Woe to the cage drivers

**Coldkiwi** · 2nd July 2003, 13:00

You know, as I was riding past half of the lemming traffic last night on the southern motorway (gridlock from market road due to big crash at Mt wellington off ramp), I ALMOST felt sorry for them. It would've probably taken someone two hours to get from the city to Howick via the motorway last night. Took me 35 minutes... 5 mins more than usual! (the only time i stopped was to ask a cop car if they minded me scooting up the lanes... was given a thumbs up and away I went,so I guess they're not all unreasonable)

So what do you guys think? Are car drivers that commute everyday into the city just stupid? Why don't more people take bikes?Or are they (by some cruel twist of nature) simply unable to? Its not like they're all amputee's... the only reason I can come up with is that they are for the most part difficult, stubborn bastards who deserve no pity.

**Duke of Rogan** · 2nd July 2003, 13:28

yup, cage driving commuters for the most part are stupid and stubborn, but I think a lot of them have been brain-washed against the idea of owning/using a motorcycle.

Although they will never try it, the ones I know think its too dangerous and too cold and they don't want to be called a "bikie".

Also, as I said in a previous thread, the government isn't going to encourage the use of motorcycles as a means of commuting, because they will miss out on tax revenue (until they make it so expensive to use a bike that it will then appear as a good idea)

**750Y** · 2nd July 2003, 13:49

tell me about it. I was in the ute yesterday due to having to transport a potbelly woodburner in the morning(wouldn't fit on the pack rack) and got caught up in the jam.
I left town at 6:15pm and an hour later i thought stuff this and got off at penrose, went through panmure-botany-whiford-hunua & got home just before 8pm. I forgot how much it sux to commute on 4 wheels. I probably coulda sat for the same amount of time in the traffic but would rather be moving even if i did have to go the long way.

**SpankMe** · 2nd July 2003, 13:49

While riding between grid locked traffic because of an accident, I have had cops tell me and other riders to use the shoulder.

I have neither pity nor time for cage drivers. I hate them as I would hate any group that is trying to kill me.

Once while going home through Newmarket on Gillies Ave where the traffic was locked on the right lane because of a car stuck mid turn because of the locked traffic of the left. He was unable to back up or go forward until the left lane traffic moved. I just rode up the middle and over the hill at the next intersection the same situation. The left hand lane traffic couldn’t move because of stopped cars coming out of the road on the left turning into the right lane who also could not move forward or back. Neither end could see each other so I have no idea how long they were stuck there like that. I just laughed all the way home.

**georgedubyabush** · 2nd July 2003, 14:05

i'd say the perceived danger factor.
no-one I know, none of my friends ride a bike. well one rides an sj50.
when I ask them "when you gonna get a bike so Ive got someone to ride with?" a typical answer was, "My Mum would have a shit"
guess my friends are all just mumma's boy pansies.

**ScottieX** · 2nd July 2003, 14:22

I agree with most of the sentiments about car drivers ( most of them are ignorant of bikes )

I also drive a car though, during the week, mainly beacuse I hate wet weather riding, & I like to save the bike for the good weather, & weekend rides.

Maybe if car drivers spent a bit of time on bikes their awareness & reactions to situations may sharpen up a bit.

Basically I don't trust car drivers when I'm on the road on two wheels

**georgedubyabush** · 2nd July 2003, 15:37

it seems that a lot of old codgers used to have bikes. eg. my old man and his mates, though not any more.
Would it be true that they used to be a far cheaper form of transport when compared to cars?
Is the lack of bikers just another symptom of cheap japanese car imports? does anyone remember a day when a family would struggle to afford 1 car, let alone 3.

the licencing system puts a few people I know off too. "250? that's a girls bike....for 2 years???, bugger that"

**Duke of Rogan** · 2nd July 2003, 15:56

whoa, a bit of an echo coming through from the far north there GeorgeW, are you trying to progress from your L-plate status more quickly?

the 250cc excuse is just that, a lame excuse, usually coming from the mouth of an ignoramous, however it would be a great way to strengthen the gene pool of all kiwis by allowing newbies to own a superbike when they're 15! (not that they could afford one)

and in reply to your last post:
maybe their momma's won't mind if they're riding a moped, with a full rollcage, and 5-point harness with air-bags (reminds of one of them new BMW mopeds, even has a window wiper!)

**Duke of Rogan** · 2nd July 2003, 16:02

Originally posted by georgedubyabush
guess my friends are all just mumma's boy pansies.

heres a bike for them:

**Antallica** · 2nd July 2003, 16:08

Yeah, gotta love shooting up the sides eh, I have been tempted to do so many times here. This town just 'aint Auckers though

oh well.

Remember.. Old Grannie drivers are coming for you!

**Antallica** · 2nd July 2003, 16:11

Originally posted by Duke of Rogan
heres a bike for them:

Yuck!... I'll take the muffler though

**Coldkiwi** · 2nd July 2003, 17:23

people that think a 250 is a girls bike are also ignorant. They would have no concept of performance beyond engine capacity and the facts that 250's

1)are way more agile,

2)faster cornerers

3) will only get truly left behind by larger bikes in very open road circumstances if ridden well. If ridden poorly, the smaller bike will just be going slower when it crashes!

I agree with Spankme... it really makes you laugh when you see one exceptionally idiotic driver holding up everyone else and you can pass on through. For all the risks lane splitting has, I'll do it any day rather than take the car!

**bikerboy** · 2nd July 2003, 17:25

Most of my friends don't ride bikes anymore. They almost all did sometime in the past. The most common reason for quiting is that it's dangerous followed by some horror story of a friend killed, maimed etc.

If more people rode bikes then the tin tops would be more aware of bikes and they would be better drivers when in a car. Strangely most tin tops acknowledge they are the biggest danger to bikers, well, not they themselves, but other tin tops.

**Coldkiwi** · 2nd July 2003, 17:31

here's some stats

I take 30 minutes to commute. On average, it takes an hour in the car to get to work at the same time. It would probably take 50minutes to get home by car, again, it takes me around 25-30. So I save 1 hour each day by being on the bike. (thats ignoring motorway traffic snarl ups like the last two days heading south!)

I work for 48 weeks per year (lucky enough to get 4 weeks hols)... thats 240 days at work. At 1 hour extra a day, I would waste an EXTRA 240 hrs... thats 10 WHOLE DAYS a year of doing nothing but sitting in traffic if I used a car or took the bus. After three years, I would've spent an extra MONTH sitting in traffic.

what a friggen waste of time that would be huh?

And really... whos the "man"?.. the dickhead sitting in the Commodore SS for an hour or the guy going past him on the ZXR 250 who gets home 1/2 an hour early to down a cold one?