Under-taking by cars (or Why Can't They Read What is Happening?)

[Mongoose]

The trouble is, it's very easy to provoke someone into a road rage incident, and whether you're in the right makes no difference to them.
.")

Totally agree, read the thread of the fellow KBer who suffered just that after being nearly knocked off his bike, not his fault.

[Bob]

Great one last night - Lights controlled slip lane onto a main 'A' road. So the lights change and the bike in front of me pulls away, with me behind him.

So a stupid woman (not being sexist, she was a stupid woman) who had been held up at the other set of lights decided she should go anyway.

First bike got past her - I'd seen her, so I'd already slowed down but gave her a good dose of horn blowing (and a spot of revving loudly) as I followed up.

Guy on first bike had waited in a queue, but as she pulled up, he moved over, looker her right in the eye, pointed to the red light and said:

"You see that? That is called a red light. When you see the red one, you STOP. Simple isn't it? So why can't you do it?"

Reaction from stupid woman? Shrugged her shoulders.

As Firestormer said, it is the "I'm in something bigger than you, so you won't hurt me" syndrome. I very often watch cars sit parallel with a truck, as they're scared of it as it is so much larger than them. Sportsbike (or even an SV!) on the other hand? Slim little thing, that can't hurt me.

I have noticed that if I take out my wife's 250 Virago, they seem to be much more patient - wonder if it is the "Must be a Harley, maybe he is one of them Hells Angels, better not upset hiim" thought pattern?

[Lou Girardin]

Happened today - two lanes, I'm in the outside lane, which is banking right. So I move out to the left for the above reasons - plus I am behind a truck so my visibility is compromised. Next thing I know? The woman in the car behind me accellerates towards the space inside me!

So I move back over, brake, make LOTS of noise with horn (in a tunnel as well, so it is echoing all over the place). She backs off - but not by much (still well within the "two second rule" distance).
Silly bitch.

So you're in the outside lane and block a car about to legally pass you using the left lane?
Your lucky you didn't get bowled.

[Bob]

So you're in the outside lane and block a car about to legally pass you using the left lane?
Your lucky you didn't get bowled.

NO! :spudwhat:

Maybe I didn't explain myself clearly, but what happened was this.

The lane was turning to the right. So I moved to the left OF THE SAME LANE - perfectly sensible, as by moving to the outside (of the same lane) I am now using the width of the road to get a better view and smoother line round the corner.

This was perceived by idiot in car behind me as the opportunity to come into the space I had vacated - THE SPACE IN THE SAME LANE!!!!!!!!!! She would have moved into the space next to me, in the same lane as me - which would have left me, oh, about a foot to work with?

Believe me, what she was doing was not legally overtaking!

Hope I've explained things a little better this time (having read back, I can see how it might have looked like I'd changed lane - I didn't, I was just making the most of the space in 'my' own lane...)

I didn't cross from one lane to another - I was making use of the width of the lane to get a better line round and improve my line of vision (the 'proper' way to corner, as any course and countless magazine articles will tell you).

If I'd been dumb enough to cross lanes, then I wouldn't be complaining!

Two cars would not try to sit side by side in the same lane, so why do it if a bike doesn't sit exactly in the centre of the lane?

Not sure, but I'd guess sitting side by side in the same lane is probably illegal?

[Jackrat]

I used to get a bit of that years ago but after reading this thread I realise it hasn't happened for quite a while.
I know why they do it,Their just lazy and you/we don't count in their eyes.
Why hasn't it happened for a while?
I'll have to think about that.
Black leathers,black helmet,black bike,constant filthy looks at everybody anywhere near me.
Or maybe I've just got uglyer :spudwhat:

[bgd]

Many years ago a guy I once knew parked his car in the office carpark. A biker approached him and said 'You probably don't know what this is for", and broke his jaw. Not sure what he had done but I imagine he looks out for bikers now.

[Posh Tourer :P]

If getting side-by-side in the same lane is illegal, what is lane-splitting?

I think what is illegal is that they were doing it on your right, and not leaving enough space to be safe

[vifferman]

Guy on first bike had waited in a queue, but as she pulled up, he moved over, looker her right in the eye, pointed to the red light and said:

"You see that? That is called a red light. When you see the red one, you STOP. Simple isn't it? So why can't you do it?"

Errr.. I've done this too. One of my pet peeves is people who ignore stop signs and red lights - treat them as a minor annoyance that doesn't apply to them. One of the reasons red-light/stop sign runners piss me off so much is because I bought my first bike from this very nice lady who'd been taken out by a stupid old bag who drove straight through an intersection with a stop sign (apparently a regular occurence for her). Penny had her leg busted in 6 places, spent a couple of weeks in traction, 6 months in plaster up to her chest, 5 weeks in plaster up to her hip, then had months in calipers, then had to walk with a cane for a long time.
Braindead Stupid Old Bag got a $40 fine...

So anyway, I've pointed out to several people that they have been bad. Make sme feel like a dick, but at least I'm not a hypocrite, as I always stop when I should.
The best one was a lady who was in front of me, drove straight through a stop sign without even slowing much, then stopped down the road to wait for the lights. I pulled up alongside her open window and said, "You know, if you actually STOPPED at stop signs, the road would be much safer for other motorists!" She just sat there, all slack-jawed, mouth wide open, and nodded.

[James Deuce]

Happened to me on the motorway this morning. Someone tried to change lanes into my space on the motorway, saw me and backed off, and I moved to the right of the lane I was in in response. The dudette behind me then pulls up alongside me as the traffic slows. I glared in the window and she laughs at me me so I folded her mirror back.