?

Well not really, I've been riding legally now for over 8 months or more and I've never come off my bike, nor been hit or anything. Rather a near miss then a complete accident where I'm hurt.

{snip}

One sincerely hopes you were holding onto something wooden when you said that.

You realise you'll need to self-harm to appease the biker gods now?

The near misses become unremarkable as the range of your biker's sixth sense extends.

**unhingedlizard** · 16th August 2005, 16:37

Originally Posted by Jim2

Next time that happens, change down two gears and nail it. DO NOT STAY IN THE ZONE OF STUPIDITY.

Acceleration is just as valid as an avoidance technique as braking. Visualise that scenario in your head and practice avoiding it (mentally) by accelrating.

Totally agree. Sometimes its the only weapon we have.

**Gremlin** · 16th August 2005, 16:49

Even though you may look at things with hindsight and say it was small, if a learner can read it and learn something that might help, then there is no problem at all.

The sad question is: Do we post these incidents less and less because they keep happening and we take it as the norm??

**crazylittleshit** · 16th August 2005, 16:55

0900 HOW'S MY DRIVEN

$5.00 per min

WOULD'NT that be great........

**NhuanH** · 16th August 2005, 16:59

Originally Posted by Gremlin

The sad question is: Do we post these incidents less and less because they keep happening and we take it as the norm??

That is truly a sad question. Sad that you think these posts are reducing in number. Methinks they need their own forum/sub-forum:
"Cager/bus/Mack truck/submarine/spaceship/hovercraft/Ferret got me velly angwy today...."
(delete those not applicable - hey it could be a combo: A ferret in a submarine?)

Just like Kim Jong-Il sez: "rerax"

**Ixion** · 16th August 2005, 17:01

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Well done for ringing the company, and good on the owner/manager for being a decent guy.

Have to ask tho, why does all this crap keep happening to you?? Bad luck? Is there something you are doing that might let the cars think they can do something?? It would be interesting to know because I have had very few problems. Perhaps you should get a little bike and look huge on it

Seems to be (mostly) working for me...

But I think I have seen you, and that would be a hard job finding a bike that small...

Nah. Happens to me all the time too. And my bike's large enough to be seen from the Moon. Happens to all bikers. Just after a while you get used to it and just take it in your stride. May depend a bit on where you ride, and the type and quality of idiots you regularly encounter, I guess.

**placidfemme** · 16th August 2005, 17:07

Originally Posted by Jim2

One sincerely hopes you were holding onto something wooden when you said that.

You realise you'll need to self-harm to appease the biker gods now?

The near misses become unremarkable as the range of your biker's sixth sense extends.

I'm not supersticous (sp) lol. I proberly should be, but I'm not...

Everyone said to me "oh you'll come off... just you wait". And sure given the odd's I proberly will. But theres no point in riding and thinking "I havn't crashed yet... I might today *touch wood*".

I believe everyone has a time... and when my time comes... then it comes

Everyone that knows me, knows how much I LOVE bikes... I've wanted to ride since I was knee high to a grasshopper... My gran's brother was killed on a bike (a triumph hehe) and she hates bikes... but knows that I have a passion for them... (lol thats why the only magazines and loose pictures in the whole house are all bike related).

But yeah *forgetting my point.... must.... type....faster... oh dang it, I've lost it*

lol

I like looking at things in hidesight... seriously... some of the things I've bitched about on here, I've taken the advice, critisism (sp) and all and seriously thought about it... and once or twice (or more) the same situation has happened, and without realising it I take advantage of all the information I get off here... I'm like a leech... read... think... practise... or at least I try...

**eliot-ness** · 16th August 2005, 17:24

Congrats PF you did everything right.Got yourself out of a sticky situation. Didn't lose your temper. Thought about it, and reported the guy. All good survival tactics. That's one more lousy driver who will think before he repeats the performance. Maybe you've saved another rider from an expensive prang. BTW. Eight months in Auckland traffic without some sort of accident is pretty good going. You seem to have it sussed out

**placidfemme** · 16th August 2005, 18:06

Originally Posted by eliot-ness

Congrats PF you did everything right.Got yourself out of a sticky situation. Didn't lose your temper. Thought about it, and reported the guy. All good survival tactics. That's one more lousy driver who will think before he repeats the performance. Maybe you've saved another rider from an expensive prang. BTW. Eight months in Auckland traffic without some sort of accident is pretty good going. You seem to have it sussed out

I hit a car mirror once while splitting lanes... does that count?

*has my guardian angel watching over me*